Behaviour of Dicentrarchus labrax and Sparus aurata under two different modalities of feed distribution under captive conditions

Relazione tra traffico nautico e tursiopi (Tursiops truncatus) nell’Isola di Lampedusa (Stretto di Sicilia, Mar Mediterraneo).

Modificazioni nelle comunità fitobentoniche di fouling in relazione all’impatto antropico ed alla geometria del substrato

Questo studio è stato condotto nella primavera del 2006 in due località del Golfo di Palermo (Arenella e Bandita) a differente grado di impatto antropico. All’interno di ogni località, sono stati scelti siti a differente inclinazione (orizzontale vs verticale). Sono stati campionati i popolamenti mesolitorali dei massi frangiflutti che, insieme a quelli della frangia infralitorale, risentono maggiormente dell’eventuale presenza di inquinamento organico. Le comunità algali nelle due località hanno mostrato differenze in funzione delle diverse caratteristiche ambientali e dei diversi livelli di impatto antropico, in termini di copertura %, strutturazione e diversità specifica. Sono stati inol…

Morphometric diversity of the mussel Brachidontes pharaonis in different coastal environments

In the debate on how and why biodiversity evolves spatially and temporally and in an attempt to assess the further effects of anthropogenic activities, the ability of marine invertebrate to express a large spectrum of phenotypical plasticity can have a central role. The ability of a single genotype to produce more than one alternative form of morphology and/or physiological state should be larger in species living in highly changing waters like shallow habitats. Invertebrates, there, usually experience ample changes of temperature and food availability on annual, seasonal, diurnal and hourly bases which are the two main drivers leading the life histories of these organisms. In such circumst…

L’effetto del food supply sul budget energetico di tre bivalvi in Mediterraneo

The human impact on ecology of marine organisms: the EEB experience

Composizione e struttura della comunità di fouling in un impianto di maricoltura (Golfo di Castellammare, Sicily N-O)

Algal assemblage response to fish-farm biodeposition in southern Tyrrhenian (Gulf of Castellammare, Sicily): preliminary data

Underwater visual census to estimating fish biodiversity associated with gas platforms: Evidence from two different methods

Una meta-analisi per la stima degli effetti dell'acquacoltura sulla colonna d'acqua

Il rumore generato dalla nautica come fonte disturbo sul comportamento del tonno (Thunnus thynnus)

Letter to the Editor

Caratteristiche fisico-chimiche e vegetazionali negli ambienti iperalini di bassofondo delle saline di Trapani e Paceco: dati preliminari

Functional traits, mechanistic bioenergetics and microclimatic downscaling of marine ectotherms

EFFECT OF Bacillus thuringiensis ON RESPIRATION RATES OF MARINE INTERTIDAL MYTILASTER INTERTIDAL, MYTILASTER MINIMUS (MOLLUSCA, BIVALVIA)

Increasing body of research deals with the impact of agricultural products marine environment. Indeed it is expected to detect insecticides, including the ones for biocontrol, in nearshore marine waters and thus predicting where, when and with what magnitude these impacts are most likely to occur is imperative if we are effectively interested in understanding the role of biological products as Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) on marine biodiversity. Bivalves are important elements of marine biodiversity and very often they play a role of ecosystem engineers in that many other species structurally depend on their presence. Oxygen consumption through respiration in these organisms varies with natu…

The functional trait-based approach to investigate life history traits in marine invertebrates to predict effects of global climate change on ecosystems

Moving beyond mortality: a metabolic framework for exploring effects of climate change on intertidal mussel bed zonation

Thermal variance affects algal assemblage in rocky pools

The intertidal rocky pools are habitats that, when disconnected from the sea, become highly stressful for sessile organisms such as algae. Algae experience wide changes of water temperature on short temporal scale (e. g. hour or lower) and their coverage and diversity are expected to depend on thermal variance of small water masses trapped at low tide. Here, we want to investigate the relationship between daily thermal variance and the composition, coverage and diversity of rocky pool’s algal community in Western Sicily (Southern MED). We chose 15 intertidal rocky pools and we deployed, in August 2012, thermo-loggers for two days to record temperature changes every 5-min (12 recordings per …

