Search

The Taranto Seas of Italy, considered a hotspot of nonindigenous species (NIS) diversity, are also among the best locales in the Mediterranean to study marine fouling communities. This environment is an ideal space to study how artificial structures are utilised by NIS for further dispersion into the surrounding environment after their initial introduction. In the present study, the fouling communities found on several types of substrates (including small artificial, mobile structures and more stable, larger structures) in a quiet enclosed part of the Mar Grande of Taranto (Ionian Sea) were analysed and compared in terms of the contribution of NIS. The assemblages differed according to the age and size of the substrate, but also according to the depth and distance from a possible source of organic enrichment. As expected, NIS were abundant, especially on small ephemeral substrates, with a high number of pioneer species; by contrast, very few NIS were found on less transient substrates, which were dominated by macroalgae. This work highlights that substrate type is an important predictor of the types of NIS present, even in environments considered to be particularly vulnerable to biological invasions, such as ports and other confined environments subject to elevated human pressure.

Descrizione delle attività di ricerca condotte sul Mar Piccolo di Taranto

Recent studies have shown that marine algae represent a great source of natural compounds with several properties. The lipidic extract of the seaweed Chaetomorpha linum (Chlorophyta, Cladophorales), one of the dominant species in the Mar Piccolo of Taranto (Mediterranean, Ionian Sea), revealed an antibacterial activity against Vibrio ordalii and Vibrio vulnificus, common pathogens in aquaculture, suggesting its potential employment to control fish and shellfish diseases due to vibriosis and to reduce the public health hazards related to antibiotic use in aquaculture. This extract showed also an antioxidant activity, corresponding to 170.960 ± 16. mmol Trolox equivalent/g (oxygen radical absorbance capacity assay-- ORAC) and to 30.554 ± 2.30 mmol Trolox equivalent/g (Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity assay--TEAC). The chemical characterization of the extract, performed by 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy, highlighted the presence of free, saturated (SAFAs), unsaturated (UFAs) and polyunsaturated (PUFAs) fatty acids. The high content of ?-6 and ?-3 PUFAs confirmed also by gas chromatography indicates the potentiality of this algal species in the production of fortified food. The antibacterial activity seems related to the presence of linolenic acid present at high density, while the antioxidant activity could be likely ascribable to molecules such as carotenoids and chlorophylls (characterized also by thin-layer chromatography), known for this property. The presence of polyhydroxybutyrate, a biopolymer with potentiality in the field of biodegradable bioplastics was also detected. The exploitation of C. linum for a future biotechnological application is also encouraged by the results from a first attempt of cultivating this species in an integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA) system.

Until 2014, the management of invasive alien species has been poorly addressed in Europe. Recently, the Regulation 1143/14 on invasive alien species (IAS) was issued by the European Community. A first list of "IAS of Union Concern" was presented in 2016 and subsequently updated in 2017. The species included in that list are subjected to a number of commercial restrictions, and EU member states are required to control or eradicate them. The inclusion of an IAS in this list is based on the results of a risk-assessment procedure. At present, this list contains 49 IAS, none of which marine. Member states can decide either to adopt the EU list as it is, or to integrate it with additional "IAS of national concern". Italy has opted for the second way and is currently developing its own national list, which may eventually include marine IAS. Italy is a major "first hub" for marine introductions in the Mediterranean Sea, with over 200 multicellular marine alien species reported so far. Italy, with its central position in the Mediterranean Sea, shares several species with the Western European countries, carried by ships or with shellfish stocks, as well as a number of Indo-Pacific species with the Eastern Mediterranean countries, entered through the Suez Canal. Therefore, the roadmap that Italy is currently tracing towards the possible inclusion of marine species in the list of IAS to be managed and controlled, is also relevant for other European and Mediterranean countries. This presentation will show how the process has been organized and conducted, and the preliminary outcomes

Seaweed extracts as biostimulants in agriculture proved able to mitigate abiotic stress, such as drought, and extreme values of salinity and temperature. In this respect, climatic change impact on agriculture fostered the sustainable production of algal biomass. For this reason, the cultivation of Hypnea cornuta (Rhodophyta, Gigartinales) was tried, testing both entire thalli and propagules as starters. Cultivation from propagules showed better results.

