This terrestrial and underwater archaeological research project around a Mediterranean islet identifies that it was a commercial centre during the fifth century AD. The results shed light on Late Roman island occupation dynamics.

The predominantly carbonate nature of the mountains near the coast of Málaga and Marbella (Costa del Sol, southern Spain) and the presence of springs have favored the formation of travertine buildups during the Quaternary. The geomorphic characteristics of the slopes and the location of the springs have determined the development of three types of travertine growths: (1) spring travertines, located preferentially on the south mountainside, where the slope is steepest; (2) pool-dam-cascade travertines, which form along the north and east edges, far from the carbonate relief and with a gentler slope; and (3) river-valley travertines, formed in the courses of the springs of any sector. Field observations combined with new amino acid racemization (AAR) dating of Helicidae gastropods show that most of the travertine formations are polyphasic and that their development was interrupted by stages of erosion and incision. Five stages of travertine development are evident, most of which are related to warm, moist episodes corresponding to marine oxygen isotope stages (MIS) 7, 5, 3, and 1, although local travertine growth also occurred during MIS 6 and during the transition from MIS 3 to 2.

Four distinct associations of graphite have been identified in the low-pressure, high-temperature belt of the Sierra de Aracena (SW Spain). Syngenetic occurrences include: (1) stratiform graphite mineralization within a calc-silicate series; (2) disseminated graphite within a terrigenous sequence; and (3) ‘restitic’ graphite within anatectic tonalites and their enclaves. Epigenetic graphite occurs as (4) veins cross-cutting mafic granulites.

Graphite in all types of occurrences is highly crystalline, with the c parameter close to 6.70 Å. Such c values correspond to temperatures of formation of ∼800°C. The thermal properties of graphite are also typical of well-ordered graphite and provide DTA exothermic maxima ranging from 810 to 858°C depending on the mode of occurrence. The differences among the temperatures of formation estimated by graphite geothermometry, the position of the exothermic maximum in the DTA curves, and petrologic geothermometers are discussed in terms of the applicability of graphite geothermometry to granulite-facies rocks. Carbon isotope analysis yields δ13C values in the range from −31.6 to −21.4% for syngenetic graphite of types I, II and III attributable to biogenically-derived carbon. The heavier signatures for graphite in vein occurrences (δ13C= −17.7 to −18.3%) with respect to syngenetic graphites suggest that isotopically heavy carbonic species were incorporated into the metamorphic fluids (probably as a consequence of decarbonation reactions of the calc-silicate rocks) from which graphite precipitated into the veins. These fluids were strongly channelled through structural pathways.

Detailed pollen, charcoal, isotope and magnetic susceptibility data from an alpine lake sediment core from Sierra Nevada, southern Spain record changes in vegetation, fire history and lake sedimentation since ca. 4100 cal yr BP. The proxies studied record an arid period from ca. 3800 to 3100 cal yr BP characterized by more xerophytic vegetation and lower lake levels. A humid period is recorded between ca. 3100 and 1850 cal yr BP, which occurred in two steps: (1) an increase in evergreen Quercus between 3100 and 2500 cal yr BP, indicating milder conditions than previously and (2) an increase in deciduous Quercus and higher lake levels, between ca. 2500 and 1850 cal yr BP, indicating a further increase in humidity and reduction in seasonal contrast. Humid maxima occurred during the Roman Humid Period, previously identified in other studies in the Mediterranean region. Intensified fire activity at this time could be related to an increase in fuel load and/or in human disturbance. An arid period subsequently occurred between 1850 and 650 cal yr BP, though a decrease in Quercus and an increase in xerophytes. The alternation of persistent North Atlantic Oscillation modes probably played an important role in controlling these humid–arid cycles.

We report the occurrence in the inner fishing port of the Málaga harbour (southern Spain) of an established population of the gastropod Marginella glabella, native on West African Atlantic coasts of Morocco to Senegal and also present at the Canary Islands. This is the third gastropod species with a tropical Atlantic origin found as an established population in the Mediterranean. In spite of its presumably scarce self-dispersal ability due to its direct development, it should be considered an invasive species since it is potentially able to spread out from the area currently occupied and preys voraciously on autochthonous gastropods. It is suggested that this species was introduced during the 1990s as within port discarded by-catch of Málaga-based trawlers, which at that time were fishing on the Atlantic coast off Morocco and the Canary–Saharian bank.

