Search results for "RACE"

Functional traits of two co-occurring sea urchins across a barren/forest patch system

2013

Abstract Temperate rocky reefs may occur in two alternative states (coralline barrens and erect algal forests), whose formation and maintenance are often determined by sea urchin grazing. The two sea urchin species Paracentrotus lividus and Arbacia lixula are considered to play a similar ecological role despite their differing morphological traits and diets. The patchy mosaic areas of Ustica Island, Italy, offer an ideal environment in which to study differences in the performance of P. lividus and A. lixula in barren versus forest states. Results show that the two sea urchin species differ in diet, trophic position, grazing adaptation, movement ability and fitness in both barren and forest…

Trace element bias in the use of CO2 vents as analogues for low pH environments: Implications for contamination levels in acidified oceans

2013

Abstract Research into the effects of ocean acidification on marine ecosystems has increasingly focused on natural CO 2 vents, although their intrinsic environmental complexity means observations from these areas may not relate exclusively to pH gradients. In order to assess trace element levels and distribution in the Levante Bay (Vulcano Island, NE Sicily, Italy) and its suitability for studying biological effects of pH decline, Ba, Fe and trace elements (As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Hg, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, V and Zn) in sediment were analysed from 7 transects. Where present, Cymodocea nodosa leaves and epiphytes were also analysed. At the spatial scale of the bay, trace element concentrations in sedim…

Highly contaminated areas as sources of pollution for adjoining ecosystems: The case of Augusta Bay (Central Mediterranean).

2014

An assessment of trace element and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) contamination based on surface sediments collected in summer 2012 was carried out in Priolo Bay adjoining one of the most polluted areas of the Mediterranean Sea, the industrial Augusta harbour (Italy, Central Mediterranean). Inorganic and organic contaminants were generally not remarkable. Occasional elevated concentrations of Hg, Cd, Ni and PAHs exceeding sediment quality guidelines were detected in the northern sector of Priolo Bay, close to Augusta harbour, possibly as a result of water drainage of industrialised and urbanised areas and/or potential direct export of contaminated material from Augusta harbour, whose…

Caulerpa racemosa var. cylindracea as a potential source of organic matter for benthic consumers: evidences from a stable isotope analysis.

2008

Caulerpa racemosa var. cylindracea has been invading various types of substrates in wide areas throughout the Mediterranean Sea. However, the effects of the distribution of this alga on zoobenthos are scanty. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of C. racemosa invasion on the feeding habits of some zoobenthic taxa inhabiting the upper infralittoral rocky shores. This was done by identifying the isotopic N and C ratios of several potential food sources and testing differences in isotope composition among the taxa collected from areas invaded and not-invaded areas by C. racemosa. Results suggest that C. racemosa detritus was a significant food source for the polychaete Syllis pro…

Trace element storage capacity of sediments in dead P. oceanica mat from a chronically contaminated marine ecosystem

2017

Posidonia oceanica mat is considered a long-term bioindicator of contamination. Storage and sequestration of trace elements and organic carbon (Corg) were assessed in dead P. oceanica mat and bare sediments from a highly polluted coastal marine area (Augusta Bay, central Mediterranean). Sediment elemental composition and sources of organic matter have been altered since the 1950s. Dead P. oceanica mat displayed a greater ability to bury and store trace elements and Corg than nearby bare sediments, acting as a long-term contaminant sink over the past 120 yr. Trace elements, probably associated with the mineral fraction, were stabilized and trapped despite die-off of the overlying P. oceanica…

Trace metal contamination in a mediterranean coastal pond (Acquatina, Puglia)

2011

As the interface between land and sea, transitional areas are often negatively impacted by anthropic activities. This impact is the result of many processes, including direct input of pollutants which accumulate in both sediments and aquatic organisms. The aim of this paper is to identify trace metal (As, Cd, total Hg and Pb) contamination in the Acquatina pond (Apulia, Italy), using sediment and fish (A. boyeri, C. labrosus, D. annularis, D. dentex, D. sargus, D. vulgaris, E. encrasicholus, G. paganellus, L. ramada, M. surmuletus, S. salpa, S. solea) as descriptors. Sampling was carried out in three stations (South, Central and North) and four seasons (summer and autumn 2007, winter and sp…

Trace element and PAH bioaccumulation in caged mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) from an industrial area (Augusta Bay, SE Sicily)

2014

Analysis and assessment of trace element contamination in offshore sediments of the Augusta Bay (SE Sicily): A multivariate statistical approach base…

2014

Abstract An application of multivariate statistical methods is provided to identify anthropogenic contaminants and lithogenic elements in offshore sediments collected near the heavily industrialized Augusta Bay, Sicily. An exploratory statistical technique, based on canonical correlation analysis (CCA) and mixture density estimation approach, is used for distinguishing between natural and anthropogenic contributions of trace elements in the investigated sediments. Following the intensive industrialization of Augusta area, marine sediments reveal the severe impact of local anthropogenic activities for many elements (e.g. As, Cd, Hg, Pb, and Sb), which are considered very dangerous for the en…

Trace elements and PAHs in surface sediments and biota from a contamination hot spot (Augusta Bay, Italy): potential export to the adjoining coastal …

2013

A new sustainable formulated feed based on discards from food industries for rearing the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus (Lmk)

2019

During a 18‐week experiment in a sea‐based system, Paracentrotus lividus was fed with two formulations of a new sustainable feed whose main ingredients were food farming discards, mostly outermost lettuce leaves, in different percentage. Egg white was added as protein source and binder, and a little amount of commercial fish feed was added as lipid source. At the end of the experiment, a high survival rate (>80%) and an increase in test diameter (22%), total weight (130%), gonad weight (240%) and gonad index expressed as size‐adjusted gonad weight (288%) were recorded. Gonads achieved a good colour and high levels of essential and polyunsaturated fatty acids, hence representing a commerc…