Mar Piccolo is a semi-enclosed sea of about 21 Km2, consisting of two basins to the north of the city of Taranto. It is subjected to multiple anthropogenic pressures, such as industrial and waste pollution, harbour activities, aquaculture and commercial fishing that affect the environmental quality and can favour the arrival and establishment of alien species. The two basins are very different in terms of both abiotic and biotic features. The western basin is a proper marine coastal area, while the eastern one is more similar to a lagoon with very reduced water circulation and low ecological diversity. Throughout the years, the anthropogenic activities increased their impactsonthisecosystemleadingtothespreadofvariousmacro-algalspecies(e.g. Hypnea cornuta and Caulerpa prolifera) and recurrent noxious episodes of phytoplankton blooms. During several sea truth campaigns carried out in 2013 and 2014, many data concerning distribution, density, biomass and chlorophyll a and b, related to the populations of benthic macroalgae and phytoplankton, were acquired at different sampling stations located in the two basins of the Mar Piccolo. The sea truth data collected during these campaigns were integrated with those provided by the new family of multispectral HR satellite sensors, namely Landsat 8 OLI and Sentinel 2 MSI, to preliminarily test their improved capability for seaweed and phytoplankton detailed mapping. Different image based approaches were applied for the essential atmospheric preprocessing focusing on the AOD (Aerosol Optical Depth) and adjacency effects noise contributions removal, taking into account the optical complexity of these shallow waters (case II water). The spectral responses detected by OLI sensor in the form of various blue-green and additional ratios, once atmospherically corrected, were satisfyingly tested for mapping the distribution of phytoplankton communities, through regressive statistical and bio-optical models. The most reliable multivariate models were those obtained for surface and sub-surface distributions of nano-phytoplankton and pico-phytoplankton, respectively. The PLS (Partial Least Square regression) models demonstrated higher robustness for assessing the distribution of all the phytoplankton and Chl a distributions, except for those related to sub-surface micro-phytoplankton, as did the regressive ones. The preliminary distributions obtained via a bio-optical approach, including the OC3 algorithm and full inversion with default settings, showed a general agreement with the previous ones produced by statistic methods. The OLI corrected data were then exploited for assessing the distribution of Caulerpa and Hypnea populations, using a ML (Maximum Likelihood) algorithm through standard supervised classification schema and related station point spectral signatures. Overall, the implemented methodology, based on the HR satellite sensors, allowed us to suitably map the variability at detailed scale of both submerged vegetation and water column concentration of chlorophyll and different phytoplankton populations, in the Mar Piccolo of Taranto. Thus, innovative monitoring methods, integrated by the most recent RS techniques, are needed for the sustainable management of this environment, to prevent, control and mitigate the impact of anthropogenic pressures on the environmental quality, human health and activities such as tourism and aquaculture, economically relevant in this context.

Si riportano i primi risultati dell'esercizio di prioritizzazione delle specie aliene dei mari italiani condotto per conto di ISPRA dagli esperti dei singoli gruppi tassonomici iscritti al Gruppo Alloctone della Società Italiana di Biologia Marina

L'erbario "Irma Pierpaoli", del Museo di Biologia Marina "Pietro Parenzan" (Porto Cesareo, Le), consiste comples- sivamente di 670 campioni di alghe marine tra cui sono individuabili 219 taxa suddivisi in Rhodophyta (122), Ochrophyta (53) e Chlorophyta (44). Questa piccola collezione prende il nome da Irma Pierpaoli, una studiosa marchigiana, che raccolse la maggior parte degli esemplari nel Mar Ionio (soprattutto Mar Grande e Mar Piccolo di Taranto) e nel Mar Adriatico (soprattutto costa marchigiana), dagli inizi degli anni '20 alla fine degli anni '50. Nel 1959, la Pierpaoli donò la collezione a Pietro Parenzan, fondatore dell'omonimo Museo di Biologia Marina, il quale la incrementò negli anni successivi con 39 campioni raccolti negli stessi mari della collezione originaria.

Importation of edible molluscs represents one of the main cause of introduction of alien species throughout the world. Intervalvar water and shells of mollusc imported to the Taranto market were investigated to assess the presence of alien micro - and macroalgae. Up to now, only one alien species was found, and this confirms that the risk of possible future introduction is still lurking.

