Northwestern Coast Research Articles

Assessing Soil Quality, Wheat Crop Yield, and Water Productivity under Condition of Deficit Irrigation.

Wheat is one of the most important cereal crops in Egypt and all over the world. Its productivity is adversely affected by drought due to deficient irrigation to provide nutrients required for plant growth. In a field experiment, silicon foliar applications at concentrations of 0, 200, and 400 mg L-1 were performed at different irrigation rates ranging from 1000 to 4000 m3 ha-1 to assess water irrigation productivity and wheat crop yield in a calcareous soil under arid climate conditions. Increased irrigation rates led to a significant increase in soil nutrient dynamics, as well as in the number and weight of grains per spike, leaf area index, grain yield, straw yield, and biological yield, with the exception of the weight of 1000 grains. Spraying with sodium silicate had a significant impact on grain yield and harvest index but did not significantly impact the other traits. Furthermore, the interaction between irrigation and silicate application rates showed significance only for grain yield, the number of spikes/m2, and the harvest index. Applying three times irrigation could produce the highest nutrient retention, wheat yield, and water irrigation productivity. No significance was observed between 3000 m3 ha-1 and 4000 m3 ha-1 irrigation, indicating a saving of 25% of applied irrigation water. It can be concluded that applying irrigation at 3000 m3 ha-1 could be a supplemental irrigation strategy. High wheat grain yield can be achieved under deficit irrigation (3000 m3 ha-1) on the northwestern coast of Egypt with an arid climate by spraying crops with sodium silicate at a rate of 400 mg L-1.

Angel CCS project – decarbonising the hard-to-abate industries of WA

The Angel CCS Project is a proposed large-scale multi-user carbon capture and storage (CCS) hub located near Karratha, WA. It is being progressed by the Angel CCS Joint Venture (JV). Angel CCS is ideally located to aggregate emissions from existing sources in the Pilbara region and has the potential to facilitate the development of new lower-carbon industries, such as the production of hydrogen and ammonia, by providing a local solution for emissions. The JV has been awarded greenhouse gas assessment permit G-10-AP, located in the Northern Carnarvon Basin off the north-western coast of Western Australia and is now assessing the technical, regulatory and commercial feasibility of aggregating emissions from existing and potential future facilities and the geological storage of carbon dioxide in the permit area. Notionally, the Angel CCS project is expected to be able to handle up to 5 Mtpa. The proposed project could be the first large scale CCS hub with offshore storage in Australia and potentially one of the largest CCS hubs in the Asia Pacific. The paper provides an overview of the Angel CCS Project, outlines key enabling factors for CCS Hub developments, and explains the key considerations that informed the development concept.

Repeated Coseismic Uplift of Coastal Lagoons Above the Patton Bay Splay Fault System, Montague Island, Alaska, USA

AbstractCoseismic slip on the Patton Bay splay fault system during the 1964 Mw 9.2 Great Alaska Earthquake contributed to local tsunami generation and vertically uplifted shorelines as much as 11 m on Montague Island in Prince William Sound (PWS). Sudden uplift of 3.7–4.3 m caused coastal lagoons along the island's northwestern coast to gradually drain. The resulting change in depositional environment from marine lagoon to freshwater muskeg created a sharp, laterally continuous stratigraphic contact between silt and overlying peat. Here, we characterize the geomorphology, sedimentology, and diatom ecology across the 1964 earthquake contact and three similar prehistoric contacts within the stratigraphy of the Hidden Lagoons locality. We find that the contacts signal instances of abrupt coastal uplift that, within error, overlap the timing of independently constrained megathrust earthquakes in PWS—1964 Common Era, 760–870 yr BP, 2500–2700 yr BP, and 4120–4500 yr BP. Changes in fossil diatom assemblages across the inferred prehistoric earthquake contacts reflect ecological shifts consistent with repeated draining of a lagoon system caused by >3 m of coseismic uplift. Our observations provide evidence for four instances of combined megathrust‐splay fault ruptures that have occurred in the past ∼4,200 years in PWS. The possibility that 1964‐style combined megathrust‐splay fault ruptures may have repeated in the past warrants their consideration in future seismic and tsunami hazards assessments.

