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Open research questions in Marine Biology and Ecology Research

553 gap statements mined from Marine Biology and Ecology Research papers in our 7.9M-paper local library, which holds 2,235 papers on the topic — drawn mostly from each paper's own stated research gap, future-work, challenge and limitation notes, and its abstract. The ones listed below are a selection still marked open; each names the study that raised it, with a DOI link where the paper has one.

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What the literature leaves open

  • Whether corals in this region exhibit significant resilience in the face of recurrent and increasing bleaching events remains to be discovered. While further research is needed on the relationship of DF/Fm’ and visual bleaching, our findings show that DF/Fm’ can be a non-invasive method to investigate the relative physiological state of colonies over a long time series.

    Seasonality and divergent bleaching responses of Galaxea fascicularis in the central Red Sea · 2026 · DOI

  • Previous studies have estimated the sediment-based carbon stocks in tidal flats; however, taxon-specific contributions from macrobenthic invertebrates remain unknown.

    Macrobenthic Community Structure and Associated Carbon Stocks in Tidal Flats of South Korea · 2026 · DOI

  • Although the available material was limited by the small number of samples and the near absence of specimens bearing soft parts and appendages, it nevertheless highlights the extent of taxonomic diversity that remains to be clarified in New Caledonian marine waters.

    Marine Ostracoda (Crustacea) from New Caledonia: taxonomy of lagoonal and shallow-marine hydrothermal communities · 2026 · DOI

  • This represents a significant gap in the literature, and exploring the overlap between taxonomic and functional diversity measures is necessary to improve the robustness and interpretability of biomonitoring tools. Despite the widespread use of both functional and taxonomic diversity metrics, their mathematical concordance has rarely been examined, especially in benthic macroinvertebrates.

    Evaluating Mathematical Concordance Between Taxonomic and Functional Diversity Metrics in Benthic Macroinvertebrate Communities · 2025 · DOI

  • However, its precise taxonomic status remains unclear, and it cannot be assigned confidently to the existing eight genera in the subfamily Esolinae according to the criteria for generic delimitation given by Huys and Lee (2000).

    Discovery of a new hydrothermal copepod from the Indian Ocean and proposal of Parabathyesola gen. nov. (Harpacticoida, Laophontidae, Esolinae) · 2025 · DOI

  • The need for accurate evaluation of ecological quality in coastal ecosystems. The lack of comprehensive assessment of benthic ecological quality in the intertidal zone of Cheonsu Bay.

    Assessing the Benthic Ecological Quality in the Intertidal Zone of Cheonsu Bay, Korea, Using Multiple Biotic Indices · 2024 · DOI

  • Most prior research has focused on benthic indices, leaving a gap in comprehensive assessment using multiple indices. There is a need for a precise assessment of the ecological quality of tidal flats in South Korea.

    Using the Heavy Metal Indices and Benthic Indices to Assess the Ecological Quality in the Tidal Flats of Garolim Bay, South Korea · 2024 · DOI

  • Our study shows the importance of integrative inventories to fill the gap of diversity knowledge existing in remote ecosystems that are facing important environmental changes. We found one hundred taxa, amongst which 20 were reported for the first time in the Crozet archipelago.

    A first glimpse into the biogeographic affinities of the shallow benthic communities from the sub-Antarctic Crozet archipelago · 2024 · DOI

  • The seasonal distribution of Jaera hopeana depending on the categories of Sphaeroma serratum sex ratios that enhance survival in the host environment, though this remains to be tested directly.

    Population dynamics and host interactions between two isopods, the commensal Jaera hopeana and Sphaeroma serratum, in a lagoon of North Tunisia · 2026 · DOI

  • This study provides essential data for understanding the taxonomy of Arabella in the East China Sea and emphasizes the need for further research on this group in the region.

    A new species of Arabella (Annelida, Polychaeta, Oenonidae) from the sea off Gouqi Island, Zhejiang, China · 2026 · DOI

  • Although the roles and functions of fungi in the marine ecosystem remains severely understudied, there have been observations that underpin the possible importance of nematode-fungal interactions.

    Eukaryote diets in Arctic marine nematodes across seasons and shelf-to-basin gradients · 2026 · DOI

  • Their relationship to Xerogyra needs more attention, and the exact position of Candidula castriota Soós, 1924 needs to be investigated.

    New Insights in the Helicellini Ihering, 1909 with Description of Kherattolactea gen. nov. and the First Record of Orexana Chueca, Gómez-Moliner, Madeira & Pfenninger, 2018 from Algeria · 2025 · DOI

  • It remains uncertain, however, whether the shape of the supplementary organ correlates more closely with molecular divergence than the amphid + cuticle spines combination.

    A New Species of Gammanema (Nematoda: Chromadorida: Selachinematidae) from Jeju Island, South Korea · 2025 · DOI

  • These findings significantly expand the known diversity of the genus in the Southwestern Atlantic and highlight Brazil as an area harboring a still underexplored cirratulid fauna.