Alien seaweeds were investigated in the Campania Phlegrean lakes, within the framework of the Flagship Project RItMare Project. One species, Hypnea cornuta (Rhodophyta, Gigartinales) was found in the Fusaro Lake; three species were detected in the Miseno Lake: Caulerpa cylindracea (Chlorophyta, Bryopsidales), Codium fragile subsp. fragile (Chlorophyta, Bryopsidales) and Gigartina cf. pistillata (Rhodophyta, Gigartinales). Importation of aquaculture organisms seems the most likely hypothesis for their introduction

In the present study we prepared an innovative fish feed with polychaetes and algae for farmed juvenile European seabass Dicentrarchus labrax. We evaluated several productive indexes as well as the histological integrity of the stomach in the reared fish.

The Lake of Acquatina, well studied from different points of view, was practically neglected as regards phytobenthic studies. Sampling campaigns were performed (summer 2006 and winter 2007) only recently in order to acquire information about the phytobenthic composition of the lake. On the whole 39 seaweeds were detected (22 Rhodophyta, 3 Ochrophyta and 14 Chlorophyta) and 2 Spermatophyta (Cymodocea nodosa and Ruppia maritima). It was noteworthy the presence of the non-indigenous and invasive chlorophycean Caulerpa racemosa var. cylindracea in winter 2007, for the first time. A constant monitoring will be required, in order to detect the species spreading into the basin.

Lagoons are ecotone ecosystems, naturally exposed to immigration from their freshwater and marine input environments; strictly lagoonal species are rare, if ever occurring, and lagoon community are likely to be organised through loItery competition processes. These evidences suggest the study of lagoons as models address ecosystem fragility to alien species. Here, we present an analysis of lagoon guild fragility to alien species carried out using the e-Science facilities of LifeWatch, the European Research Infrastructure on biodiversity and ecosystem research. The analysis has been performed on two EUNIS habitat (X02 and X03) using data existing on 18 Italian lagoons. The analysis has been carried out taking into account that rarity, redundancy and singularity are key properties of different guilds in lagoon ecosystems at every geographical area, affecting B (Beta) and y (Gamma) diversity. At every area an high regional biodiversity is determined by a large number of rare species and a high dissimilarity among lagoons. Life cycle traits and the behaviour of larval stages, at the species level, as well as lagoon openness and vigour, at the ecosystem level, seem to have a major role to explain the difference in patterns of biodiversity between study areas at a biogeographical scale. The same species and ecosystem level properties, together with spatial patchiness, seem also to be key factors downscaling biodiversity analysis at the landscape level.

The multispectral data provided by the older TM5 and ETM Landsat polar sensors, despite their suitable ground resolution weren't widely applied for mapping the submerged vegetation and phytoplankton in the coastal and internal optically complexes shallow waters (typically case II waters), due mainly to their low SNR (Signal to noise Ratio) and consequent poor radiometric resolution (8 bit/pixel) which often didn't allow to obtain the required sensitivity. In the summer 2013 the new Landsat 8 NASA polar satellite carrying on board the OLI (Operational Land Imager) sensor was launched. This sensor respect to the previous ones of the Landsat family has improved acquisition bands in the visible, NIR, SWIR, TIR ranges and radiometry that offer a more reliable opportunity for operative monitoring of coastal shallow waters and ecosystems previously unavailable. In addition to the optical (RGB, NIR, SWIR, TIR) OLI spectral bands repositioning to improve their SNR, the new "coastal" deep blue channel was introduced to provide a more effective and systematic ocean color retrieving capability at higher spatial resolution in coastal and inland waters, typically recognized as case II waters. Therefore in order to preliminarily test the capabilities of the new OLI sensor for coastal monitoring, some multispectral images recorded in 2013 and 2014 on the lagoon of the Mar Piccolo of Taranto (Southern Italy) were exploited.

Hypnea cornuta distribution was assessed by the high resolution multispectral satellite remote sensing technique in the Mar Piccolo of Taranto, on the basis of multi-temporal in situ data acquired during the entire growth season. Different in situ biomass values were recorded between two stations out of the four sampled in the same period. These differences allowed us to properly calibrate the remotely sensed data

In 2014, several freediving sightings of specimens of the loggerhead sea turtle Caretta caretta occurred in the Mar Piccolo of Taranto. In particular, four individuals were observed, seeming recognisable by the features of their carapace. They were adults, which swam all around the basin. Since this species is listed as endangered and protected under the directive "Habitat" 92/43/EEC, their recent sighting in the Mar Piccolo, a basin subject to anthropogenic pressure, is of particular interest.

