Estuarine Coastal and Shelf Science最新文献

{"title":"Caspian Sea fisheries under threat from marine heatwaves","authors":"Hasan Fazli ,&nbsp;Sudhanshu Kumar ,&nbsp;Ali Rezamand ,&nbsp;Gholamreza Daryanabard ,&nbsp;Simrandeep Kaur","doi":"10.1016/j.ecss.2024.109122","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ecss.2024.109122","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Exposure to extreme temperature events represents a critical challenge for landlocked marine ecosystems, which are highly susceptible to the adverse impacts associated with such phenomena. Marine heatwaves (MHWs), defined by periods of exceptionally high sea surface temperature (SST), have become increasingly prevalent and devastating under the influence of global warming, leading to significant degradation of marine biodiversity and ecosystem health. This study introduces the first comprehensive assessment of the occurrence of MHWs from 1982 to 2022 in the Caspian Sea (CS) and their impacts on fish communities. We identified 103 MHW events, including the most extended event lasting 64 days and the most intense event exceeding 4.45 °C above the climatological mean. Our results show a link of MHWs with water vapor (WV), rainfall (RF), river discharge (RD) and sea surface level (SSL). In 2018, the Shannon-Weiner index declined the most (−42.5%), relative condition factor (<em>K</em>_<em>n</em>) in <em>Rutilus kutum</em> (−14.7%), and <em>Acipenser stellatus</em> (−9.7%). The year 2022 witnessed pronounced declines in the catch per unit effort (CPUE) of <em>Clupeonella engrauliformis</em> (−97.3%) and <em>C. grimmi</em> (−97.0%), whereas <em>C. caspia</em> experienced a significant increase (1755.5%). Our findings showed that biological indices and CPUE of fish species change significantly after the warming event, resulting in a reduction in the abundance for the majority of these fish species.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50497,"journal":{"name":"Estuarine Coastal and Shelf Science","volume":"313 ","pages":"Article 109122"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143150301","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Efficient computation of wave transformation matrices to support coastal management","authors":"M.M. Carapuco ,&nbsp;R. Taborda","doi":"10.1016/j.ecss.2024.109090","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ecss.2024.109090","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Management-oriented tools aim to turn science-based data into helpful information directly useful to policy-makers and managers. Wave Transformation Matrices (WTM) can be regarded as management-oriented tools that allow computing reliable and timely information concerning the nearshore wave regime or the sea state. WTM revealed to very helpful in the visualization and understanding of the physical processes related with nearshore waves propagation. Results obtained allow to conclude that 1) basic 2D WTM have a very good performance in the characterization of nearshore wave regime providing accurate results in a simpler and faster manner; these matrices are also excellent visual tools to allow non specialist users to recognize dominant process in nearshore wave propagation, 2) 3D WTMH should be used in target-areas where wave breaking or where bottom friction leads to significant energy dissipation seaward of the simulation point, and 3) 2D WTMT should be used under circumstances where the wave period is likely to change, such as sheltered coastal stretches or areas with strong refraction. The findings herein presented show that WTM not only imply significantly smaller computational and interpretation effort and time, in comparison with a conventional wave-by-wave modeling strategy but are also very helpful in the visualization of the physical processes related with waves propagation. Future works should consider optimizing the potential of WTM by investing in the development of friendlier user-interfaces.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50497,"journal":{"name":"Estuarine Coastal and Shelf Science","volume":"313 ","pages":"Article 109090"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143150728","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Biodiversity and distribution of marine gastrotricha along the Pacific coast of Costa Rica","authors":"M. Antonio Todaro ,&nbsp;Matteo Dal Zotto ,&nbsp;Oscar A. Segura-Bermúdez ,&nbsp;Rebeca Cambronero-Bolaños ,&nbsp;José A. Vargas ,&nbsp;Jeffrey A. Sibaja-Cordero","doi":"10.1016/j.ecss.2024.109097","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ecss.2024.109097","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Gastrotricha is a minor but stimulating phylum of small-sized invertebrates that, in marine settings, appear particularly speciose in clean sandy sediments. However, not much is known about their biodiversity and ecology on the beaches of the Neotropical region. