Gracilaria gracilis is a benthic, intertidal red macroalga (Rhodophyta) of the commercially important Gracilaria genus. It's highly valued in scientific research for its ability to produce high-quality agar, a valuable polysaccharide widely utilised in various industries. This review serves as a...

The European hake, Merluccius merluccius (Linnaeus, 1758), is one of the most important resources for Mediterranean fisheries. Due to its pivotal role in energy transfer from lower to higher trophic levels, this species is a crucial component of the ecosystems functioning. The ecological role of Merluccius merluccius, off the Moroccan Mediterranean Sea (southern Alboran Sea), was investigated, exploring seasonal and ontogenetic shifts, geographical variations in prey composition, and feeding strategy. Between November 2020 and July 2022, a total of 402 hake specimens were collected by oceanographic bottom trawl surveys (MEDITS) that were carried out during warm and cold seasons to assess their diet and feeding habits. The sample was analyzed according to fish sizes and seasons, and qualitative/quantitative feeding indices were calculated. The trophic spectrum of Merluccius merluccius included 24 prey items in total, mainly belonging to Osteichthyes (12), Crustacea (10), Cephalopoda (1), and Polychaeta (1), suggesting a generalist behavior of this predator as in numerous regions of the Mediterranean Sea, with several species that occasionally occurs in its diet. In the Moroccan Mediterranean Sea, Osteichthyes proved to be the most important prey item (IRI=78.56) among the different zoological groups, followed by Crustacea (IRI=16.22). The other food items were occasionally and randomly consumed, and cannibalism was low (0.8). Hierarchical cluster analysis and nonmetric multidimensional scaling (nMDS) showed different feeding habits of two main groups separated at 60 similarity: small specimens 0.05). A trophic level (TROPH) of 4.1 was calculated, indicating that the species is a top predator (quaternary consumers). The TROPH values ranged between 2.58 and 4.38 from juveniles to adults, increasing asymptotically with the size of specimens. In contrast to what has previously been found in other Mediterranean regions, where ichthyophagous hake feed mostly on pelagic Osteichthyes, such as Engraulis encrasicolus, Sardina pilchardus, and Micromesistius poutassou, the study points up the vital role played by Atlantic horse mackerel Trachurus trachurus for hake diet in the Moroccan Mediterranean Sea. Information on the feeding ecology of fish species as provided in this study is essential to improve ecosystem conservation in accordance with multispecies approach to fishery management, leading to a better understanding of the role of hake in the Moroccan Mediterranean Sea demersal communities.

Marine fish face increasing threats from human activities, particularly pollution, which exacerbates marine contamination. This study evaluates the risks of trace element contamination in the edible muscle of Sardina pilchardus from Morocco. Using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES), concentrations of iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), Copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), and chromium (Cr) were quantified in 360 specimens. Zinc was the most abundant metal (70.28 µg g⁻¹ dry weight (dw)), followed by Fe (60.31 µg g⁻¹ dw), Cu (2.31 µg g⁻¹ dw), and Ni (0.83 µg g⁻¹ dw), while Cr was undetected. Seasonal variations significantly influenced metal concentrations and health risk indices (p < 0.05), with higher Fe and Zn levels in colder seasons and elevated Ni and Cu levels during warmer periods. No significant differences were found between sampling locations (p > 0.05). All recorded levels were below international food safety standards. Health risk assessments, including estimated daily intake, target hazard quotient, and total THQ, indicated no immediate health risk. However, toxicological evaluation revealed that the target carcinogenic risk (CR) for Ni exceeded the threshold of 10⁻⁴, suggesting a potential long-term carcinogenic risk. While trace element levels in Sardina pilchardus generally pose no immediate health concerns, the elevated CR for Ni emphasizes the need for further research, monitoring, and mitigation strategies. These findings underline the importance of continuous assessment to ensure the safety of marine fish and to mitigate potential risks to human health over time.

Understanding the temporal and spatial patterns, as well as habitat preferences, of marine communities is crucial for interpreting ecosystem functioning and effectively protecting marine organisms’ resources. In this paper, we investigated the changes in marine communities in the Moroccan Mediterranean (20–620 m depth) over both space and time. Using data from trawl scientific surveys conducted by the National Fisheries Research Institute from 2018 to 2021, we conducted a quantitative analysis to (1) assess the seasonal spatial patterns of bentho‐demersal communities, including both economically important species and those not directly targeted by fisheries, and (2) explore the interactions between these communities and environmental factors to gain deeper insights into the dynamics of communities structure. We selected several environmental characterizations including depth, sea surface temperature, bottom temperature, salinity, chlorophyll‐a, dissolved oxygen, pH, and bottom seabed nature. Depth was the predominant factor responsible for most of the variation observed in both ecological parameters and the composition of bentho‐demersal species. The study largely confirms that bentho‐demersal communities along the Moroccan Mediterranean coast respond to their environment, displaying a structural pattern shaped by an offshore to inshore environmental gradient, and exhibiting low seasonal variations. These results have significant implications for fisheries management, offering crucial insights into the parameters influencing the distribution of bentho‐demersal communities. This is particularly relevant for mixed‐species fisheries, just like those operating in the Moroccan Mediterranean trawl fishery.