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Copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO NPs) are extensively used in various industrial and commercial applications. Despite their wide application may lead to the contamination of marine ecosystem, their potential environmental effects remain to be determined. Toxicity assessment studies have primarily focused on investigating the effects of CuO NPs on fertilization success and embryo development of different sea urchin species while the impact on sperm quality have never been assessed. In this line, this study aims to assess the effects of CuO NPs on the spermatozoa of the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus.After sperm exposure to CuO NPs, biomarkers of sperm viability, cytotoxicity, oxidative stress, and genotoxicity as well as morphology were evaluated. Results showed that CuO NPs exposure decreased sperm viability, impaired mitochondrial activity and increased the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and lipid peroxidation. Furthermore, CuO NPs exposure caused DNA damage and morphological alterations. Together with the antioxidant rescue experiments, these results suggest that oxidative stress is the main driver of CuO NP spermiotoxic effects. The mechanism of toxicity is here proposed: the spontaneous generation of ROS induced by CuO NPs and the disruption of the mitochondrial respiratory chain lead to production of ROS that, in turn, induce lipid peroxidation and DNA damage, and result in defective spermatozoa up to induce sperm cytotoxicity. Investigating the effects of CuO NPs on sea urchin spermatozoa, this study provides valuable insights into the mechanism of reproductive toxicity induced by CuO NPs. Keywords: Copper oxide nanoparticles, Cytotoxicity, Genotoxicity, Oxidative stress, Sea urchin, Sperm quality

Comparative investigations are reported on the survival characteristics of faecal streptococci and E.coli in sea water. Survival of the two groups was studied in the Bay of Naples in sea water, sediments and in plexiglass container studies. Results of supporting laboratory studies were also presented. The evidence strongly suggested that faecal streptococci survived longer than E.coli in sea water in the light and dark, in both field and laboratory investigations. T 90 values were found to be inversely related to temperature over the range 1.5 - 25°C. Dark T 90 's were at least an order of magnitude greater than Light T 90 values but other factors as yet undetermined also affect bacterial survival.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the microbiological quality of shellfish in the Neapolitan area where the consumption of such a low cost protein source is very popular during the spring and summer. Shellfish, being filter feeder organisms, are also one of the main sources of enteric disease in the region. The shellfish examined were taken from three different zones of the Neapolitan area. One is Bacoli, an authorized zone of shellfish culture, another is a polluted zone in which shellfish grow naturally, and the third samples were purchased at a market. Total coliforms, faecal coliforms, enterococci and heterotrophic bacteria were determined. The seawater in which shellfish grow, was also examined. The results have shown the importance of the influence of local currents that might drift suspended material and bacteria from one side of a bay to another. In the shellfish flesh, the biological parameters, with the exception of the heterotrophic bacteria,in particular in the market sample, were always well correlated. The intervalve liquid of shellfish was also examined, its inclusion in the microbial analyses may introduce a variability factor but this data may be relevant when shellfish are used as biological indicators of pollution phenomena.