Coinciding storm surge and wave setup: A regional assessment of sea level rise impact

Coastal locations around the world face the multifaceted challenge of rising sea levels, posing threats to coastal communities, particularly during storm surges and high wave conditions. We have examined the dynamics of sea-level fluctuations along Denmark’s coastline, with focus on wave-induced phenomena, such as wave setup. We analysed wave data from DMI’s operational model spanning from 2006 to 2022, as well as climate projections that extend until the middle of the 21st century. We conducted an analysis of the 2% exceedance of the significant wave height maxima during specific time frames (denoted “storm days”) and “storm surge conditions” (the maximum sea level within a 30-year period). We found that the impact of climate change on extreme wave events was insignificant when focusing solely on the wave component, but heightened wave setup during “storm surge conditions” along the north-western coasts of Jutland. In this area, there is a notable increase in wave setup due to longer swells, ranging from 5 to 10 cm, by the mid-century, which is double the current wave setup in the region. Interestingly, other parts of the country did not show significant changes in wave setup. This regional variation highlights the nuanced impact of wave-induced processes on sea level dynamics and underscores the need for tailored adaptation strategies targeting specific vulnerable zones.

Trace Elements Characterization in Rocks Using Neutron Activation Analysis, Northwestern Coast, Ras El-Hekma–Egypt

Trace Elements Characterization in Rocks Using Neutron Activation Analysis, Northwestern Coast, Ras El-Hekma–Egypt

Field and Economic Evaluation of Barley Productivity as Affected by Seed Rates and Slow-release Nitrogen Fertilizer Levels under Rainfed Conditions

A field experiment was conducted at the north western coast of Egypt under rainfed conditions to study the effects of seed rates (70, 95 and 120 kg ha-1) and nitrogen fertilizer treatments (0, 35, 70 and 105 kg N ha-1) of Ensiabeen-40% N as slow-release fertilizer compared with 105 kg N ha-1 as Ammonium nitrate (33.5%N) on productivity of barley cultivar Giza134. This investigation was conducted during 2019/2020 and 2020/2021 winter growing seasons. The treatments were laid out in a split plot design, with three replications. Plant height, spike length, number of grins spike-1, number of spikes per m2, 1000 grain weight, biological and grain yield were recorded. In addition, total income and net return (LE)/hactare were calculated. The results indicated that mean squares due to seasons, seed rates, nitrogen levels and their interactions were significant for most studied traits. Mean performance of the studied traits as affected by seasons, seed rates and nitrogen levels showed that, the most desirable values were obtained by SR1 for spike length (6.13cm), number of grains spike-1 (48.78 grain) and 1000 grain weight (42.15g), from SR2 for Biological yield (6.02 ton ha-1) and grain yield (1.85 ton ha-1) and from SR3 for plant height (78.28cm) and number of spikes m-2 (180.11 spike). For nitrogen level effects, N4 recorded the most favorable values for all studied traits; plant height (81.48cm), spike length (6.33cm), number of grains spike-1 (49.99 grain), number of spikes m-2 (187.60 spike), Biological yield (6.88 ton ha-1), grain yield (2.12 ton ha-1) and 1000 grain weight (42.89g). Grain yield exhibited highly significant and positive correlation with each of plant height (r= 0.833**), spike length(r=0.621**), number of grains spike-1 (r=0.768**), number of spikes m-2(r=0.880**) and weight of 1000 grains (r= 0.661**). The most contributing variable in the total variation of grain yield were number of spikes m-2, number of grains spike-1 and spike length. These variables contributed by 92.9% in the grain yield variation. The results also indicated that, the highest values in the total income were 19149 and 24990 pound.hec-1 respectively, and net return were 9492 and 15498 pound.hec-1 obtained from the interaction between seed rate of 5kg ha-1 (SR2) and 105 unit of slow release fertilizer (N4) during the two growing seasons. It could recommend this treatment to maximize the total income for the farmers in such location.