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the biodiversity of these small metazoans, their distribution on the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica, and their relationships with local environmental variables. We collected sediment samples from 27 sandy beaches and recorded various factors like granulometric characteristics, organic matter, carbonate content, water salinity, and GPS geographical data. We found a total of 50 species of Gastrotricha, most of which are likely new to science. Although the overall diversity was high, individual beaches had low numbers of species. The main environmental factors that produced the change in species identity between samples were sediment grain size and calcium carbonate content. The study found that species of the Order Chaetonotida were mainly present in the littoral zone, while those of the Order Macrodasyida were found in both the littoral and sublittoral zones. Additionally, Chaetonotida species showed a preference for finer sediments. We also observed a slight change in species composition from North to South along the coastline, which may be attributed to other environmental and regional differences that need further evaluation, like the upwelling effect, estuarine dynamics, and exposure to oceanic influence.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50497,"journal":{"name":"Estuarine Coastal and Shelf Science","volume":"313 ","pages":"Article 109097"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143151335","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Species diversity within ecosystem diversity of wetlands within drylands: Waterbird ecological attributes in an ecological complex of wetland habitats","authors":"Adel Bezzalla ,&nbsp;Brahim Silabdi ,&nbsp;Noudjoud Mansour ,&nbsp;Nessrine Hellas ,&nbsp;Maataz Announe ,&nbsp;Cherine Marref ,&nbsp;Ahmed Abdennebi ,&nbsp;Haroun Chenchouni","doi":"10.1016/j.ecss.2024.109103","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ecss.2024.109103","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>North Africa serves as a vital stopover for millions of migratory waterbirds along the Africa-Eurasia migration routes. During autumn and spring migrations, North African wetlands provide crucial refueling sites before birds cross the Sahara Desert or the Mediterranean Sea. In the northeastern region of Algeria, the wetlands in the Batna province hold significant importance due to their strategic location between the Tell Atlas and the Saharan Atlas ranges, shaping unique climate and habitat conditions for avifauna during migratory movements. Over fourteen years (2008–2021), waterbird counts conducted across 21 wetlands grouped into nine clusters of wetlands in this region revealed the presence of 68 species representing 16 families across 10 orders. Charadriiformes dominated with 32 species from five families, alongside Gruiformes and Pelecaniformes each represented by two families. Notably, 42 out of the 68 species potentially used these wetlands as wintering grounds. The study categorized bird species based on biogeographical affinity, with a notable dominance of the western Palaearctic. Among trophic categories, invertebrate consumers were the most prevalent, comprising 50% of recorded species. Furthermore, the protection status of each identified species was assessed at national and international levels, referencing Algerian legal texts, the IUCN Red List, and various international conventions. While 60 species were classified as \"least concern\" on the IUCN Red List, <em>Oxyura leucocephala</em> was categorized as \"endangered\", with <em>Marmaronetta angustirostris</em> and <em>Aythya ferina</em> listed as \"vulnerable\", and five species marked as \"near threatened\". The cluster of wetlands composed of Chott Gadaine and Chott of Oued El-Madher emerged as the most diverse, harboring 60 species, including numerous nationally and internationally protected species, due to its remote location from residential areas. As such, five wetland ecosystems are proposed as potential Ramsar and/or Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBAs) sites: Ouled Mohamed Ben Amor Hill reservoir, Gadaine complex, Tagratine Hill reservoir, Koudiet Lamdaouer Dam, and Bousberka Hill reservoir. This study not only addressed primary threats and degradation factors impacting avifauna, particularly endangered species but also offered perspectives for conservation strategies. The insights gained are critical for the preservation of key species and sites of ornithological importance.