Search results for " SIC"
showing 10 items of 3587 documents
Genetic and morphometric variations of Mediterranean hake,Merluccius merluccius,in the Strait of Sicily (central Mediterranean): Implications for sto…
2004
Allozyme, morphometric and growth analyses were applied to samples collected in the Strait of Sicily (central Mediterranean Sea) to test the hypothesis of the existence of a unique hake stock (Merluccius merluccius) in the study area. The level of genetic variation was detected from five polymorphic loci (ADH*, PGI-1; PGI-2*, PGM', SOD-1*). The average observed heterozygosity amounted to 0.421, while the average expected was 0.353. Weir & Cockerham statistics showed no heterogeneity, except for the single PGP locus (9 = 0.011; P 0.05). Morphometric analyses revealed some differentiation. Females showed different relationships in six out of eight morphometric indices with total length, while…
Phylogenetic relationships among tetraploid species of Bellevalia (Asparagaceae) endemic to south-central Mediterranean
2017
AbstractIn the south-central Mediterranean four tetraploid species of Bellevalia occur: B. dolichophylla, B. galitensis, B. mauritanica, and B. pelagica. Another group of plants, morphologically similar to B. dolichophylla, has been recently recovered in Zembra Island (Tunisia). A phylogenetic reconstruction involving all these tetraploid taxa was performed using both plastidial and nuclear markers (trnL-trnF and ITS, respectively). For all these taxa, an allopolyploid origin involving B. romana and B. dubia is supported. Regarding plants from Zembra, they may fall within the variability of B. dolichophylla.
Isozyme analysis of genetic diversity in wild Sicilian populations of Brassica sect. Brassica in view of genetic resources management
2004
In Sicily and in the small surrounding islands the section Brassica of the genus Brassica comprises five species, B. insularis Moris, B. incana Ten., B. macrocarpa Guss., B. rupestris Raf. and B. villosa Biv. These taxa represent a genetic resource as relatives of kale crops but some populations are endangered or threatened, thus isozyme analyses were performed to assess the genetic diversity degree at population and species levels in order to assist the design of conservation management programs. Eleven loci from five enzyme systems (aconitase, leucine aminopeptidase, 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase, phosphoglucoisomerase phosphoglucomutase) were analyzed in sixteen natural population (fi…
Planktonic stages of small pelagic fishes (Sardinella aurita and Engraulis encrasicolus) in the central Mediterranean Sea: The key role of physical f…
2018
Abstract Multidisciplinary studies are recently aiming to define diagnostic tools for fishery sustainability by coupling ichthyoplanktonic datasets, physical and bio-geochemical oceanographic measurements, and ocean modelling. The main goal of these efforts is to understand those processes that control the dispersion and fate of fish larvae and eggs, and thus tuning the inter-annual variability of the biomass of small pelagic fish species. In this paper we analyse the distribution of eggs and larvae as well as the biological features of the two species of pelagic fish, Engraulis encrasicolus and Sardinella aurita in the north-eastern sector of the Sicily Channel (Mediterranean Sea) from ich…
Effects of traditional coppice practices and microsite conditions on tree health in a European beech forest at its southernmost range
2016
Abstract: European beech (Fagus sylvatica) grows at the southern limit of its range in the mountain-Mediterranean vegetation belt up to the timberline. The southernmost beech forests of Sicily (southern Italy) show peculiar ecological, structural and silvicultural characteristics, growing in fragmented and isolated stands near the timberline and in topographically marginal unfavorable habitats. Past silvicultural practices increased the heterogeneity of stand structure at these sites. We compared stand structural characteristics and tree health in coppice-cut and control beech stands with respect to the local topographic gradient (bottom, slope and ridge) and canopy cover (clearing/border v…
Alkaline phosphatase survey in pecorino siciliano PDO cheese
2021
The determination of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) in cheeses has become an official method for controlling cheeses with a protected designation of origin (PDO), all of which use raw milk. PDO cheeses, characterized by high craftsmanship, usually have an uneven quality. However, for these cheeses, it is necessary to establish ALP values so that they can be defined as a raw milk product. In this study, a dataset with Pecorino Siciliano PDO samples was analyzed to determine ALP both at the core and under the rind. The results showed that there was no significant difference between the different zones in Pecorino cheese. A second dataset of 100 pecorino cheese samples determined that ALP was only…
Modelling the effects of more selective trawl nets on the productivity of European hake (Merluccius merluccius) and deep-water rose shrimp (Parapenae…
2018
Single-species Gadget models were used to assess the effects of using a sorting grid mounted on the traditional trawl net used by Sicilian trawlers to exploit the deep-water rose shrimp in the Strait of Sicily. The main commercial by-catch species of this fleet is the European hake (Merluccius merluccius), often caught at sizes well below the minimum conservation reference size. Selectivity curves based on the results of an experimental survey carried out in the area using a commercial trawler equipped with an ad hoc-designed sorting grid were incorporated into single-species Gadget models to forecast the effects of changing fishery selectivity on the performance of the two stocks in terms …
Novel Insights Into Gas Embolism in Sea Turtles: First Description in Three New Species
2020
The recent finding of gas embolism and decompression sickness in loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) in the Mediterranean Sea challenged the conventional understanding of marine vertebrate diving physiology. Additionally, it brought to light a previously unknown source of mortality associated with fisheries bycatch for this vulnerable species. In this paper, we use ultrasonography to describe gas embolism in a leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys coriacea), a green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) and an olive ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea) from accidental capture in a gillnet, bottom trawl and pair-bottom trawl respectively. This is the first description of this condition in thes…
Distribution of Caulerpa taxifolia var. distichophylla (Sonder) Verlaque, Huisman & Procaccini in the Mediterranean Sea
2019
The Non-Indigenous Species (NIS) Caulerpa taxifolia var. distichophylla (Sonder) Verlaque, Huisman & Procaccini has been reported for the first time in the Mediterranean Sea along the coast of South Turkey. This NIS is actively expanding into the Eastern and Western Mediterranean Sea. In this paper, we present an overview of the current distribution of this alga in the Mediterranean Sea, based on relevant scientific publications, grey literature and personal observations. New records from the Sicilian coast (Italy) are also reported. Caulerpa taxifolia var. distichophylla was found over a wide range of environmental conditions (depth, light and substratum), suggesting a broad ecolog…
Effects of environment and sowing time on growth and yield of upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) cultivars in Sicily (Italy)
2020
Cotton is one of the most important industrial crops in the world. Though widely cultivated in Sicily (Italy) in the past, cotton growth on the island has disappeared today due to a complex variety of agronomic, economic and socio-political reasons. In recent years, increased interest in natural fibers worldwide has led to a revival in cotton plants in the Mediterranean area. The aim of this paper was to assess the response of Gossypium hirsutum L. cultivars to different environments and sowing times. Elsa and Juncal were selected from the most promising cotton cultivars regarding earliness and productivity. Plants were tested with three sowing times and in two Sicilian environments. Cotton…