Could persistent organic pollutants affect future generations of sea turtles by maternal transfer? First results for Caretta caretta nests along the North-Western coast of Italy

Since 2013, loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta, Linnaeus 1758) nesting has been observed further north along the Italian coast, reaching the Tuscan coast (NW Mediterranean Sea). The four nesting events that occurred in Tuscany in the summer of 2019 spurred the scientific community to monitor these occurrences more carefully, following them from egg deposition to hatching. This provided an opportunity to collect samples for conducting multidisciplinary investigations, including the toxicological investigations of the biological material collected from the four nests. The aim of this study was to conduct an initial assessment of persistent organic pollutants in the eggs laid in Tuscany, aiming to establish a baseline on this topic for subsequent nesting events that have occurred until today. Organochlorine compounds (OCs), specifically polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) and its metabolites, and hexachlorobenzene (HCB), were analyzed and detected in unhatched eggs, embryos, and chorio-allantoic membranes (CAMs). OCs were detected in all samples, with PCBs > DDTs ≫ HCB. A significant spatial variation in pollutant levels and profiles among sea turtle nesting locations was found. Embryos showed higher levels of contamination than egg contents regardless of the developmental stages. Depth of the laying chamber and egg mass were not significant factors in OC bioaccumulation. For the first time in the Mediterranean Sea, this study assessed the role of CAM in the transfer of contaminants to the embryo. Overall, the OC levels found were lower compared to the results from other studies conducted worldwide on loggerhead sea turtle biological material. This was the first assessment of nest biological material for the North-Western coast of Italy.

History of the pacific capelin Mallotus catervarius (osmeriformes) fishery near the sakhalin coast and reasons of its catch records in present period

Far East capelin is characterized by long-term cycles of its biomass dynamics. During XX and early XXІ century fishery of Far East capelin near Sakhalin Island was more intensive in the years of high abundance. In 1930s annual catches of this fish was not more than 0,8– 0,9 thousand tons. In 1970s catches varied from 0,93 to 2,50 thousand tons. In 2016–2022 capelin catches attained to record level, 3,5–13,7 thousand tons. Grate catches connected by complex reasons such as large spawning biomass, intensive fishery and its season near Sakhalin coast and some others. It is already clear that the northwestern coast of Sakhalin is the most ideal for reproduction, growth, and survival of capelin in the waters around Sakhalin Island. Reproduction productivity of this fish species in the Sakhalin area of Okhotsk Sea is much lower as an annual catches.

ФОРМИРОВАНИЕ ПОЛОЖИТЕЛЬНЫХ АНОМАЛИЙ ТЕМПЕРАТУРЫ ПОВЕРХНОСТИ ЧЕРНОГО МОРЯ

Based on the satellite data at the points of a high-resolution regular grid for the period from 2008 to 2021, positive anomalies of the sea surface temperature (SST) in the northern Black Sea and off the southwestern coast of Crimea have been identified. It has been shown that there are vast areas with an exceeding of SST over the mean for the measurement period up to 4-5 and 5-6°C and a monthly total area (for example, in May 2018) about 200000 and 100000 km2, respectively, in the northern Black Sea. The analysis of available satellite data has led to the conclusion that warm SST anomalies occur mainly in May and October. The maximum (over the entire analyzed period) warm SST anomaly (exceeding 5°C) was reached in May 2012, when its area was 200000 km2. The spatial structure and some statistical characteristics of the identified SST anomalies have been described and analyzed. It has been shown that the typical frequency of vast SST anomalies is at least one case per several years, while they are generated by abnormal heat fluxes on the sea surface with the inflow of anomalously warm river water in shallow areas of the northwestern shelf and spread to the open sea areas due to the horizontal advection of predominantly wind-driven origin. The average annual SST anomalies off the northwestern coast of Crimea and in the northern Black Sea correlate at a level of 0.97.

Optimizing the biomass balance of macroalgae and sea urchins in kelp beds by removing the urchins

ABSTRACT In this study, we conducted sea urchin removal (SUR) experiments at two sites along Hokkaido’s southwestern and northwestern coasts in the Sea of Japan and one site along the northeast coast in the Sea of Okhotsk, to elucidate the biomass balance between macroalgae and sea urchins at different urchin barren sites. The experiments resulted in the restoration of macroalgal biomass at all sites and an increase in macroalgal diversity, indicating that it was the impact of high grazing pressure reducing the macroalgae, regardless of the particular experimental site. Notably, the recovery of the macroalgal biomass was characterized by increased kelp biomass, including Saccharina japonica var. religiosa and S. japonica var. ochotensis. In addition, negative correlations were observed between macroalgal biomass and sea urchin density. The lowest sea urchin density inducing an increase of macroalgal biomass was approximately the same in the reproductive growth phase (0.1 kg m−2) and in the vegetative growth phase (0.15 kg m−2) of Saccharina spp., the dominant kelps, regardless of the experimental site. These values can be helpful indicators for managing sea urchin density in order to restore macroalgae. In contrast, the maximum sea urchin density inducing the lowest macroalgal biomass varied markedly depending on the study site, indicating that different levels of kelp productivity are influenced by oceanographic conditions. Moreover, a strong positive correlation was observed between macroalgal biomass and sea urchins’ gonadosomatic index (GSI). Based on this correlation, macroalgal biomass supporting sea urchins with commercial value (GSI ≥ 15%) was estimated to be 1.6 kg m−2. This sea urchin density value is also a helpful indicator for managing macroalgal biomass and commercially valuable sea urchins. Moreover, this value will depend on the influence of the oceanographic environment of the site, particularly the nutrient conditions, on macroalgal productivity. In addition, we have also discussed how macroalgae and sea urchins can best coexist at the experimental sites.

