Search

Saltwater intrusion in coastal aquifers is a global problem recently worsened by anthropogenic activities (e.g., aquifer overexploitation, hydraulic reclamation and drainage of low-lying areas) and climate change effects (e.g., severe droughts, sea level rise) that contribute to reduce groundwater natural recharge, water quality, and agricultural production. Many low-lying coastal plains facing the Adriatic Sea are strongly affected by saltwater intrusion with serious consequences on agricultural activities and tourism that may become dramatic in a relatively short time due to climate change. In this framework, this work aims to identify monitoring strategies to characterize the process of saltwater intrusion under the effects of climate change and recommend appropriate countermeasures in two Adriatic low-lying coastal plain: south of the Venice Lagoon (north-eastern Italy), and at the Neretva River mouth (south-eastern Croatia).Geomorphologic, stratigraphic, hydrogeologic, and agricultural data were collected to characterize the aquifer system at both sites and assess the effects of seawater intrusion on agricultural productivity. Saltwater intrusion was monitored and analysed through monitoring systems that provide qualitative and quantitative information on the processes influencing groundwater and surface water dynamics within the two coastal systems. Moreover, laboratory physical models were developed to serve as benchmarks for the numerical models used to simulate the field results. Numerical modelling reliably implements boundary and initial conditions defined in-situ on both sites, simulates existing states, specifies different scenarios, and predicts salinization dynamic changes caused by climate changes.The results of the research activities include the development of specific tools for the management of agriculture-related activities and freshwater resources in coastal areas including vulnerability assessment, mitigation plans, and countermeasures against salt contamination. These results were obtained by integrating the findings gained on both sites, considering differences and peculiarities of the specific areas that are representative of many low-lying plains located on both sides of the Adriatic coast.This study has been funded by the contribution from the EU cofinancing and the Interreg Italy–Croatia Cross Border Collaboration (CBC) Programme 2014–2020 (Priority Axes: Safety and Resilience) through the European Regional Development Fund as a part of the projects MoST (AID: 10047742) and SeCure (AID: 10419304).

We evaluated the clinical impact, in daily clinical practice, of sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) and glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP1RA) therapies in patients with type 2 diabetes. Data from 500 unselected consecutive patients were retrospectively analyzed. Only those with a full assessment at baseline (T0) and after 3 (T3), 6 (T6), and 12 (T12) months of treatment with SGLT2i or GLP1RA were included in the study (n = 167). At baseline, patients had a high mean body weight (BW), abdominal circumference (AC), body mass index (BMI), and HOMA index. Despite normal C-peptide values, 39 patients were being treated with insulin (up to 120 IU/day). During therapy, a progressive improvement in BW, BMI, and AC was observed with both the molecules. Fasting glucose and glycated Hb decrease was already significant at T3 in all patients, while the HOMA index selectively improved with SGLT2i therapy. Renal function parameters remained stable regardless of the drug used. Finally, SGLT2i reduced serum uric acid and improved the lipid profile, while GLP1RA reduced serum levels of liver enzymes. Both the therapeutic regimens allowed a significant reduction or complete suspension of unnecessary insulin therapies. Our real life data confirm the results obtained from randomized clinical trials and should be taken as a warning against inappropriate use of insulin in patients with preserved β-cell function.

Composition, density and specimen sizes of pelagic polychaete assemblages were analyzed in the Southern Adriatic Sea. The study was based on finely stratified vertical (0–1100 m) and spatial sampling (17 stations) representing spring conditions. Holoplanktonic polychaetes were distributed in both neritic and pelagic waters, although the highest densities were observed along the Otranto Channel. Analysis of the size frequency distribution revealed a trend with depth only for some species. Spatial distribution of holoplanktonic polychaete density was not related to bottom depth, being the organisms mainly concentrated in the epipelagic layer (0–100 m). The most abundant species showed maximum values below or within the thermocline and within the Deep Chlorophyll Maximum or just above it. Relations between polychaete presence and the underlying oceanographic mechanisms regulating the circulation in the Otranto Channel were discussed. The presence of several non-determined polychaete larvae (e.g. Syllidae) in the pelagic waters at 800–1100 m depths suggests the importance of the role of Levantine waters as main actual and potential carrier of species in the area, though a relevant contribution comes also from North Adriatic dense waters through deep spilling and cascading in the Southern Adriatic pit. These findings increase the knowledge on holoplanktonic polychaetes ecology within the South Adriatic Sea, and represent significant data in the monitoring of changes in biodiversity.

