This research shows the results regarding the response to acidic condition of the sediment and Posidonia foraminiferal assemblages collected around the Panarea Island. The Aeolian Archipelago represents a natural laboratory and a much-promising study site for multidisciplinary marine research (carbon capture and storage, geochemistry of hydrothermal fluids and ocean acidification vs. benthic and pelagic organisms). The variability and the complexity of the interaction of the ecological factors characterizing extreme environments such as shallow hydrothermal vents did not allow us to carry out a real pattern of biota responses in situ, differently from those observed under controlled laboratory conditions. However, the study provides new insights into foraminiferal response to increasing ocean acidification (OA) in terms of biodiversity, faunal density, specific composition of the assemblages and morphological variations of the shells. The study highlights how the foraminiferal response to different pH conditions can change depending on different environmental conditions and microhabitats (sediments, Posidonia leaves and rhizomes). Indeed, mineral sediments were more impacted by acidification, whereas Posidonia microhabitats, thanks to their buffer effect, can offer “refugia” and more mitigated acidic environment. At species level, rosalinids and agglutinated group represent the most abundant taxa showing the most specific resilience and capability to face acidic conditions.

This paper highlights the urgent need to accelerate research and action on ocean carbon sinks through human intervention, known as the Global Ocean Negative Carbon Emissions (Global-ONCE) Programme, as a vital strategy in global efforts to mitigate climate change. Achieving “net zero” by 2050 cannot rely on emission reductions alone, emphasizing the necessity of complementary approaches. Global-ONCE’s mission extends beyond scientific exploration. It embodies a profound commitment to protecting and restoring blue carbon ecosystems, as well as implementing ocean-based solutions that are sustainable, equitable, and inclusive. Early career ocean professionals (ECOPs) are at the heart of these efforts, and their innovative approaches, technical expertise, and passion make them indispensable leaders in advancing ONCE initiatives. ECOPs bridge the gap between science and society, playing a relevant role in integrating cutting-edge research, technological advancements, and community-driven action to address climate threats. By bringing together diverse perspectives and leveraging their interdisciplinary expertise, ECOPs ensure that ONCE strategies are grounded in scientific rigor and practical feasibility. Through advocacy, education, and collaboration, ECOPs not only spearhead research and innovation but also inspire collective action to safeguard our oceans. This paper amplifies the critical role of ECOPs as agents of change and calls for a unified global commitment to harness the ocean’s potential for a climate-resilient future.

Seafloor mapping is crucial for sustainable Ocean management, but the distribution, drivers and origins of deep-sea biodiversity remain uncharted at global scales. The deep ocean is the largest and least-explored ecosystem on Earth, and the greatest source of unknown lifeforms. This con-tribution is firstly the story of a merge between exploration, science, education and technology for humankind cultural heritage advancement in one of the formally recognized protected areas of the Pacific Ocean. The data herein described are the outcome of a series of underwater surveys fi-nalized during the 2023 Exploration Campaign onboard E/V Nautilus, led by the Ocean Explo-ration Trust within the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, which is the largest conservation area established in the U.S. and one of the largest marine protected areas of the world. Our findings provide an advanced approach to scientific research combining the tradi-tional approach of marine sciences to the cultural and social dimension of local traditions, in or-der to empower the indigenous people in the underwater cultural heritage knowledge advance-ment process, aimed at deep-sea biodiversity detection and unexplored seafloor surveying. Be-side the high potential for this human dimension inclusion, the indigenous voices allowed to in-tegrate the mere scientific aspects commonly shared in every at-sea exploration, with the cultural values and practices respected from the local people who traditionally lived in sync with the Ocean for millennia. As a result, this approach allowed to enforce a trust relationship between the science world and some local representatives who joined the exploration onboard, providing an added value to the extant expertise.

Blue carbon is the first ally to face a changing climate. Despite its importance, so many people are not enough aware of the importance of these natural defenses’ preservation. Also, there are still so many knowledge gaps in how we can perform a coordinated plan of restoration interventions or meaningful ocean prediction trends. Therefore, the blue education is a precious support in shaping the future of our ocean-related knowledge even in terms of nature-based solution development and new promising strategies to cope even with the most demanding future scenarios. Ranging from the alarming rise in seawater temperatures to the acidification of our oceans, all these phenomena require an integrated approach to be meaningfully addressed. The ocean-climate nexus is among the most significant challenges outlined within the UN Ocean Decade and is among the main urgencies to be addressed through specific EU policies. A healthy ocean is synonym of healthy people: aspects inextricably linked in the “One Health” concept, meaning a strong convergence between human, animal and environmental health. Beside the climate-related issues affecting the ecosystems, heatwaves and soil consumption fuel the spread of vector-borne syndromes or zoonoses, representing to date 60% of emerging infectious diseases globally. Indeed, learning from nature is an asset to raise our comprehensive preparedness capability.

As coastal and marine ecosystems, even the inland waters can be deeply affected by human-driven impacts. Consequently, the internal waters belonging to closed or semi-closed basins due to their hydrographic and morphological conditions can be subject to even more dramatic consequences in terms of conservation and overall ecosystem functioning maintaining. Despite the Albano Lake is listed among the Natura 2000 network sites (IT6030038), several elements of its landscape complexity have already experimented clearly visible alterations: from certain landscape features alterations to the loss of some iconic vegetal and animal species characterizing the lake environment in the past. Therefore, a virtuous commitment awaits us and we have the moral duty of acting in order to restore such degraded habitats. Each environmental restoration intervention and/or clean up session can be considered relevant in order to give back the right dignity to one of the most naturalistically relevant environments of Central Italy. For each field session a plethora of data can be acquired both onshore and underwater by diving operators. Therefore, the data management of a huge temporal and spatial variability can be remarkable. It can be made easier relying on artificial intelligence (AI) supporting geospatial databases for GIS analysis to be run for their role as decision-supporting tools. On this perspective AIs can be used to model environmental systems, greatly helping to reduce use conflicts and human-driven impacts, whilst understanding the ecological characteristics and related ecosystem functioning.