Evaluation of Organic Sources and Mineral N Fertilizer on Soil Fertility and Coriander Plant (Coriandrum sativum L.) Productivity and Quality under Saline Soil

Two field experiments were carried out at Gelbana, North Sina government during successive winters 2021/2022 and 2022/ 2023 to study the evaluation of organic sources (compost, biochar, and organic farm) combined with or without mineral N different rates on soil fertility and Coriander productivity. Lies coast of Sinai, between 32o_ 350 and 32o_ 450 E and 31o_ 000 and 31o_ 250 N. Lies in the north-western Mediterranean coast of Sinai, between 32o_ 350 and 32o_ 450 E and 31o_ 000 and 31o_ 250 N. Each experiment was carried out in a split-plot design with three replicates in both seasons. Results showed that applying compost combined with or without mineral N fertilizer at different rates improved soil fertility (decreased soil pH, soil salinity, and increase of available macronutrients and micronutrient contents in soil) compared with other treatments. Also, the maximum mean values of Plant height (cm); No. of branches /plant; the weight of seeds /plant (g); the weight of seeds yield (ton/fed), fresh green leaves (ton/fed), and dry yield leaves (ton/fed) for soil treated with compost combined with mineral fertilizer different rate, while the weight of 1000 (g) seeds as affected by organic farm combined with mineral N fertilizer rate. The highest values of N, P, K, Fe, Mn, and Zn concentrations in seeds were treating with compost combined with mineral N fertilizer at a 100 kg N /fed rate than other treatments. As well as, the application of compost combined with mineral N fertilizer at different rates was an increase in protein (%), oil (%), and carbohydrate (%). chlorophyll while the proline was decrease value.

Groundwater Salinity Across India: Predicting Occurrences and Controls by Field-Observations and Machine Learning Modeling.

Elevated groundwater salinity is unsuitable for drinking and harmful to crop production. Thus, it is crucial to determine groundwater salinity distribution, especially where drinking and agricultural water requirements are largely supported by groundwater. This study used field observation (n = 20,994)-based machine learning models to determine the probabilistic distribution of elevated groundwater salinity (electrical conductivity as a proxy, >2000 μS/cm) at 1 km2 across parts of India for near groundwater-table conditions. The final predictions were made by using the best-performing random forest model. The validation performance also demonstrated the robustness of the model (with 77% accuracy). About 29% of the study area (including 25% of entire cropland areas) was estimated to have elevated salinity, dominantly in northwestern and peninsular India. Also, parts of the northwestern and southeastern coasts, adjoining the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal, were assessed with elevated salinity. The climate was delineated as the dominant factor influencing groundwater salinity occurrence, followed by distance from the coast, geology (lithology), and depth of groundwater. Consequently, ∼330 million people, including ∼109 million coastal populations, were estimated to be potentially exposed to elevated groundwater salinity through groundwater-sourced drinking water, thus substantially limiting clean water access.