Effetti dell’impatto antropico e della geometria del substrato su struttura e distribuzione delle comunità bentoniche di fouling

Local food availability affects invasion ability of alien bivalves: an experimental and simulation integrated approach

The Lessepsian bivalve Brachidontes pharaonis is considered as one of 100 worst invasive species in the Mediterranean rapidly colonizing the most part of the Basin. Its current distribution seems primarily due to ship transport of carrying larvae by ballast waters and/or in the fouling attached beneath the ship-keels. Although humanmediated transport seems to potentially in!uence dispersal of invasive species, habitat suitability, temperature, salinity and food availability (i.e. in terms of quality and quantity of organic matter) seem to represent decisive factors in determining survivorship and distribution of this species. Physiological tolerance of B. pharaonis to temperature and salini…

Biomagnificazione di idrocarburi clorurati e ontogenesi in Thunnus thynnus del Mar Mediterraneo

Struttura di popolazione di C. chromis in zone A e B della Riserva Marina delle Egadi (Isola di Marettimo).

Ontogenetic shift in feeding habits and trophic levels of bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) in Mediterranean

Possible changes in diet and trophic levels in relation to size of Mediterranean bluefin tuna, Thunnus thynnus, were investigated using labelled carbon (d13C) and nitrogen (d15N) stable isotopes. Samples were obtained from two locations in the southern Tyrrhenian Sea (Western Mediterranean Sea) in May and October 2004. The d13C and d15N analyses revealed at least three significant isotopic groups [small juveniles (0.7– 2.2 kg), sub-adults (15–50 kg) and adults (70 to 225 kg)]. d13C was negatively dependent on weight, while d15N was positively dependent on weight [TW ¼ 8.2 (±0.16) + 0.03 (± 0.0) *d15N (n ¼ 49; r ¼ 0.91; P < 0.001)]. Different prey contribution to the diet was highlighted for…

Review of immediate cardiac response in intertidal gastropods limpets at varying temperature, salinity and air exposure

In 1990 Depledge and Andresen developed a #eld/laboratory, non-invasive technique to monitor the immediate response of cardiac activity in bivalves. Since then, several researchers have experienced and tested the variability of heart beat rate (HBR)and of associated metabolic rates under di$erent conditions in intertidal molluscs. Review of HBR immediate response in acute exposure and acclimation to changes of salinity, thermal stressors and air exposure were examined to test di$erent hypothesis. In intertidal Mediterranean and tropical limpets, the decrease in metabolic rate with a decrease in salinity was di$erent in animals experiencing di$erent degrees of salinity !uctuation in their re…

Metodologie statistiche di meta-analisi per lo studio dei processi ecologici: un esercizio sul caso della biomagnificazione dei composti organici persistenti (POP)

The Shallow Seagrass System in W-Sicily (Italy): a large reservoir of organic matter available to upper consumers.

δ13C and δ15N variability in Posidonia oceanica associated with seasonality and plant fraction

The carbon and nitrogen isotopic compositions of fractions of the seagrass Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile in a Mediterranean shallow environment (Stagnone di Marsala, western Sicily) were investigated seasonally throughout 1998. The stable isotope ratios of seagrass leaves (intermediate and adult), rhizomes, leaf litter and aegagropiles were compared over 1 year in order to distinguish between seasonal and plant part variability. Significant differences in the isotopic composition tested using ANOVA were observed as a function of both plant fraction and season. There was an overall trend towards less discrimination against 13C in summer (average δ13C ∼ -10‰) than in winter (average δ13C ∼ -…

Concentrations of PAHs, PCBs and OC pesticides in intertidal marine gastropods of Sicily (Mediterranean Sea).

Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), organochlorine pesticides (OCs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are toxic organic compounds able to persist in the Environment for long time. They can be accumulated through food webs and this could be a risk to some extent to threat human health and environmental quality. Marine currents represent further important distribution way of POPs through marine habitats and organisms. In Sicily, no much attention has been paid on POPs distribution on coastal habitats, important reservoirs of biodiversity, even if these are strongly influenced by anthropogenic pressure. In this study, concentrations of PCBs…

Scope for Growth of the intertidal Lessepsian bivalve Brachidontes pharaonis (Fischer 1870) at varying environmental variables

The concept of energy available to organismal growth (i.e. scope for growth; SFG) assumes a central role in studying the behaviour of successful invaders in aquatic habitats: the higher the energy allocated to growth and reproduction, the greater the likelihood of stability/persistence in space over time of aquatic populations. When successful invaders find useful life conditions (i.e., allowing to reach maximum SFG), they compete for space and resources with indigenous species, altering the functioning of entire ecosystems. The Indo-Pacific bivalve Brachidontes pharaonis offers an excellent model for the study of “Lessepsian migration” and the successive colonization at new Mediterranean l…

Experiences of integrated mariculture in a southern Tyrrhenian area (Mediterranean Sea)

To ascertain the potential for exploiting marine areas for mariculture, data on the cultivation of molluscs and fish in the open sea of the southern Tyrrhenian were collected from May 1994 to June 1995. The aims of this integrated study were to test simple breeding methods for molluscs and fish, to apply these to the practices employed by local fishermen and to experiment with the use of a cage system requiring a low level of investment. Crassostrea gigas (Thunberg) and Mytilus galloprovincialis (Lamarck) were cultivated on submerged long lines around cages used for cultivating Seriola dumerili (Risso) and Diplodus puntazzo (Cetti). S. dumerili specimens were placed in two cages and fed wit…

Biodiversità e strategie adattative dei vegetali acquatici in un sistema iperalino di bassofondo mediterraneo

Tide affects food availability in rock pools: evidence from Mediterranean intertidal habitats

Studio del comportamento alimentare di Sparus aurata selvatico e allevato in cattività nei confronti di Cerastoderma glaucum

Relationships between suspended and sediment organic matter in a semi- enclosed marine system: The Stagnone di Marsala sound (Western Sicily)

To gather information on the interactions between the sediment and suspended organic matter pools in the Stagnone di Marsala, water and sediment samples were collected, on a monthly basis, at 11 stations. Water temperature and salinity showed a clear seasonality whilst particulate and sediment organic matter did not show any clear seasonal pattern. Relative abundances of suspended and sediment organic matter, on the other hand, appeared to be site-dependent and controlled mainly by the dynamic balance between resuspension and sedimentation. High quantities of both suspended and sediment total organic matter were present, while very low algal biomasses (in terms of chlorophyll-a concentratio…

Effetti del traffico nautico sul comportamento di Chromis chromis

Introducing INTERMED International Workshop – Intertidal organisms as a proxy for climate change.

Using limpets (Patella coerulea) in monitoring PAHs levels along Sicilian coasts

Using temperature and food density to predict growth and reproduction of intertidal marine invertebrate ectotherms and the repercussion on biodiversity.

Heart beat rate of invasive Brachidontes pharaonis with respect to the native Mytilaster minimus within the Mediterranean Sea at varying salinites

Changes in heart beat rates (HBR) of Brachidontes pharaonis (an invasive Lessepsian species) and Mytilaster minimus (a native Mediterranean species) in response to changes in salinity values from brackish (20) to extreme hyper-saline (75) were investigated both in situ and in the laboratory. The two species displayed different responses to varying salinity, with clear differences in HBR observed between groups investigated at different salinities and between groups originating from different environments. The native species, adapted to narrow salinity changes as those observed in the superficial waters of the Mediterranean Sea, showed signs of stress at salinities slightly above 37 (in the …

