Search results for " ECOLOGIA"

Acque temporanee: biodiversità, funzioni ecosistemiche, vulnerabilità e sensibilità ai cambiamenti climatici

2014

Le acque temporanee contribuiscono alla biodiversità regionale con una ricchezza specifica sproporzionatamente elevata in rapporto all’esigua superficie da esse occupata. Questa breve nota descrive le ragioni che determinano tale diversità biologica, analizza l’importanza delle acque temporanee come hotspot di biodiversità e sottolinea come questi ecosistemi rappresentino un valido strumento per valutare l’impatto delle attività umane sul Pianeta. In aggiunta, le acque temporanee sono particolarmente vulnerabili agli effetti del cambiamento climatico che ne influenza l’idroperiodo e ne riduce la numerosità sul territorio. Tali effetti accoppiati alla distruzione diretta operata dalle attivi…

Habitat effect on distribution and feeding of Ophidiaster ophidianus (Lmk.) (Asteroidea)

2016

The purple starfish Ophidiaster ophidianus is an Atlanto-Mediterranean starfish protected under the EU’s Habitats Directive. Despite the wide distribution and the current range expansion of this warm affinity species in the northern Mediterranean areas, nothing is known about its diet. Using field observations and carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) stable isotopes, we explored possible changes in density and diet of O. ophidianus in relation to two different Mediterranean habitats: the coralline barren and the macro algae forest. Data were collected at the Marine Protected Area of Ustica Island (Southern Tyrrhenian Sea) from June to September 2009. Starfish density was not affected by the ha…

Trace metal contamination in a Mediterranean coastal pond (Acquatina, Apulia, Italy).

2010

Influence of seabird guano on the contamination level of a Sicilian coastal area (Marinello ponds).

2010

A biochemical study of the effects of tributyltin on unfertilized eggs, embryos and larvae of the sea squirt Ciona intestinalis

2009

We have used unfertilized eggs, embryos and larvae of the sea squirt Ciona intestinalis (Ascidiacea, Urochordata) to study the effects of tributyltin (TBT) on acetylcholine esterase (AChE) activity. Our results showed an increase of AChE enzyme activity levels after TBT exposure in both unfertilized eggs and embryos. The effects of TBT were more pronounced during the gastrula stage, while no differences between exposed larvae and controls were observed. A mechanism of TBT action on enzyme activity during ascidian embryonic development and the possibility of employing AChE in C. intestinalis as a biomarker of TBT exposure are suggested and discussed.

DISTRIBUTION AND CONSERVATION NEEDS OF A NEGLECTED ECOSYSTEM: THE MEDITERRANEAN VERMETID REEF

2014

Vermetid reefs are a key intertidal habitat in the Mediterranean. Despite recent evidence of local extinction in the Eastern Mediterranean, their role as habitat engineers and the high numbers of ecosystem services they provide, vermetid reefs are among the least known marine habitats of the Mediterranean. Here we present a literature-based study to assess for the first time their distribution inside the basin and provide evidence of a general lack of protection at Mediterranean scale.

Fish diversity associated with gas platforms: Evaluation of two underwater visual census techniques

2007

Se estudiaron las comunidades ícticas asociadas con plataformas extractivas mediante dos técnicas de censos visuales submarinos: transectos y conteos de puntos móviles. Los datos se tomaron a cuatro profundidades en tres diferentes plataformas situadas en el Mar Jónico (Crotone, Italia). Se registraron un total de 25 especies de peces pertenecientes a 12 familias. Se observaron diferencias significativas entre ambos métodos de muestreo y las profundidades en cuanto a la estructura de la comunidad íctica, la riqueza de especies y la abundancia de peces. El promedio de peces registrado con el método de transectos siempre fue mayor que el registrado mediante puntos móviles, mientras que lo con…

Another kind of “volcanic risk”: the acidification of sea-water. Vulcano Island (Italy) a natural laboratory for ocean acidification studies

2012

Stable isotopes and trophic positions of littoral fishes from a Mediterranean Marine Protected Area

2008

Stable isotope analyses were employed to explore feeding and foraging habitats and trophic levels of littoral fishes in a western Mediterranean Marine Protected Area (Egadi Islands, Sicily, Italy). Carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios were measured in primary producers, invertebrates and fishes collected in December 2001 and January 2002. Fishes of the littoral region of the Egadi Islands had isotopic signatures that fell into a wider range for δ13C (about 6‰) than for δ15N (about 3‰). Carbon isotope ratios were consistent with a food web based on mixed sources and two trophic pathways leading to different fish species. Differences in the isotopic composition between islands were highe…

Uomo e ambiente nel mondo greco. Atti del Convegno di Palermo, 5-6 giugno 2017

2018

Atti del Convegno di Palermo, 5-6 giugno 2017