Katsanevakis, Stelios, Borja, Angel, Gissi, Elena, Ferse, Sebastian C. A. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0930-5356 and Teixeira, Heliana (2025) Editorial: Understanding the response of ecosystems to increasing human pressures and climate change – management options. Frontiers in Marine Science, 12 . DOI https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2025.1688993.

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Abstract

1 Introduction
The escalating human footprint and climate change (Halpern et al., 2015; Halpern et al., 2025; Korpinen et al., 2021) are driving significant and often poorly understood shifts in marine ecosystems, challenging our ability to predict and manage ecological tipping points (Scheffer et al., 2001). Effective conservation requires a clearer understanding of the causal mechanisms behind these changes, supported by interdisciplinary research, innovative monitoring technologies, and comprehensive assessments of management strategies (Sutherland et al., 2004; Borja et al., 2024). Critical issues such as Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs), jellyfish blooms, biological invasions, climate-induced range shifts, marine heatwaves, deoxygenation, pollution, coastal habitat modification, biodiversity loss, and the decline of top predators demand targeted, science-based solutions. Addressing these knowledge gaps, framed as Grand Challenges in Marine Ecosystem Ecology (Borja et al., 2020), is essential for sustaining ocean health and informing ecosystem-based management (EBM).

This Research Topic was conceived to “take the pulse” of current advances addressing these grand challenges. The contributing articles encompass new methods for assessing cumulative impacts, case studies of ecosystem responses to specific pressures, and state-of-the-art reviews on managing phenomena such as invasive species, jellyfish blooms, HABs, and the decline of top predators. Collectively, they illuminate pathways toward more effective EBM in an era of intensifying human pressures.

Document Type:	Article
Programme Area:	PA2
Research affiliation:	Science Management > Office for Knowledge Exchange
Refereed:	Yes
Open Access Journal?:	Yes
DOI:	https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2025.1688993
ISSN:	2296-7745
Date Deposited:	14 Oct 2025 15:04
Last Modified:	14 Oct 2025 15:04
URI:	https://cris.leibniz-zmt.de/id/eprint/5772

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