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With the over 2000 marine fungi and fungal-like organisms documented so far, some have adapted fully to life in the sea, while some have the ability to tolerate environmental conditions in the marine milieu. These organisms have evolved various mechanisms for growth in the marine environment, especially against salinity gradients. This review highlights the response of marine fungi, fungal-like organisms and terrestrial fungi (for comparison) towards salinity variations in terms of their growth, spore germination, sporulation, physiology, and genetic adaptability. Marine, freshwater and terrestrial fungi and fungal-like organisms vary greatly in their response to salinity. Generally, terrestrial and freshwater fungi grow, germinate and sporulate better at lower salinities, while marine fungi do so over a wide range of salinities. Zoosporic fungal-like organisms are more sensitive to salinity than true fungi, especially Ascomycota and Basidiomycota. Labyrinthulomycota and marine Oomycota are more salinity tolerant than saprolegniaceous organisms in terms of growth and reproduction. Wide adaptability to saline conditions in marine or marine-related habitats requires mechanisms for maintaining accumulation of ions in the vacuoles, the exclusion of high levels of sodium chloride, the maintenance of turgor in the mycelium, optimal growth at alkaline pH, a broad temperature growth range from polar to tropical waters, and growth at depths and often under anoxic conditions, and these properties may allow marine fungi to positively respond to the challenges that climate change will bring. Other related topics will also be discussed in this article, such as the effect of salinity on secondary metabolite production by marine fungi, their evolution in the sea, and marine endophytes.

“Nature based solutions” are innovative solutions, which are inspired from nature, and applied to contemporary societal problems such as climate change, overtourism, poverty alleviation, and so on. The research on “nature-based solutions” in tourism is rudimentary and the main objective of this study is to identify and conceptualize the nature-based solutions in tourism. For this purpose, a hybrid literature review has been conducted in the scientific fields of tourism and hospitality as well as agriculture, building sector, and urban planning. An examination of the characteristics of the nature-based solutions have led to its conceptualization based on six constituent dimensions such as empowerment of stakeholders, monitoring the state of natural environment, economic development of residents, adoption of environment-friendly solutions, and changing the mind-set of stakeholders. Finally, limitations of the current study have been identified and some recommendations for further research have been provided.

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