Fiddler and allied crabs are keystone bioturbators of mangrove and mudflat ecosystems, yet genetic and transcriptomic resources remain fragmented across studies and repositories. We conducted a PRISMA-guided systematic review and evidence synthesis that formally meta-analyzed population-scale mitochondrial DNA structure using Fisher’s Z-transformed ΦST/FST values and separately summarized RNA-seq evidence as descriptive study-level observations. Phylogeographic meta-analyses revealed strong trans-basin structure in the tropical West Atlantic; for example, Leptuca thayeri and Uca maracoani showed pooled ΦST ≈ 0.78–0.89 with low heterogeneity, contrasting with weak within-estuary differentiation in Uca (Minuca) minax (pooled ΦST ≈ 0.03) and negligible inside- vs outside-basin contrast for Uca sindensis. Independent RNA-seq studies reported recurring functional categories associated with chaperone-mediated stress response, oxidative defense, detoxification, ion regulation, apoptosis/autophagy, and reproduction across species-, tissue-, and stressor-specific contexts. Because the RNA-seq datasets differed in species, tissues, exposure regimes, comparison designs, annotation depth, and differential-expression workflows, reported transcriptomic values were treated as descriptive observations rather than pooled estimates or common transcriptomic effect sizes. Reproductive observations were summarized as tissue- and study-specific records involving sex differentiation, vitellogenesis, and ovarian regulation, while stress-related observations were summarized as context-dependent pathway categories rather than evidence of a single conserved transcriptional program. Funnel diagnostics and leave-one-out checks were restricted to the mtDNA population structure meta-analysis, where they were used to assess robustness and possible small-study effects among ΦST/FST contrasts. Taken together, the mtDNA and RNA-seq findings are best interpreted as parallel evidence streams: mitochondrial markers support scale-dependent population differentiation and historical connectivity, whereas RNA-seq studies provide descriptive, hypothesis-generating observations on functional pathway categories. These findings may inform conservation unit delineation, aquaculture biomonitoring, and One Health aligned coastal governance. Key gaps include sparse public nuclear genomes and uneven metadata; future work should pair genome-wide markers with common garden challenges to dissect plasticity vs heritable adaptation.
Sediment-targeted interventions may affect algal blooms by altering nutrient availability associated with microbial communities. We tested this hypothesis using an in situ mesocosm experiment in the Three Gorges Reservoir, China, with an experiment composed of unaltered control, sterilized sediment, and calcium (Ca2+) enrichment at 100 mg L−1 and 300 mg L−1, respectively. Phytoplankton were examined microscopically, and bacterial and microeukaryotic communities were characterized by 16S and 18S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. Phytoplankton composition shifted from early Cryptophyta dominance toward persistent dominance by the dinoflagellate Ceratium hirundinella. Ca2+ enrichment increased TN:TP ratios, consistent with reduced phosphorus availability and increased bacterial richness, while favoring decomposer-associated taxa. Sediment sterilization reduced microbial diversity and promoted opportunistic bacterial and fungal taxa. These results indicate that sediment modification can redirect, rather than suppress, bloom development through concurrent changes in nutrient availability and algal–microbial community structure. Bloom management strategies should therefore account for indirect microbial feedbacks and the potential replacement of one dominant community by another.
Despite being widely used as indicators of lake ecosystem health, the responses of phytoplankton assemblages to intensive anthropogenic disturbances remain poorly understood. Species identification, biodiversity assessment, Pearson correlation, redundancy analysis (RDA), and hierarchical clustering were integrated to disentangle the drivers structuring phytoplankton assemblages in Baiyangdian Lake under intensive anthropogenic disturbance. The results showed that 141 species of phytoplankton belonging to seven phyla were detected in Baiyangdian Lake. Bacillariophyta (35.5
Estuarine plankton studies on often consider the estuary a single continuous habitat. The author hypothesized that a statistical analysis which captures ecological variabilities within a specific stretch of the estuary is more likely to yield statistically significant associations (both spatial and temporal) between copepods and physicochemical gradients than the same analysis targeted to analyze data when an estuary is considered as a single continuous habitat. Copepod assemblages and water were sampled monthly from November 2021 to October 2023 from the three contrasting stretches of the Ganges estuary, each having distinct physicochemical gradients and ecological communities. Copepod diversity was the highest near the estuary mouth, followed by mesohaline and oligohaline stretches. Results suggested Ganges is a Phosphate limited estuary which has significant seasonal variations of Nitrate. Copepod abundance peaked in postmonsoon, but seasonal variability of total abundance was not significant. Bestiolina similis was the most abundant; however, in certain stretches and seasons, Acartiella tortaniformis and Paracalanus aculeatus were the most abundant species. Multivariate analysis could establish the relations between physicochemical gradients and species distribution only to a limited extent. Many temporal associations between copepod abundance,diversity indices with physicochemical gradients could only be established within certain stretches of the estuary but not when the estuary was taken as a single continuous habitat. Suggesting existence of microhabitats within the estuary, which may limit realised niches of certain copepod species. Under a resource limited condition, author recommends monitoring of the transitional zones of Ganges estuary during seasonal change and after any stochastic perturbation.
