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The knowledge of small-scale fisheries (SSFs) is important to develop management policies and mitigate the competition for marine resources. However, spatially explicit information is often unavailable at the regional and subregional scale. We designed and tested a novel participatory approach to map the SSF fishing effort using the Mediterranean sea as a case study. We applied the approach in eight countries (Albania, Croatia, Italy, Libya, Malta, Montenegro, Slovenia and Tunisia) characterized by different cultural, social, political and ecological features. The results provided quantitative and spatially explicit information on fishing operations on a fine-scale resolution, contributing to overcome the pragmatic and budgetary constraints that to date have prevented an accurate assessment of SSFs worldwide. This novel participatory approach is inspired by the principles of governance, adaptive management, cross-national cooperation and spatial planning, thus supporting the ecosystem approach to fisheries and has the potential to provide a useful complement to traditional assessments.

Area-Based Management Tools (ABMTs) are spatial instruments for conservation and managing different forms of ocean use. A multitude of ABMTs exists in marine areas within and beyond national jurisdiction, ranging from tools for the regulation of specific human activities (e.g. fisheries, shipping, or mining) to cross-sectoral tools (e.g. such as marine protected areas, MPAs, and marine spatial planning, MSP). By applying expert elicitation and reviewing scientific and grey literature we evaluate the contribution of ABMTs to sustainable development goals (SDGs) as set out under the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including for SDG 14 that directly addresses the conservation and sustainable use of oceans, seas, and marine resources. We find that fisheries-related and conservation-related ABMTs, and MSP offer the greatest potential contributions to SDG 14 and to SDGs in general. Moreover, there is high complementarity and synergy among different ABMTs for most SDG 14 targets and other SDGs, with the exception of SDG target 14.6 Prohibit fisheries subsidies and SDG 7 Affordable and clean energy. We find that some ABMTs contribute directly to goal attainment, while others contribute in more nuanced or even unexpected ways. Furthermore, context-specific factors that relate to political and legal factors, enforceability, transparency, governance structure, and inclusivity are crucial for unlocking the full potential of ABMTs of attaining multiple SDGs, as shown through examples. The major challenge to face in the next decade is ensuring durable and equitable outcomes from ABMT implementation by coordinating ABMT initiatives established by different organisations and responsible authorities. It is also critical that outcomes are monitored and evaluated across environmental, social, economic, governance, and health dimensions, with indicators addressing management effectiveness and not only ABMT area coverage., This research was conducted in the framework of COST action on “Ocean Governance for Sustainability - challenges, options and the role of science”, CA15217, within the Working Group 2 “Area Based Management” activities. We would like to thank COST for the funding that made the cooperation amongst the authors, and thus this article, possible. EG partially acknowledges also funding from PORTODIMARE “geoPORtal of TOols & Data for sustaInable Management of coAstal and maRine Environment” (2018–2020), Adriatic-Ionian Programme INTERREG V–B Transnational 2014–2020, grant no. 205, and funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No 893614-4, reflecting only the author's view ; AQ partially acknowledges the Project SIMAtlantic (grant no. EASME/EMFF/2018/1.2.1.5); MLF partially acknowledges the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), with a Do*Mar programme PhD grant (PD/BD/113485/2015); MM partially acknowledges FCT, with a PhD grant (SFRH/BD/138422/2018). AQ, FA, MLF, LS, MM, CP partially acknowledge the financial support to FCT/MCTES for the financial support to CESAM (UIDP/50017/2020+UIDB/50017/2020), through national funds. CFS partially acknowledges funding from FCT research contract 2020.03704.CEECIND, research grant PTDC/CTA-AMB/30226/2017, and MARE strategic project UID/MAR/04292/2019. NV partially acknowledges also funding from the Romanian National Authority for Scientific Research and Innovation, grants no. CNCS-UEFISCDI PN-III-P1-1.1-TE-2016-2491, PN-III-P1-1.1-TE-2019-1444, and the project T4BS (grant no. EASME/EMFF/2019/863621). The work of CP was supported by FCT research contract 2020.02510.CEECIND. The work of BN and SU was supported by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) through its Research for Sustainable Development program (FONA), and the Federal State of Brandenburg.

Small-scale fisheries play a key role in poverty alleviation and eradication, other than food nutrition and sustainable utilization of marine resources. This activity is one of the most relevant in the fisheries sector, especially for coastal communities, both in terms of employees and catches (representing 90 of the world’s capture fishers and fish workers). Similarly, for Mediterranean riparian countries the small-scale fisheries are crucial in sustaining the region’s coastal communities, where they represent over 80 of the total number of fishing vessels. It iswidely recognized that the fishery sector is currently facing serious challenges, with 78 of fish stocks exploited outside safe biological limits, as reported by the State of Mediterranean and Black Sea Fisheries (fao, 2018). In this context, a series of initiatives are in place to pursue ambitious targets: promoting at once a sustainable future of the planet under an economic, social and environmental point of view, contributing to the poverty eradication, improving socio-economic situation of fishworkers, enhancing the progressive realization the right to adequate food, and providing guidance for state and stakeholders for the participatory policies that are ecosystem friendly. During a consultation of small-scale fishers in the Adriatic and Ionian Seas, several issues have emerged, especially related to the market aspects, such as competition, lack of common strategies, logistical and organizational deficiencies, and access to new markets. Although small-scale fishers represent the focal players in their respective value chain, they are receiving scarce economic benefits for their products. Aiming at achieving long-term sustainability from an economic, social and biological resource perspective, Information and Communication Technologies (icts) were adopted to develop a tool able to explore new markets, increase focus on promotion and marketing, and potentially contribute for making pricing methodsmore transparent and consistent. The concept behind that tool is to safeguard the interest of small-scale fishers by enabling them to obtain prices and profits that let them achieving the sustainability targets. In this view, in order to explore the potential capability of ict tools to effectively contribute to promote economic, social and environmental targets for small-scale fisheries, we developed an experimental virtual marketplace (VirMa) for smart technology devices.

