Description: The southeastern Mediterranean reefs may be classified into three habitat types: (1) 'algal forests', dominated by the native canopy forming Cystoseira rayssiae; (2) 'turf', low lying short algae; and (3) 'tropical shrubs', dominated by the tropical alien Galaxaura rugosa that forms algal shrubs. During May 2016 we conducted in-situ benthic incubations over six 0.125 m2 plots of reef per each habitat type, to measure primary production, respiration, calcification and CaCO3- dissolution. For that, dissolved organic carbon (DIC), total alkalinity (TA) and dissolved oxygen (DO) were measured. We collected the community from the incubation plots and analysed biomass (wet weight, WW; dry weight, DW; and ash-free dry weight, AFDW) for the various taxa.

Description: The Cape Rodney-Okakari Point Marine Reserve is New Zealand's oldest no-take marine reserve situated along the Leigh coast (est. 1978; the 'Leigh Marine Reserve' hereafter). Historic information on rocky reef communities in the Leigh Marine Reserve is available from baseline surveys in 1978 (Ayling 1978) and repeated in the 1990s (Babcock et al. 1999). While these provide valuable information on long-term changes in the reserve, they did not include fished reefs outside the reserve that provide a control for the effect of protection. The monitoring program presented here was established in 1999 by N. Shears (University of Auckland) for the New Zealand Department of Conservation and includes four sites inside and four sites outside the Leigh Marine Reserve (Shears and Babcock 2003). At these sites, the reefs are gradually sloping from the intertidal to the reef edge, occurring at ~8–15 m depth. From 1999–2000 the reefs were surveyed in four depth ranges (〈2, 4–6, 7–9 and 〉10 m), but subsequent sampling has focussed on the 4-6 m depth range as this is representative of the depth range where sea urchins (Evechinus chloroticus) are most abundant and can form barren habitat (Shears & Babcock 2003; Shears et al. 2008). This depth range has been sampled sporadically (every 1–3 yr at these sites since 2001; note that only fished sites were surveyed in 2003). The surveys were conducted on SCUBA, and at each site, five 1-m2 quadrats were haphazardly sampled within the 4–6 m depth range. Within each quadrat, the density (the number of individuals per metre square) of sea urchins and all large brown macroalgae were recorded (e.g. Ecklonia radiata, Carpophyllum spp., Cystophora spp. and Sargassum sinclairii). For sea urchins, behaviour was recorded as 'cryptic' (sea urchins found in holes, cracks or crevices) or 'exposed' (sea urchins are out in the open and have a strong impact on macroalgal communities; Spyksma et al. 2017). For all large macroalgae the length of all fronds was measured to the nearest 5 cm using a measuring tape. For E. radiata, measurements were taken for both stipe and total length (i.e. from the top of the holdfast to the meristem and the distal end of the primary lamina, respectively). The percent cover of crustose coralline algae, bare rock, turfing algae (e.g. articulated coralline, red foliose), filamentous algae and sediment was assessed visually in each quadrat. In cases where filamentous algae were recorded as overlaying turf and encrusting algae, such that total cover exceeds 100%, the cover data was standardised to add up to 100%.

Description: The Cape Rodney-Okakari Point Marine Reserve is New Zealand's oldest no-take marine reserve situated along the Leigh coast (est. 1978; the 'Leigh Marine Reserve' hereafter). Historic information on rocky reef communities in the Leigh Marine Reserve is available from baseline surveys in 1978 (Ayling 1978) and repeated in the 1990s (Babcock et al. 1999). While these provide valuable information on long-term changes in the reserve, they did not include fished reefs outside the reserve that provide a control for the effect of protection. The monitoring program presented here was established in 1999 by N. Shears (University of Auckland) for the New Zealand Department of Conservation and includes four sites inside and four sites outside the Leigh Marine Reserve (Shears and Babcock 2003). At these sites, the reefs are gradually sloping from the intertidal to the reef edge, occurring at ~8–15 m depth. From 1999–2000 the reefs were surveyed in four depth ranges (〈2, 4–6, 7–9 and 〉10 m), but subsequent sampling has focussed on the 4-6 m depth range as this is representative of the depth range where sea urchins (Evechinus chloroticus) are most abundant and can form barren habitat (Shears & Babcock 2003; Shears et al. 2008). This depth range has been sampled sporadically (every 1–3 yr at these sites since 2001; note that only fished sites were surveyed in 2003). The surveys were conducted on SCUBA, and at each site, five 1-m2 quadrats were haphazardly sampled within the 4–6 m depth range. Within each quadrat, the density (the number of individuals per metre square) of sea urchins and all large brown macroalgae were recorded (e.g. Ecklonia radiata, Carpophyllum spp., Cystophora spp. and Sargassum sinclairii). For sea urchins, behaviour was recorded as 'cryptic' (sea urchins found in holes, cracks or crevices) or 'exposed' (sea urchins are out in the open and have a strong impact on macroalgal communities; Spyksma et al. 2017). For all large macroalgae the length of all fronds was measured to the nearest 5 cm using a measuring tape. For E. radiata, measurements were taken for both stipe and total length (i.e. from the top of the holdfast to the meristem and the distal end of the primary lamina, respectively). The percent cover of crustose coralline algae, bare rock, turfing algae (e.g. articulated coralline, red foliose), filamentous algae and sediment was assessed visually in each quadrat. In cases where filamentous algae were recorded as overlaying turf and encrusting algae, such that total cover exceeds 100%, the cover data was standardised to add up to 100%.

Description: Within the COST action EMBOS (European Marine Biodiversity Observatory System) the degree and variation of the diversity and densities of soft-bottom communities from the lower intertidal or the shallow subtidal was measured at 28 marine sites along the European coastline (Baltic, Atlantic, Mediterranean) using jointly agreed and harmonized protocols, tools and indicators. The hypothesis tested was that the diversity for all taxonomic groups would decrease with increasing latitude. The EMBOS system delivered accurate and comparable data on the diversity and densities of the soft sediment macrozoobenthic community over a large-scale gradient along the European coastline. In contrast to general biogeographic theory, species diversity showed no linear relationship with latitude, yet a bell-shaped relation was found. The diversity and densities of benthos were mostly positively correlated with environmental factors such as temperature, salinity, mud and organic matter content in sediment, or wave height, and related with location characteristics such as system type (lagoons, estuaries, open coast) or stratum (intertidal, subtidal). For some relationships, a maximum (e.g. temperature from 15–20°C; mud content of sediment around 40%) or bimodal curve (e.g. salinity) was found. In lagoons the densities were twice higher than in other locations, and at open coasts the diversity was much lower than in other locations. We conclude that latitudinal trends and regional differences in diversity and densities are strongly influenced by, i.e. merely the result of, particular sets and ranges of environmental factors and location characteristics specific to certain areas, such as the Baltic, with typical salinity clines (favouring insects) and the Mediterranean, with higher temperatures (favouring crustaceans). Therefore, eventual trends with latitude are primarily indirect and so can be overcome by local variation of environmental factors.