Amos, C.L.; Kassem, H.; Bergamasco, A.; Sutherland, T.F., and Cloutier, D., 2021. The mass settling flux of suspended particulate matter in Venice Lagoon, Italy. Journal of Coastal Research, 37(6), 1099–1116. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208. A multidisciplinary study of the stability of the tidal flats of Venice Lagoon has provided field and laboratory data on the factors influencing the mass settling rates of material in suspension. This work was performed using two in situ benthic flumes (Sea Carousel and Mini Flume) in association with a wide range of physical and biological measurements undertaken during the summer of 1998 and the subsequent winter. Also, controlled experiments on erosion/sedimentation of prepared beds were carried out using Lab Carousel, a laboratory equivalent of Sea Carousel. Particle size and mass settling rates were found to be largely independent of suspended sediment concentration but strongly controlled by the antecedent bed shear stresses that led to the suspension. Results between the three flume types differed because of differences in the induced stress history created in each case. Comparable results were obtained by normalizing mass settling rate to the mean friction velocity of the flow during settling, i.e. the Rouse parameter () , and by use of the mean dimensionless particle diameter (D*). Results fell in line with results on carbonate and silica sands of the inlets of the lagoon. The mean particle diameter (df) varied in proportion to the applied shear stress and shear rate (G) suggesting that the suspended particles were eroded aggregates not floccules. The effective density of these aggregates was least (∼16 kgm–3) at the largest sizes (df > 1 × 10–4 m) and greatest (∼160–1600 kgm–3) at the smallest sizes (df < 1 × 10–4 m). The lack of an increase in df at low shear rates suggests that flocculation was not taking place. The mean deposition threshold (all experiments) was 0.68 Pa, which is less than the mean erosion threshold from these sites (0.78 Pa).

In this paper we analyze how oceanic circulation affects sediment deposition along a sector of the Ross Sea continental margin, between the Iselin Bank and the Hillary Canyon, and how these processes evolved since the Late Miocene. The Hillary Canyon is one of the few places around the Antarctic continental margin where the dense waters produced onto the continental shelf, mainly through brine rejection related to sea ice production, flow down the continental slope and reach the deep oceanic bottom layer. At the same time the Hillary Canyon represents a pathway for relatively warm waters, normally flowing along the continental slope within the Antarctic Slope Current, to reach the continental shelf. The intrusion of warm waters onto the continental shelf produces basal melting of the ice shelves, reduces their buttressing effect and triggers instabilities of the ice sheet that represent one of the main uncertainties in future sea level projections. For this study we use seismic, morpho-bathymetric and oceanographic data acquired in 2017 by the R/V OGS Explora. Seismic profiles and multibeam bathymetry are interpreted together with age models from two drilling sites (U1523 and U1524) of the International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) Expedition 374. Oceanographic data, together with a regional oceanographic model, are used to support our reconstruction by showing the present-day oceanographic influence on sediment deposition. Regional correlation of the main seismic unconformities allows us to identify eight seismic sequences. Seismic profiles and multibeam bathymetry show a strong influence of bottom current activity on sediment deposition since the Early Miocene and a reduction in their intensity during the mid-Pliocene Warm Period. Oceanographic data and modelling provide evidence that the bottom currents are related to the dense waters produced on the Ross Sea continental shelf and flowing out through the Hillary Canyon. The presence of extensive mass transport deposits and detachment scarps indicate that also mass wasting participates in sediment transport. Through this integrated approach we regard the area between the Iselin Bank and the Hillary Canyon as a Contourite Depositional System (ODYSSEA CDS) that offers a record of oceanographic and sedimentary conditions in a unique setting. The hypotheses presented in this work are intended to serve as a framework for future reconstructions based on detailed integration of lithological, paleontological, geochemical and petrophysical data.

Coastal environments include several different habitat typologies, from shorelines to estuaries, and rocky and muddy environments. All these ecosystems are very vulnerable to anthropogenic pressures, climate fluctuations, stressing the need to monitor their quality status and suggest possible measures for the remediation and recovery of their natural equilibria. In the light of these considerations, this Special Issue (SI) collects a number of multi-faceted scientific contributions on the quality of aquatic ecosystems, with a particular focus on the transitional environments where marine and terrestrial habitats are in close relationship. Fil: Bergamasco, Alessandro. Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche; Italia Fil: Nguyen, Hong Quan. Vietnam National University; Vietnam Fil: Caruso, Gabriella. Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche; Italia Fil: Xing, Qianguo. Chinese Academy of Sciences; República de China Fil: Carol, Eleonora Silvina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Centro de Investigaciones Geológicas. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. Centro de Investigaciones Geológicas; Argentina

The water quality of Sicilian transitional and coastal marine areas was investigated by evaluating the distribution of Enterococcus spp.; as a reference, two sewage samples were also analysed. The epidemiological implications of their presence were considered. Enterococcal strains isolated by culture methods were phenotypically and molecularly identified and their susceptibility to antibiotics tested. High phenotypic variability was detected, with low specific identification for 46% of the isolated strains. E. casseliflavus, isolated from transitional environments only, predominated; in coastal and sewage waters E. faecium prevailed, occurring also in transitional environments, where multiple antibiotic resistances were found. Ampicillin and vancomycin resistant enterococci were isolated exclusively from transitional environments. The dynamics of dissemination of antibiotic resistant enterococci in aquatic environments located across the South-North migration route of many wild birds could be very complex, emphasising the relevance of epidemiological studies on transitional aquatic environments as reservoirs of pathogenic enterococci, as well as on sedentary seagulls and migratory wild birds as carriers and spreaders of antibiotic resistant enterococci.