The dominant intertidal algal species from Tarifa Island, Strait of Gibraltar, together with the associated peracarid crustacean community, were studied over a two-year period (December 2005–December 2007). Gelidium corneum and Gymnogongrus patens were dominant at the lower levels, close to the subtidal. Valonia utricularis, Osmundea pinnatifida, a turf of Caulacanthus ustulatus and Gelidium spp., Corallina elongata and Jania rubens were distributed in intermediate levels, while Ulva rigida, Chaetomorpha aerea and Fucus spiralis were collected from upper levels. The main intertidal seaweeds of Tarifa Island showed a perennial behaviour, but maximum values of biomass were registered during late spring and beginning of summer for most of species while the highest seawater temperatures were measured in late summer and beginning of autumn. Corallina elongata and Jania rubens, the dominant species which shared a niche at platforms of intermediate levels, showed an opposite behaviour, probably to avoid competence: C. elongata showed higher biomass in April–June and lower values in August–October–December, while biomass of J. rubens was higher in December–February and lower in April–August. Associated crustaceans, including mainly amphipods (gammarids and caprellids) were also present throughout the whole year with similar seasonality to seaweeds. However, crustacean density in the intertidal was not only influenced by distribution of algae as substrate, but also by external factors, such as hydrodynamism, oxygen, weather conditions, competition or predation. The present study constitutes the first baseline study dealing with seasonal fluctuations of algae and associated crustaceans in a protected area of the Strait of Gibraltar, an important biogeographical zone between Europe and Africa and the Mediterranean and Atlantic.

The composition and structure of a molluscan assemblage was studied in a deep subtidal eelgrass bed located in southern Spain before and after the eelgrass decline experienced during 2005 and 2006 due to illegal trawling by fishermen. Sampling was undertaken in summer 2004 (with eelgrass) and summer 2007 (without eelgrass) in an extensive eelgrass bed located in Cañuelo Bay (12–14 m depth) and in the same area once the eelgrass bed disappeared. Eelgrass was completely absent in those samples of summer 2007 and an increase of the organic content and mud was registered in the sediment between 2004 and 2007. The density and the richness of molluscan species decreased significantly in summer 2007, especially for epifaunal gastropods associated with the leaf and sediment stratum. Some species disappeared completely in summer 2007 such as the dominant periphyton grazers Jujubinus striatus and Rissoa spp., the egg feeder Mitrella minor and the seagrass feeder Smaragdia viridis as well as the infaunal bivalve Solemya togata. Other species increased their densities such as the carnivores Cylichna crossei or C. cylindracea as well as the bivalve Nucula nitidosa. Some dominant infaunal species, such as Chamelea gallina, Spisula subtruncata or Tellina fabula did not significantly change their densities. The composition and structure of the assemblages in summer 2004 and summer 2007 was significantly different according to the Bray–Curtis similarity index using qualitative and quantitative data and considering the entire assemblage (epifaunal and infaunal species) or only the infaunal species. The registered changes in the molluscan assemblage may have produced cascade effects in higher trophic levels because molluscs generally represent an important food source for some decapods and fish. Urgent conservation measures are needed for protecting the remaining fragmented eelgrass beds of southern Spain from further illegal fisheries activities and other types of human impacts (e.g. sand extraction and coastal infrastructures), because they support the most diverse faunistic communities for eelgrass beds in Europe due to their bathymetry and geographical location.

The aim of this study was to assess whether the recently developed Diet Quality Index-International (DQI-I) was useful to evaluate the diet quality of a young Mediterranean population. A cross-sectional nutritional survey was carried out in southern Spain (Granada-Andalucia) from 2002 to 2005. Dietary information (24 h recall and FFQ) and socio-demographic and lifestyle data were collected from a representative sample of the population (n 288, 44·1 % females and 55·9 % males) aged 6–18 years (mean 12·88 (sd 2·78) years). DQI-I was designed according to the method of Kim et al. modified by Tur et al. for Mediterranean populations. It focused on four main characteristics of a high-quality diet (variety, adequacy, moderation and overall balance). This young population from southern Spain obtained 56·31 % of the total DQI-I score, indicating a poor-quality diet. A higher score was associated with a longer breakfast and greater physical activity. The DQI-I may require further modification for application in Mediterranean populations, differentiating between olive oil and saturated fats, among other changes. Further research is needed to develop a new diet quality index adapted to the Mediterranean diet.