Phase‐Locked Rossby Wave‐4 Pattern Dominates the 2022‐Like Concurrent Heat Extremes Across the Northern Hemisphere

AbstractConcurrent heat extremes (CHEs) are becoming increasingly common in the mid‐high latitudes across the Northern Hemisphere (NH), underscoring the need to comprehend their spatiotemporal characteristics and underlying causes. Here we reveal a phase‐locking behavior in Wave‐4 pattern, particularly after mid‐1990s, giving rise to a prominent CHE mode akin to heat extreme pattern observed in 2022, which swept most NH regions. Wave‐4 pattern significantly amplifies the likelihood of CHEs in Eastern Europe (∼30%), Northeast Asia (∼25%), and northwestern coast of North America (∼15%), while reducing the likelihood in central North America and northern Central Asia. During 1979–2022, the identified pattern accounted for over 69.7% of the trends in heat extremes over the mid‐high latitudes of the NH, directly exposing approximately 333.5 million people to heat extremes. Observations and simulations indicate that radiation anomalies over Eastern European Plain and West Siberian Plain play pivotal roles as primary forcing sources for Wave‐4 pattern.

Naturalization and invasion potential of Sesuvium portulacastrum L. recorded as alien species in Egypt

Sesuvium portulacastrum is a perennial halophyte of family Aizoaceae, non-native to Egypt, which was introduced from France ten years ago as an ornamental species. This study reports the detection of S. portulacastrum in the wild in Egypt. Voucher specimens were deposited in the Herbarium of Alexandria University (ALEX). A population of the species was recorded in the wild near Maruit Lake in the north-western coast of Egypt in 2018 during plant resources surveys of the region. The study aimed to assess the potential for S. portulacastrum to spread as an alien species through field observations and geospatial measurements under current conditions in its new habitat. The measured morphological parameters were higher than those recorded in its native habitats. The field observation for three years revealed that the species is proliferating and expanding in the investigated site forming large mats of mean size of up to 9 m2. The spatial extent of S. portulacastrum based on the EOO and AOO was quantified, and the expansion rate was estimated at 0.16 ha/year in the investigated site. The geospatial parameter used in the study will not only help in determining the spread rate of the alien species spatially and temporally, but also in its effective management through guiding managers in developing monitoring plans for the species under the changing climate uncertainty. Continuous monitoring and early detection of any potential threats of the introduced species are highly recommended, to avert any potential adverse impacts on native biodiversity and assess its behaviour in the wild habitat.

‘On the Perimeter and Fringe of War’: Norman Nicholson, Rural Modernity and Wartime

The author Norman Nicholson is an exemplary writer of rural modernity, acutely conscious of the need for rural areas to remain ‘living and organic communities’, as he puts it in his topographic book Greater Lakeland (1969). Here I argue that his position in his lifetime home of Millom, an industrial town on the periphery of the tourist Lake District, gives his writing a unique, revisionary perspective on both modern/ist and war poetry: he is a non-combatant rural poet who focuses not on contested ground overseas, but on the rural and wartime industry on the north-western English coast. Born in 1914, his life was profoundly shaped by war, and while not often considered in these terms, he was inspired by modernist poetry, particularly that of his editor at Faber & Faber, T. S. Eliot. Reading Nicholson’s early writings ‘on the perimeter and fringe of war’ (‘Waiting for Spring, 1943’) during the Second World War, engaging with his editing, periodical contributions, and early poetry up to and including his debut collection Five Rivers (1944), enables us to see the multiple ways that the traces of war in his poetry have previously gone unrecognised, displaced, by the widely-theorised struggle of both combatants and civilians to articulate the experience of war, into dates, locations, events and depictions of the body. I conclude by examining Nicholson’s response to war after the Second World War, and commenting on the implications for more general theories of wartime.

Response of late Holocene vegetation to abrupt climatic events on the northwestern coast of the Bay of Bohai, China

Coastal wetlands provide valuable ecosystem services and understanding their response to past climatic changes may help predict their possible future responses. In this paper, we obtained records of pollen, algae, sediment grain-size, and other environmental proxies, from a late Holocene sediment core (CFD-E) from the Caofeidian area, on the northwest coast of the Bay of Bohai, China. Our results indicate three major stages of environmental change. During Stage I (3500–2800 cal yr BP), arboreal pollen content was high (mostly >60%), especially for Pinus and Quercus, and the PCA sample scores on Axis 1 were negative indicating that regional vegetation was temperate broadleaved forest and the climate was wet. During Stage II (2800–2350 cal yr BP), the arboreal pollen content decreased substantially (mostly <40%), and the PCA Axis 1 sample scores were positive indicating a decrease in forest vegetation, grassland expansion, and a drier climate. During Stage III (2350–1400 cal yr BP), the arboreal pollen content increased again (mostly >40%), although it remained lower than during Stage I, indicating that forests expanded under a relatively humid climate while the wetland area decreased slightly. Our results also record the 2.8 ka and 2.4 ka events of monsoon weakening, which were characterized by increases in herbaceous pollen (indicating grassland expansion) and the drying of the regional climate. There are several differences in the regional expression of these two climatic events. During the 2.4 ka event, Chenopodiaceae pollen increased substantially (average of 42.0%), indicating the expansion of halophytes; whereas during the 2.8 ka event, an increase in Artemisia indicates the occurrence of a dry climate throughout the region. We suggest that the aridity during the 2.8 ka event was triggered by decreased solar activity and the resulting changes in the El Niño-Southern Oscillation, which weakened the East Asian summer monsoon. However, we suggest that the 2.4 ka event was driven by the weakening of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation.