Variations in cardiac activity and heat shock proteins in congeneric Mediterranean limpets: connection between thermal stress and different zonation

Air concentrations of PCBs and OC pesticides using PUF-disks passive air samplers in Sicily Island, Mediterranean Region

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are ubiquitous on the planet. Because their physicochemical properties they are persistent and toxic and may become highly accumulated in the food chain. The Stockholm Convention on POPs which is coordinated through the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) is intended to reduce or eliminate the use, discharges and emissions of these compounds to improve the health of the environment. To assist member countries in assessing the “effectiveness” of their reduction efforts, UNEP Chemicals published a guidance document for the global monitoring of POPs. Of the media that are recommended for monitoring, the atmosphere is especially important because it re…

Le aree di transizione siciliane: stato dell’arte e sviluppi futuri

Studio di un modello per l’utilizzo delle vasche fredde delle saline di Trapani ai fini di acquacoltura estensiva

Identifying suitable proxies for climate change impacts in shallow Mediterranean habitats: sponge filtration not a ready-to-use tool yet

The identi#cation of reliable proxies is crucial to undertake experimental manipulation and test hypotheses on climate change impacts. We evaluated the potential use of sponge #ltering activity as a proxy for the e$ect of temperature (T) increase in shallow marine habitats since: i) Porifera are ubiquitous, sessile and long-lived aquatic organisms; ii) Porifera are active #lter feeders and play a key-role in benthic-pelagic coupling; iii) #ltering activity already proved reliable to detect T e$ects on bivalves. The systematic screening of current literature to gather data and test the assumption “T increase -> increase in sponge #ltering activity” led to a #rst list of 840 sources (title re…

Predation of Egretta garzetta on Aphanius fasciatus in a natural reserve of Western Sicily

Monitoring habitat use of common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) and boat traffic using Passive Acoustic Monitoring devices in a marine protected area

αβ defensin antimicrobial peptide (BPDEF) from the invasive red sea mussel Brachidontes pharaonis (P. Fischer, 1870)

The immune system that plays a major role in determining host fitness in the wild, i.e. under the constraints imposed by ecology and life history. Permanent conflict interactions with the environment are the natural situation for a living creature. To partially resolve this, the immune system evolved and is characterized by an enormous variety of mechanisms and effectors, including the AMPs, although their specificity is poor. In fact, AMPs are universal and extremely successful in dealing with a huge range of pathogens, including bacteria, fungi, protozoa and viruses Amps are oligopeptides composed of varying number of amino acids with a broad spectrum of targeted organisms ranging from vi…

Risposta comportamentale di Sparus aurata e Dicentrarchus labrax alle condizioni di cattività

Using the ROV device for studying fish abundance around oil platform pillars in the Ionian Sea (MED)

The estimation of DEB parameters for the invasive intertidal bivalve, Brachidontes pharaonis

Environmental dryness and food availability covariate and determine the bivalve distribution in the Mediterranean Sea: a Tyrrhenian case study

Invasive mussels directly threat intertidal vermetid reef: some evidences from a Sicilian MPA

Biological invasions pose a great threat to natural communities. Brachidontes pharaonis is an Eritrean mussel that has accessed in the Mediterranean sea shortly after the opening of the Suez Canal. At the beginning it had a restrained distribution with small local populations along the Israeli intertidal coast. More than a hundred years later it spread westward as far as NW Sicily, colonizing some hyperaline and natural habitats. Previous studies along the Israeli coast have proved that anthropogenic habitat modi#- cations occurring on vermetid reefs may promote the colonization of this invasive mussel causing a reduction of the indigenous mussel Mytilaster minimus. This study focuses on a …

Diversità microbica dei sedimenti marini dell’Area Marina Protetta di Capo Gallo-Isola delle Femmine (Palermo) in relazione alla pressione antropica.

