Monitoring marine water quality of Sicily by means of remotely sensed imagery

Within the framework of the GEOGRID research project, a semi-automatic computational chain has been implemented in order to map the time evolution of marine water quality, around Sicily island, by means of satellite images. To this aim a set of MODIS (TERRA and AQUA) multispectral images has been acquired. An automatic system to georeference and calibrate the images has been implemented. All the procedures to map clorophill-a, total suspended solids and turbidity come from the literature, whereas models parameters have been calibrated by means of in situ measurements.

Optical properties of Sicilian lakes during a Cyanophycea Planktothrix rubescens algal bloom

In December 2006 blooms of Planktothrix rubescens were found in the reservoir Prizzi in Sicily. Planktothrix is a genus of filamentous alga comprising approximately 6 species, between these the P. rubescens is sadly famous since this organism produces microcystins which are powerful hepatotoxins. Firstly found in Europe in 1825 on Geneva lake, recently (2006) those algae has been find out in Pozzillo, Nicoletti e Ancipa reservoirs (Enna Province), as well as in Prizzi (Palermo Province) and Garcia reservoirs (Trapani Province). Toxins produced by those bacteria (usually called microcystine LR-1 and LR-2) are highly toxic since they can activate oncogenes cells causing cancer pathologies on …

Mappatura della vegetazione sommersa mediante immagini multispettrali telerilevate da satellite

Photo- and thermo- oxidative resistance of novel nanocomposites based on CNT-POSS hybrid nanofillers