The Adriatic Sea is one of the world’s most heavily exploited areas, with a large number and variety of commercial important species caught and a wide range of fishing methods employed. In this basin, small-scale fisheries (SSFs), performed by fishing vessels of an overall length

Smartphone applications (apps) that target recreational fishers are growing in abundance. These apps have the potential to provide data useful for management of recreational fisheries. We surveyed expert opinion in 20, mostly European, countries to assess the current and future status of app use in marine recreational fisheries. The survey revealed that a few countries already use app data to support existing data collection, and that this number is likely to increase within 5–10 years. The strongest barriers to use app data were a scarcity of useful apps and concern over data quality, especially biases due to the opt-in nature of app use. Experts generally agreed that apps were unlikely to be a “stand-alone” method, at least in the short term, but could be of immediate use as a novel approach to collect supporting data such as, fisheries-specific temporal and spatial distributions of fishing effort, and aspects of fisher behaviour. This survey highlighted the growing interest in app data among researchers and managers, but also the need for government agencies and other managers/researchers to coordinate their efforts with the support of survey statisticians to develop and assess apps in ways that will ensure standardisation, data quality, and utility.

11 pages, 6 figures, 1 table, supplementary material http://www--int-res--com.csic.debiblio.com/articles/suppl/m634p147_supp.pdf, Marine recreational fishers accumulate a vast amount of local ecological knowledge (LEK) during their fishing activity that can be of paramount importance for monitoring how climate change affects fish assemblages. We assessed LEK of recreational fishers to investigate the increase in the abundance of 5 northward-expanding indigenous thermophilic fish species in 2 Mediterranean subregions. We accessed LEK through an online survey completed by 794 recreational fishers (386 from the Adriatic/Ionian subregion and 408 from the Tyrrhenian/Ligurian subregion). The species perceived to have increased most in abundance were Pomatomus saltatrix (71% of replies) followed by Sphyraena viridensis (58%). The remaining species (Sparisoma cretense, Balistes capriscus and Coryphaena hippurus) ranged between 17 and 25%. Recreational fishers have a stable system of beliefs about meridionalization, which is perceived homogeneously between recreational anglers and recreational spearfishers. Our results indicate that latitude is negatively correlated with meridionalization in the Adriatic/Ionian, but not in the Tyrrhenian/Ligurian Seas, suggesting that meridionalization of the Adriatic/Ionian Seas could be a process that has temporally lagged with respect to the Tyrrhenian/Ligurian Seas. Our study demonstrates that LEK of recreational fishers can be easily accessed on a large geographical scale and can be useful to monitor changes in the distributions of data-limited species such as those studied here, This study was supported by the Interreg Med Programme (Grant number Pr MPA-Adapt 1MED15_3.2_M2_337) 85% co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund and by the Croatian Science Foundation (HRZZ), under project IP-2016-06-525, With the funding support of the ‘Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence’ accreditation (CEX2019-000928-S), of the Spanish Research Agency (AEI)

Small-scale fisheries represent one of the most important fishing sectors in Italy, comprising 60% of Italian fishing vessels, half the fishers and 16% of national landings. Despite their high social, economic and cultural value, they have been neglected by national and international policies, resulting in a poor outlook for the near future. In this chapter, we provide an overview of recent trends, the status of small-scale fisheries in Italy and major, current threats to the sector. These include: competition from large-scale fisheries, rivalry with illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, recreational fisheries, ecological changes and the degradation of ecosystems. The evolution of international and national legislation affecting small-scale fisheries is also outlined, with examples of opportunities and challenges in two complementary case studies from the Tyrrhenian and Ionian Seas. The analysis is mainly focused on participatory, bottom-up management tools (local management plans and co-management schemes). The resilience of small-scale fisheries’ socio-ecological systems, mainly related to fishers’ capability of adapting their strategies to multiple sets of conditions over time and across areas, is also discussed. We conclude our analysis by investigating actions which could be implemented to allow the unexploited economic, social and cultural potential of small-scale fisheries in Italy to be developed.