The introduction of alien seaweeds is continuously rising, due to the expansion of commercial transoceanic trade. oThis phenomenon can be intentional, mainly concerning economically important species introduced for cultivation purposes, or accidental, concerning species either associated to other imported organisms or attached on vessel hulls. oThe main vector for the accidental introduction of seaweeds are molluscs transferred throughout the world for both aquaculture and food purposes. oIntroduced seaweeds, which have a negative impact, are called invasive. Their biological invasion can produce damages at the level of biodiversity, ecosystem function and human health. oBiological pollution is the ensemble of damages caused by an invasive species. oOne species can not be defined invasive in an absolute sense, because its behaviour changes in time and in space. oIntroduced seaweeds can realise also positive effects, such as increasing of epibiont diversity. oBiological invasions can be effectively limited through the prevention of introduction and the correct management of human activities predisposing to the spread of invasive species. oNo effective solution was found for the prevention and the management of the introduction of alien seaweeds neither from science nor from policy to date. oAn urgent necessity of a regulation at both a national level but above all at an international level is claimed.

In December 2014, a first census of the population of the bivalve Pinna nobilis was carried out in Mar Piccolo of Taranto, to document the new status in this enclosed sea of this mollusc that until the 60s represented an important resource, heavily exploited by local fishermen. During the last decades this species, listed as endangered and protected under the directive 92/43/EEC, became rare until its almost complete disappearance. Recently, due to the improvement of the environmental conditions linked to the closure of many urban discharges, some species reflourished in this basin, among them P. nobilis and the seagrass Cymodocea nodosa. A high density of live specimens of P. nobilis was registered, compared to other sites in the Mediterranean, and this, together with the low number of deads, could lead to hypothesize the presence of a stable population with a high grade of recruitment

Il progetto ACTI.BIO.MAR: "Estrazione di principi attivi da biomasse marine e loro potenziale utilizzazione in farmaceutica e dietetica", con le sue diverse attività, ha riguardato lo sviluppo di nuove tecnologie per la valorizzazione di biomasse marine ed in particolare il possibile impiego di alcuni organismi marini (policheti, idroidi e macroalghe) per la ricerca sia di nuovi metaboliti secondari biologicamente attivi di potenziale interesse farmacologico, sia di sostanze ad elevato valore nutritivo da utilizzare come arricchitori nella mangimistica e/o nella produzione di un mangime totalmente innovativo per le varie fasi di accrescimento di specie ittiche. Nel presente lavoro sono riportati i risultati dell'attività antimicrobica della Cladophora rupestris, una macroalga del Mar Piccolo di Taranto.

