This user account status is Approved
2026
Pistevos, Jennifer; Zenetos, Argyro; Stranga, Yolanda; Teaca, Adrian; Begun, Tatiana; Trkov, Domen; Langeneck, Joachim; Gerakaris, Vasilis; Issaris, Yiannis; Lardi, Polytimi-Ioli; Oikonomidis, George; Salomidi, Maria; Tsirintanis, Konstantinos; Kleitou, Periklis; Constantinou, George; Michail, Christina; Bariche, Michel Michel; Deidun, Alan; Marrone, Alessio; Ragkousis, Michail; Skouradakis, Grigorios; Nash, Fiona; Digenis, Evangelos Markos Papadimitriou; Skolka, Marius; Stefanova, Kremena; Fortič, Ana; Garcia, Maria; Dailianis, Thanos; Rallis, Ioannis; Evans, Julian; Altamirano, Maria; Rousou, Maria; Orenes-Salazar, Víctor; Bonifazi, Andrea; Hadjioannou, Louis; Vlantaridis, Maria Zois ND Zotou; Azzurro, Ernesto; Schembri, Patrick; Tiralongo, Francesco; Chatzigeorgiou, Georgios; Lorenzo, Manfredi Di; Fernandez, Maria; Franco, Antonio Di; Orlando-Bonaca, Martina; Calò, Antonio; Malefaki, Christina; García-Charton, Jose Antonio; Papadakis, Orestis; Nikolaou, Athanasios; Gkoulia, Andromachi; Ramos-Esplà, Alfonso; Mannino, Anna Maria; Dimichele, Desirèe; Spinelli, Simone; Martínez, Elisa; Tursi, Andrea; Capasso, Annalisa; Christidis, Georgios; Solca, Michele; Rifi, Mouna; Zrelli, Radhouan El; Bouhlel, Ramla; Scalera, Riccardo; Bandi, Ada; Reboa, Anna; Mazaris, Antonios; Iziani, Ibrahim; Anastasopoulou, Iro; Kavakakis, Konstantinos; Scavino, Leonardo; Merotto, Lorenzo; Yankova, Maria; Montefalcone, Monica; Leban, Neža; Ungaro, Nicola; Mariottini, Paolo; Perry, Allison; Stavrou, Petros; Mazzella, Valerio; Raykov, Violin; Ferrario, Jasmine; Stamouli, Caterina; Siapatis, Apostolos; Vernadou, Emmanouela; Bommarito, Claudia; Milisenda, Giacomo; Somma, Emanuele; Russo, Stefania; et.al, Stelios Katsanevakis
Unpublished Mediterranean and Black Sea records of marine alien, cryptogenic, and neonative species (III) Journal Article
In: BioInvasions Records, vol. 15, no. 3, pp. 533–572, 2026, ISSN: 22421300.
@article{pistevos_unpublished_2026,
title = {Unpublished Mediterranean and Black Sea records of marine alien, cryptogenic, and neonative species (III)},
author = {Jennifer Pistevos and Argyro Zenetos and Yolanda Stranga and Adrian Teaca and Tatiana Begun and Domen Trkov and Joachim Langeneck and Vasilis Gerakaris and Yiannis Issaris and Polytimi-Ioli Lardi and George Oikonomidis and Maria Salomidi and Konstantinos Tsirintanis and Periklis Kleitou and George Constantinou and Christina Michail and Michel Michel Bariche and Alan Deidun and Alessio Marrone and Michail Ragkousis and Grigorios Skouradakis and Fiona Nash and Evangelos Markos Papadimitriou Digenis and Marius Skolka and Kremena Stefanova and Ana Fortič and Maria Garcia and Thanos Dailianis and Ioannis Rallis and Julian Evans and Maria Altamirano and Maria Rousou and Víctor Orenes-Salazar and Andrea Bonifazi and Louis Hadjioannou and Maria Zois ND Zotou Vlantaridis and Ernesto Azzurro and Patrick Schembri and Francesco Tiralongo and Georgios Chatzigeorgiou and Manfredi Di Lorenzo and Maria Fernandez and Antonio Di Franco and Martina Orlando-Bonaca and Antonio Calò and Christina Malefaki and Jose Antonio García-Charton and Orestis Papadakis and Athanasios Nikolaou and Andromachi Gkoulia and Alfonso Ramos-Esplà and Anna Maria Mannino and Desirèe Dimichele and Simone Spinelli and Elisa Martínez and Andrea Tursi and Annalisa Capasso and Georgios Christidis and Michele Solca and Mouna Rifi and Radhouan El Zrelli and Ramla Bouhlel and Riccardo Scalera and Ada Bandi and Anna Reboa and Antonios Mazaris and Ibrahim Iziani and Iro Anastasopoulou and Konstantinos Kavakakis and Leonardo Scavino and Lorenzo Merotto and Maria Yankova and Monica Montefalcone and Neža Leban and Nicola Ungaro and Paolo Mariottini and Allison Perry and Petros Stavrou and Valerio Mazzella and Violin Raykov and Jasmine Ferrario and Caterina Stamouli and Apostolos Siapatis and Emmanouela Vernadou and Claudia Bommarito and Giacomo Milisenda and Emanuele Somma and Stefania Russo and Stelios Katsanevakis et.al},
url = {https://www.reabic.net/journals/bir/2026/3/BIR_2026_Pistevos_etal.pdf
/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/2026-Pistevos-BIR-36.pdf},
doi = {10.3391/bir.2026.15.3.01},
issn = {22421300},
year = {2026},
date = {2026-09-18},
urldate = {2026-01-01},
journal = {BioInvasions Records},
volume = {15},
number = {3},
pages = {533–572},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Keklikoglou, Kleoniki; Langeneck, Joachim; Dimichele, Desirèe; Vernadou, Emmanouela; Chatzinikolaou, Eva; Musco, Luigi
Functional Anatomy of the Pharynx of textitGlycera tridactyla Schmarda, 1861 (Annelida: Glyceriformia: Glyceridae) Journal Article
In: Journal of Morphology, vol. 287, no. 6, pp. e70139, 2026, ISSN: 0362-2525, 1097-4687.