Fishery discard survival depends on multiple conditions; caution is essential when survival study outputs are employed to support management decisions. The study presents a stepwise procedure, devised to estimate discard survival, that accounts for the variability characterizing commercial fishing practices. The procedure was applied to the first survival study performed onboard rapido trawlers targeting Solea solea in the Mediterranean Sea. Undersized specimens collected during sorting were assessed for vitality; some were retained for captive observation. The main drivers affecting discard survival at the time of catch sorting (immediate survival) were identified and used to outline four different operational conditions set (scenarios). Immediate survival in each scenario was subsequently modified by applying a hazard coefficient of survival after 5 days of captive observation in relation to each vitality class, thus obtaining relative survival estimates following discarding. Temperature and air exposure duration were found to exert a major effect on survival, with catch weight and seabed type being additional important factors. The relative survival rate showed an aggregate value of 22.9% (10.5–33.4%). Scenario approach can enhance our understanding of the stressors influencing discard survival. The outcomes are discussed to explore the potential applications of the procedure to the identification of mitigation strategies.

Marine bioinvasions require integrating monitoring tools with other complementary strategies. In this study, we collected information about the invasive alien crab Callinectes sapidus in Italy, Croatia and Montenegro, by means of online questionnaires administered to recreational fishers (n = 797). Our records matched the current distribution of the species: C. sapidus resulted far more common in the Adriatic/Ionian than in the Tyrrhenian/Ligurian sector. Most respondents rated the species as ‘occasional’ or ‘rare’. Moreover, the more C. sapidus was considered to be abundant, the more fishers tended to perceive it as a negative disturbance over fisheries and the environment. Our findings suggest that C. sapidus is more common than previously thought in most of the study area, and it could have reached the levels of a true invasions in the south-eastern Adriatic Sea. This experience demonstrates that online questionnaires can be appropriate tools to effectively engage stakeholders in alien species monitoring.

A major problem worldwide is the rapid change in species abundance and distribution, which is rapidly restructuring the biological communities of many ecosystems under changing climates. Tracking these transformations in the marine environment is crucial but our understanding is often hampered by the absence of historical data and by the practical challenge of survey large geographical areas. Here we focus on the Mediterranean Sea, a region which is warming faster than the rest of the global ocean, tracing back the spatio-temporal dynamic of species, which are emerging the most in terms of increasing abundances and expanding distributions. To this aim, we accessed the Local Ecological Knowledge (LEK) of small-scale and recreational fishers reconstructing the dynamics of fish perceived as ‘new’ or increasing in different fishing area. Over 500 fishers across 95 locations and 9 different countries were interviewed and semi-quantitative information on yearly changes in species abundance was collected. Overall, 75 species were mentioned by the respondents, being the most frequent citations related to warm-adapted species of both, native and exotic origin. Respondents belonging to the same biogeographic sectors described coherent spatio-temporal dynamics, and gradients along latitudinal and longitudinal axes were revealed. This information provides a more complete understanding of recent bio-geographical changes in the Mediterranean Sea and it also demonstrates that adequately structured LEK methodology might be applied successfully beyond the local scale, across national borders and jurisdictions. Acknowledging this potential through macro-regional coordination, could pave the ground for future large-scale aggregations of individual observations, increasing our potential for integrated monitoring and conservation planning at the regional or even global level., Preprint. The final version, after peer-reviewing, has been published as: "Azzurro, E., Sbragaglia, V., Cerri, J., Bariche, M., Bolognini, L., Souissi, J. B., ... & Gianni, F. (2019). Climate change, biological invasions, and the shifting distribution of Mediterranean fishes: A large‐scale survey based on local ecological knowledge. Global Change Biology. First published: 20 May 2019. doi:https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.14670", {"references":["Albouy, C., Guilhaumon, F., Leprieur, F., Lasram, F. B. R., Somot, S., Aznar, R., . . . Mouillot, D. (2013) Projected climate change and the changing biogeography of coastal Mediterranean fishes. 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The present paper is a contribution to the first initiative of the Port Baseline Survey (PBS) for Non-indigenous species (NIS) in the Mediterranean Sea. It presents a report on the soft-bottom macrobenthos from the five Adriatic ports: Bari, Ancona (Italy), Koper (Slovenia), Pula, Rijeka (Croatia), with a focus on the presence and contribution of NIS to native assemblages. Out of 451 species identified, only four were common to all ports. A total of eight NIS were recorded, five in surveyed ports and three in the lagoon connected to the Port of Koper. The highest number of NIS was recorded in Bari, and the highest abundance in Ancona and Bari. Generally, the number, abundance and contribution of NIS seems too low to cause a substantial impact on native communities in surveyed ports. The suitability of methods adopted for PBS for soft-bottom NIS was discussed and suggestion for methodological improvement is provided.

Marine bioinvasions and other rapid biodiversity changes require today integrating existing monitoring tools with other complementary detection strategies to provide a more efficient management. Here we explored the efficacy of fishermen observations and traditional port surveys to effectively track the occurrence of both indigenous and non-indigenous megafauna in the Adriatic Sea. This consisted mainly of mobile taxa such as fishes, crustaceans and molluscs. Port surveys using traps and nets within 10 major Adriatic harbours, were compared with the information obtained from 153 interviews with local fishermen. Information gathered by traps and nets varied significantly and generally resulted of limited efficacy in exotic species detection. Interviews allowed tracking the occurrence of new species through time and space, providing complementary knowledge at the low cost. This combined approach improves our capability of being informed on the arrival of species of different origin, providing a more rational, improved basis for environmental management and decision making.