The Venice lagoon (VL) has been recognized as a hot spot of introduction of non-indigenous species (NIS), due to several anthropogenic factors and environmental stressors that combined may facilitate NIS invasions. In the last decades an increasing number of zooplankton NIS have been observed in the VL. This work aims to provide a picture of the annual cycle and distribution of the recently recorded non-indigenous copepod Oithona davisae, considering the coexistence patterns with the congeneric resident Oithona nana. Therefore, zooplankton samplings were carried out monthly from August 2016 to July 2017 at five Long-Term Ecological Research LTER stations in the VL. Oithona davisae showed a persistent occurrence throughout the year with the highest abundances in the warm season and in the inner areas, while the congeneric O. nana, showing a different distribution pattern, resulted more abundant near the inlets of the Lagoon, where O. davisae reached the minimum density. Oithona davisae seems to find local conditions that promote its settlement and distribution, especially in the inner and more trophic lagoon sites. In other European coastal embayments or transitional waters, O. davisae occupied the niche left by the indigenous O. nana or can replace this congeneric species through competitive exclusion mechanisms. Our data indicate that, for now, such species replacement has not occurred in the VL. One of the causes is the extreme variety of habitats and niches offered by this environment allowing a balanced coexistence with O. nana and in general with the resident copepod community.

Hydrostratigraphic setting and groundwater dynamics in high salinized low-lying farmlands at the southern margin of the Venice Lagoon1 Institute of Geosciences and Earth Resources, National Research Council, Padova, Italy2 Institute of Marine Sciences, National Research Council, Venice, Italy3 Department of Geosciences, University of Padova, Padova, Italy4 Regione Veneto - Soil Defence Regional Directorate, Venice, Italy5 Land Reclamation Authority Adige Euganeo, Este-Padova, Italy * Corresponding author: chiara.cavallina@igg.cnr.it Key words: salt-water intrusion, groundwater dynamics, coastal plain, VeniceThe coastal plain at the southern margin of the Venice lagoon is a low-lying territory, which is the result of river diversions, channeling, and hydraulic reclamation that took place over the last centuries. The mechanisms controlling the exchanges between surface water and groundwater progressively shifted from natural to artificial ones. Presently, most of this territory lays at ground elevation up to 3 m below the mean sea level and a complex network of drainage channels and pumping stations regulates the depth of the water table both to prevent flooding-waterlogging and to allow irrigation. Being at the lagoon margin and next to the sea, the aquifers of this area are heavily affected by salt-water intrusion that jeopardizes the farmlands productivity and specifically damages the crop yield. Focusing on the geology and stratigraphic architecture of the first 25-meters of the subsoil, in which the shallow aquifers are included, the sedimentary record consists in Pleistocene alluvial deposits and Holocene deposits. The latter show the typical transgressive wedge including prodelta, littoral and back barrier depositional environments. Specifically, the Holocene littoral sands contain the unconfined aquifer, which is almost continuous along the whole coastal strip. Sedimentary bodies as paleo-channels and remnants of littoral ridges, commonly hosting unconfined aquifers, are present all over coastal plain. Pleistocene alluvial deposits contain the first locally confined aquifer.Several past studies have revealed the complexity of freshwater-saltwater exchanges imposed by the concomitance of various forcing factors. However, a specific study on the dynamic of saline contamination of the groundwater is still missing. We present here the preliminary results of an ongoing research aimed to characterize the groundwater dynamics and disentangle mechanisms that control groundwater salinity in the shallow aquifer system of the low-lying farmlands adjacent to the southern Venice lagoon margin and the Brenta-Bacchiglione river mouth. The results of detailed analyses from various perspectives (based on sedimentary cores, continuous hydrological and hydrogeological data, geophysical surveys) are properly integrated to describe the dynamics in the shallow aquifer system. Particular attention is payed to the hydro-morpho-stratigraphic system in relation to the mechanisms driving the freshwater-saltwater exchanges. This research is developed in the frame of the Interreg Italy-Croatia project MoST (Monitoring Sea-water intrusion in coastal aquifers and Testing pilot projects for its mitigation), which addresses to improve the quality and sustainability of the human management of water resources in coastal areas.

Environments along the ocean-land continuum strictly interlink to each other both in horizontal and in vertical. Most of the acting processes require investigation through a multi looking observation approach, integrating coastal oceanography, hydrogeology and marine ecology. This can be achieved by simultaneously looking from different perspectives at the same environmental context and processes. The present study focuses on the northern Adriatic Sea, where a number of peculiar, diverse and valuable coastal and marine ecosystems are localized, characterized by high biodiversity and productivity, such as the Lagoon of Venice and the underwater biogenic-geogenic rocky outcrops named tegnùe. Their structural complexity and habitat heterogeneity is increased by the role of habitat forming species, bioconstructors and biodemolitors. To understand the ecological and morphogenetic role of these organisms, selected biogenic formations and habitats, such as the fan mussel Pinna nobilis colonies on both the Lagoon of Venice and the rocky outcrops, were investigated. Innovative approaches are here presented to map and characterize these biogenic habitats at different hierarchical levels, in order to promote their conservation.

Sea water intrusion (SWI) has been widely recognized as a global problem, significantly influencing coastal aquifers, mostly through reduced water quality and agricultural production indicators. In this paper, we present the outcomes of the implementation of two independent real-time monitoring systems, planned and installed to get insights on groundwater dynamics within the adjacent coastal aquifer systems, one located in the Neretva Valley, southeastern Croatia, the other located south of the Venice lagoon, northeastern Italy. Both systems are presented with technical details and the capacity to observe, store, and transmit (Neretva site) observed values in real-time. Analysis of time series reveals the significant influence of the sea level oscillations onto the observed groundwater electrical conductivity (EC) and piezometric head values, while precipitation rate is detected as a driving mechanism for groundwater parameters in shallow geological units. The installed monitoring systems are shown to be of great importance to provide qualitative and quantitative information on the processes influencing groundwater and surface water dynamics within two coastal systems.