@article{keklikoglou_functional_2026,
title = {Functional Anatomy of the Pharynx of textitGlycera tridactyla Schmarda, 1861 (Annelida: Glyceriformia: Glyceridae)},
author = {Kleoniki Keklikoglou and Joachim Langeneck and Desirèe Dimichele and Emmanouela Vernadou and Eva Chatzinikolaou and Luigi Musco},
url = {https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jmor.70139
/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/2026-Keklikoglou-JMorphology-23.pdf},
doi = {10.1002/jmor.70139},
issn = {0362-2525, 1097-4687},
year = {2026},
date = {2026-06-16},
urldate = {2026-06-01},
journal = {Journal of Morphology},
volume = {287},
number = {6},
pages = {e70139},
abstract = {ABSTRACT
The pharyngeal muscular system of polychaetes is highly complex and shows remarkable variation in structure and function among taxa. In this study, the functional anatomy of the pharynx of
G. tridactyla
was investigated using micro‐computed tomography (micro‐CT). Sixteen
Glycera
specimens were imaged in different pharyngeal positions to examine the roles of key muscular structures in pharyngeal movement. The high‐resolution imaging provided by micro‐CT allowed visualisation of the pharyngeal muscles in their original topography, revealing essential components for pharyngeal function, including the ring muscle, retensor muscles, intestinal retractor muscles, and longitudinal muscles of the buccal tube and oesophagus. Comparison with previous studies addressed gaps in our knowledge of Glyceridae functional anatomy. Specifically, detailed analysis of the muscular system in different pharyngeal positions clarified the mechanisms of proboscis movement, which indicate the rapid and effective responses of these worms during burrowing and feeding behaviour.},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
ABSTRACT
The pharyngeal muscular system of polychaetes is highly complex and shows remarkable variation in structure and function among taxa. In this study, the functional anatomy of the pharynx of
G. tridactyla
was investigated using micro‐computed tomography (micro‐CT). Sixteen
Glycera
specimens were imaged in different pharyngeal positions to examine the roles of key muscular structures in pharyngeal movement. The high‐resolution imaging provided by micro‐CT allowed visualisation of the pharyngeal muscles in their original topography, revealing essential components for pharyngeal function, including the ring muscle, retensor muscles, intestinal retractor muscles, and longitudinal muscles of the buccal tube and oesophagus. Comparison with previous studies addressed gaps in our knowledge of Glyceridae functional anatomy. Specifically, detailed analysis of the muscular system in different pharyngeal positions clarified the mechanisms of proboscis movement, which indicate the rapid and effective responses of these worms during burrowing and feeding behaviour.
The pharyngeal muscular system of polychaetes is highly complex and shows remarkable variation in structure and function among taxa. In this study, the functional anatomy of the pharynx of
G. tridactyla
was investigated using micro‐computed tomography (micro‐CT). Sixteen
Glycera
specimens were imaged in different pharyngeal positions to examine the roles of key muscular structures in pharyngeal movement. The high‐resolution imaging provided by micro‐CT allowed visualisation of the pharyngeal muscles in their original topography, revealing essential components for pharyngeal function, including the ring muscle, retensor muscles, intestinal retractor muscles, and longitudinal muscles of the buccal tube and oesophagus. Comparison with previous studies addressed gaps in our knowledge of Glyceridae functional anatomy. Specifically, detailed analysis of the muscular system in different pharyngeal positions clarified the mechanisms of proboscis movement, which indicate the rapid and effective responses of these worms during burrowing and feeding behaviour.
Paternò, Linda; Langeneck, Joachim; Keklikoglou, Kleoniki; Cedrola, Ilaria; Martines, Alessandra; Ansari, Mohammad Hasan Dad; Dimichele, Desirèe; Vernadou, Emmanouela; Quaglierini, Jacopo; Simone, Antonio De; Musco, Luigi; Menciassi, Arianna
Unsegmented marine annelids as biomechanical models for soft robotics Journal Article
In: Scientific Reports, vol. 16, no. 1, pp. 15033, 2026, ISSN: 2045-2322.
@article{paterno_unsegmented_2026,
title = {Unsegmented marine annelids as biomechanical models for soft robotics},
author = {Linda Paternò and Joachim Langeneck and Kleoniki Keklikoglou and Ilaria Cedrola and Alessandra Martines and Mohammad Hasan Dad Ansari and Desirèe Dimichele and Emmanouela Vernadou and Jacopo Quaglierini and Antonio De Simone and Luigi Musco and Arianna Menciassi},
url = {https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-026-44047-w
/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/2026-Paterno-SciRep-22.pdf
},
doi = {10.1038/s41598-026-44047-w},
issn = {2045-2322},
year = {2026},
date = {2026-05-28},
urldate = {2026-03-01},
journal = {Scientific Reports},
volume = {16},
number = {1},
pages = {15033},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Chatzinikolaou, Eva; Keklikoglou, Kleoniki; Vernadou, Emmanouela; Dailianis, Thanos
In: Biodiversity Data Journal, vol. 14, pp. e186719, 2026, ISSN: 1314-2828, 1314-2836.
@article{chatzinikolaou_experimental_2026,
title = {Experimental exposure to climate change scenarios imposed alterations on the morphological traits of sessile and low-motility marine invertebrates},
author = {Eva Chatzinikolaou and Kleoniki Keklikoglou and Emmanouela Vernadou and Thanos Dailianis},
url = {https://bdj.pensoft.net/article/186719/
/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/2026-Chatzinikolaou-BioDJ-12.pdf},
doi = {10.3897/BDJ.14.e186719},
issn = {1314-2828, 1314-2836},
year = {2026},
date = {2026-03-20},
urldate = {2026-03-01},
journal = {Biodiversity Data Journal},
volume = {14},
pages = {e186719},
abstract = {Over the past 50 years, the oceans have absorbed over 90% of global warming heat, leading to warming, acidification and declining oxygen levels that are disrupting marine ecosystems and altering species distributions and productivity. The vulnerability of marine organisms to these changes depends on their biological traits, habitat conditions and adaptive capacity, influencing their growth, behaviour and overall population health. Micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) has been previously used for studying the morphological traits of marine invertebrates, which provide important insights into species functionality and responses to climate change and ocean acidification. Micro-CT enables non-destructive, high-resolution 3D analysis of internal and external structures, allowing precise measurement of traits such as density, porosity and morphology that are valuable for climate change research.