    Four New Species and Records of Chaetozone Malmgren, 1867 (Annelida: Cirratulidae) from Brazilian Waters · 2025 · DOI

  • Lack of comprehensive ecological quality assessments in estuarine ecosystems. Need for integration of environmental and biological data.

    Integrated Assessment of Ecological Quality Combining Biological and Environmental Data in the Yellow River Estuary · 2024 · DOI

  • Further research into the interplay between sediment characteristics and contaminant effects on meiofauna communities is crucial to disentangle their complex individual and combined impacts on benthic ecosystems.

    Impact of Different Sources of Anthropogenic Pollution on the Structure and Distribution of Antarctic Marine Meiofauna Communities · 2024 · DOI

  • Future research is needed to construct a specialized trap to sample Helgoland's lobster larvae and provide information on the current larval fitness and population numbers.

    Evaluation of light traps for sampling lobster larvae in the German Bight, North Sea · 2024 · DOI

  • There is evidence that the rise in seawater temperature and human activities cause changes in the diversity, structure and functioning of benthic communities in the EC.

    Up-to-Date Biodiversity Changes in the Benthic Communities from the English Channel Under Climatic and Anthropogenic Pressures · 2026 · DOI

  • Our research is among the few studies on hard-bottom polychaetes in the Northern Adriatic Sea and the first one to focus on Corallina officinalis assemblages in the intertidal zone.

    Polychaetes Associated with Calcareous Red Algae Corallina officinalis in the Northern Adriatic Sea · 2025 · DOI

  • Adequate sampling of a broad range of habitats is essential when targeting micromolluscs, as the bulk of species richness is composed of rare species that are sparsely distributed in the environment.

    All Is Not Quiet on the Western Front: High Host–Parasite (Echinodermata and Caenogastropoda) Diversity Revealed at an Australian Marine Transition Zone · 2025 · DOI

  • The living foraminiferal community was sparse and nearly monospecific, dominated by the calcareous species Haynesina germanica, probably due to green tides coupled with eSOx-driven acidification.

    Seasonal dynamics of cable bacteria in an estuarine intertidal mudflat subject to green tides: Implications for the foraminiferal community and test preservation · 2026 · DOI

  • Ecological restoration success is commonly assessed against historical reference states that are often altered, poorly defined, or absent, particularly in marine systems.

    From deployment to functioning ecosystems: assessing taxonomic richness and community composition on modular shellfish reefs using environmental DNA metabarcoding · 2026 · DOI

  • To date, species of Parheteromastus have been sparsely documented worldwide.

    Two new species of Capitellidae (Annelida, Polychaeta) from the southern coasts of China · 2026 · DOI

  • Their vertical distribution and seasonality in open-ocean communities is scarcely known compared to other components of zooplankton such as copepods.

    Vertical distribution and seasonal variation of chaetognaths in the Northeastern Atlantic Ocean · 2026 · DOI

  • Although the identification of benthic infauna was limited to the class level, these findings underscore the importance of continued monitoring of the SWHSBB to better un-derstand temporal dynamics in community composition and abundance…

    Benthic Infauna in the Shallow-Water Hydrothermal System of Banderas Bay, Mexico: A Two-Period Comparison · 2025 · DOI

Most-cited papers in Marine Biology and Ecology Research

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Open questions raised by papers listed on this page include: (1) Whether corals in this region exhibit significant resilience in the face of recurrent and increasing bleaching events remains to be discovered (“Seasonality and divergent bleaching responses of Galaxea fascicularis in the…”, 2026); (2) Previous studies have estimated the sediment-based carbon stocks in tidal flats; however, taxon-specific contributions from macrobenthic invertebrates remain unknown (“Macrobenthic Community Structure and Associated Carbon Stocks in Tidal Flats of…”, 2026); (3) The seasonal distribution of Jaera hopeana depending on the categories of Sphaeroma serratum sex ratios that enhance survival in the host environment, though this remains to be tested directly (“Population dynamics and host interactions between two isopods, the commensal…”, 2026); (4) Its precise taxonomic status remains unclear, and it cannot be assigned confidently to the existing eight genera in the subfamily Esolinae according to the criteria for generic delimitation given by Huys and Lee (2000) (“Discovery of a new hydrothermal copepod from the Indian Ocean and proposal of…”, 2025); (5) The lack of comprehensive assessment of benthic ecological quality in the intertidal zone of Cheonsu Bay (“Assessing the Benthic Ecological Quality in the Intertidal Zone of Cheonsu Bay,…”, 2024). 553 gap statements have been mined from Marine Biology and Ecology Research papers in our 7.9M-paper local library, which holds 2,235 papers on the topic; the gaps come from whichever of those papers state one. They are mostly the research gaps the authors state and the papers' abstracts, plus future-work, limitations and challenges passages. The ones listed below are a selection still marked open; each names the study that raised it, with a DOI link where the paper has one, so you can read the original claim in context.

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