The ecosystem changes of “Marinello coastal lakes” - a brackish dynamic area located on the Tyrrhenian coast of Sicily (Italy) - have been examined through the analysis of the adaptive response of mollusc assemblages to the geomorphological and environmental changes. In particular, we have contextually analysed the changes in salinity, mud and organic carbon together with mollusc abundance and distribution, comparing the data sets from several multidisciplinary investigations that we performed in about forty years. Our studies have evidenced that the space-time dynamics of the geomorphological, environmental and trophic parameters have led the progression of Marinello ecosystem, favoring the onset of transient windows of connectivity (TWCs) between different habitats. TWCs, by supporting continuous re-arrangements of mollusc populations, have contributed to increase the functional and ecological complexity of the system. Salinity in particular has proven to be the most affecting factor on the diversification of mollusc assemblages, explaining 63% and 44% of variation for brackish and marine species respectively. In addition, the distribution of both detritus and suspension feeders has been mostly affected by salinity. The interannual analysis of the mollusc assemblages has shown in the whole system a generalised increase in the number of species, likewise, also the species richness recorded in each basin generally increased with the time. Metapopulations in the Marinello ecosystem have shown to be related to significant modifications in the habitat patches, in turn connected to the anthropogenic interventions or to the geomorphological progression of the entire physiographic system. Significant relationships among biotic and abiotic parameters have highlighted important implications on the ecosystem functioning, suggesting their possible application in the improvement of investigation tools for the transitional environments.

The Lagoon of Venice has been recognized as a hot spot for the introduction of nonindigenous species. Several anthropogenic factors as well as environmental stressors concurred to make this ecosystem ideal for invasion. Given the zooplankton ecological relevance related to the role in the marine trophic network, changes in the community have implications for environmental management and ecosystem services. This work aims to depict the relevant steps of the history of invasion of the copepod Acartia tonsa in the Venice lagoon, providing a recent picture of its distribution, mainly compared to congeneric residents. In this work, four datasets of mesozooplankton were examined. The four datasets covered a period from 1975 to 2017 and were used to investigate temporal trends as well as the changes in coexistence patterns among the Acartia species before and after A. tonsa settlement. Spatial distribution of A. tonsa was found to be significantly associated with temperature, phytoplankton, particulate organic carbon (POC), chlorophyll a, and counter gradient of salinity, confirming that A. tonsa is an opportunistic tolerant species. As for previously dominant species, Paracartia latisetosa almost disappeared, and Acartia margalefi was not completely excluded. In 2014&ndash, 2017, A. tonsa was found to be the dominant Acartia species in the lagoon.

Phytoplankton size is a significant functional trait affecting many ecological processes and influencing the carbon fate and the trophic regimes of the ecosystems. In this study, we examined the effect of the lateral advection of nutrient-rich Messina Mixed Waters on the phytoplankton size structure and community composition in the euphotic layer of the Gulf of Augusta (Western Ionian Sea) in early autumn. The chlorophyll a concentration ranged from 0.08 to 0.8 mg m−3 and the phytoplankton abundances ranged from 21 × 103 to 245 × 103 cells L−1. The size structure of phytoplankton biomass, obtained by sequential filtration of water samples, suggested the dominance of micro-planktonic diatoms in an active Deep Chlorophyll Maximum (DCM) whereas smaller forms were mainly represented by phytoflagellates. A short-term tidal-induced variability of the assemblage structure was observed at a “sentinel” station located at the Gulf shelf-break where lateral advection due to meso-scale dynamics sustained most of the phytoplankton biomass. Our research shows that, in stratified conditions, nutrient enrichment by lateral advection at DCM modifies the size-structure of phytoplankton with respect to that expected from the reference baseline oceanic model validated in open ocean waters. In particular, while smaller fraction incidences reveal a surface oligotrophic system, an increase of the micro-sized fraction is triggered at DCM: this indicates the prevalence of “new production” processes which is a quite unusual condition for the Mediterranean DCM in early autumn, when trophic web is typically sustained by “regenerate production”. Our observations suggest that both “microbial” and “herbivore” pathways could coexist and regulate the carbon flow in the Gulf in this season.

The Strait of Messina is certainly a focal area for the biological cycle of the jellyfish Pelagia noctiluca in the Western Mediterranean Sea. By means of both original and literature data, a conceptual model outlining the biological cycle of this species is proposed. P. noctiluca reproduces from late winter to late spring in the Aeolian Island Archipelago. From late spring to early summer, currents transport newly produced young individuals (20-30 mm bell diameter) eastwards, towards the Strait. The Strait of Messina ecosystem is not a suitable reproduction area for its intense hydrodynamism that would surely lead to a very low reproductive success due to gamete dispersion. This area, however, represents an optimal site for growth, due to its intensive primary and secondary production, but also for an optimal temperature range, lower in summer and higher in winter in respect to the surrounding basins. Pelagia remains all the summer inside the Strait, increasing in bell diameter (50-70 mm) and biomass. Subsequently, in late summer-early autumn, the mature specimens, taking advantage of a typical autumnal downwelling transport, move to deep Tyrrhenian waters where overwinter, to upwell in the Aeolian Archipelago by late winter to start a new cycle.