The present manuscript describes micro-CT imaging datasets generated to investigate the effects of climate change on the morphological structure of two benthic marine invertebrates: the low-motility gastropod
Hexaplex trunculus
(Linnaeus, 1758) and the sessile sponge
Chondrilla nucula
Schmidt, 1862. Both species are considered particularly vulnerable to environmental stressors. To date, no study has investigated the effects of ocean warming and acidification on sponges using micro-CT technology. Using a common garden experimental design, individuals from geographically distinct populations exposed to different natural environmental regimes were subjected to combined warming and acidification scenarios to assess their morphological responses and adaptive capacity.},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Over the past 50 years, the oceans have absorbed over 90% of global warming heat, leading to warming, acidification and declining oxygen levels that are disrupting marine ecosystems and altering species distributions and productivity. The vulnerability of marine organisms to these changes depends on their biological traits, habitat conditions and adaptive capacity, influencing their growth, behaviour and overall population health. Micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) has been previously used for studying the morphological traits of marine invertebrates, which provide important insights into species functionality and responses to climate change and ocean acidification. Micro-CT enables non-destructive, high-resolution 3D analysis of internal and external structures, allowing precise measurement of traits such as density, porosity and morphology that are valuable for climate change research.
The present manuscript describes micro-CT imaging datasets generated to investigate the effects of climate change on the morphological structure of two benthic marine invertebrates: the low-motility gastropod
Hexaplex trunculus
(Linnaeus, 1758) and the sessile sponge
Chondrilla nucula
Schmidt, 1862. Both species are considered particularly vulnerable to environmental stressors. To date, no study has investigated the effects of ocean warming and acidification on sponges using micro-CT technology. Using a common garden experimental design, individuals from geographically distinct populations exposed to different natural environmental regimes were subjected to combined warming and acidification scenarios to assess their morphological responses and adaptive capacity.
The present manuscript describes micro-CT imaging datasets generated to investigate the effects of climate change on the morphological structure of two benthic marine invertebrates: the low-motility gastropod
Hexaplex trunculus
(Linnaeus, 1758) and the sessile sponge
Chondrilla nucula
Schmidt, 1862. Both species are considered particularly vulnerable to environmental stressors. To date, no study has investigated the effects of ocean warming and acidification on sponges using micro-CT technology. Using a common garden experimental design, individuals from geographically distinct populations exposed to different natural environmental regimes were subjected to combined warming and acidification scenarios to assess their morphological responses and adaptive capacity.
Chatzinikolaou, Eva; Grigoriou, Panagiotis; Anastasiadis, Athanasios; Vernadou, Emmanouela; Dailianis, Thanos
A standardised experimental setup for simulating ocean warming and acidification in benthic marine invertebrates Journal Article
In: Biodiversity Data Journal, vol. 14, pp. e185047, 2026, ISSN: 1314-2828, 1314-2836.
@article{chatzinikolaou_standardised_2026,
title = {A standardised experimental setup for simulating ocean warming and acidification in benthic marine invertebrates},
author = {Eva Chatzinikolaou and Panagiotis Grigoriou and Athanasios Anastasiadis and Emmanouela Vernadou and Thanos Dailianis},
url = {https://bdj.pensoft.net/article/185047/
/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/2026-Chatzinikolaou-BDJ-4.pdf},
doi = {10.3897/BDJ.14.e185047},
issn = {1314-2828, 1314-2836},
year = {2026},
date = {2026-02-11},
urldate = {2026-02-01},
journal = {Biodiversity Data Journal},
volume = {14},
pages = {e185047},
abstract = {Recent studies identify ocean warming and acidification as major drivers of ecological change in the Eastern Mediterranean, posing serious threats to marine biodiversity, particularly for sessile or low-mobility organisms that cannot escape unfavourable conditions. At the same time, the need for standardised experimental approaches capable of generating high-quality data on organismal responses to multiple climate stressors has become increasingly evident. This manuscript presents a fully detailed and replicable experimental framework for simulating ocean warming and acidification in benthic marine invertebrates under controlled laboratory conditions. Detailed protocols include the technical set-up, experimental design, selection of climate scenarios, monitoring procedures and criteria for species selection and demonstrating its application through a validation case study from the MACCIMO project.},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Recent studies identify ocean warming and acidification as major drivers of ecological change in the Eastern Mediterranean, posing serious threats to marine biodiversity, particularly for sessile or low-mobility organisms that cannot escape unfavourable conditions. At the same time, the need for standardised experimental approaches capable of generating high-quality data on organismal responses to multiple climate stressors has become increasingly evident. This manuscript presents a fully detailed and replicable experimental framework for simulating ocean warming and acidification in benthic marine invertebrates under controlled laboratory conditions. Detailed protocols include the technical set-up, experimental design, selection of climate scenarios, monitoring procedures and criteria for species selection and demonstrating its application through a validation case study from the MACCIMO project.
Chatzinikolaou, Eva; Grigoriou, Panagiotis; Anastasiadis, Athanasios; Vernadou, Emmanouela; Dailianis, Thanos
A standardised experimental setup for simulating ocean warming and acidification in benthic marine invertebrates Journal Article
In: Biodiversity Data Journal, vol. 14, pp. e185047, 2026, ISSN: 1314-2828, 1314-2836.