Efforts to re‑establish a self‑sustaining Walleye (Sander vitreus) population in Hamilton Harbour have occurred against a backdrop of extensive habitat degradation and uncertain spawning behaviour. We paired shoreline habitat surveys (2021) with electrofishing spawning surveys (2022–2024) and acoustic telemetry data (2016–2023) to describe the habitat associations and repeatability of spawning behaviour for stocked Walleye within Hamilton Harbour, a degraded embayment of Lake Ontario. Random forest models revealed that spawning occurrence in electro-fished Walleye was most strongly associated with gentle shoreline slopes, high substrate diversity, and the presence of cobble substrates. For telemetry-tracked individuals, presumed spawning was inferred from detections indicating nocturnal, shallow-water (< 2 m) residency at nearshore stations in April, sustained for ≥20 min and accompanied by multiple sequential detections. Walleye displayed no repeatability in total spawning duration (R = 0.08 ± 0.11), marginal repeatability in station-level specialization (degree of spawning focused on a preferred receiver; R = 0.29 ± 0.16), and significant repeatability in station count (number of receivers where presumed spawning occurred; R = 0.41 ± 0.12), station ratio (proportion of encountered receivers used for spawning; R = 0.32 ± 0.11), and spawning depth (average depth during spawning; R = 0.47 ± 0.15). Fish generally concentrated spawning activity at a small subset of nearshore receivers, demonstrating local site fidelity within the embayment across years. Together, these results identify the habitat features selected by stocked Walleye and show that individuals express consistent spatial spawning strategies, which may influence how they encounter and use restored habitat. These findings inform ongoing efforts to support natural Walleye recruitment in Hamilton Harbour.
Determining the quantity and source of organic carbon (OC) that is stored in different ecosystems is critical to understanding the global carbon cycle. A substantial store of OC exists within lake sediments, which effectively act as a long-term sink. However, data-based estimates of these long-term stores are limited. Improving our understanding of the processes that affect lake sediment stores has scientific and management implications, potentially leading to more informed policies for managing lake ecosystems and carbon budgets. To investigate the quantity and sources of sediment OC in a lake in western Ireland (Lough Feeagh, Co. Mayo), data from two sediment cores were analysed, in combination with hydroacoustic survey data. Radiocarbon and geochemical data allowed for reconstruction of sediment depth (SAR), sediment mass accumulation rates (MAR) and OC accumulation rates (OCAR) over the past 10,000 years. A substantial increase in MAR and OCAR occurred at c. 3700 cal. YBP, with a subsequent steady increase over the past 2000 cal. YBP. Overall, OCAR was more strongly related to SAR than to sediment OC content, with indications from isotopic analyses and C:N that sediment OC was primarily sourced from the terrestrial environment. Based on sediment volume estimates and OC density values, the median lake bottom sediment OC stock was estimated to be 205 kT OC (5th–95th percentile range: 115–246 kT OC). These results provide the first millennial-scale estimate of carbon sediment stores within a lake in Ireland, and highlight the potential importance of these ecosystems within the context of global OC storage.