Plastic waste is of increasing concern in the aquatic environment. A large proportion of plastic waste is generated onshore from where it eventually reaches the marine environment, which is considered the main sink of plastic debris To date there is a substantial lack of knowledge on the composition of these accumulated polymers, their environmental levels and distribution in marine and coastal areas. Current efforts are underway to develop standardized methods to characterize and quantify the occurrence of microplastic in different environmental matrices using microscopy-oriented methods using Fourier Transformed Infra-Red (FTIR) or Raman techniques. However, time-consuming sample preparation, processing and interpretation of complex data limits their use within monitoring programs. As an alternative, a thermal degradation method based on a gas chromatographic mass spectrometer coupled with pyrolysis represents a validated method for qualitative and quantitative polymer analyses. A technique has been developed that combines sample preparation and thermo-analysis for identifying microplastics in samples of marine sediment. Quantification and polymeric composition of plastic particles found in sediment samples taken from ten sites located in Boknafjorden subjected to diverse sources of pollution and anthropogenic pressure were investigated. Plastic microparticles were extracted from 8 kg of wet sediments per site, purified, size-fractionated thorough a set of stainless-steel certified sieves covering the range of 10–250 μm mesh size, pre-concentrated on fiberglass filters and whole filters analyzed by thermal desorption pyrolysis gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Most of the detected polymers were identified as polypropylene, polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polyvinylchloride, polystyrene or polyamide. In most of the sites, the largest fraction of the extracted micro debris fell in the size range 10–40 μm. Some shifts in size distribution were also observed in some sites and were likely related to the marine sea bottom currents and the influence of specific anthropogenic activities. The adopted thermal degradation method showed good sensitivity, reliability and rapidity and therefore represents a promising technique for microplastic analysis within monitoring activities.

The intense shipping traffic characterising the Adriatic Sea favours the spread of marine organisms. Yet, a study of 12 Adriatic ports (4 on the western side and 8 on the eastern side of the basin) found that non-indigenous species (NIS) accounted for only 4% of the benthic communities settled on hard substrates. The cirripeds Amphibalanus amphitrite and Balanus trigonus , found in 8 harbours, were the most common invaders followed by Amphibalanus eburneus , the ascidian Styela plicata , and the bivalve Magallana gigas . The highest percentage of NIS was recorded in Venice and Ploce, the harbours with the least rich native communities; the lowest percentage was retrieved in Trieste, Koper, Pula, and Rijeka, the harbours hosting the highest species diversity. In contrast, the ports of Bari and Ancona showed both high NIS percentages and highly diversified communities.

Port baseline surveys (PBS) provide species inventories in and around ports, with a focus on non-indigenous species that may have been introduced by vessels, primarily via ballast water. PBS are an essential tool to support effective management strategies for non-indigenous as well as native harmful aquatic organisms and pathogens (HAOP). This paper describes the methodology of PBS that were conducted in 12 Adriatic ports. The PBS employed existing protocols that were adapted to meet the characteristics of the Adriatic sites. Their results are reported in several papers included in this special issue, each of which is devoted to a specific community. An overview of existing surveys protocols – which provide valuable support to decision-making and to design effective monitoring of non-indigenous species – is also supplied.

This two-year study evaluates the effects of new management strategies directed at helping the recovery of Adriatic cuttlefish populations. The ability of three specially developed artificial spawning devices-seagrass collectors (SC; deployed on artificial reefs), longline collectors (LC; deployed at mussel farms), and trap collectors (TC; delivered to 19 professional and 54 recreational trap fishermen together with a dedicated logbook)-to attract egg deposition was tested. All devices were provided with a polyethylene floating rope 8 mm in diameter that served as a collector for egg deposition. Total rope length was 1,440 m in SC (2,880 segments of 0.5 m), 250 m in LC (500 segments of 0.5 m), and 250 m in TC (10 m per trap). Although the sites where SC and LC were deployed were sheltered from the action of destructive fishing gears, heavy winter storms destroyed the SC after a year. Most recreational fishermen and none of the professional fishermen provided detailed information on percent egg coverage on their collectors. The collectors attached to the three devices proved highly suitable for cuttlefish spawning, collecting more than 500,000 eggs on 2,440 m of rope. The analysis of egg diameter distribution suggested three laying events during the spawning season. The logbook data showed that egg number peaked in June. The present approach, combining habitat reconstruction and participatory research, has the potential to contribute to the recovery of cuttlefish stocks in the framework of a broader management plan.

This protocol refers to a study having the aim to identify and test at field artificial structures suitable as collectors for common cuttlefish Sepia officinalis eggs in wild condition. During the same study, three different protocols were tested and compared. This one refers to the named 'trap' collector protocol, due to the adoption of trap structure used for fisheries. This work was supported by the project “Protection, improvement and integrated management of the sea environment and of cross-border natural resources – ECOSEA”, funded by EU Adriatic IPA Cross-border Cooperation 2007-2013 (2°ord./0236/0).