@article{chatzinikolaou_standardised_2026b,
title = {A standardised experimental setup for simulating ocean warming and acidification in benthic marine invertebrates},
author = {Eva Chatzinikolaou and Panagiotis Grigoriou and Athanasios Anastasiadis and Emmanouela Vernadou and Thanos Dailianis},
url = {https://bdj.pensoft.net/article/185047/},
doi = {10.3897/BDJ.14.e185047},
issn = {1314-2828, 1314-2836},
year = {2026},
date = {2026-02-01},
urldate = {2026-02-11},
journal = {Biodiversity Data Journal},
volume = {14},
pages = {e185047},
abstract = {Recent studies identify ocean warming and acidification as major drivers of ecological change in the Eastern Mediterranean, posing serious threats to marine biodiversity, particularly for sessile or low-mobility organisms that cannot escape unfavourable conditions. At the same time, the need for standardised experimental approaches capable of generating high-quality data on organismal responses to multiple climate stressors has become increasingly evident. This manuscript presents a fully detailed and replicable experimental framework for simulating ocean warming and acidification in benthic marine invertebrates under controlled laboratory conditions. Detailed protocols include the technical set-up, experimental design, selection of climate scenarios, monitoring procedures and criteria for species selection and demonstrating its application through a validation case study from the MACCIMO project.},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Recent studies identify ocean warming and acidification as major drivers of ecological change in the Eastern Mediterranean, posing serious threats to marine biodiversity, particularly for sessile or low-mobility organisms that cannot escape unfavourable conditions. At the same time, the need for standardised experimental approaches capable of generating high-quality data on organismal responses to multiple climate stressors has become increasingly evident. This manuscript presents a fully detailed and replicable experimental framework for simulating ocean warming and acidification in benthic marine invertebrates under controlled laboratory conditions. Detailed protocols include the technical set-up, experimental design, selection of climate scenarios, monitoring procedures and criteria for species selection and demonstrating its application through a validation case study from the MACCIMO project.
2025
Pagnier, Justine; Allcock, Louise; Cancio, Ibon; Chatzinikolaou, Eva; Chatzigeorgiou, Giorgos; Chrismas, Nathan; Costantini, Federica; Dailianis, Thanos; Deneudt, Klaas; Cerio, Oihane Díaz De; Digenis, Markos; Exter, Katrina; Gerovasileiou, Vasilis; Fernández, Jose González; Kauppi, Laura; Keklikoglou, Kleoniki; Kristoffersen, Jon Bent; Lagaisse, Rune; Mavrič, Borut; Mortelmans, Jonas; Paredes, Estefania; Pavloudi, Christina; Piazza, Alessandro; Power, Anne Marie; Ramšak, Andreja; Santi, Ioulia; Solbakken, Jostein; Stavroulaki, Melanthia; Stæhr, Peter; Tajadura, Javier; Troncoso, Jesus Souza; Vasileiadou, Katerina; Vernadou, Emmanouela; Obst, Matthias
A long-term ecological research dataset from the marine genetic monitoring programme ARMS-MBON 2020-2021 Journal Article
In: Biodiversity Data Journal, vol. 13, pp. e148981, 2025, ISSN: 1314-2828, 1314-2836.
@article{pagnier_long-term_2025,
title = {A long-term ecological research dataset from the marine genetic monitoring programme ARMS-MBON 2020-2021},
author = {Justine Pagnier and Louise Allcock and Ibon Cancio and Eva Chatzinikolaou and Giorgos Chatzigeorgiou and Nathan Chrismas and Federica Costantini and Thanos Dailianis and Klaas Deneudt and Oihane Díaz De Cerio and Markos Digenis and Katrina Exter and Vasilis Gerovasileiou and Jose González Fernández and Laura Kauppi and Kleoniki Keklikoglou and Jon Bent Kristoffersen and Rune Lagaisse and Borut Mavrič and Jonas Mortelmans and Estefania Paredes and Christina Pavloudi and Alessandro Piazza and Anne Marie Power and Andreja Ramšak and Ioulia Santi and Jostein Solbakken and Melanthia Stavroulaki and Peter Stæhr and Javier Tajadura and Jesus Souza Troncoso and Katerina Vasileiadou and Emmanouela Vernadou and Matthias Obst},
url = {https://bdj.pensoft.net/article/148981/
/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/2025-Pagnier-BDJ-74.pdf},
doi = {10.3897/BDJ.13.e148981},
issn = {1314-2828, 1314-2836},
year = {2025},
date = {2025-12-08},
urldate = {2025-11-01},
journal = {Biodiversity Data Journal},
volume = {13},
pages = {e148981},
abstract = {Continuing the international efforts of the ARMS Marine Biodiversity Observation Network (ARMS-MBON), we present data from the second sampling campaign, coming from 56 Autonomous Reef Monitoring Structures (ARMS) deployed in 2020 and 2021 along European coasts under the European Marine Omics Biodiversity Observation Network (EMO BON). The dataset includes information on sampling locations and conditions, sample archiving and quality reports of collected samples. Data and metadata are openly accessible and can be downloaded from the associated GitHub repository. Sequence data can be accessed via the European Nucleotide Archive (ENA) through the corresponding accession numbers. Images of ARMS plates are stored on PlutoF and can be downloaded through links provided in this paper. Sequence data were processed and explored with the PEMA pipeline, resulting in 17,194, 7,235 and 5,261 unique ASVs/OTUs for COI, 18S and ITS, respectively. In this dataset, ARMS revealed the presence of over 61 eukaryotic phyla, aligning with our previous sampling campaign. Amongst these phyla, 35 had sequences identified to the species level. With this dataset and its associated paper, we provide a standardised resource for marine biodiversity monitoring and scientific analyses of benthic biodiversity. The presented data product supports future studies on the status and changes in species composition, distribution and genetic diversity.},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Continuing the international efforts of the ARMS Marine Biodiversity Observation Network (ARMS-MBON), we present data from the second sampling campaign, coming from 56 Autonomous Reef Monitoring Structures (ARMS) deployed in 2020 and 2021 along European coasts under the European Marine Omics Biodiversity Observation Network (EMO BON). The dataset includes information on sampling locations and conditions, sample archiving and quality reports of collected samples. Data and metadata are openly accessible and can be downloaded from the associated GitHub repository. Sequence data can be accessed via the European Nucleotide Archive (ENA) through the corresponding accession numbers. Images of ARMS plates are stored on PlutoF and can be downloaded through links provided in this paper. Sequence data were processed and explored with the PEMA pipeline, resulting in 17,194, 7,235 and 5,261 unique ASVs/OTUs for COI, 18S and ITS, respectively. In this dataset, ARMS revealed the presence of over 61 eukaryotic phyla, aligning with our previous sampling campaign. Amongst these phyla, 35 had sequences identified to the species level. With this dataset and its associated paper, we provide a standardised resource for marine biodiversity monitoring and scientific analyses of benthic biodiversity. The presented data product supports future studies on the status and changes in species composition, distribution and genetic diversity.