Quantifying the combined effects of tidal forcing and seasonal variability on coastal water quality is crucial for managing semi-enclosed tropical embayments. This study investigated the spatiotemporal dynamics of water quality in Bungus Bay, Indonesia, during flood and ebb tides in the dry (June) and wet (December) seasons of 2020. A total of 11 physicochemical and nutrient parameters were analyzed using Pearson correlation, hierarchical clustering, principal component analysis (PCA), Coastal Water Quality Index (CWQI), and trophic state assessment. Clear tidal modulation was observed. Flood tides were characterized by higher salinity, lower nutrient concentrations, and predominantly good water quality (CWQI > 70). In contrast, ebb tides showed elevated nitrate, ammonia, phosphate, and total suspended sediment (TSS), with CWQI declining below 50 (poor water quality) at several inner-bay stations, particularly during the December survey. PCA revealed stronger nutrient structuring during the wet season, with nutrient-related variables dominating the first principal component and explaining more than 60
Diatoms are an exceptionally diverse lineage of unicellular photosynthetic microalgae, primarily identified by valve morphology. Their silica frustules and high productivity make them central to nutrient cycling, climate regulation, and applications ranging from environmental monitoring to biotechnology. However, conventional morphological analysis is time-consuming, subjective, and often limited in taxonomic resolution. Over the past 2 decades, artificial intelligence has progressed from early feature engineering and basic machine learning to advanced deep learning approaches for diatom detection, classification, ecological prediction, and bioengineering optimization. Despite the rapid expansion, there are no comprehensive overviews spanning these domains. Existing reviews typically focus on isolated themes such as automated taxonomy, water quality assessment, or forensic applications, without integrating methodological evolution and technological progress across fields. This paper presents the first broad synthesis of AI applications in diatom research to our knowledge, tracing developments from early pattern recognition to contemporary multimodal, predictive, and systems-oriented frameworks. A structured table-based analysis documents datasets, algorithms, evaluation metrics, and classification performance over time. The results highlight a clear trajectory from engineered feature models to convolutional neural networks, transformers, and multimodal architectures, with reported accuracies frequently exceeding 90 to 98 percent. At the same time, persistent challenges remain, including class imbalance, limited representativeness of field training data, model explainability, uncertainty quantification, and regional transferability. Overall, this study shows that AI has evolved from a supportive tool to a foundational discipline within diatom science and outlines priorities for biologically informed model design, data standardization, and rigorous validation.
The escalating crisis of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses a significant threat to global human and animal health. River systems, being highly susceptible to anthropogenic influences, are considered critical reservoirs and dissemination pathways for antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). However, a comprehensive understanding of the distribution and dynamics of ARGs in large riverine ecosystems remains limited. Here, we conducted high-throughput profiling of ARGs along the Yangtze River in China. Our analysis identified a total of 34 ARG subtypes, encompassing 13 major types, prevalent in both freshwater (FW) and freshwater sediment (FWS) samples. ARG abundance was substantially higher in freshwater than in sediment samples, and ARG composition also differed significantly between these two compartments. In contrast, no significant differences in either abundance or composition were observed between upstream and middle–downstream sections. Strong correlations were detected between ARGs and mobile genetic elements (MGEs), and network analysis revealed complex cooccurrence patterns among different ARG types. Notably, ARG α-diversity differed significantly between sites upstream and downstream of the Three Gorges Dam (TGD), whereas β-diversity remained unchanged. This study provides insights into the resistome of large river systems and will inform future strategies for monitoring and mitigating ARG risks in aquatic environments.
Climate change is dramatically reshaping the delicate balance of Asia’s freshwater and marine ecosystems, intensifying threats to biodiversity, water quality, and public health. This review explores the profound interconnections between climate change and aquatic environments, highlighting the escalating risks posed by rising temperatures, shifting precipitation patterns, and extreme weather events. The paper delves into the alarming surge in harmful algal blooms, shifts in species distributions, and the increasing prevalence of waterborne diseases, all of which undermine both potable water sources and food security. In addition, the review examines the compounding impact of pollution, which further exacerbates the vulnerability of aquatic ecosystems. As global temperatures rise, the resulting decrease in dissolved oxygen and proliferation of pathogens create hostile environments for aquatic life, while extreme climatic events exacerbate water contamination and scarcity in many regions. Vulnerable communities, heavily reliant on aquatic resources for survival, face a dual challenge of environmental and socioeconomic instability. As Asia’s aquatic ecosystems continue to face unprecedented stress, proactive interventions are essential to safeguard food security, water resources, and public health for future generations.