The invasive blue crab Callinectessapidus Rathbun, 1896 (Decapoda, Portunidae) is rapidly expanding its distributional range in the north-western Mediterranean coast of Morocco.

In this study, we report the first occurrence of Callinectessapidus in the rivers of 'Oued Tani' (Martil) and 'Oued Negro' (Fnideq), based on 127 individuals of the blue crab caught from November 2022 to August 2023. Additionally, we were able to determine the potential consequences of C.sapidus on the indigenous species as well as the socioeconomic implications on artisanal fisheries activities. This research highlights further data that reinforces recent findings on recorded blue crab from various locations along the Moroccan coastline.

Canopy-forming algae improve the colonization success of the vermetid reef-builder Dendropoma cristatum (Biondi 1859) on artificial substrates

Positive interactions among foundation species play a crucial role in achieving and maintaining a good state of the marine environment, enhancing the habitat stability, productivity, and the whole ecosystem functioning. In this regard, macroalgal canopies may affect the biotic and abiotic environmental features, improving the habitat quality for the establishment of other sedentary organisms. In this study, we investigated the effect of intertidal canopy-forming algae on the colonization success of the central-Mediterranean vermetid reef-builder Dendropoma cristatum (Biondi 1859) on artificial substrates produced for reef restoration purposes. An in situ experiment was carried out along the northwestern coast of Sicily during the breeding season of the vermetid snails, by using geopolymer concrete settlement discs with a topographic design to facilitate the vermetid settlement. The discs were placed on the seaward reef rim, underneath the macroalgal canopy, and on adjacent control bare reef areas. The canopy effect on the understory algal colonization and the environmental temperature at the vermetid settlement substrate were also surveyed. After 35 days of field exposure, the vermetid settlement increased by 1.7-fold on the discs underneath the macroalgal canopy compared with that on the bare settlement discs. Moreover, the understory algae showed a higher homogeneity and a lower percent cover on the settlement discs underneath the macroalgal canopy. The peaks of temperature were higher on the bare reef, and the macroalgal canopy also reduced temperature variability under maximum sun irradiance during the diurnal low tides. The vermetid settlement was positively correlated to the canopy cover, which, directly or indirectly, improved the success of colonization of the reef-builder snails on artificial substrates. The deployment of settlement discs where canopy-forming algae are naturally present may facilitate the gardening of vermetid clusters that may be translocated to restock the reef-builder density at degraded areas.

Using Local Scour Around Artificial Reefs to Prevent Illegal Fishing on the Northwestern Coast of South Korea

Using Local Scour Around Artificial Reefs to Prevent Illegal Fishing on the Northwestern Coast of South Korea

Siren’s song: the news of Tabarka and its impact on Spanish Mediterranean policy in the mid-sixteenth century

The island of Tabarka, off the northwestern coast of modern Tunisia, was an active coral-fishing factory during the mid-sixteenth century. Its political status was unclear, straddling Tunisian sovereignty and Spanish military control, while being economically exploited by the Genoa-based Lomellini company. It also operated as a privileged hub of information for Maghrebi affairs, supplying fresh news to the Spanish authorities during the critical phase of Ottoman Mediterranean expansion throughout the 1550s. Particularly, this information’s flow fed into a wider web, and competed with alternative sources of news to influence decision-making processes in the Spanish monarchy. This article presents a micro-historical analysis of a place, a network, and specific political conditions to go beyond the mere reconstruction of information flows and reveal the real impact of the news coming from Tabarka on Spanish Mediterranean policy in the mid-sixteenth century.