These protocols refer to a study having the aim to identify and test at field artificial structures suitable as collectors for common cuttlefish Sepia officinalis eggs in wild condition for restocking purpose. During the same study, three different protocols were tested and compared. The 'seagrass' collector, the 'longline' collector and the 'trap' collector. This work was supported by the project “Protection, improvement and integrated management of the sea environment and of cross-border natural resources – ECOSEA”, funded by EU Adriatic IPA Cross-border Cooperation 2007-2013 (2°ord./0236/0).

This protocol refers to a study having the aim to identify and test at field artificial structures suitable as collectors for common cuttlefish Sepia officinalis eggs in wild condition. During the same study, three different protocols were tested and compared. This one refers to the named 'seagrass' collector protocol, due to their similarity to the natural seagrass meadaw. This work was supported by the project “Protection, improvement and integrated management of the sea environment and of cross-border natural resources – ECOSEA”, funded by EU Adriatic IPA Cross-border Cooperation 2007-2013 (2°ord./0236/0).

This protocol refers to a study having the aim to identify and test at field artificial structures suitable as collectors for common cuttlefish Sepia officinalis eggs in wild condition. During the same study, three different protocols were tested and compared. This one refers to the named 'longline' collector protocol, due to their similarity to the longline adopted for fisheries. This work was supported by the project “Protection, improvement and integrated management of the sea environment and of cross-border natural resources – ECOSEA”, funded by EU Adriatic IPA Cross-border Cooperation 2007-2013 (2°ord./0236/0).

A growing concern about the depletion of marine resources due to fishing overexploitation and degradation of ecosystems has been demonstrated over the last decade. Monitoring the spatial and temporal distribution of fishing activities is an important tool for fisheries management which can also be used by other sectors such as fisheries science, public authorities, policy-makers and marine spatial planning. In this paper we introduce the first map of fishing activity at a Mediterranean scale of EU and non-EU fishing vessels, extracted using Automatic Identification System ship tracking data. Fishing activity maps were produced for three different years with a spatial resolution of 0.01° × 0.01°. As a main result, for the first time, changes of bottom trawl fishing activities between two consecutive years were map for the whole Mediterranean Sea. The results confirmed the suitability of this monitoring system to obtain reliable information on the extent of bottom trawl fishing activities.

The main aim of the present study is to increase the knowledge on the seasonal dynamics of the set gears used by Adriatic small-scale fisheries (SSFs) through the collation of data (landings, fishing effort, composition of catches, length-frequency distributions of target species and economic value of landings) on target species,. The study focused on the three set gears mainly used in the basin: gillnets, trammel nets and traps. The results confirmed that SSFs are diverse, complex and dynamic, representing an economic and social engine and providing seafood and employment to local economies. In the Adriatic Sea, SSFs exploit coastal fishing grounds where the seasonal fluctuations of the physical and chemical parameters of the water column strongly influence the occurrence of the different species. Because of this, many different types of set gears are currently used to catch a pool of target species over the year. Fishermen use more than one set gear during the year and tend to increase the fishing effort when the target species concentrate inside the coastal areas during the recruitment or the spawning season. Accordingly, landings reached the highest values during such periods and often include a large portion of juveniles and/or spawners. The study highlighted that the lack of appropriate data and complete statistics is still one of the main constraints for most of the Adriatic coastal countries, as few countries have in place routinely monitoring programs while others are dealing mostly with estimates. These gaps often have the effect of marginalizing and undervaluing the real role of SSFs in a Blue Growth process.

WOS: 000419945400117, PubMed ID: 29330368, Using thirteen microsatellite loci for Mullus barbatus and Mullus surmuletus collected in the Mediterranean Sea, the biogeographic boundaries, genetic distribution among and within basins and the impact of prolonged exploitation in both species were investigated as a basis for understanding their population dynamics and for improving Mullus spp. stock management. Different level of diversity indices among these co-occurring species were obtained, with M. barbatus showing higher allele richness and higher mean observed and expected heterozygosity than M. surmuletus. Reduced contemporary effective population size (Ne) and M-ratio values found in both species likely reflects recent demographic changes, due to a combination of high fishing pressures, habitat fragmentation and naturally occurring fluctuations in population size. Different patterns of genetic connectivity among populations sampled within the Mediterranean were observed for both species. Higher genetic structure was found for M. barbatus as opposed to a more homogenous pattern observed in M. surmuletus samples. Adriatic populations, previously considered panmictic and isolated from other Mediterranean regions, showed geographical partitioning within the basin but also population connectivity with the northern Ionian and Tyrrhenian Seas. Our results highlight the need for temporal sampling in understanding the complex pattern of population connectivity in the Mediterranean, particularly for management purposes., FAO AdriaMed Project within the AdriaMed Working Group on Small Scale Fisheries (SSF), This study was funded by the FAO AdriaMed Project within the AdriaMed Working Group on Small Scale Fisheries (SSF). We warmly thank Dr. Enrico Arneri for supporting our initiative from the very start. We acknowledge our colleagues Laura Perini (ISMAR, Venezia), Ana Neves (Universidade de Lisboa Campo Grande, Portugal), Marilena Donnaloia (COISPA Tecnologia & Ricerca - Stazione Sperimentale per lo Studio delle Risorse del Mare, Bari, Italy), Nir Stern (Tel Aviv University, Israel), Martha Koutsidi and Alexis Lazaris (University of Patras), Charis Charilaou and Ioannis Thasitis (DFMR, Cyprus) and local fishers for their invaluable assistance in collecting samples for genetic analyses. Most of the samples were collected in the framework of the DCF programme (Medits and Biological sampling).