Seasonal succession of zooplankton communities has been the subject of numerous studies. However, these studies have primarily addressed pelagic communities. In the littoral zone, higher aquatic vegetation acts as a powerful habitat-forming factor that determines the structure and distribution of zooplankton. We analyzed the course of seasonal succession of zooplankton communities in different types of macrophyte stands and at the edge of stands in the littoral zone of a floodplain lake and a small watercourse. In spring, when macrophytes were absent from the biotopes of submerged plants, and in late October, when they had virtually disappeared, the species structure of zooplankton communities exhibited high similarity. This finding indicates the cyclical nature of seasonal succession in zooplankton communities. During the period of active growth, morphologically diverse macrophytes created a gradient of environmental conditions and zooplankton communities across the littoral zone in the form of an ecocline. The formation of this ecocline in littoral zooplankton communities was a transient phenomenon, governed by the environmental heterogeneity generated by macrophytes. The spring period in all biotopes was characterized by pronounced fluctuations in the abundance of individual rotifer species. The colonization of biotopes by macrophytes led to the dominance of cladocerans with longer life cycles, thereby enhancing the temporal stability of planktonic assemblages. The reorganization of zooplankton community structure and the formation of planktonic assemblages were associated with changes in macrophyte composition and the degree of cover within the biotope. The most distinct succession of planktonic assemblages was observed in Elodea stands, where the dominant macrophyte species did not change over the season. The obtained data on the influence of macrophytes on the seasonal succession of zooplankton can be used for the effective management of aquatic ecosystems and the planning of conservation measures in shallow coastal systems.
Trophic gradients are key drivers of community organization in freshwater ecosystems, yet taxonomic approaches may overlook important ecological changes occurring at the functional level. In this study, we investigated how zooplankton diversity respond to spatial and temporal environmental gradients in a large tropical reservoir in southeastern Brazil. The data were collected across two major sub-basins (Grande and Sapucaí rivers). A total of 69 zooplankton taxa were recorded. Rotifers showed pronounced taxonomic turnover among trophic states, whereas cladocerans responded mainly through changes in abundance while maintaining relatively stable species composition. Despite these shifts in community structure, traditional taxonomic diversity indices (richness, Shannon, and Simpson) did not vary significantly along the trophic gradient, indicating apparent spatial stability in diversity. By contrast, functional diversity metrics revealed clear spatial and temporal patterns. Functional richness (FRic), functional evenness (FEve), and functional dispersion (FDis) were significantly higher in the Sapucaí River, while FEve varied along the trophic gradient, with lower values under mesotrophic conditions, indicating functional dominance of specific trait combinations. Seasonal reductions in functional divergence (FDiv) and functional dispersion in June suggest strong environmental filtering and convergence toward intermediate trait strategies. Analyses of feeding habits further supported these patterns, revealing reduced abundances of filter-feeding, raptorial, and suctorial organisms in eutrophic environments, indicating functional simplification despite stable taxonomic diversity. Together, these results demonstrate that trait-based approaches provide greater sensitivity to detect ecological responses of zooplankton communities to eutrophication, highlighting the importance of incorporating functional indicators into monitoring and management of tropical reservoirs.
We investigated the effects of environmental temporality (temporary and permanent aquatic systems) and vegetation type on the beta diversity of aquatic macrophytes across major river basins in southern Amazonia. We analyzed aquatic macrophyte diversity across hierarchical basin scales, partitioning beta diversity into turnover and nestedness components, and related community composition to environmental temporality, vegetation type, and spatial structure. A regional checklist was compiled and classified by vegetation type and hydrographic level across the Tapajós, Xingu, Madeira, Araguaia, and Upper Paraguai basins. Floristic similarity was highest between the Tapajós and Xingu basins (48
Invasive bivalves alter energy pathways in freshwaters, but their trophic dynamics in floodplain systems under varying levels of human impacts remain unclear. We investigated how trophic status, river regulation and flood pulse shape the diet and isotopic niche of the invasive bivalve Limnoperna fortunei (Dunker 1857) in two large rivers of a Neotropical floodplain: an oligotrophic, dam-regulated, highly impacted river (HIR) and a meso-eutrophic, free-flowing, moderately impacted river (MIR), across dry, rising and flood phases. We sampled L. fortunei and food resources (phytoplankton, zooplankton, periphyton, macrophytes, riparian vegetation, sediment, particulate organic carbon and methanotrophic bacteria) and used stable isotopes of carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N), Bayesian mixing models and isotopic niche metrics (standard ellipse areas) to quantify dietary contributions and trophic niche breadth. Autochthonous resources dominated the diet in both rivers, but their identity and relative importance varied: in the HIR, L. fortunei shifted from a phytoplankton-dominated diet (dry) to increasing reliance on macrophytes and zooplankton (flood); whereas in the MIR, macrophytes remained the main dietary source year-round, with the consumption of riparian vegetation increasing during floods and methane-derived carbon contributing modestly to the diet. Isotopic niche area was larger in the HIR and expanded from dry to flood phases in both systems, doing so abruptly in the HIR and gradually in the MIR. Overall, L. fortunei tracks spatiotemporal variation in resource availability and maintains a broad trophic niche, particularly in degraded, regulated environments. This trophic plasticity enhances invasion success and highlights how hydrological alteration and land use change can favour invasive consumers in floodplain rivers worldwide.
