Exploitation of food sources by ichthyofauna in the Acquatina coastal system (Apulia, Italy)

Analysis of the trophic structure in zones with different levels of protection within the Marine Protected Area “Isola di Ustica” based on carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes

Sicilian transitional waters: Current status and future development

To appraise the current knowledge of Sicilian transitional waters (TWs), a review was undertaken of the information available on these ecosystems. In detail, a synthesis of the current status is reported, highlighting for each area the ecological features and status, historical data, conservation regime, environmental emergencies and anthropic pressures to which they are subject. The Sicilian TWs reviewed include coastal ponds and lakes, mires and areas with active and nonactive saltworks. Almost all of these ecosystems are affected by several protection regimes because of their high naturalistic value, although current knowledge is limited and fragmented. A few areas have received more att…

Trophic structure of vermetid reef community: High trophic diversity at small spatial scales

Stable isotopes were used to investigate contributions of autochthonous (i.e. benthic: epilithon and macroalgae) and allochthonous (i.e. pelagic: phytoplankton) organic matter sources to the diet of suspension-feeders, grazers and predators associated to small reef-pools (cuvettes) created by the reef-building species Dendropoma petraeum in the north-western coast of Sicily (Italy). Contributions of potential food sources were calculated using Bayesian mixing-models and integrated to a multivariate approach to highlight the diversity of C and N pathways within Dendropoma cuvettes. Both pelagic and benthic organic matter sources were exploited by benthic consumers, although clear differences…

Indagine sul contributo delle fonti bentoniche e planctoniche alla rete trofica del reef a vermeti

Densità e composizione isotopica di Dendropoma petraeum (Caenogastropoda, Monterosato, 1884): confronto tra le diverse porzioni della piattaforma a vermeti

How picky can you be? Temporal variations in trophic niches of co-occurring suspension-feeding species

Abstract Suspension-feeders largely dominate faunal communities on rocky shores and compete for food using different feeding strategies. We used stable isotopes to assess the individual specialization within common suspension-feeder populations and to evaluate both inter-specific and intra-specific differences in food source exploitation. Trophic niches were characterized by metrics calculated in a space formed by mixing model outputs. Honeycomb worms ( Sabellaria alveolata ), blue mussels ( Mytilus edulis ) and barnacles ( Chthamalus montagui ), as well as three organic matter sources (benthic microalgae, phytoplankton and green macroalgae) were surveyed over a year using stable isotopic c…

Evidence for the cascade effect in the Marine Protected Area “Isola di Ustica”

Analisi delle fonti di materia organica utilizzate da Dendropoma petraeum (Mollusca, Vermetidae) (Monterosato, 1884), in relazione a diverse condizioni idrodinamiche

Contribution of planktonic and benthic food sources to the diet of the reef-forming vermetid gastropod Dendropoma petraeum in the western Mediterranean

Abstract In the Mediterranean Sea, the vermetid Dendropoma petraeum (Monterosato, 1884) forms highly biodiverse reefs that have received increasing attention in recent years although very little is known about the food habit of this species. The main goal of this study was to describe the trophic role of planktonic and benthic food sources for D. petraeum . Specimens from three morphological zones of the reef (inner edge, cuvette and outer edge) at two sites with different wave exposure along the north-western coast of Sicily (Italy; western Mediterranean) were compared for δ 13 C and δ 15 N. Isotopic determinations were also carried out on potential food sources identified in epilithon, re…

Trophic structure and functioning of vermetid reef community based on carbon and nitrogen stable isotope analysis.