Long-term studies allow to evaluate all the significant changes which an ecosystem encounters with time. In this respect, the Mar Piccolo of Taranto represents a good example for the studies on the phytobenthos. Indeed: in the Twenties the first researches were carried out; up to the Seventies they were occasionally performed; in the Eighties they became continuous and are still ongoing as such. Therefore, the presence of historical series of data gives the chance of assessing both qualitative and quantitative modifications, which occurred against the phytobenthic communities of the basin in almost a ninety-year period, showing that they are strongly linked to anthropogenic activities. In the Twenties up to the Fifties, the Mar Piccolo was depicted as a basin with limpid and clean seawater where Cystoseira spp., Halimeda tuna, Flabellia petiolata and many other seaweed species, typical of healthy environments, commonly lived. Most of them also sexually reproduced. Among the phanerogams, Cymodocea nodosa formed a luxuriant meadow. At that time, mussel farming, Navy dockyard and sewages pollution were already present, but their pressure was low. In the Sixties and the Seventies, since the pressure of these polluting activities became stronger, less resistant species disappeared, such as most of brown macroalgae, in particular Cystoseira spp. In that period, the Mar Piccolo bottom was mainly colonized by rhizophytic green algae, such as Caulerpa prolifera. Cymodocea nodosa meadow dropped to sparse and scarce spots. In those years a considerable rise of the Taranto population occurred, leading to the expansion of the town, and so, all of 14 not preventively cleansed sewages began to discharge in the Mar Piccolo. Therefore, in the Eighties and the Nineties, phytobenthic populations shifted towards assemblages typical of eutrophic environments characterized by unattached Ulvales and Gracilariales, vegetatively reproducing, which reached high biomasses, especially in spring and summer. Cymodocea nodosa almost disappeared, except some rare tuft. Moreover, in those years, another type of pollution came out in the basin, the biological pollution due to the introduction of alien species. Indeed, in 1986, two red macroalgae, native from the Atlantic Ocean, were recorded, representing the first report for the Mediterranean, that is Agardhiella subulata and Solieria filiformis. In a short time, they became the dominant summer species in the unattached community of the Mar Piccolo up to the end of the Nineties. In 1998, the Pacific brown seaweed Undaria pinnatifida was found attached onto the docks of the old town. In 2000, the increase of importation of extra-Mediterranean mussels to satisfy the local market caused the rise, up to 13, of the number of alien seaweeds in the Mar Piccolo. They came from different areas and showed different behaviours. In the same period, the progressive closing of waste-water plants began and the Navy dockyard activities were moved to the Mar Grande basin. Consequently, seaweed and phanerogam assemblages in the Mar Piccolo changed again. Concerning seaweeds, in the last years, several species present in the Twenties reappeared and sexually reproduced, such as Padina pavonica, Peyssonnelia spp. With respect to phanerogams, Cymodocea nodosa not only considerably widened its distribution in the basin, but also began to sexually reproduce, sprouting flowers and fruits. Moreover, in the last years, Ruppia cirrhosa appeared and formed a luxuriant meadow. Research carried out within the framework of the Flagship Project RITMARE and the Italian network LTER

The alien seaweed Codium fragile subsp. fragile is reported for the first time along the Campania coasts in the transitional water system Miseno Lake. Thalli were collected on artificial substrata in September 2013. The most likely vector of introduction is the transport of mussels for aquaculture and live sale

Il progetto ACTI.BIO.MAR: "Estrazione di principi attivi da biomasse marine e loro potenziale utilizzazione in farmaceutica e dietetica" con le sue diverse attività, ha riguardato lo sviluppo di nuove tecnologie per la valorizzazione di biomasse marine ed in particolare il possibile impiego di alcuni organismi marini (policheti, idroidi e macroalghe) per la ricerca sia di nuovi metaboliti secondari biologicamente attivi di potenziale interesse farmacologico, sia di sostanze ad elevato valore nutritivo da utilizzare come arricchitori nella mangimistica e/o nella produzione di un mangime totalmente innovativo per le varie fasi di accrescimento di specie ittiche. Nel presente lavoro sono riportati i risultati dell'attività antimicrobica di alcune macroalghe del Mar Piccolo di Taranto.

1 - The Long-Term Ecosystem Research (LTER) network, now a global reality, was founded on a combination of long-term ecological studies, short-term experiments, and comparisons among sites and eco-domains. 2 - The LTER-Italy network was officially established as a formal member of the LTER international network in 2006, following a wider on-going process in Europe; it currently consists of 22 sites representing the main ecosystem typologies of Italy. Four coastal transitional ecosystem sites are included in the LTER-Italy network: on the northern Peninsula, these include the Venice Lagoon and the lagoons of the Po River Delta, which are characterized by a temperate climate and the influence of tides; and in the southern sector, these include the coastal ecosystems of Sardinia and the Mar Piccolo of Taranto, which are characterized by a Mediterranean climate and the absence of sensible tides. 3 - In this paper, we present and discuss three main issues: the LTER-International and LTER-Europe context, emphasising the most practical issues and activities that must be addressed for the effective organization and maintenance of LTER networks; the history, structure, and perspectives of the national LTER-Italy network; and the opportunities, strengths, and weaknesses related to participation of the LTER-Italy network in the study of coastal transitional ecosystems.

Sono state illustrate le ricerche condotte per l'evidenziazione e caratterixzazione di composti bioattvi da organismi marini

The seaweeds Undaria pinnatifida, Codium fragile, Grateloupia turuturu and Ascophyllum nodosum were accidentally introduced into the Taranto seas probably by means of pacific oysters both as a packing material and as microscopic life stages settled on mollusc valves. Therefore, the need is highlighted of making mussel farmers and fishmongers aware of risks coming from alien species introduction and of severe control measures.