Changes in the composition and biomass distribution of deep-living zooplankton over wide gradients of depth (0–1300 m) have been analyzed in the Central Ligurian Basin (Northwestern Mediterranean Sea), seeking the environmental variables responsible for these changes. Spring vertical distribution (early May 2013) and diel vertical migration (DVM) of some key species of macroplankton and micronekton communities were studied every 6 h during a 24 h cycle. The hauls, performed with the multiple opening/closing 230 µm BIONESS net system, made possible a detailed description of the vertical distribution of twenty-three species: one siphonophore, one pyrosomid, one salp, three pteropods, four amphipods, one mysid, eight euphausiids, two decapods, two fishes. Cluster analysis performed on major species of macroplankton and micronekton community assemblage mainly highlighted the presence of four well defined assemblages, based on the depth range in the water column: 0–60 m, 60–100 m, 100–600 m and from 600 to 1300 m. During daytime, vertical distributions of biomass exhibited similar profiles, with maxima in the 0–60 m layer. Highest abundances were recorded between 20–40 and 40–60 m depth, at midnight and in the morning. The highest values of both biodiversity and number of species were found in a deeper layer comprised between 400 and 600 m. Most of the species showed similar distributions throughout the sampled area, either with typical non-diel-migrating characters such as the euphausiid Stylocheiron longicorne and the fishes Cyclothone braueri and C. pygmaea, or with clear diel-migrant behaviour (e.g. the siphonophore Chelophyes appendiculata and the euphausiid Euphausia krohni). Some species (e.g. Vibilia armata, Phronima sedentaria, Scina crassicornis, Salpa fusiformis, Cavolinia inflexa, Gennadas elegans) exhibited a bimodal vertical distribution that could be attributed to different causes able to influence and modify their vertical migration. The lower values of chlorophylla concentrations found in the present studyinthe month of May corresponds to the transition period from a mesotrophic system to a rather oligotrophic one. Temperature and chlorophyll were the variables that principally influenced the distinction between shallow (0–60 m) and deep communities. Below 60 m depth, the dissolved oxygen and salinity become the most important variables affecting the zooplankton community.

Quantitative sampling of zooplankton communities from ice-covered waters presents many technical and logistic difficulties. Currently available techniques enable only vertical tows through relatively small ice holes, and the filtered volumes are generally low. For these reasons, we developed and tested Micro-Net Environmental Sampling System (MicroNESS), an innovative small-sized opening–closing multinet device carried by a ROV for horizontal and oblique sampling of the under-ice zooplankton community. MicroNESS design ensures a filtration efficiency close to 90 % due to the relevant filtration open area ratio (~4) and exhibited only limited effects of clogging and avoidance for optimal speed of 0.35 ms−1 and towing duration not longer than 14 min with mean filtered volumes in the order of 11 m3. MicroNESS was successfully tested in Terra Nova Bay (Antarctica). A total of 96 tows were carried out to sample the zooplankton in the waters below the 2.6-m-thick pack ice, far from the ice hole, at selected depths (3.5, 4.5, 5.0, 6.0, 7.0, 10.0 and 20.0 m). Overall, more than 70,000 specimens were identified, mostly copepod taxa, which showed a size range from the small Stephos longipes nauplius stage I (0.11 mm) to the large adult females of Calanoides acutus (4.8 mm). The comparison among the ice-associated copepod communities collected by MicroNESS and those of three traditional sampling techniques showed that MicroNESS can provide useful insights about changes in composition, biomass and particle size structure of this key plankton component, especially on a short timescale during ice melting.

This study examines the effects of temporal changes on microbial parameters in a brackish aquatic ecosystem. To this aim, the abundances of prokaryotes and vibrios together with the rates of enzymatic hydrolysis of proteins by leucine aminopeptidase (LAP), polysaccharides by ß-glucosidase (GLU) and organic phosphates by alkaline phosphatase (AP), heterotrophic prokaryotic production (HPP), respiration (R), were seasonally investigated, during a two years period in the coastal area of Cape Peloro (Messina, Italy), constituted by two brackish lakes (Faro and Ganzirri). In addition, physical and chemical parameters (temperature, salinity, nutrients) and particulate organic carbon and nitrogen (POC, PN) were measured. The influence of multiple factors on prokaryotic abundances and activities was analysed. The results showed that Cape Peloro area is characterised by high seasonal variability of the microbial parameters that is higher than the spatial one. Combined changes in particulate matter and Temperature (T), could explain the variability in vibrios abundance, GLU and R activities in both lakes, indicating a direct stimulation of the warm season on the heterotrophic prokaryotic metabolism. Positive correlations between T (from 13.3 to 29.6°C) and HPP, LAP, AP, POC, PN are also observed in Ganzirri Lake. Moreover the trophic status index and most of the microbial parameters show significant seasonal differences. This study demonstrates that vibrios abundance and microbial activities are responsive to the spatial and seasonal changes of examined area. The combined effect of temperature and trophic conditions on the microbial parameters lead us to suggest their use as potential indicators of the prokaryotic response to climate changes in temperate brackish areas.