I batteri costituiscono una frazione significativa della biomassa totale in mare e la loro presenza risulta ancora più accentuata nei sedimenti. Le comunità microbiche marine giocano un ruolo chiave nei processi degradativi della sostanza organica sedimentaria e nella sua reintroduzione nelle reti trofiche. Tuttavia la piccola percentuale di batteri marini coltivabili (3-7%) pone un severo limite alla conoscenza della biodiversità microbica. Allo scopo di contribuire a definire i livelli di impatto antropico compatibili con la funzione di ciascuna zona dell’Area Marina Protetta è stata caratterizzata la comunità batterica totale indigena dei sedimenti. Lo studio è stato effettuato utilizzan…

Espressione della proteina di resistenza multixenobiotica (MXR) in Mytilus galloprovincialis in aree tirreniche meridionali

Density and biometrical features of two co-occurring bivalves (Mytilaster minimus and Brachidontes pharaonis) in Western Sicily (South Tyrrhenian)

Variazione dei livelli di concentrazione di IPA in Patella coerulea nelle acque costiere siciliane

Use of stable isotopes (δ13C and δ15N) for detecting the dispersion effect of fish farming waste: a study case from southern Tyrrhenian Sea (MED)

Mechanistic bioenergetics models to link functional traits to population dynamics: a study case with a marine bivalve

Effect of dispersion of food source on behaviour of damselfish (Chromis chromis).

Can Septifer virgatus survive in a warming world? A Dynamic Energy Budget model approach

Behavioural strategy of common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in response to different kinds of boats in the waters of Lampedusa Island (Italy)

Metabolic costs and energy mobilisation to predict ecological responses in heterogeneous climates

La materia organica disponibile per i bivalvi filtratori nei laghetti di tindari (Sicilia Nord-Orientale)

A meta-analysis to verify the sustainability of aquaculture practices

Caratteristiche fisico-chimiche e vegetazionali negli ambienti iperalini di bassofondo delle Saline di Trapani e Paceco (Sicilia Occidentale): dati preliminari

Linking the effects of the Global Change to biodiversity and ecosystem services in shallow waters

Fattori fisici che influenzano la struttura della comunità ittica nei bassofondi costieri (Saline di Trapani e Paceco, Sicilia Occidentale)

Boat traffic in the Lampedusa waters (Strait of Sicily, Mediterranean Sea) and its relationship to common bottlenose dolphin Tursiops truncatus distribution

The volume of boat traffic and its potential connection to the coastal distribution of the common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) was evaluated off Lampedusa Island (Strait of Sicily). From July to September 2006 daily surveys were carried out at eight sites along the coast, three times a day, to assess the number, type, and size of boats moving, fishing, or stationed in Lampedusa waters. The study area was divided into four geographic areas: northwest, northeast, southwest, and southeast. Data were analyzed to determine the difference in the number of boats among the areas, sampling months, and times of day. The presence of dolphins was monitored by standardized land-based observat…

Effect of feeding conditions on Brachidontes pharaonis (Mollusca, Bivalvia) respiration and growth rates

Identification, cloning and environmental factors modulation of a αβ defensin from the lessepsian invasive mussel Brachidontes pharaonis (Bivalvia: Mytilidae)

International audience; Immunological effectors of invasive species playing a role in addressing new colonization are still poorly studied. In the present study the cDNA sequence of the defensin from a Lessepsian invasive species, the Red Sea mussel Brachidontes pharaonis, was cloned using RACE method. Defensins are a class of widely known antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), oligopeptides with a broad spectrum of targeted organisms ranging from viruses to parasites. Analysis of BpDef sequence (262 bp) revealed the presence of an ORF coding for 81 amino acids. The full-length amino acid sequence showed the highest similarity to antimicrobial peptides MGD1 and MGD2 sequence from Mytilus galloprovi…