The present study analyzes spatial distribution and typology of marine litter on the seabed in the FAO Geographical Sub-Area 17 (northern and central Adriatic Sea). Two surveys were conducted during fall 2011 and 2012 and 67 stations were sampled each year. Litter items were collected using the "rapido" trawl, a modified beam trawl commonly used by the Italian fishermen to catch flat fish and other benthic species. Marine litter in the catches was sorted and classified in 6 major categories (plastic, metal, glass, rubber, wood, other). Plastic litter was further subdivided in 3 sub- categories based on its source: fishing nets, aquaculture nets and other. Plastic was dominant in terms of weight followed by metal and other categories. The highest concentration of litter was found close to the coast likely as a consequence of high coastal urbanization, river inflow and extensive navigation associated with the morphological and hydrological features of the basin. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

This study provides a parasitological analysis of the elasmobranch species caught in the northern and central Adriatic Sea. Sixty-two marine leeches were recorded on 747 individuals of Raja clavata Linnaeus, 1758 (thornback ray), Myliobatis aquila Linnaeus, 1758 (common eagle ray), and Torpedo marmorata Risso, 1810 (marbled torpedo ray) caught in 56 hauls over a 5 yr period. All leeches were identified as Pontobdella muricata, which is a typical ectoparasite of benthic elasmobranchs. The prevalence of infection ranged from 7.11% on R. clavata to 12.00% on M. aquila. The intensity of infection, the preferential sites of attachment to the host, and the periodicity of infection were evaluated.

Plastic is widely used in everyday life being one of the more versatile materials ever produced. The rising demand of plastic items to support the societal development has dramatically boosted the annual plastic production from 1.5 in the 1950s to 311 million tonnes in 2014 (PlasticEurope in Plastic-the Facts 2015: an analysis of European plastic production, demand, and waste data, 2014). The dark side of the plastic revolution is the marine pollution, with an estimated amount of 9.5 million tonnes of new plastic waste flowing into the oceans each year (Boucher and Friot in Primary microplastics in the oceans: a global evaluation of sources. IUCN, Gland, p. 43, 2017).

Micro-plastic particles in the world's oceans represent a serious threat to both human health and marine ecosystems. Once released into the aquatic environment plastic litter is broken down to smaller pieces through photo-degradation and the physical actions of waves, wind, etc. The resulting particles may become so small that they are readily taken up by fish, crustaceans and mollusks. There is mounting evidence for the uptake of plastic particles by marine organisms that form part of the human food chain and this is driving urgent calls for further and deeper investigations into this pollution issue. The present study aimed at investigating for the first time the occurrence, amount, typology of microplastic litter in the gastrointestinal tract of Solea solea and its spatial distribution in the northern and central Adriatic Sea. This benthic flatfish was selected as it is a species of high commercial interest within the FAO GFCM (General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean) area 37 (Mediterranean and Black Sea) where around 15% of the overall global Solea solea production originates. The digestive tract contents of 533 individuals collected in fall during 2014 and 2015 from 60 sampling sites were examined for microplastics. These were recorded in 95% of sampled fish, with more than one microplastic item found in around 80% of the examined specimens. The most commonly found polymers were polyvinyl chloride, polypropylene, polyethylene, polyester, and polyamide, 72% as fragments and 28% as fibers. The mean number of ingested microplastics was 1.73 ± 0.05 items per fish in 2014 and 1.64 ± 0.1 in 2015. PVC and PA showed the highest densities in the northern Adriatic Sea, both inshore and off-shore while PE, PP and PET were more concentrated in coastal areas with the highest values offshore from the port of Rimini. Occurrence and polymeric composition of microplastics in stomach content of wild S. solea is assessed. Spatial distribution is more influenced both by polymers chemical-physical properties and peculiarities in the oceanographic conditions rather than by the feeding strategy of the species.

This work aims to provide deeper knowledge on reproductive biology of P. kerathurus in a multidisciplinary way. Upon 789 examined females, 285 were found inseminated. The logistic equation enabled to estimate the size at first maturity at 30.7 mm CL for female. The Gono-Somatic Index (GSI) showed a pronounced seasonality, ranged from 0.80 ± 0.34 to 11.24 ± 5.72. Histological analysis highlighted five stages of ovarian development. Gonadal fatty acids analysis performed with gas chromatograph evidenced a pronounced seasonal variation; total lipids varied from 1.7% dry weight (dw) in Winter, to 7.2% dw in Summer. For the first time, a chemometric approach (Principal Component Analysis) was applied to relate GSI with total lipid content and fatty acid composition of gonads. The first two components (PC1 and PC2) showed that seasonality explained about 84% of the variability of all data set. In particular, in the period February-May, lipids were characterized by high PUFAs content, that were probably utilized during embryogenesis as energy source and as constituent of the cell membranes. During the summer season, gonads accumulated saturated FAs, that will be used during embryogenesis and early larval stages, while in the cold season total lipids decreased drastically and the gonad reached a quiescent state.