Since advection and diffusion are the main physical processes that influence the cleaning capacity of coastal transitional waters, the 3-D spatial distribution of the water renewal times was used to delineate a physically-based zonation scheme. The temporal and spatial variations of the hydrodynamics are assessed using a validated three dimensional hydrodynamic finite element model. The developed methodology was applied to the Cape Peloro system, a coastal protected area located in the Messina Strait (Italy) consisting of two connected small brackish basins: the shallow Lake Ganzirri and the deep meromictic Lake Faro. The hydrodynamics of the two coastal lakes shows strong seasonal and spatial variation. The 3-D distribution of the water renewal times suggests a horizontal partition of the Lake Ganzirri into two sub-basins and a vertical zonation of the Lake Faro, with the mixolimnion extending till 10 m depth and the presence of a persistent bottom stagnant layer. The derived physically-based zonation scheme helps in explaining the highly heterogeneous spatial distribution of many biogeochemical variables in the Cape Peloro coastal system.

Monitoring of bacterial pathogens is important for marine environmental protection, because the presence of these microorganisms can be a serious risk for human health. For this reason, a portable sensor implemented as an electronic embedded system featuring disposable measurement cells was used to evaluate the ability and sensitivity of detection of Escherichia coli (E. coli) as an indicator of fecal pollution in transitional environments and a water sample added with E. coli (102 CFU/mL) was assayed. The first result obtained from the laboratory experiment seems promising for the determination of E. coli in environmental samples, though further improvements will be needed for the field application of this sensor in marine and brackish waters.

Knowledge on community structure oriented to describe energy flow during late summer season in Paso Ancho basin (Strait of Magellan) is scarce and particularly affected by vertical diel migration (VDM). The main aim of this work is to identify the VDM patterns of selected species and functional feeding groups of mesozooplankton, collected by the electronic multinet BIONESS in 1995. Detailed studies were carried out on keystone components of the community: 7 species of copepods (Ctenocalanus citer, Drepanopus forcipatus, Metridia lucens, Clausocalanus brevipes, Scolecithricella minor, Paraeuchaeta antarctica, Calanus simillimus), one ostracod (Discoconchoecia elegans), one chaetognath (Sagitta tasmanica), one euphausiid (Euphausia vallentini), and two polychaetes (Pelagobia longicirrata, Tomopteris planktonis). Unexpected deviations from the classic pattern reported in literature were uncovered. The shallow layer mesozooplankton at night, although dominated by exclusively or preferentially herbivores, particularly by E. vallentini, was not represented by several species known as herbivores that remained in the deep layer throughout the day cycle. The deep-layer zooplankton throughout the day cycle was well represented by carnivores, detritivores, and omnivores. It is suggested that during low-chlorophyll summer conditions, the composition of functional groups and diet, and VDM patterns changed to take advantage of sinking phytoplankton and picoplankton in deep layers. Pelagic-benthic coupling would be strengthened due to animals that suppressed their vertical daily rise to the shallow layer at nights but remained in the deep layers to feed on a rain of particulate organic matter and other non-migrant zooplankton.

The purpose of this paper was to study the spatial distribution, abundance and composition of fish larvae in the northern Ionian Sea. Samples were collected to the 600 m depth with an electronic multinet BIONESS during the “INTERREG Italia-Grecia” oceanographic cruise carried out in March 2000 off the Apulian Italian coast. A total of 46 species of teleost early stages were collected, belonging to 38 genera and 22 families. Over 52% of the larvae identified were mesopelagic species, almost 27% were demersal and about 21% pelagic. A total of 307 myctophids, 69 clupeids and 61 gadid post-larvae dominated the community. Benthosema glaciale (mean 6.1 mm SL) was the most abundant species (21.6%), the most frequent in the samples (28.8%), and dominant in the whole study area (mean 1.4 ind/100 m3). Particular attention was given to the horizontal and vertical distribution and abundance of the three dominant post-larval species: Benthosema glaciale, Sprattus sprattus sprattus and Notoscopelus elongatus. The Pearson coefficient (R = 0.734) showed a high correlation between total zooplankton and fish larval assemblages in terms of spatial distribution abundance values. Regarding the vertical distribution of fish larvae, Sorensen’s index (S = 0.69) showed that fish larvae and total zooplankton abundance peaks co-occurred along the water column.

During an autumn oceanographic cruise in October 2004, 87 zooplankton samples were collected from 12 sites, located along inshore–offshore sections around the Egadi Island Archipelago, a central Mediterranean key region. Zooplankton samples were taken by the electronic multinet BIONESS, equipped with a multi-parameter probe system in order to measure simultaneously physico-chemical and biological factors (temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen and fluorescence). Three different water masses were identified from physico-chemical parameter analysis: MAW (0–50 m) widespread all around the study area; a water mass, which is most likely a mixture of western and eastern-origin waters, up to 300 m depth; and LIW in the 300–600 m layer, with a core salinity of 38.72–38.74 at the most offshore stations. Spatial diversity patterns of copepod assemblage were examined using species richness and Shannon–Wiener diversity indices. 107 copepod species were identified. Four major sample groups were identified by cluster analysis, differing in species composition and abundances in relation to the depth and in-offshore environments. They seemed to be only partly related to the different water masses and significantly correlated to temperature and salinity. In the entire study area, the copepod abundances were markedly lower than those reported for other regions of the Mediterranean Sea, but the species richness was relatively high, and similar to the richest Mediterranean areas. This is probably due to geographical position of the Egadi Island Archipelago at the entrance of Sicily Channel, where water mass exchange between Eastern and Western basins occurs.

