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In this work data of the Goletta Verde microplastic sampling campaign conducted, in 2015, in the Mediterranean Sea are presented together with the marine circulation analysis of the same domain. Both surface and 15m-depth sampling are realized in nine different Italian locations. A detailed analysis of wind stress, surface and subsurface velocity fields is conducted, on a smaller domain comprising two critical sampling locations, to estimate possible pollutant pathways. Inverse trajectories technique is used to evaluate feasible microplastic sources and accumulation zones.

Many marine protected areas (MPAs) around the world are ‘paper parks’. A key factor contributing to their ineffectiveness is non-compliance with the rules in place. This paper contributes to the existing academic discussion on ‘paper parks’ by drawing on critical regulation scholarship to develop a theoretical framework to assess and address compliance gaps in MPAs. The theoretical insights are then explored using a case study of the second largest Italian MPA (the ‘Penisola del Sinis-Isola di Mal di Ventre’), employing a multidisciplinary perspective built on both biological and socio-legal expertise. The biological study consists of a review including existing unpublished data on biological resources in the MPA coupled with new analyses on the effects of sea urchin harvesting restrictions. The socio-legal research consists of the analysis of primary qualitative research in the form of semi-structured interviews conducted with key stakeholders at the local and regional level in 2014, followed by two workshops (one with stakeholders and one with the general public) in 2015 to discuss the research findings collectively. The results show that the Sinis MPA is not achieving its conservation goals, primarily because of actors' non-compliance with the rules. The interviews with key stakeholders reveal a number of interlinked social, normative and calculative motivations at the basis of non-compliance. Policy solutions are then offered. This study offers a novel analysis on ‘paper parks’ that may be applicable to other MPAs experiencing similar compliance issues. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Patella ferruginea is an endemic and endangered limpet of the Mediterranean Sea. Its distributional range has been greatly reduced over the past century, mainly as a consequence of human pressure on coastal habitats, and its presence is now confined to a few sites in the western Mediterranean basin. It was assumed that the island of Mal di Ventre was the only location hosting P. ferruginea in the central-western area of Sardinia (Italy), but reports from local people and the discovery of empty shells in surrounding areas suggested its distribution range may be greater than previously thought. Several systematic surveys for the presence of P. ferruginea were conducted during the summers of 2013 and 2014 at different locations of central-western Sardinia to improve knowledge about its conservation status and to verify various reported occurrences. Findings from this study confirm the critical status of conservation of the species in central-western Sardinia. The island of Mal di Ventre was confirmed as the main location hosting P. ferruginea and only one new small nucleus of limpets was found in a hardly accessible site on the coastline of the Sinis Peninsula (Cape San Marco). This nucleus represents the new southern distribution limit of the species in Sardinia. This work highlights the importance of awareness-raising activities and local environmental knowledge (‘citizen science’) as a source of information that can result in a better understanding of the distribution of this endangered species. Hardly accessible sites represent ideal locations to put in place conservation measures for the local P. ferruginea population but further studies, specifically aimed at determining the larval dispersal and connectivity among different limpet nuclei, are required. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The giant limpet Patella ferruginea is the most endangered endemic species in the Mediterranean Sea. It is at serious risk of extinction, especially along the coast of Corsica and Italy. The small population of P. ferruginea in the marine protected area (MPA) Penisola del Sinis - Isola di Mal di Ventre (W Sardinia, Italy) is an isolated unit whose preservation is critical also from the perspective of conservation genetics. This study considered the impact of illegal harvesting on the conservation status of P. ferruginea in the MPA. Site accessibility (semi-accessible and hardly accessible) and legal protection (Zone A, B, C) were considered in two field surveys conducted in the Mal di Ventre Island in 2011 and 2013. Furthermore, Zone A was monitored annually from 2009 to 2013 to assess population dynamics and extinction risk. In summer 2013 the total population size was estimated at 310 specimens (0.016±0.005 ind m-1) with a significant decrease compared with 2011 (–52%), mainly due to poaching. Significantly higher density was found in the hardly accessible sites (0.039±0.007 ind m-1 in 2013) and generally in Zone A (0.042±0.009 ind m-1 in 2013). The size distribution showed a similar pattern, with larger sized individuals in those sites with maximum legal protection and a lower degree of accessibility. Juveniles (

Anthropogenic debris in the environment affects many species that accidentally ingest it. The aim of this study is to evaluate the quantity and composition of marine litter ingested by loggerheads in Sardinia, thus supplying for the lack of data in the existing literature for this area. Seventeen of the 121 (14.04%) monitored turtles presented debris in their digestive tracts. Litter in faecal pellet of alive individuals (n = 91) and in gastro-intestinal contents of dead ones (n = 30) was categorized, counted and weighed. User plastic was the main category of ingested debris with a frequency of occurrence of 13.22% of the total sample, while sheet (12.39%) and fragments (9.09%) were the most relevant sub-categories. This study highlights for the first time the incidence of litter in alive turtles in Sardinia. This contribution improves the knowledge about marine litter interaction on Caretta caretta as bio-indicator. Results will be useful for the Marine Strategy implementation.

Four new loggerhead turtle nest sites were discovered in 2006 and 2008 on Italian beaches at the northern limit of this species' nesting. Only 2 hatched, 1 with low success (33.3%) and 1 with a 92.2% success, whereas the other 2 failed to hatch after prolonged incubation (> 100 days), caused by low temperatures. Another 9 unusual loggerhead nests in the western Mediterranean have been recorded over the last decade, and because it is yet unclear what may be driving this behavior, further working is needed including establishing organized monitoring of potentially suitable beaches.

VECTORS Overview 'VECTORS seeks to develop integrated, multidisciplinary research-based understanding that will contribute the information and knowledge required for addressing forthcoming requirements, policies and regulations across multiple sectors.' The project will address a complex array of interests comprising areas of concern for marine life, biodiversity, sectoral interests, regional seas, and academic disciplines and especially the interests of stakeholders. VECTORS will ensure that the links and interactions between all these areas of interest are explored, explained, modeled and communicated effectively to the relevant stakeholders. The VECTORS consortium is extremely experienced and genuinely multidisciplinary. It includes a mixture of natural scientists with knowledge of socio-economic aspects, and social scientists (environmental economists, policy and governance analysts and environmental law specialists) with interests in natural system functioning. VECTORS is therefore fully equipped to deliver the integrated interdisciplinary research required to achieve its objectives with maximal impact in the arenas of science, policy, management and society.

Temporal trends in the recovery of exploited species in marine protected areas (MPAs) are useful for a proper assessment of the efficacy of protection measures. The effects of protection on the fish assemblages of the sublittoral rocky reefs in the "Penisola del Sinis-Isola di Mal di Ventre" MPA (W. Sardinia, Italy) were evaluated using a multi-year series of data. Four surveys, conducted 7, 10, 13 and 15 years after the area was designated as an MPA and carried out in the period spanning June and July, were used to estimate the abundance and biomass of commercial species. The surveys were carried out in zones with decreasing levels of fishing restrictions within the MPA (zones A, B, C) and in unprotected zones (OUT1 and OUT2), and underwater video visual census techniques were used. Protected zones only occasionally showed higher levels of abundance or biomass, and the trajectories of those metrics were not consistent across the years. In addition, the zone with the highest level of protection (zone A) never presented levels of abundance and biomass higher than those in zones B and C. This study shows that even 15 years after designation, protection has had no appreciable effect in the MPA studied. It is argued that this is emblematic of several shortcomings in the planning, regulation and enforcement frameworks of the MPA.