Search results for "Mediterranean sea"

Vulnerability of algae and seagrasses to climate change

2013

Biodiversity is undergoing rapid and worrying changes, partially driven by anthropogenic activities. Human impacts and climate change (e.g. increasing temperature and ocean acidification) represent the most serious threats to biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. Aim of this study was to assess, analysing the scientific literature and published data, how climate change can affect algae and seagrasses, evaluating their vulnerability and the possibility to use these organisms as indicators. Algae and seagrasses have a central role for several important ecological processes in aquatic ecosystems, and their loss can lead repercussions for the ecological function. Climate stressors affected ac…

The role of Marine Protected Areas in influencing the invasion success of the alien crab Percnon gibbesi

2018

The biotic resistance hypothesis states that pristine communities, with high species richness and functional diversity, are less prone to biological invasions than species-poor areas either this is natural or it is a result of human activities. Complex communities with high levels of biodiversity, such as those hosted by Marine Protected Areas, should offer fewer niche opportunities (e.g. resources and space) to invasive species thereby reducing both their establishment possibilities and success (i.e. settlement and/or expansion). The present study aimed to evaluate the capacity of marine protected communities to provide a buffer against the establishment of one of the most invasive species…

Rapid changes in heat-shock cognate 70 levels, heat-shock cognate phosphorylation state, heat-shock transcription factor, and metal transcription fac…

2010

The aim of the present study was to analyze and compare the effects of several metals on the embryos of the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus, a key species within the Mediterranean Sea ecosystem. Embryos were continuously exposed from fertilization to the following metals: 0.6 mg/l copper, 3 mg/l lead, and 6 mg/l nickel. The embryos were then monitored for metal responses at the gastrula stage, which occurred 24 h after exposure. A biochemical multi-experimental approach was taken and involved the investigation of the levels of HSC70 expression and the involvement of heat shock factor (HSF) and/or metal transcription factor (MTF) in the response. Immunoblotting assays and electrophoretic mo…

A synthetic derivative of antimicrobial peptide holothuroidin 2 from mediterranean sea cucumber (Holothuria tubulosa) in the control of Listeria mono…

2019

Due to the limited number of available antibiotics, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are considered antimicrobial candidates to fight difficult-to-treat infections such as those associated with biofilms. Marine environments are precious sources of AMPs, as shown by the recent discovery of antibiofilm properties of Holothuroidin 2 (H2), an AMP produced by the Mediterranean sea cucumber Holothuria tubulosa. In this study, we considered the properties of a new H2 derivative, named H2d, and we tested it against seven strains of the dangerous foodborne pathogen Listeria monocytogenes. This peptide was more active than H2 in inhibiting the growth of planktonic L. monocytogenes and was able to interf…

Recensione di La questione mediterranea

2019

Review of the book La questione mediterranea, by Ian Chambers and Marta Cariello, where the mediterranean is like a fluid archive, which is never intended as a collector of dead objects, but unlike traces, removed but never dormant, consisting of cultural practices.

Pachydema lopadusanorum n.sp. (Coleoptera Melolonthidae) from Lampedusa Island (Sicily Channel, Central Metditerranean Sea, Italy)

2018

In this paper the populations of Pachydema Castelnau, 1832 (Coleoptera Melolonthidae) living in Lampedusa Island (Sicily Channel, Central Mediterranean Sea, Italy), so far attributed to P. hirticollis (Fabricius, 1787) of North Africa, are examined. The comparison of the main morphological characters between these two populations allowed to attribute those of Lampedusa to a new species that is described in the present work. Faunistic and biological observations on these species are provided.

Growth and reproduction data of Plesionika narval (Decapoda, Caridea, Pandalidae) off the Island of Ustica (southern Tyrrhenian Sea)

2011

[We here report some data on the biology and population structure of Plesionika narval (Fabricius, 1787) captured along the coast of the island of Ustica in the southern Tyrrhenian Sea. Specimens were collected monthly from January to October 2000 using commercial traps at depths ranging from 15 to 100 metres. The carapace length (CL) of females ranged between 7.0 and 26.0 mm, and between 7.0 and 17.0 mm for males. Three modes were identified in the cumulative frequency distribution for females but only two for males. In females, the third modal value was observed only at the deeper sample sites. The Von Bertalanffy growth parameters and performance index p were K = 0.65 y–1, CL∞ = 27.4 mm …

Levels of heavy metals in some marine organisms from the western Mediterranean area (Spain)

1994

Effects of Caulerpa cylindracea Sonder (Chlorophyta Caulerpaceae) on marine biodiversity

2019

The chief purpose of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) is biodiversity conservation. The effects that invasive alien species (IAS) have on MPAs are not yet fully known, even though assessing them is fundamental. Effective management plans, indeed, also require knowledge on the dis- tribution, spread dynamics and impact of IAS. We report first observations on the effects of Caulerpa cylindracea Sonder (Chlorophyta Caulerpaceae) on the communities living along the coasts of the Island of Favignana (Egadi Islands MPA, Sicily, Italy). We found that C. cylindracea may have negative effects on the habitat where it settles in two different ways: a) affecting the structure of the native algal community…

An updated checklist of Recent ostracods (Crustacea: Ostracoda) from inland waters of Sicily and adjacent small islands with notes on their distribut…

2020

Because of its position in the middle of the Mediterranea Sea and a complex geological history that has promoted repeated waves of biological colonization, Sicily (Southern Italy) is of particular interest from a biogeographical perspective. A number of previous investigations, dating back as far as the end of the 19th century, have contributed to gather information about the occurrence of Recent non-marine ostracods in Sicily, making this region one of the most intensively studied areas of the Central Mediterranean. Published data on ostracod distributions have been integrated through an extensive field survey on mainland Sicily and surrounding small islands and archipelagos. Altogether, 2…