A three-dimensional integrated mathematical model, ModEling aquacultures-Sea environment Interactions (MESI), is presented to describe the interactions between aquacultures and the sea environment and to evaluate the environmental effects on the coastal waters due mainly to the non-utilized fish food originating from the aqua- cultures. The model consists of three sub-models: (1) a fish growth and nitrogen and phosphorus transformation sub-model for the calculation of the growth of the fishes and the generated loads of pollutants, (2) a hydrodynamic sub-model for the determination of the flow field in the coastal region and (3) a water quality model to determine the concentration contours of the water quality variables in the coastal region. The application of the model to a coastal area of simple geometry containing an aquaculture demonstrates its ability to evaluate the effects of the aquaculture on the coastal waters.

To examine patterns and diversity of tintinnid assemblages, samples were collected twice a month from March 2003 to May 2004 at a coastal site in the Southern Tyrrhenian Sea (Western Mediterranean). Dynamics of tintinnid assemblage tracked the changes in hydrographical conditions and the rapidly varying meteo-oceanographic conditions. Two main assemblages were found: a nentic one characterized by Stenosemella nivalis and a pelagic one characterized by Dadayiella ganymedes. A total of 67 species were found; taxonomic diversity (Shannon H') ranged between 1.5 and 2.3 for most of the year. In summer, H' dropped to 0.2 due to a monospecific bloom of Tintinnopsis beroidea. Clear oscillations were present in spring 2004. Morphological diversity was examined based on lorica oral diameter (LOD). Median LOD of the community varied between 21 and 40 μm and the number of LOD size-classes occupied by the species pool was 14. Morphological diversity as H'-LOD was ∼25% less than taxonomic H'. Species abundance distribution (SAD) of the tintinnid community showed the common left-skewed overall pattern (with 14 singletons on a total of about 1700 specimens) associated with a general log-normality thus suggesting the influence of non-neutral processes such as competition and niche partitioning. Hence, the structure and dynamics of the coastal tintinnid community in the Southern Tyrrhenian Sea seemed to be driven by the underlying environmental conditions rather than by neutral dispersal of species. SAD deconstruction indicated that 56 species with occurrence lower than 8 times during the study can be considered as "occasional". Among the remaining 11 "core" species, 8 were cosmopolitan, 2 were neritic, S. nivalis and Tintinnopsis sp. and one a warm-water pelagic species, D. ganymedes.

A direct, microscopic fluorescent antibody method was developed to detect the occurrence of Enterococcus faecium in coastal aquatic environments and was compared with the conventional membrane filtering method. The "in situ" application of the antibody-based protocol in the analysis of water samples collected from coastal polyhaline habitats demonstrated good sensitivity and ease of implementation. Data obtained with the microscopic technique were in agreement with those obtained from culture counts. The fluorescent antibody method proved to be a rapid and reliable technique for the detection of E. faecium. The advantages and limitations intrinsic to the method are discussed, highlighting the potential of this new technique for monitoring coastal aquatic environments.

Superfluous fish food settling below fish farms can have a negative impact on the seabed. To aid in the assessment of this impact a series of flume experiments, designed to mimic seabed conditions below a fish farm, was conducted with the aim of examining the effects of fish pellets on the stability of fine sediments. Artificial beds, with varying quantities of fish pellets incorporated both within the sediment matrix and lying on the sediment surface, were allowed to consolidate for different periods of time ranging from 1 to 10 days, and then subjected to erosion experiments. In flume experiments containing fish pellets, a bacterial biofilm developed at the sediment-water interface after a few days. In the control experiments (no fish pellets), a diatom biofilm caused extensive stabilisation of the surface sediment. The erosion experiments showed that the addition of fish pellets reduced the surface erosion threshold by more than 50%. The stability decrease was more pronounced in the experiments with greater amounts of pellets. Evidence of drag reduction due to high suspended sediment concentration was also observed. This phenomenon is discussed and a correction formula is proposed for the effective shear stress experienced by the bed.

The purpose of this paper was to study the community structure, in terms of species composition, abundance and spatial distribution, of fish larvae in a wide coastal area of Sicily facing the Southeastern Tyrrhenian Sea, extending for 2300 km2 from Cape Cefalu to the west, to Cape Rasocolmo in the east. This study analyses how species are assembled in relation to an inshore-off- shore gradient and also how environmental conditions, determined by surface circulation patterns occurring in the Central Mediterranean at the local scale, determine the distribution patterns. Samples from 39 stations were collected using a 60-cm Bongo net during an ichthyoplanktonic survey carried out in June 2006. In all, 62 taxa, representing 32 families, were identified. Cyclothone braueri (59.6%), Engraulis encrasicolus (9.2%) Lampanyctus crocodilus (4.3%) and Lampanyctus pusillus (4.1%) were the most abundant species. The results showed that the highest abundance value (14830.6 fish larvae per 10 m2 sea surface) was observed in the western part of the study area. MDS, SIMPER and CCA analyses revealed well defined groups of stations and assemblages of larvae in accordance with an inshore-offshore gradient. The results of this study could have implications for the management of marine resources because the investigated area has already been identified as a nursery area for many pelagic and coastal fishes and a natural habitat for many species of high commercial interest.