Nunes, Maria João; Varamogianni-Mamatsi, Despoina; Marques, Vanda; Anastasiou, Thekla I; Kagiampaki, Eirini; Vernadou, Emmanouela; Dailianis, Thanos; Kalogerakis, Nicolas; Branco, Luís C; Rodrigues, Cecília M P; Sobral, Rita G; Mandalakis, Manolis; Gaudêncio, Susana P
Chemical profile of extracts from wild and farmed Chondrosia reniformis sponges Journal Article
In: Aquaculture International, vol. 33, no. 6, pp. 558, 2025, ISSN: 0967-6120, 1573-143X.
@article{nunes_chemical_2025,
title = {Chemical profile of extracts from wild and farmed Chondrosia reniformis sponges},
author = {Maria João Nunes and Despoina Varamogianni-Mamatsi and Vanda Marques and Thekla I Anastasiou and Eirini Kagiampaki and Emmanouela Vernadou and Thanos Dailianis and Nicolas Kalogerakis and Luís C Branco and Cecília M P Rodrigues and Rita G Sobral and Manolis Mandalakis and Susana P Gaudêncio},
url = {https://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10499-025-02246-8
/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/2025-Nunes-AquaInt-57-preprint.pdf},
doi = {10.1007/s10499-025-02246-8},
issn = {0967-6120, 1573-143X},
year = {2025},
date = {2025-10-13},
urldate = {2025-10-13},
journal = {Aquaculture International},
volume = {33},
number = {6},
pages = {558},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Daraghmeh, Nauras; Exter, Katrina; Pagnier, Justine; Balazy, Piotr; Cancio, Ibon; Chatzigeorgiou, Giorgos; Chatzinikolaou, Eva; Chelchowski, Maciej; Chrismas, Nathan Alexis Mitchell; Comtet, Thierry; Dailianis, Thanos; Deneudt, Klaas; Cerio, Oihane Diaz De; Digenis, Markos; Gerovasileiou, Vasilis; González, José; Kauppi, Laura; Kristoffersen, Jon Bent; Kukliński, Piotr; Lasota, Rafał; Levy, Liraz; Małachowicz, Magdalena; Mavrič, Borut; Mortelmans, Jonas; Paredes, Estefania; Poćwierz‐Kotus, Anita; Reiss, Henning; Santi, Ioulia; Sarafidou, Georgia; Skouradakis, Grigorios; Solbakken, Jostein; Staehr, Peter A U; Tajadura, Javier; Thyrring, Jakob; Troncoso, Jesus S; Vernadou, Emmanouela; Viard, Frederique; Zafeiropoulos, Haris; Zbawicka, Małgorzata; Pavloudi, Christina; Obst, Matthias
A Long-Term Ecological Research Data Set From the Marine Genetic Monitoring Program ARMS-MBON 2018–2020 Journal Article
In: Molecular Ecology Resources, pp. e14073, 2025, ISSN: 1755-098X, 1755-0998.
@article{daraghmeh_longterm_2025,
title = {A Long-Term Ecological Research Data Set From the Marine Genetic Monitoring Program ARMS-MBON 2018–2020},
author = {Nauras Daraghmeh and Katrina Exter and Justine Pagnier and Piotr Balazy and Ibon Cancio and Giorgos Chatzigeorgiou and Eva Chatzinikolaou and Maciej Chelchowski and Nathan Alexis Mitchell Chrismas and Thierry Comtet and Thanos Dailianis and Klaas Deneudt and Oihane Diaz De Cerio and Markos Digenis and Vasilis Gerovasileiou and José González and Laura Kauppi and Jon Bent Kristoffersen and Piotr Kukliński and Rafał Lasota and Liraz Levy and Magdalena Małachowicz and Borut Mavrič and Jonas Mortelmans and Estefania Paredes and Anita Poćwierz‐Kotus and Henning Reiss and Ioulia Santi and Georgia Sarafidou and Grigorios Skouradakis and Jostein Solbakken and Peter A U Staehr and Javier Tajadura and Jakob Thyrring and Jesus S Troncoso and Emmanouela Vernadou and Frederique Viard and Haris Zafeiropoulos and Małgorzata Zbawicka and Christina Pavloudi and Matthias Obst},
url = {https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1755-0998.14073
/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/2025-Daraghmeh-MolEcoRes-6.pdf},
doi = {10.1111/1755-0998.14073},
issn = {1755-098X, 1755-0998},
year = {2025},
date = {2025-02-05},
urldate = {2025-02-05},
journal = {Molecular Ecology Resources},
pages = {e14073},
abstract = {ABSTRACT
Molecular methods such as DNA/eDNA metabarcoding have emerged as useful tools to document the biodiversity of complex communities over large spatio‐temporal scales. We established an international Marine Biodiversity Observation Network (ARMS‐MBON) combining standardised sampling using autonomous reef monitoring structures (ARMS) with metabarcoding for genetic monitoring of marine hard‐bottom benthic communities. Here, we present the data of our first sampling campaign comprising 56 ARMS units deployed in 2018–2019 and retrieved in 2018–2020 across 15 observatories along the coasts of Europe and adjacent regions. We describe the open‐access data set (image, genetic and metadata) and explore the genetic data to show its potential for marine biodiversity monitoring and ecological research. Our analysis shows that ARMS recovered more than 60 eukaryotic phyla capturing diversity of up to textasciitilde5500 amplicon sequence variants and textasciitilde1800 operational taxonomic units, and up to textasciitilde250 and textasciitilde50 species per observatory using the cytochrome
c
oxidase subunit I (COI) and 18S rRNA marker genes, respectively. Further, ARMS detected threatened, vulnerable and non‐indigenous species often targeted in biological monitoring. We show that while deployment duration does not drive diversity estimates, sampling effort and sequencing depth across observatories do. We recommend that ARMS should be deployed for at least 3–6 months during the main growth season to use resources as efficiently as possible and that post‐sequencing curation is applied to enable statistical comparison of spatio‐temporal entities. We suggest that ARMS should be used in biological monitoring programs and long‐term ecological research and encourage the adoption of our ARMS‐MBON protocols.},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
ABSTRACT