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50497,"journal":{"name":"Estuarine Coastal and Shelf Science","volume":"313 ","pages":"Article 109103"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143151344","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Identification of sulfur species in coastal marine sediments collected from the Seto Inland Sea, Japan in summer","authors":"Satoshi Asaoka ,&nbsp;Kazuhiko Takeda ,&nbsp;Misaki Katayama","doi":"10.1016/j.ecss.2025.109130","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ecss.2025.109130","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study investigated the spatial distribution of hydrogen sulfide in sediment pore water and sulfur species in marine sediments of the Seto Inland Sea, the largest enclosed sea in Japan, using a combination of hydrogen sulfide detection tubes and X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy to identify sulfur species. The percentage composition of sulfur species in the surface sediments (0–5 cm layer) of the Seto Inland Sea was identified as sulfate (23.1–85.5%), thiosulfate (&lt;5–30.7%), elemental sulfur (&lt;5–31.0%), and pyrite (&lt;5–44.3%). Organic sulfur was identified at some sampling stations. The redox potential of the sediments was positively correlated with the percentage composition of the sum of sulfate and thiosulfate to total sulfur, and was negatively correlated with the percentage composition of the sum of elemental sulfur and pyrite to total sulfur. The percentage composition of sulfate was negatively correlated well with total organic carbon concentration in the sediments. The slope of the linear regression between the percent composition of sulfate and total organic carbon concentration in sediments for the high-load area was approximately two times higher than that of the low- and moderate-load areas. X-ray absorption near the edge structure of iron in the sediments showed that pyrite was oxidized to sulfate coupled with the reduction of iron. In conclusion, the redox potential and total organic carbon concentration in sediments could be simple parameters for estimating sulfur species in sediments from the Seto Inland Sea.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50497,"journal":{"name":"Estuarine Coastal and Shelf Science","volume":"313 ","pages":"Article 109130"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143149741","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Crab bioturbation leads to more CO2 efflux in native than in invasive salt marshes","authors":"Yujie Hua ,&nbsp;Jianwu Tang ,&nbsp;Linjing Ren ,&nbsp;Faming Wang ,&nbsp;Huayu Chen ,&nbsp;Xiuzhen Li","doi":"10.1016/j.ecss.2024.109121","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ecss.2024.109121","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Coastal wetland ecosystems harbor diverse plant and macrobenthic species but are highly susceptible to invasion by non-native species. The combined impact of macrobenthic organisms and plant invasions on carbon cycling, however, remains insufficiently understood. This study investigated four herbivorous, burrowing crab species inhabiting Spartina alterniflora (SA) and Phragmites australis (PA)-dominated salt marshes in China and the USA to evaluate their influence on carbon fluxes under varying conditions of plant invasion. Key findings include the following: (1) In native S. alterniflora marshes, Sesarma crabs significantly reduced plant biomass through herbivory, whereas fiddler crabs in the USA and Chiromantes crabs in China displayed omnivorous feeding behaviors that contributed to maintaining ecological balance with vegetation. (2) Salt marshes dominated by Sesarma crabs exhibited signs of ecosystem degradation, characterized by elevated soil CO₂ fluxes compared to other S. alterniflora sites (5.083 ± 2.59, 3.761 ± 2.97, and 2.555 ± 1.63 μmol m⁻² s⁻¹ in die-off native, healthy native, and healthy invasive S. alterniflora sites, respectively; <em>P</em> &gt; 0.05). (3) Plant invasion emerged as a more significant driver of soil CO₂ flux than crab feeding behavior, with CO₂ emissions being 2.116 μmol m⁻² s⁻¹ higher in native habitats (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05) and 1.675 μmol m⁻² s⁻¹ higher in sites dominated by herbivorous crabs (<em>P</em> &gt; 0.05). Additionally, the positive correlation between crab abundance and burrow density, along with the negative correlation between burrow density and root biomass, highlights the complex interactions shaping carbon dynamics. This study addresses a critical knowledge gap regarding the role of crab activity in influencing coastal wetland carbon emissions and provides valuable insights for quantifying and modeling CO₂ fluxes in these ecosystems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50497,"journal":{"name":"Estuarine Coastal and Shelf Science","volume":"313 ","pages":"Article 109121"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143150302","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Settlement and recruitment of Ostrea edulis and Magallana gigas on the Swedish coast: spatial variability, temporal consistency and species-specific responses","authors":"Per Bergström ,&nbsp;Linnea Thorngren ,&nbsp;Åsa Strand ,&nbsp;Susanne Lindegarth ,&nbsp;Mats Lindegarth","doi":"10.1016/j.ecss.2024.109094","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ecss.2024.109094","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The European flat oyster, <em>Ostrea