A framework of numerical models has been implemented and applied to the Venice Lagoon. The models consist of a state of the art hydrodynamic model for shallow areas and lagoons and a last generation wave model. With these models the bottom stress distribution during typical strong meteorological situations is studied. Results show a good agreement of the computed bottom stress patterns and the empirical erosion and deposition rates found in the lagoon. The areas where wave action is responsible for sediment re-suspension are identified; they consist basically in the large shallow areas that are spread out all over the lagoon. This makes the wave action the most important erosion mechanism in the lagoon during typical strong winds. Three scenarios of future climatic changes are simulated: an increase in the amplitude of the tidal oscillation, a global sea level rise and the combination of both. The results show that the most vulnerable parts of the lagoon are the flat regions close to the deeper channels. The erosion of these channel borders could be the cause of the filling of the deeper channels that then would need artificial dredging.

This article describes the characterization of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) in sediments of Milazzo Gulf (Italy) located in front of an oil refinery and a power plant. The investigated area is characterized by urban and industrial activities. The sixteen PAHs identified by the USEPA, as requiring priority monitoring, and other non USEPA listed PAHs, namely perylene and some methyl derivatives, were investigated The total PAHs concentrations, expressed as ∑ 19 PAH ranges from 5.6–7402 μg/Kg d.w., with a mean value of 492 μg/Kg d.w. The concentrations of PAHs found in 64 out of 67 samples were lower than the effect range low (ERL = 2460 μg/Kg) concentration, while the remaining samples were in the range between ERL and effect range middle (ERM) concentrations. The mean values of all samples of the same stations were lower than the ERL. These findings indicated that the sediments from the entire sampling area should have no potential biological impact.

Phytoplankton community size drives the rates of biogenic carbon and the overall structure and dynamics of the marine pelagic food web. The Straits of Magellan, an inland passage between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, can be separated in three main sub-basin: the western-Pacific, the V-shaped central zone, and the eastern-Atlantic. To provide insights on the food structure of the phytoplankton community, size-fractionated chlorophyll a concentration and primary production rates were measured across the three sectors of the Magellan Straits in four periods between 1989 and 1995 in the Straits. Phytoplanktonic biomass and production ratios provided ecological insights on the food web structure, including the relevance of grazing on its largest fraction. The micro-phytoplanktonic fraction (>10 µm) in the western-Pacific sub-basin is significantly less abundant than in the Central and Atlantic ones. Conversely, the lowest abundance of the pico- fraction (< 2.0 µm) is encountered in the Atlantic sub-basin. The observed patterns agree with the diffusion of smaller-size fractions from the western towards the easternmost sector of the Straits, and suggest that the largest phytoplankton tend to accumulate in the inner stretch of the Straits, being constrained by a clockwise gyre generated by tidal phases or partialy spilling out into the Atlantic sector. The most active grazing activities occur in the central arm during the spring bloom and last even in summer. Our results pinpoint also that the basic levels of the planktonic food web rely on the nano-phytoplankton (10-2 µm) fraction, which is the main contributor to the continuum multivorous food web. When nutrient pulses from land freshwater and water mixing enter the system, the structure of the plankton in the Straits shifts towards the herbivorous food web and is characterized by the presence of large-size diatoms. The complex dynamics of the plankton comuunities in the Straits keep it in a persistent mesotrophic state, featuring a lower trophic status of than the Antarctic coastal waters but a much higher one than oligotrophic temperate areas.

The work aims to explore the sensitivity response of a robust-diagnostic model of the Ross Sea area to different forcings and boundary conditions. Numerical experiments using different open boundary velocities, wind stress fields, constraints for sea surface elevation, objectively analyzed or constant ad hoc thermohaline fields with different relaxation coefficients are proposed. Results show that realistic patterns and velocities in the basin are induced mainly by the wind forcing, while its variability can explain part of the modulation of the current field observed but does not affect significantly the Ross island recirculation, mainly controlled by the thermohaline field. The in–out flow below the Ross Ice Shelf (RIS) is influenced by the assumptions adopted for the Sea Surface Elevation along the shelf itself, while the wind variability can explain the exchange between the RIS cavity and the sea. Even if the model has to be improved, especially for what concerns the sea–ice interactions that are not present in this version, comparisons between current meters moorings data averages and reconstructed fields show that features can be explained by wind stress variability, while circulation patterns are in good agreement with experimental observations and other theoretical studies.

In this paper, a first attempt at analysing the macronutrients' mass balance between the north Adriatic coastal sea and the lagoon of Venice by means of a nested and coupled model is presented. The hydrodynamic part of the model simulates the evolution of the sea-surface elevation and of the three-dimensional field of velocity, temperature, salinity and density. Tides, winds, river discharges, thermal and evaporative fluxes are included as forcings. Two models are nested in order to handle the correct spatial scales. The first one, with a resolution of about 10 km, is able to describe the basin and sub-basin scale hydrodynamical features; the second one, with a resolution of 1·2 km, describes the interactions between the open sea and the lagoon. This last circulation model has been coupled with a simple primary production submodel, in order to investigate the short-term dynamic of the ecosystem during spring time. Results show that, in some instances, the primary production can be sustained by macronutrients' fluxes coming from the coastal area.

This paper provides insights into a unique collaboration among the International Space Exploration Coordination Group (ISECG) participating space agencies to systematically combine information about their technology development activities and priorities supporting the 2013 Global Exploration Roadmap (GER). A global analysis of the data based on evolving detailed inputs to the GER Technology Development Map (GTDM) is presented.