Different marine and coastal activities have diverse economic, environmental, and socio-cultural objectives, which can lead to conflict when these multidimensional activities coincide spatially or temporally. This is sometimes driven by a lack of understanding or other users’ needs and consequentially adequate planning and the utilization of acommonlanguage is essential. By using a transparent approach based on multi-criteria analysis, we characterize and establish priorities for future development/conservation for all users in the coastal area using six representative European Case Studies with different levels of complexity. Results varied according to location, but significantly it was found that stakeholders tended to favour ecological and social over economic objectives. This paper outlines the methodology employed, the results derived, and the potential for this approach to reduce conflict in coastal and marine waters. Keywords: case studies, coexist, conflict (reduction), European Coastal Zone, marine spatial planning, multi-criteria analysis, stakeholders.

Marine spatial management is challenged by complex situations in European countries where multiple stakeholder interests and many management options have to be balanced. EU policy initiatives such as the proposed Marine Spatial Planning Directive, are in different ways targeting area allocation in European waters. In this circumstance, EU marine management needs assessments based on a satisfactory evaluation framework design that can ensure a transparent treatment of different types of information including interests, values, and facts. The main goal of this article is to introduce an evaluation framework applicable to marine management in European countries. This so-called CoExist framework maps out different types of relevant knowledge to assess future possibilities for use or no-use of marine areas and links this with appropriate management measures. The CoExist framework is based on the principles of ensuring transparent treatment of different types of information as well as appropriate stakeholder representation which can ensure legitimacy. Empirical findings in six European case studies have been obtained while conducting the CoExist framework. Applying the basic principles of the CoExist framework when planning future management directions of the coexistence of multiple activities in the long-run will expectedly affect the ecological and social-cultural goals by counterbalancing the economic ones.

The main goals of this project were to evaluate if artificial reefs are suitable sites for releasing hatchery-reared sea bass and if intensively and extensive large-volume cultured sea bass are suitable to be released into the wild for stock enhancement purposes. Large-volume cultured bass were reared in lower densities compared to intensively cultured ones and, when fry were about 90 days old, were transferred into external ponds connected to the channels of the surrounding marsh, where that they could integrate pellet food sources with live prey. Intensively cultured bass were fed for 55 days with Artemia salina (Linnaeus, 1758) and then with pellets. Underwater visual census (UVC) and fishing sampling were carried out to verify the presence of the tagged specimens at the artificial reef. A low mortality rate after tagging was observed and good tag retention was recorded. Individuals dead after tagging were statistically smaller than survivors. A total of 45 tagged bass (42 large-volume and 3 intensively cultured) were returned by fishers and 16 specimens were observed during UVC (15 large-volume and 1 intensively cultured). The majority of recaptured bass concentrated in the surroundings of river mouths and harbours suggesting that, after release, sea bass migrated towards shallower and brackish waters. Subsequently, as they grew, they came back towards deeper waters and tended to aggregate around artificial structures. Analysis of stomach contents of returned individuals confirmed their dependence on hard-substrate food items. The study provides evidence to support the suitability of large-volume juveniles for restocking purposes, due to their ability to prey on wild food and their endurance to the stress caused by release operations.

Despite the high number of studies on fish assemblages associated with artificial reefs and offshore platforms, little information exists on the growth rates of fish living on artificial and natural substrates. Age and growth was determined throughout otolith reading on two commercial scorpionfishes (Scorpaena porcus and Scorpaena notata) caught in the surroundings of artificial structures (artificial reefs and gas platforms) and natural habitats. Von Bertalanffy growth parameters were calculated for each species separately for each site. Age of S. porcus and S. notata ranged from 0 to 8 years and from 0 to 16 years, respectively. Kimura test applied to Von Bertalanffy growth curves indicated that the individuals of both species inhabiting the artificial structures had higher growth parameters than those caught in the natural habitat. The presence of artificial habitats in the northern Adriatic Sea positively affects growth rates and growth performance of both species, likely for the greater prey availability in respect to the natural open sea.Apesar do elevado número de estudos sobre as assembléias de peixes associadas a recifes artificiais e plataformas offshore, existe pouca informação sobre as taxas de crescimento dos peixes que vivem em substratos artificiais e naturais. A idade e crescimento foram determinados pela leitura de otólitos em dois peixes escorpião comerciais (Scorpaena porcus e Scorpaena notata) capturados nas imediações de estruturas artificiais (recifes artificiais e plataformas de gás) e habitats naturais. Parâmetros de crescimento de von Bertalanffy foram calculadoss separadamente para cada espécie e cada local. A idade de Scorpaena porcus e Scorpaena notata variou entre 0 e 8 anos e 0 e 16 anos, respectivamente. O teste Kimura aplicado às curvas de crescimento de Bertalanffy indicaram que os indivíduos das duas espécies que habitam as estruturas artificiais tinham parâmetros de crescimento mais elevados do que dos capturados no habitat natural. A presença de habitats artificiais no norte do Mar Adriático afeta positivamente as taxas de crescimento e o desempenho de crescimento de ambas as espécies, provavelmente pela maior disponibilidade de presas em relação ao mar aberto natural.