edulis</em>, has been subject to extensive protection and restorations measures as it has decline and largely disappeared across Europe. Knowledge on settlement and recruitment of <em>O</em>. <em>edulis</em> in its northern marginal populations are limited and the establishment and spread of invasive the Pacific oyster <em>Magallana</em> (<em>Crassostrea</em>) <em>gigas</em> infers questions about possible interactions. In response to the limited information about settlement patterns and interactions between <em>O. edulis</em> and <em>M. gigas</em>. We tested hypotheses about spatial and temporal patterns in settlement and subsequent recruitment during two successive years using three sets of field experiments based on deployment of seed collectors. Both species showed significant, but unpredictable variability in settlement among sites with prevalence of complex small scale spatial and temporally interactive patterns. Recruitments patterns were in many respects similar to those of the settlement. While <em>M. gigas</em> showed a significantly higher settlement at sites with adult <em>O. edulis</em>, the pattern for <em>O. edulis</em> settlement was not equally linked to the presence of adult oysters. Both settlement and recruitment of <em>O. edulis</em> increased with depth while the opposite was true for <em>M. gigas</em>. Many of the ecological patterns observed were general and predictable, such as the primary settlement period. While the effect of position in the water columns was markedly different between the two species with <em>M. gigas</em> settling closer to water surface. The observed pattern suggests that settlement of <em>O. edulis</em> to some degree are limited by the availability of suitable substrate. Understanding these fundamental spatial and temporal recruitment patterns of the oysters are important for effective management of bivalve and successful implementation of restoration initiatives.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50497,"journal":{"name":"Estuarine Coastal and Shelf Science","volume":"313 ","pages":"Article 109094"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143151159","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Spatio-temporal dynamics of surf zone tropical fish assemblages: Stability in a complex system","authors":"Sara C. Loebens ,&nbsp;João P. Vieira ,&nbsp;Paulo G.V. Oliveira ,&nbsp;William Severi ,&nbsp;Valéria M. Lemos ,&nbsp;Helder C. Lima ,&nbsp;Fábio H.V. Hazin ,&nbsp;Beatrice P. Ferreira","doi":"10.1016/j.ecss.2024.109079","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ecss.2024.109079","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Fish assemblages in the surf zone can be influenced by the proximity to other habitats and environments, exposure to waves, and variability in abiotic factors. This study assessed the interactive processes that influence and control the species composition, diversity, relative abundance, and size structure of inner surf zone fish assemblages in a highly diverse tropical region. Beach seine sampling was conducted at three distinct sampling sites for 12 consecutive months during the new and first quarter moon phases, with replicates collected during both day and night periods, on Serrambi Beach, Pernambuco State, northeast Brazil. Generalized Linear Models (GLM) were applied to assess the relationships between species richness and abundance and explanatory environmental variables. A set of environmental variables was measured at each sampling point. A total of 19,026 individuals belonging to 84 taxa were caught, with fourteen taxa comprising 87.5% of the total number of individuals, representing an equitable and constant composition throughout the year. GLM results showed that the sampling point alone explained 16% and 38% of the richness and abundance models, respectively. Temperature had a stronger influence on the structure of the fish assemblage than salinity. Fish size distribution ranged from 8 to 450 mm SL, and individuals between 10- and 120-mm SL represented up to 97% and occurred systematically throughout the year. Our results suggest that proximity to reefs results in a fish assemblage that is more abundant, diverse, and temporally stable. The presence of small individuals of the dominant species is likely an ontogenetic strategy, where juveniles use the shallow areas of the surf zone as a “standby transient habitat,” finding protection from predators and food while seeking suitable conditions to later move to nearby coastal environments and complete their life cycle or even remain within the surf zone itself. This study highlights the surf zone's critical role within the mosaic of coastal habitats, emphasizing its importance for the diversity of tropical fish.