Molecular methods such as DNA/eDNA metabarcoding have emerged as useful tools to document the biodiversity of complex communities over large spatio‐temporal scales. We established an international Marine Biodiversity Observation Network (ARMS‐MBON) combining standardised sampling using autonomous reef monitoring structures (ARMS) with metabarcoding for genetic monitoring of marine hard‐bottom benthic communities. Here, we present the data of our first sampling campaign comprising 56 ARMS units deployed in 2018–2019 and retrieved in 2018–2020 across 15 observatories along the coasts of Europe and adjacent regions. We describe the open‐access data set (image, genetic and metadata) and explore the genetic data to show its potential for marine biodiversity monitoring and ecological research. Our analysis shows that ARMS recovered more than 60 eukaryotic phyla capturing diversity of up to textasciitilde5500 amplicon sequence variants and textasciitilde1800 operational taxonomic units, and up to textasciitilde250 and textasciitilde50 species per observatory using the cytochrome
c
oxidase subunit I (COI) and 18S rRNA marker genes, respectively. Further, ARMS detected threatened, vulnerable and non‐indigenous species often targeted in biological monitoring. We show that while deployment duration does not drive diversity estimates, sampling effort and sequencing depth across observatories do. We recommend that ARMS should be deployed for at least 3–6 months during the main growth season to use resources as efficiently as possible and that post‐sequencing curation is applied to enable statistical comparison of spatio‐temporal entities. We suggest that ARMS should be used in biological monitoring programs and long‐term ecological research and encourage the adoption of our ARMS‐MBON protocols.
Molecular methods such as DNA/eDNA metabarcoding have emerged as useful tools to document the biodiversity of complex communities over large spatio‐temporal scales. We established an international Marine Biodiversity Observation Network (ARMS‐MBON) combining standardised sampling using autonomous reef monitoring structures (ARMS) with metabarcoding for genetic monitoring of marine hard‐bottom benthic communities. Here, we present the data of our first sampling campaign comprising 56 ARMS units deployed in 2018–2019 and retrieved in 2018–2020 across 15 observatories along the coasts of Europe and adjacent regions. We describe the open‐access data set (image, genetic and metadata) and explore the genetic data to show its potential for marine biodiversity monitoring and ecological research. Our analysis shows that ARMS recovered more than 60 eukaryotic phyla capturing diversity of up to textasciitilde5500 amplicon sequence variants and textasciitilde1800 operational taxonomic units, and up to textasciitilde250 and textasciitilde50 species per observatory using the cytochrome
c
oxidase subunit I (COI) and 18S rRNA marker genes, respectively. Further, ARMS detected threatened, vulnerable and non‐indigenous species often targeted in biological monitoring. We show that while deployment duration does not drive diversity estimates, sampling effort and sequencing depth across observatories do. We recommend that ARMS should be deployed for at least 3–6 months during the main growth season to use resources as efficiently as possible and that post‐sequencing curation is applied to enable statistical comparison of spatio‐temporal entities. We suggest that ARMS should be used in biological monitoring programs and long‐term ecological research and encourage the adoption of our ARMS‐MBON protocols.
2024
Skouradakis, Grigorios; Vernadou, Emmanouela; Koulouri, Panayota; Dailianis, Thanos
Mass mortality of the invasive echinoid Diadema setosum (Leske, 1778) in Crete, East Mediterranean Sea Journal Article
In: Mediterranean Marine Science, vol. 25, no. 2, pp. 480–483, 2024, ISSN: 1791-6763, 1108-393X.
@article{skouradakis_mass_2024,
title = {Mass mortality of the invasive echinoid Diadema setosum (Leske, 1778) in Crete, East Mediterranean Sea},
author = {Grigorios Skouradakis and Emmanouela Vernadou and Panayota Koulouri and Thanos Dailianis},
url = {https://ejournals.epublishing.ekt.gr/index.php/hcmr-med-mar-sc/article/view/36447
https://imbbc.hcmr.gr/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/2024-Skouradakis-MMS-41.pdf},
doi = {10.12681/mms.36447},
issn = {1791-6763, 1108-393X},
year = {2024},
date = {2024-09-23},
urldate = {2024-09-23},
journal = {Mediterranean Marine Science},
volume = {25},
number = {2},
pages = {480--483},
abstract = {Diadema setosum is an echinoid of Indo-Pacific origin that invaded the Mediterranean Sea in 2006. It is an ecosystem engineer with an important ecological function in its native range, but it can have a detrimental effect on Mediterranean reefs. Recently in 2022 a mass mortality event (MME) affecting this species was recorded in the east Aegean Sea in the eastern part of the Mediterranean basin. We are reporting herein a westward progression of the MME in 2023 affecting established populations in various locations around the island of Crete.},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Diadema setosum is an echinoid of Indo-Pacific origin that invaded the Mediterranean Sea in 2006. It is an ecosystem engineer with an important ecological function in its native range, but it can have a detrimental effect on Mediterranean reefs. Recently in 2022 a mass mortality event (MME) affecting this species was recorded in the east Aegean Sea in the eastern part of the Mediterranean basin. We are reporting herein a westward progression of the MME in 2023 affecting established populations in various locations around the island of Crete.
2023
Varamogianni-Mamatsi, Despoina; Nunes, Maria João; Marques, Vanda; Anastasiou, Thekla I; Kagiampaki, Eirini; Vernadou, Emmanouela; Dailianis, Thanos; Kalogerakis, Nicolas; Branco, Luís C; Rodrigues, Cecília M P; Sobral, Rita G; Gaudêncio, Susana P; Mandalakis, Manolis
In: Marine Drugs, vol. 21, no. 12, pp. 612, 2023, ISSN: 1660-3397.