The sustainability of the Nile Delta is threatened by urban expansion, water scarcity, pollution, and climate change. However, there is a lack of comprehensive, data-driven syntheses that map research trends, identify gaps, and outline prospects for this region. To the best of our knowledge, this review is the first comprehensive effort to address this critical information gap. Given the challenges confronting the Nile Delta, this review presents a systematic bibliometric analysis and a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats analysis of sustainability research undertaken in the region. It highlights critical knowledge gaps, including a lack of information on climate adaptation and pollution management for the region, and outlines a roadmap for future interdisciplinary research and technological innovation. The integration of bibliometric mapping, statistical gap analysis, and artificial intelligence-based environmental monitoring is used to generate actionable insights and a forward-looking vision for the sustainable management of this region. This vision emphasizes adaptive water resource management to address freshwater scarcity, salinisation, and pollution, and thus aligns with the agenda of Egypt's Vision 2030 and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals for a green economic transition. The recommendations given in this review for the sustainable development of the Nile Delta emphasize the need for integrated coastal zone management. The most critical measures that need to be undertaken include enhancing the monitoring of infrastructure and implementing climate adaptation strategies. Urban and industrial planning must incorporate vulnerability assessments and risk mitigation. Water quality improvement efforts should focus on wastewater treatment, nutrient reduction, and sustainable management of the Nile River. Integrated water resource management and forecasting systems, supported by comprehensive datasets and policy interventions, are essential for this.
Microcystins (MCs), a group of highly toxic compounds produced by cyanobacteria, pose risks to both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. Though riparian buffers are widely recognized for their role in mitigating land-sourced pollution, their capacity to attenuate riverborne MCs remains understudied. In this study, we combined field monitoring, laboratory column experiments, and microbial community analyses to evaluate the capacity of riparian soils to remove MCs under dynamic river-groundwater exchange. Field data collected from a tidal river revealed bidirectional hydraulic gradients and elevated MC concentrations in groundwater wells during the river infiltration phase, suggesting that riverine MCs can intrude into riparian zones. Meanwhile, the flow-through column experiment demonstrated 90
In aquatic systems, microbiota composition is strongly related to dissolved oxygen (DO) availability, which modulates the rates of biochemical reactions on decomposition. DO is a key variable that defines the prevalence of metabolic pathways in the well-oxygenated aquatic ecosystems. In this context, this study proposes a kinetic model to describe oxygen consumption due to the degradation of labile and refractory dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in aquatic ecosystems, including stoichiometric ratios of oxygen to carbon for each defined pathway (O/C). The values used for parameterizing the model were derived from in vitro mineralization experiments; for this, DOC samples were collected at three sites in the Barra Bonita Reservoir (São Paulo State, Brazil). The model was developed considering two pathways for mineralization, the oxidation of labile and refractory DOC. The mineralization of labile and refractory DOC follows distinct pathways, with different reaction times (average half-life values: 1 and 267 days, respectively). On average, the stoichiometric O/C ratios (1.81 and 2.13 for refractory and labile carbon, respectively) obtained were lower than expected, given the C-compound oxidation as a reference (2.67). In addition to the reaction rate values, the O/C values found in this study provide the orders of magnitude and the amplitudes of these relationships. Knowledge of these parameters and the use of this proposed model can contribute to a better understanding of oxygen consumption processes in aquatic environments, providing accurate information on oxygen balance to the calibration of water quality models.
Saline lakes in arid and semi-arid regions experience recurrent drying and rain events that cause intense salinity fluctuations. Microorganisms are key actors in saline lakes carbon cycling, yet the development of resistant strategies to cope with extreme and fluctuating salinity conditions may compromise their functioning. Here, we investigate the impact of natural salinity variations on the heterotrophic activity of planktonic microbial communities in the hypersaline lakes of the Monegros area. To this end, a wide range of extracellular enzyme activities together with dissolved organic matter (DOM) quantity and quality were measured at the water column of four playa-lakes under different hydrological conditions. Salinity was the primary factor driving changes in enzyme activities across samples, whereas DOM optical properties remained relatively stable and did not correlate with enzyme activities. At intermediate salinity levels, enzyme activities fell within the range of observed values in freshwater ecosystems, suggesting a full adaptation of the microbial community to hypersalinity. However, when fluctuating towards both extremes of the measured salinity gradient, a concomitant decrease in prokaryote viability and hydrolytic enzyme diversity and activity was observed. We suggest that, under extreme salinity levels, prokaryotes are forced to reduce the energy allocated to enzyme production due to the energy expenditure on osmolytes’ synthesis to counteract osmotic stress. On the other hand, when rain events sharply decrease lakes salinity, prokaryotes must face a fast increase in turgor pressure that reduces their viability and energy allocation to enzyme production. In contrast, phenol oxidase activity steadily increased with salinity, probably as a protection mechanism.