Ontogenetic Transfer of Chlorinated Hydrocarbons in Mediterranean Bluefin Tuna (Thunnus thynnus)

The new Lessepsian entry Brachidontes pharaonis (Fischer P., 1870) (Bivalvia, Mytilidae) in the western Mediterranean: A physiological analysis under varying natural conditions

The feeding behavior of Brachidontes pharaonis (Mollusca, Bivalvia), a new Lessepsian entry in the western Mediterranean, living in a cooling vat of a saltworks system in western Sicily, was assessed by estimating its physiological rates throughout a 6 month-long study (May 1998 to March 1999). Clearance, filtration, ingestion, and food absorption rates were estimated using the biodeposition method and the results correlated to variations in temperature, salinity, and quality and quantity of available food. Measured seston concentrations were on average 81.5 ± 95.5 mg L-1, its labile fraction (estimated as the sum of particulate lipids, carbohydrates and proteins) was on average 0.55 ± 0.07…

Variazioni allometriche inter-annuali e densità di un mitilide Lessepsiano invasivo (Brachidontes pharaonis; Fischer P., 1870) in un ambiente iperalino della Sicilia occidentale

Intertidal oyster and mussel beds in a global warming perspective. Trade offs and microclimatic downscaling

Acoustic device reduce negative interaction between fishing activities and Tursiops truncatus

Variation of suspended and sedimentary organic matter with depth in shallow coastal waters

I tested the hypothesis that the quantity and quality of suspended and sediment organic matter in shallow coastal waters is affected by wind-induced resuspension at a smaller depth scale (, 1 m) than usually assumed. Water and sediment surface (0 to 1 cm) samples were collected on a seasonal basis and analyzed for total suspended matter, organic fraction, and phytopigments at 12 shallow sites representing a depth gradient from 0.2 to 2.0 m along the western shore of Sicily. Water column concentrations of all measured variables decreased rapidly with increasing water column depth, and concentrations levelled off at about 1 m water column depth. The likelihood of sediment resuspension by wind…

nergy status snapshot of three Mediterranean soft bottom bivalve species

HEAT SHOCK POTEINS (HSP) IN BRACHIDONTES PHARAONIS (MOLLUSCA, BIVALVIA) AT VARYING TEMPERATURES

Shallow waters as ecological corridors: preliminary data on wind-exposure, physico-chemical features and vegetation structure of the Western Sicilian saltworks system (Saline di Trapani e Paceco, MED)

The study was carried out in the Natural Reserve of Trapani and Paceco saltworks shallow system (western Sicily: 37° 52’ North; 12° 28’East).The main goal is to deepen our understanding of whether the alteration of the complexity of these particular ecosystems is manifested through a consequent reduction of the number of migrant species and their density. To achieve this, we focalized our attention on organic matter fluxes (in terms of origin and availability for apex consumers), and on the density and distribution of aquatic birds.

Measuring sponge feeding habit: an analysis across the literature

The trophic role of the macrophyte Cymodocea nodosa (Ucria) Asch. in a Mediterranean saltworks: Evidence from carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios

A multiple stable isotope analysis (δ13C and δ15N) was used to determine the trophic role of the seagrass Cymodocea nodosa (Ucria) Asch. for consumers in a Mediterranean saltworks. Stable carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios performed on primary producers and consumers in February and July 1999 showed that C. nodosa is not a direct dietary source via grazing. No animal presented carbon values as enriched as the seagrass (-7.8‰). The trophic role of Cymodocea occurs through the detritus route via SOM. Sedimentary organic matter (SOM) (δ13C = -16.5‰) seems to be a mixture of particulate organic matter (δ13C = -19.0‰), algae (δ13C = -18.6‰) and seagrass detritus (δ13C = -7.7‰). The results of a …

Combining heat-transfer and energy budget models to predict local and geographic patterns of mortality in Mediterranean intertidal mussels