@article{varamogianni-mamatsi_comparative_2023,
title = {Comparative Chemical Profiling and Antimicrobial/Anticancer Evaluation of Extracts from Farmed versus Wild Agelas oroides and Sarcotragus foetidus Sponges},
author = {Despoina Varamogianni-Mamatsi and Maria João Nunes and Vanda Marques and Thekla I Anastasiou and Eirini Kagiampaki and Emmanouela Vernadou and Thanos Dailianis and Nicolas Kalogerakis and Luís C Branco and Cecília M P Rodrigues and Rita G Sobral and Susana P Gaudêncio and Manolis Mandalakis},
url = {https://imbbc.hcmr.gr/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/2023-Varamogianni-Mamatsi-marinedrugs-62.pdf
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-3397/21/12/612},
doi = {10.3390/md21120612},
issn = {1660-3397},
year = {2023},
date = {2023-12-04},
urldate = {2023-12-05},
journal = {Marine Drugs},
volume = {21},
number = {12},
pages = {612},
abstract = {Marine sponges are highly efficient in removing organic pollutants and their cultivation, adjacent to fish farms, is increasingly considered as a strategy for improving seawater quality. Moreover, these invertebrates produce a plethora of bioactive metabolites, which could translate into an extra profit for the aquaculture sector. Here, we investigated the chemical profile and bioactivity of two Mediterranean species (i.e., Agelas oroides and Sarcotragus foetidus) and we assessed whether cultivated sponges differed substantially from their wild counterparts. Metabolomic analysis of crude sponge extracts revealed species-specific chemical patterns, with A. oroides and S. foetidus dominated by alkaloids and lipids, respectively. More importantly, farmed and wild explants of each species demonstrated similar chemical fingerprints, with the majority of the metabolites showing modest differences on a sponge mass-normalized basis. Furthermore, farmed sponge extracts presented similar or slightly lower antibacterial activity against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, compared to the extracts resulting from wild sponges. Anticancer assays against human colorectal carcinoma cells (HCT-116) revealed marginally active extracts from both wild and farmed S. foetidus populations. Our study highlights that, besides mitigating organic pollution in fish aquaculture, sponge farming can serve as a valuable resource of biomolecules, with promising potential in pharmaceutical and biomedical applications.},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Marine sponges are highly efficient in removing organic pollutants and their cultivation, adjacent to fish farms, is increasingly considered as a strategy for improving seawater quality. Moreover, these invertebrates produce a plethora of bioactive metabolites, which could translate into an extra profit for the aquaculture sector. Here, we investigated the chemical profile and bioactivity of two Mediterranean species (i.e., Agelas oroides and Sarcotragus foetidus) and we assessed whether cultivated sponges differed substantially from their wild counterparts. Metabolomic analysis of crude sponge extracts revealed species-specific chemical patterns, with A. oroides and S. foetidus dominated by alkaloids and lipids, respectively. More importantly, farmed and wild explants of each species demonstrated similar chemical fingerprints, with the majority of the metabolites showing modest differences on a sponge mass-normalized basis. Furthermore, farmed sponge extracts presented similar or slightly lower antibacterial activity against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, compared to the extracts resulting from wild sponges. Anticancer assays against human colorectal carcinoma cells (HCT-116) revealed marginally active extracts from both wild and farmed S. foetidus populations. Our study highlights that, besides mitigating organic pollution in fish aquaculture, sponge farming can serve as a valuable resource of biomolecules, with promising potential in pharmaceutical and biomedical applications.
Varamogianni-Mamatsi, Despoina; Anastasiou, Thekla I; Vernadou, Emmanouela; Kouvarakis, Nikos; Kagiampaki, Eirini; Kalogerakis, Nicolas; Dailianis, Thanos; Mandalakis, Manolis
Uptake of aquaculture-related dissolved organic pollutants by marine sponges: Kinetics and mechanistic insights from a laboratory study Journal Article
In: Science of The Total Environment, vol. 899, pp. 165601, 2023, ISSN: 00489697.
@article{varamogianni-mamatsi_uptake_2023,
title = {Uptake of aquaculture-related dissolved organic pollutants by marine sponges: Kinetics and mechanistic insights from a laboratory study},
author = {Despoina Varamogianni-Mamatsi and Thekla I Anastasiou and Emmanouela Vernadou and Nikos Kouvarakis and Eirini Kagiampaki and Nicolas Kalogerakis and Thanos Dailianis and Manolis Mandalakis},
url = {https://imbbc.hcmr.gr/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/2023-Varamogianni-Mamatsi-STEnv-40-preprint.pdf
https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0048969723042249},
doi = {10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.165601},
issn = {00489697},
year = {2023},
date = {2023-08-01},
urldate = {2023-08-14},
journal = {Science of The Total Environment},
volume = {899},
pages = {165601},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
2022
Rallis, Ioannis; Chatzigeorgiou, Giorgos; Florido, Marta; Sedano, Francisco; Procopiou, Avgi; Chertz-Bynichaki, Melina; Vernadou, Emmanouela; Plaiti, Wanda; Koulouri, Panayota; Dounas, Costas; Gerovasileiou, Vasilis; Dailianis, Thanos
Early Succession Patterns of Benthic Assemblages on Artificial Reefs in the Oligotrophic Eastern Mediterranean Basin Journal Article
In: Journal of Marine Science and Engineering, vol. 10, no. 5, pp. 620, 2022, ISSN: 2077-1312.