Age and growth of the black scorpionfish, Scorpaena porcus , were estimated for different populations inhabiting natural reefs and artificial structures (artificial reefs and offshore gas platforms) in the northwestern Adriatic Sea. Annual growth increment counts were carried out on sagittal otoliths of 415 specimens ranging from 80 to 280 mm TL. The accuracy of age estimates was assessed by testing the annual deposition of annuli and the location of the first annulus by marginal increment analysis and daily growth increment counts, respectively. As commonly observed in other scorpaenids, annuli consisted of an alternating pattern of opaque and translucent zones. Marginal increment analysis confirmed that annuli are formed once a year, with opaque zones laid down in spring-summer and translucent zones laid down in autumn-winter. The precision of age estimates was tested by applying both the average percent error (APE) and the mean coefficient of variation (CV). The maximum age estimated for the whole sampled populations was 8 years. The von Bertalanffy growth curves were separately fitted for natural and artificial reef populations of S. porcus . The likelihood ratio test indicated that the overall von Bertalanffy growth curves differed significantly between the two populations. The instantaneous growth rate ( k , year -1 ) and asymptotic length (L ∞ , cm) were 0.23 and 22.30 and 0.53 and 20.13 for natural and artificial reef populations, respectively. Compared with natural reef population, populations of S. porcus inhabiting artificial reefs and, particularly, offshore platforms, were characterized by larger and older fish. However, young-of-the-year were completely absent from the platform habitats. The effects of artificial structures on S. porcus populations in the study area are discussed in the light of previous results on scorpionfish living in other areas.

Size selectivity of basket traps for changeable nassa ( Nassarius mutabilis ) was estimated through comparative fishing trials with traps varying in mesh size and net colour. Selectivity curves of two commercial (19 mm white twine and 19 mm black twine) and three experimental (23, 26 and 28 mm white twine) traps were estimated using SELECT method. In addition, theoretical size-selectivity curves were calculated from morphometric data using a simplified version of Sechin method. Differing from the opinion of fishermen, N. mutabilis did not show any preference for dark coloured twine. Retention curves estimated with SELECT method had a very sharp selectivity and well fitted catch data in all cases. Theoretical size-selectivity curves were very close to size-selectivity curves obtained from experimental data. The two types of curve were very similar in shape, although the theoretical ones were shifted towards larger size classes and showed a slightly steeper slope than SELECT curves. The mesh size commonly used by fishermen is not adequate for rationally exploiting the resource, as catches mainly included undersized specimens, whilst the 23 and 26 mm mesh sizes would represent a good compromise between reduced occurrence of undersized individuals and satisfactory yields of commercial product.

The identification of nursery grounds and other essential fish habitats of exploited stocks is a key requirement for the development of spatial conservation planning aimed at reducing the adverse impact of fishing on the exploited populations and ecosystems. The reduction in juvenile mortality is particularly relevant in the Mediterranean and is considered as one of the main prerequisites for the future sustainability of trawl fisheries. The distribution of nursery areas of 11 important commercial species of demersal fish and shellfish was analysed in the European Union Mediterranean waters using time series of bottom trawl survey data with the aim of identifying the most persistent recruitment areas. A high interspecific spatial overlap between nursery areas was mainly found along the shelf break of many different sectors of the Northern Mediterranean indicating a high potential for the implementation of conservation measures. Overlap of the nursery grounds with existing spatial fisheries management measures and trawl fisheries restricted areas was also investigated. Spatial analyses revealed considerable variation depending on species and associated habitat/depth preferences with increased protection seen in coastal nurseries and minimal protection seen for deeper nurseries (e.g. Parapenaeus longirostris 6%). This is partly attributed to existing environmental policy instruments (e.g. Habitats Directive and Mediterranean Regulation EC 1967/2006) aiming at minimising impacts on coastal priority habitats such as seagrass, coralligenous and maerl beds. The new knowledge on the distribution and persistence of demersal nurseries provided in this study can support the application of spatial conservation measures, such as the designation of no-take Marine Protected Areas in EU Mediterranean waters and their inclusion in a conservation network. The establishment of no-take zones will be consistent with the objectives of the Common Fisheries Policy applying the ecosystem approach to fisheries management and with the requirements of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive to maintain or achieve seafloor integrity and good environmental status., This study was supported and financed by the Commission of the European Union (DG MARE) through the Project MEDISEH: Mediterranean Sensitive Habitats within the MAREA Framework contract (Call for tenders MAREA/2009/05). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript., peer-reviewed