Recent studies have emphasised that organisms can experience physiological stress well within their geographic range limits. Developing methods for mechanistically predicting the presence, absence and physiological performance of organisms is therefore important because of the ongoing effects of climate change. In this study, we merged a biophysical–ecological (BE) model that estimates the aquatic (high tide) and aerial (low tide) body temperatures of Mytilus galloprovincialis with a Dynamic Energy Budget (DEB) model to predict growth, reproduction and mortality of this Mediterranean mussel in both intertidal and subtidal environments. Using weather and chlorophyll-a data from three Mediter…

Composizione e struttura della comunità di fouling in un impianto di maricoltura (Golfo di Castellammare, Sicilia N-O)

The shallow seagrass system in Southern Mediterranean (Sicily, Italy): a large sink of organic matter available to upper consumers.

The effects of human activities related to salt production on the global complexity of a shallow hyperhaline system (Sicily, Italy) were investigated. This through monitoring dynamics of some physical, chemical and trophic factors recognised as main constraints for the origin of organic matter and its availability to apex consumers. The system was dominated by seagrass Ruppia cirrhosa and large stands of macroalga Chaetomorpha linum; isopods and gasteropods were the most abundant taxa among benthic organisms, while Aphanius fasciatus and Atherina boyeri represented up to 90% of all catch among the small resident fishes. Ruppia could function as a multidimensional framework able to increase …

La filtrazione delle meduse e il suo impatto sugli ecosistemi.

Correlation between jellyfish stings and temperature data in Mediterranean: evidence from a historical dataset from 1980 to 2006

Risposta cardiaca alle condizioni di emersione, immersione e tolleranza alle variazioni di salinità di due specie di molluschi bivalvi (M. minimus and B. pharaonis) in Sicilia occidentale (MED)

The biomagnification of POP’s through a demersal food web in Icelandic waters

Analisi della risposta comportamentale in organismi ittici allevati come indicatore di stato di benessere

A multi-technique approach to study fish diversity associated with off-shore platforms.

L’effetto della mitilicoltura posta a valle di allevamenti di specie ittiche riduce il carico organico

L’utilizzo del mussel cleaning che sfrutta le caratteristiche fisiologiche dei molluschi filtratori per la mitigazione degli impatti derivanti da reflui particellati di origine antropica, ed in particolare delle attività di piscicoltura, è stato introdotto di recente in diversi paesi europei. Tale procedura si basa sull’ipotesi che la filtrazione operata da elevate biomasse di molluschi eduli posti nei pressi degli impianti di pescicoltura possa ridurre il carico organico in eccesso proveniente dal surplus di mangime fornito ai pesci allevati e che in certa parte inutilizzato tende a sedimentare al di sotto delle gabbie di allevamento. In questo studio abbiamo analizzato in due periodi diff…

Comparison of fishery methods for the study of fish diversity associated with off-shore platforms.

Modulazione di heat shock protein (HSP) in Brachidontes pharaonis (Mollusca, Bivalvia) in condizioni di temperatura variabile

Struttura di popolazione di Aphanius fasciatus in condizioni di elevata variabilità nelle saline di Trapani e Paceco (Sicilia Occidentale)

L’idrodinamismo ha effetti sulla disponibilita’ di cibo per i bivalvi

The INTERMED project: final remarks

Predazione di Egretta garzetta su Aphanius fasciatus nella riserva naturale orientata “Saline di Trapani e Paceco

The effect of mariculture facilities on water column trophodynamics as revealed by biochemical features of suspended organic matter (South Tyrrhenian, MED).

