Search results for "Sicilian Channel"

Allopolyploidisation in a geological collision zone: on the origin of the tetraploid Anthemis cupaniana Nyman (Compositae, Anthemideae) in Sicily

2022

AbstractThe genus Anthemis has a circum-Mediterranean distribution and comprises c. 175 annual, biennial, and perennial species with polyploid species and species complexes found in its section A. sect. Hiorthia. In Sicily, the genus is represented by 13 species, one of these being the tetraploid A. cupaniana, which is endemic to the island and is distributed throughout the limestone mountains at elevations between 500 and 1800 m a.s.l. Discordant positions in phylogenetic trees based on two plastid regions (psbA-trnH and trnC-petN) and on one nuclear marker (nrDNA ITS1 + 5.8S + ITS2) reveal that the species is of allopolyploid origin, with the maternal parent from the species group around …

Inferring Population Structure from Early Life Stage: The Case of the European Anchovy in the Sicilian and Maltese Shelves

2022

The European anchovy is an important fishing resource in the Sicilian Channel that supports a high recruitment success variability. The presence of two spawning areas, the drifting of the larvae along the currents and the different oceanographic conditions within the region suggest the presence of different larvae subpopulations. Morphometric and biochemical approaches have been used to analyze the differences among larvae collected. The amino acid composition discriminates two larval groups closely related to the spawning regions: Adventure Bank and the shelf between the South of Sicily and Malta. In addition, there are morphometric and growth differences between recently hatched larvae in…

Cetacean presence and distribution in the central Mediterranean Sea and potential risks deriving from plastic pollution

2021

Abstract The Sardinian and Sicilian Channels are considered hotspots of biodiversity and key ecological passages between Mediterranean sub-basins, but with significant knowledge gaps about marine mammal presence and potential threats they face. Using data collected between 2013 and 2019 along fixed transects, inter and intra-annual cetacean index of abundance was assessed. Habitat suitability, seasonal hot spots, and risk exposure for plastic were performed using the Kernel analysis and the Biomod2 R-package. 661 sightings of 8 cetacean species were recorded, with bottlenose and striped dolphins as the most sighted species. The north-eastern pelagic sector, the coastal waters and areas near…

Analysis of lipids in pelagic fish of Sicilian Channel and use of fatty acids as bacterial contamination markers

Lipids provide the expendable form of energy in marine ecosystem, and have an important role for the reproductive biology of fish. Also, lipids are important nutrients, versatile markers for marine trophic studies, bacteria markers etc. Among the lipids, several essential fatty acids are determinants for ecosystem health as well as for their known nutritional properties and prevention capacity of chronic diseases. Furan fatty acids (F - acids) are other important lipid bioactive compounds; for these is hypothesized a crucial nutritional role that is synergistic to polyunsaturated fatty acids omega 3 (PUFA ω 3), also if their mechanism is not yet clear. Source of essential fatty acid is the …

Efficiency of Wave Energy Converters off the Sicilian Channel

2019

This paper presents a preliminary analysis on efficiency of wave energy converters off the Sicilian Channel (Italy) carried out using the SNL-SWAN spectral model (”Sandia National Laboratories – Simulating WAves Nearshore”). This open source numerical code makes possible to calculate the power extracted from wave energy converter (WEC) devices, arranged in arrays. The WEC arrays were located parallel to the coastline, near the 20 m bathymetric isoline. Three devices were tested: Pelamis, Wave Dragon and Oyster 2; one of the input data of the numerical model is the WEC power matrix, expressed as a function of the wave height and period. This matrix was determined experimentally by the protot…

THE EFFECT OF HEAVY METALS ON BENTHIC FORAMINIFERA IN THE GULF OF GELA (SICILIAN CHANNEL)

2011

Benthic foraminifera are very sensitive to oceanographic parameter variations, to which they rapidly response through changes in the abundance and/or richness of their associations and in morphological variations of their shell. Many studies have used benthic foraminifera as bioindicators. We investigated recent benthic foraminiferal assemblages in the Gulf of Gela (Sicilian Channel, Mediterranean Sea), examining their relative abundance, specific richness and morphological abnormalities, to highlight a possible correlation with oceanographic features and the concentration of heavy metals in sediments. Sediment was sampled in summer 2006 using box corers in four stations at increasing dista…