@article{rallis_early_2022,
title = {Early Succession Patterns of Benthic Assemblages on Artificial Reefs in the Oligotrophic Eastern Mediterranean Basin},
author = {Ioannis Rallis and Giorgos Chatzigeorgiou and Marta Florido and Francisco Sedano and Avgi Procopiou and Melina Chertz-Bynichaki and Emmanouela Vernadou and Wanda Plaiti and Panayota Koulouri and Costas Dounas and Vasilis Gerovasileiou and Thanos Dailianis},
url = {https://imbbc.hcmr.gr/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/2022-Rallis-jmse-35.pdf
https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1312/10/5/620},
doi = {10.3390/jmse10050620},
issn = {2077-1312},
year = {2022},
date = {2022-05-01},
urldate = {2022-05-09},
journal = {Journal of Marine Science and Engineering},
volume = {10},
number = {5},
pages = {620},
abstract = {The colonization of artificial structures by benthic organisms in the marine realm is known to be affected by the general trophic patterns of the biogeographical zone and the prevailing environmental traits at the local scale. The present work aims to present quantitative data on the early settlement progress of macrofaunal benthic assemblages developing on artificial reefs (ARs) deployed at the Underwater Biotechnological Park of Crete (UBPC) in the oligotrophic Eastern Mediterranean. Visual census and subsequent image analysis combined with scraped quadrats were used to describe the establishment of the communities and their development over three consecutive campaigns, spanning 5 years post-deployment. Macroalgae consistently dominated in terms of coverage, while sessile invertebrates displayed different patterns over the years. Polychaeta and Bryozoa were gradually replaced by Cnidaria, while Porifera and Mollusca displayed an increasing trend over the years. Motile benthos was mainly represented by Mollusca, while the abundance of Polychaeta increased in contrast to that of Crustacea. For both sessile and motile assemblages, significant differences were observed among the years. The results of this study indicate that ecological succession is still ongoing, and further improvement in the monitoring methodology can assist towards a more accurate assessment of the community composition in complex AR structures.},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
The colonization of artificial structures by benthic organisms in the marine realm is known to be affected by the general trophic patterns of the biogeographical zone and the prevailing environmental traits at the local scale. The present work aims to present quantitative data on the early settlement progress of macrofaunal benthic assemblages developing on artificial reefs (ARs) deployed at the Underwater Biotechnological Park of Crete (UBPC) in the oligotrophic Eastern Mediterranean. Visual census and subsequent image analysis combined with scraped quadrats were used to describe the establishment of the communities and their development over three consecutive campaigns, spanning 5 years post-deployment. Macroalgae consistently dominated in terms of coverage, while sessile invertebrates displayed different patterns over the years. Polychaeta and Bryozoa were gradually replaced by Cnidaria, while Porifera and Mollusca displayed an increasing trend over the years. Motile benthos was mainly represented by Mollusca, while the abundance of Polychaeta increased in contrast to that of Crustacea. For both sessile and motile assemblages, significant differences were observed among the years. The results of this study indicate that ecological succession is still ongoing, and further improvement in the monitoring methodology can assist towards a more accurate assessment of the community composition in complex AR structures.
Varamogianni-Mamatsi, Despoina; Anastasiou, Thekla I; Vernadou, Emmanouela; Papandroulakis, Nikos; Kalogerakis, Nicolas; Dailianis, Thanos; Mandalakis, Manolis
A Multi-Species Investigation of Sponges’ Filtering Activity towards Marine Microalgae Journal Article
In: Marine Drugs, vol. 20, no. 1, pp. 24, 2022, ISSN: 1660-3397.
@article{varamogianni-mamatsi_multi-species_2022,
title = {A Multi-Species Investigation of Sponges’ Filtering Activity towards Marine Microalgae},
author = {Despoina Varamogianni-Mamatsi and Thekla I Anastasiou and Emmanouela Vernadou and Nikos Papandroulakis and Nicolas Kalogerakis and Thanos Dailianis and Manolis Mandalakis},
url = {https://www.mdpi.com/1660-3397/20/1/24},
doi = {10.3390/md20010024},
issn = {1660-3397},
year = {2022},
date = {2022-01-01},
urldate = {2022-02-28},
journal = {Marine Drugs},
volume = {20},
number = {1},
pages = {24},
abstract = {Chronic discharge of surplus organic matter is a typical side effect of fish aquaculture, occasionally leading to coastal eutrophication and excessive phytoplankton growth. Owing to their innate filter-feeding capacity, marine sponges could mitigate environmental impact under integrated multitrophic aquaculture (IMTA) scenarios. Herein, we investigated the clearance capacity of four ubiquitous Mediterranean sponges (Agelas oroides, Axinella cannabina, Chondrosia reniformis and Sarcotragus foetidus) against three microalgal substrates with different size/motility characteristics: the nanophytoplankton Nannochloropsis sp. (textasciitilde3.2 μm, nonmotile) and Isochrysis sp. (textasciitilde3.8 μm, motile), as well as the diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum (textasciitilde21.7 μm, nonmotile). In vitro cleaning experiments were conducted using sponge explants in 1 L of natural seawater and applying different microalgal cell concentrations under light/dark conditions. The investigated sponges exhibited a wide range of retention efficiencies for the different phytoplankton cells, with the lowest average values found for A. cannabina (37%) and the highest for A. oroides (70%). The latter could filter up to 14.1 mL seawater per hour and gram of sponge wet weight, by retaining 100% of Isochrysis at a density of 105 cells mL−1, under darkness. Our results highlight differences in filtering capacity among sponge species and preferences for microalgal substrates with distinct size and motility traits.},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Chronic discharge of surplus organic matter is a typical side effect of fish aquaculture, occasionally leading to coastal eutrophication and excessive phytoplankton growth. Owing to their innate filter-feeding capacity, marine sponges could mitigate environmental impact under integrated multitrophic aquaculture (IMTA) scenarios. Herein, we investigated the clearance capacity of four ubiquitous Mediterranean sponges (Agelas oroides, Axinella cannabina, Chondrosia reniformis and Sarcotragus foetidus) against three microalgal substrates with different size/motility characteristics: the nanophytoplankton Nannochloropsis sp. (textasciitilde3.2 μm, nonmotile) and Isochrysis sp. (textasciitilde3.8 μm, motile), as well as the diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum (textasciitilde21.7 μm, nonmotile). In vitro cleaning experiments were conducted using sponge explants in 1 L of natural seawater and applying different microalgal cell concentrations under light/dark conditions. The investigated sponges exhibited a wide range of retention efficiencies for the different phytoplankton cells, with the lowest average values found for A. cannabina (37%) and the highest for A. oroides (70%). The latter could filter up to 14.1 mL seawater per hour and gram of sponge wet weight, by retaining 100% of Isochrysis at a density of 105 cells mL−1, under darkness. Our results highlight differences in filtering capacity among sponge species and preferences for microalgal substrates with distinct size and motility traits.