The River Continuum Concept (RCC) provides a foundational template for predicting longitudinal changes in riverine communities. However, how hydraulic engineering modifies these natural gradients in subtropical regulated rivers remains mechanistically poorly understood. In particular, the construction of cascade dams creates serial discontinuity that fundamentally alters environmental filtering processes, yet empirical evidence from Asian monsoon regions—characterized by mountainous terrain and strong anthropogenic pressures—remains scarce. In the study reported here, we investigated how environmental filtering and serial discontinuity interactively shape macrobenthic metacommunity assembly along the main stem of the Oujiang River, a heavily regulated river in southeastern China punctuated by nine cascade dams. Using data from surveys at 24 sites across three seasons, we analyzed taxonomic composition, functional feeding groups, and diversity indices, and their relationships with environmental factors using spatial autocorrelation analysis, non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS), and Mantel tests. Our results revealed three key findings. First, macrobenthic community composition differed significantly among reaches (permutational multivariate analysis of variance [PERMANOVA], p = 0.037); however, this longitudinal variation was not a smooth continuum but rather formed distinct compartments shaped by dam-induced discontinuities. Second, environmental filtering dominated metacommunity assembly over dispersal limitation, as evidenced by non-significant spatial autocorrelation (Moran’s I, p > 0.05) and strong species–environment correlations. Flow velocity and substrate composition acted as primary filters, with water quality parameters (5-day biochemical oxygen demand, ammonia nitrogen, electrical conductivity) serving as secondary filters that intensified in mid-to-lower reaches. Third, the interplay between environmental filtering and serial discontinuity produced three metacommunity compartments: upstream reaches dominated by rheophilic aquatic insects; midstream transitional communities shaped by dam-induced flow attenuation and fine sediment accumulation; and downstream estuarine assemblages dominated by pollution-tolerant Mollusca and euryhaline Polychaeta under conditions of organic enrichment and salinity stress. Notably, functional feeding group structure remained relatively stable across reaches despite taxonomic turnover. Our findings advance the mechanistic understanding of regulated river metacommunities by demonstrating that serial discontinuity modifies the type, intensity, and spatial configuration of environmental filters, thereby reorganizing community assembly patterns.
Microplastic (MP) pollution has emerged as a major environmental concern in marine ecosystems, yet the ecological mechanisms governing MP ingestion in fish assemblages remain insufficiently quantified. This study investigated the relative influence of habitat preference, feeding behavior, trophic level, and biological traits on MP ingestion in 11 fish species (N = 297) collected from the highly industrialized Iskenderun Bay, Northeastern Mediterranean Sea. Because MP abundance data exhibited substantial overdispersion, both Poisson and Negative Binomial Generalized Linear Models (GLMs) were evaluated, with the Negative Binomial framework demonstrating markedly superior performance based on the akaike information criterion (AIC) and dispersion diagnostics. The final model identified habitat-related exposure pathways as the dominant predictors of MP ingestion. Relative to the benthopelagic reference group, demersal species exhibited significantly higher expected MP abundance (β = 0.99, p < 0.001), whereas pelagic-neritic species showed significantly lower MP loads (β = − 1.13, p < 0.001). Gastrointestinal tract (GIT) weight was positively associated with MP abundance (β = 0.16, p < 0.001), suggesting that anatomical retention capacity may influence particle accumulation. In contrast to conventional biomagnification expectations, the trophic level displayed a significant negative relationship with MP abundance (β = − 0.47, p = 0.0047), indicating a potential trophic dilution pattern. Residual diagnostics performed using the DHARMa framework indicated satisfactory model adequacy, while zero-inflated models did not substantially improve model performance. The findings suggest that habitat-mediated exposure, particularly sediment-associated pathways, may exert stronger influence on MP ingestion than feeding behavior alone. Overall, this study highlights the importance of combining ecological trait analysis with robust statistical modeling approaches to understand MP uptake dynamics in Mediterranean fish communities.