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50497,"journal":{"name":"Estuarine Coastal and Shelf Science","volume":"313 ","pages":"Article 109079"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143151339","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of low-tide rainfall on channel morphodynamics of tidal mudflats","authors":"Congcong Lao ,&nbsp;Leihua Zhao ,&nbsp;Jian Zeng ,&nbsp;Junqiang Xia ,&nbsp;Pei Xin","doi":"10.1016/j.ecss.2024.109108","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ecss.2024.109108","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Tidal channels provide a pathway for exchange of water, sediment and nutrients in coastal wetlands, significantly affecting their eco-functions. Morphological evolution of tidal channels is influenced by both periodic tidal and episodic rainfall conditions. The latter, being a short-term hydrodynamic process, have received little consideration. Here, we investigated the impact of rainfall on tidal channel evolution, based on field investigation of geomorphic change and a numerical model (MIKE21 FM). The results indicate that intense low-tide rainfall promotes formation of tidal channels. Rainfall induces rill erosion, facilitating rapid formation of a rill network. Initial tidal currents converging through the rill network enhance sediment transport, leading to rapid development of a tidal channel network. The tidal channel network inherits features from the rainfall-induced rill network, retaining up to 34% of these characteristics after 30 tidal cycles. Furthermore, long durations, steep slope, micro-tidal conditions, and peaked rainfall pattern enhance the effect of rainfall on tidal channel network morphodynamics. There exists a critical slope threshold for a specific high-intensity rainfall. Rainfall dominates channel length when slope is above this threshold, whereas tides become dominant as slope is below it. These findings provide an explanation for the rapid growth of tidal channels during rainy seasons in earlier field observations, indicating that rainfall condition should be incorporated into research of coastal wetland evolution.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50497,"journal":{"name":"Estuarine Coastal and Shelf Science","volume":"313 ","pages":"Article 109108"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143151340","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Tropicalization induced by non-native species in the western Mediterranean Sea: Effects on decapod crustacean taxocoenoses","authors":"Marc Farré ,&nbsp;Antoni Lombarte ,&nbsp;Víctor M. Tuset ,&nbsp;Francisca Salmerón ,&nbsp;Miguel Vivas ,&nbsp;Pere Abelló","doi":"10.1016/j.ecss.2024.109114","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ecss.2024.109114","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Geographic distributional range shifts are a common effect caused by global warming on marine species, usually leading to polewards displacements of their native distribution. These climate-induced distributional expansions can cause the introduction of warmer alien species in higher latitude areas, which leads to the tropicalization of these areas. In decapod crustaceans, the external body shape has been identified as an essential trait to assess the invasive potential of species given its relevance in their biological and ecological performance. The present study analyses the abundance trends of two tropical anomuran decapods that expanded their distribution and established in the western Mediterranean in recent decades (the squat lobster <em>Iridonida speciosa</em> and the hermit crab <em>Pagurus mbizi</em>) and assess their impacts on the population dynamics of their taxocoenoses along the Iberian Peninsula (western Mediterranean Sea) over 25 years (1994–2018). In addition, external morphology, measured with geometric morphometric methods, was used to characterize the taxocoenoses to evaluate whether it contributes to understanding the invasive ability of allochthonous species. The results showed that the exotic species that achieved dominant levels (<em>I. speciosa</em>) presented some particular morphological differences from native species that likely provide it with greater exploitation efficiency or unoccupied niche opportunities to avoid or overcome competition with residents. However, the invader that settled itself apparently favoured by external or environmental variables but failed to establish dense populations (<em>P. mbizi</em>) was morphologically similar to native species. This overlap probably implies ecological competition for the available resources, thus reducing the probability of becoming abundant within the taxocoenosis. The findings of the model agree with those obtained in other taxonomic groups, which reinforces the hypothesis that external morphology is an additional element to be considered within the complex combination of factors determining the success of marine invasive processes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50497,"journal":{"name":"Estuarine Coastal and Shelf Science","volume":"313 ","pages":"Article 109114"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143151349","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}