Description: An annotated check-list is given of Ophiuroidea species occurring deeper than 2000 m in the seas bordering Europe. The check-list is based on published data. The check-list includes 75 species. For each species synonymy, data on localities in European seas and general species distribution are provided. Station data are presented separately in the present thematic issue.

Description: The consequences of global change on marine biota, particularly the interactions between human impacts and warming, are not well understood. An increasing frequency of extreme weather events will lead to pronounced short-term fluctuations in environmental parameters such as temperature, salinity and sedimentation in coastal ecosystems. At the same time, human populations are growing and coastal waters are increasingly loaded with nutrients and heavy metals. Direct effects of and interactions among these stressors will presumably alter the structure and functioning of ecosystems with negative consequences for the economical and social systems that depend upon them. In this context, we investigated the stress tolerance of populations of the Indopacific green mussel (Perna viridis, Linn. 1758) stemming from two coastal locations in West Java. P. viridis is a habitat forming species and can determine the composition of benthic assemblages in these systems. The two study sites differ in their abiotic conditions: Jakarta Bay is highly impacted by organic matter input and pollution, while Tanjung Lesung at the Sunda Strait represents a benign environment with low turbidity and almost no pollution. In laboratory experiments, we determined the mean tolerance of the two populations towards reduced salinity by 13 and 18 units, by measuring fluctuations in oxygen consumption and survival rates. Our results reveal that under reduced ambient salinity both responses were significantly different between populations. Mussels stemming from Jakarta Bay showed no mortality under reduced salinity levels within 21 days, whereas individuals from the benign site exhibited a mortality of 50 % at 15 psu and 20 % at 20 psu, respectively. Furthermore, the deviation in oxygen consumption under salinity stress from the normal performance was significantly smaller in mussels from Jakarta Bay than in mussels from Tanjung Lesung. Significant differences in survival and metabolic rates in the face of salinity stress suggest that the origin of a population contributes substantially to its tolerance towards increasing environmental stress. We discuss possible mechanisms that could underlie these differences in stress tolerance of two populations stemming from different coastal habitats.

Description: The consequences of global change and particularly the interactions between human impacts and warming will presumably alter the structure and functioning of marine ecosystems. In this context, we investigated the stress tolerance of populations of the green mussel (Perna viridis) stemming from two coastal locations in West Java, with different levels of human impact: Jakarta Bay is highly contaminated by nutrient input and pollution, while Tanjung Lesung represents a benign environment with less human influence. In laboratory stress experiments, we determined the mean stress tolerance of the two populations towards reduced salinity by 13 and 18 units, by measuring fluctuations in oxygen consumption, feces production and survival rates. Our results reveal that under reduced salinity responses were significantly different between both populations. In the face of salinity stress mussels from Jakarta Bay showed significantly higher survival and metabolic rates than mussels from Tanjung Lesung, suggesting that the origin of a population contributes substantially to its tolerance towards increasing environmental stress. We discuss possible mechanisms that could underlie these differences in stress tolerance of two populations stemming from different coastal habitats

Description: It is unclear whether habitat degradation correlates with tolerance of marine invertebrates to abiotic stress. We therefore tested whether resistance to climate change-related stressors differs between populations of the green mussel Perna viridis from a heavily impacted and a mostly pristine site in West Java, Indonesia. In laboratory experiments, we compared their oxygen consumption and mortality under lowered salinity (�13 and �18 units, both responses), hypoxia (0.5 mg/l, mortality only) and thermal stress (+7 �C, mortality only). Mussels from the eutrophied and polluted Jakarta Bay showed a significantly smaller deviation from their normal oxygen consumption and higher survival rates when stressed than their conspecifics from the unaffected Lada Bay. This shows that human induced habitat degradation correlates with mussel tolerance to environmental stress. We discuss possible mechanisms – e.g. the selection of tolerant genotypes or habitat-specific differences in the nutritional status of the mussels – that could explain our observation.