A comparison of a Mediterranean aquaculture impacted area and control areas was made to assess the effect of fish farm waste discharge on the biochemical features of the water column. Trophic variables commonly used in marine ecology such as total suspended matter, suspended chlorophyll-a, biochemical features of particulate organic matter (proteins, lipids and carbohydrates) and biopolymeric carbon were chosen as the best descriptors of trophic conditions. An initial analysis of data from the impact area was carried out in order to test the effect of farm waste using a gradient of distances downstream from the fish farm cages (50 m, 300 m, 1000 m). The results were then compared with a con…

Studio di un modello per l ’utilizzo delle vasche fredde delle saline di Trapani ai fini di acquicoltura estensiva

Il ciclo di materia ed energia nelle Saline. In: A. Troia (ed.), Saline di Trapani e Paceco

Algal assemblages response to fish-farm biodeposition in a Southern Mediterranean area (Gulf of Castellammare, Sicily): preliminary data

This study, carried out in the Gulf of Castellammare (northern coast of Sicily), concerns the effects of fish-farm nutrient enrichment on the algal assemblage growing on artificial substrata of cages. A total of 51 taxa were identified (3 Cyanophyceae, 3 Phaeophyceae, 5 Bacillariophyceae, 3 Chlorophyceae, 6 Ulvophyceae and 31 Rhodophyceae). A dominance of opportunistic species was highlighted, following a gradient from impact areas to controls.

Climate change and Mediterranean coastal areas: understanding the impacts and developing adaptation strategies

Adaptations to thermal variation in two Mediterranean limpets - cardiac response and haemocyte lysosomal stability

Patella rustica and Patella caerulea are two congeneric limpet species, both occurring along the rocky shores of the Mediterranean but on different tidal heights. P. rustica is dominant in the upper intertidal zone while P. caerulea is more abundant in the lower part of the same zone. Understanding variations in physiological adaptations to thermal stress is vital when investigating intertidal species' distribution. Hence, to investigate the relationship between their physiological thermal tolerance and intertidal zonation, laboratory experiments were designed to test the hypothesis that the lower zoned P. caerulea has reduced upper thermal limits when compared with higher zoned P. rustica,…

Heart beat rate: a physiological response to thermal stress in blue mussels species.

Non-native species often have ecological impacts on invaded communities. The quanti#cation of features of invaders and recipient ecosystems facilitating and/or interfering with successful invasion remains a challenge because of several factors may in!uence the success of invasions. Among them, life history strategies (e.g., reproductive potential, body size), ability to avoid predators, disease resistance and physiological compensatory mechanisms to adapt to changing habitats are among the most important factors. The latter has been often invoked as the key to success for many intertidal invasive invertebrates and have been suggested as key indicators of invasibility rate and the ultimate d…

Caulerpa racemosa var. cylindracea (Bryopsidales) as source of organic matter for consumers: a multi stable isotope approach

Vegetation strategy in a southern Mediterranean shallow system

Seasonal and spatial changes in the sediment organic matter of a semi-enclosed marine system (W-Mediterranean Sea)

The composition of sediment organic matter and the related role of microphytobenthic biomass have been investigated during one-year in a semi-enclosed marine system (Marsala lagoon, Mediterranean Sea). Monthly samples from June 1993 to May 1994 were analysed for carbohydrate, protein, lipid, photosynthetic pigment and total organic matter. The three main biochemical classes of organic compounds (i.e. carbohydrates, proteins and lipids) showed higher concentrations than reported in the literature. However, photosynthetic pigment was quite low, compared to other enclosed marine basins or Mediterranean coastal lagoons. As a result, the contribution of primary organic carbon to the sedimentary …

spetti dello stress termico durante la fase di emersione in molluschi bivalvi intertidali.

Origin of carbon and nitrogen in the diet of suspension-feeding bivalve Cerastoderma glaucum (L.) in a shallow habitat (southern Mediterranean): a stable isotope study

Use of stable isotopes (delta13C and delta15N) for detecting the dispersione effect of fish farming waste: a stydu case from southern Tyrrhenian Sea (MED)

Discriminazione di presunte specie criptiche: un approccio di morfometria geometrica in Brachidontes pharaonis-variabilis (Bivalvia, Mytilidae).