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This paper discusses the use of point cloud segmentation, both automatic and semi-automatic, in heritage conservation processes, with the aim of consciously integrating traditional and innovative methods. Thus, the research explores the potential of open-source software tools for semi-automatic point-cloud segmentation in enriching heritage knowledge and contributing to the inspection of its state of conservation. This ensures a 3D geometric view of reality and enables the identification of criticalities that may not be visible to the naked eye through colorimetric attributes. The study was conducted on Villa Leonardi, a historical house located in the city of Treia in the Marche Region (Italy) as a pilot test. The investigation focused on the east and south elevations of the building, which were suitable for two distinct trials: a semi-automatic procedure for analyzing the quality of mortar joints in an exposed masonry, and a semi-automatic procedure for mapping alterations and decay in a plastered masonry. To validate the results, manual and semi-automatic maps were compared using both qualitative and quantitative assessments. Qualitative assessment involved overlay and visual analysis, while quantitative assessment involved transforming the segmented point cloud into a mesh and calculating the resulting surface area. The critical interpretation of the two trials revealed both advantages and disadvantages; overall, experimentation highlighted the added value that advanced digital process can bring to the issue of heritage preservation.

Pots are traditional fishing gear type largely employed in Mediterranean Small Scale Fisheries (SSFs). Their often higher species selectivity and catch quality compared to other gear types such as passive set nets or trawls are appealing characteristics for reducing the impact on benthic communities and diversifying fishing effort in the region. Despite this, in some SSFs, pots are still rarely used as prevalent gear due to low landings and profits. The present study investigated if an experimental pot design of two different colours could improve the catch efficiency for mantis shrimp (Squilla mantis) in the Adriatic coastal SSF, compared to the traditionally used design. The experimental design in white colour increased the catch efficiency for S. mantis compared to the same design in black colour and the traditional pots, while the catch efficiency for black goby (Gobius niger, another commercial species) was higher in the experimental design regardless of the colour. Furthermore, the species composition in catches was not significantly affected with the use of the experimental design, neither in target nor in bycatch species, therefore not causing negative effect on the species community. Finally, the experimental pot design also led to some improvements in gear durability, ensuring a higher resistance to wear, sea currents and marine fouling. The promising results obtained with this new design could broaden the interest towards increased use of pots as alternative and low impact gear in other Mediterranean areas.

The paper stresses the potential of digital technology in the field of Cultural Heritage (CH), focusing on Architectural Heritage (AH) conservation and management process. It presents a workflow based on non-parametric automatic 3D modeling and Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) authoring to combine geometry and semantic information. The goal of such a methodology is to overcome time-consuming manual tasks that still limit the Historical Building Information Modelling (HBIM), which nevertheless proves to be one of the most effective digital tools for the conservation and management of AH in the medium to long term. The proposed workflow consists of five steps: the 3D survey campaign and raw data processing, the semantic annotation of images according to different information layers, the annotation transfer from images to the point cloud representing the studied architecture, the obtained Point Cloud Information Model (PCIM) automatic segmentation and 3D mesh wrapping, and finally the IFC generation for the HBIM representation. This unconventional digital chain was tested to support the knowledge representation of Villa Leonardi, an historical house in the Marche Region (Italy). The final output is a 3D model of the building, automatically processed from digital survey data, and semantically enriched thanks to the material consistency and decay analysis carried out and annotated on spherical panoramas. The effectiveness of this approach was proven in the conservation project for the façades of the house: enriched data on materials and decay supported an action plan of restoration works, which was then recorded in the HBIM model, thus permitting time and cost control.

Bottom trawl fisheries often catch several species simultaneously. However, most studies addressing the catch performance and selectivity of a specific trawl focus on a few commercially important or most vulnerable species requiring management measures. By contrast, the present study considers the multispecies nature of Mediterranean bottom trawl fisheries through a holistic approach that accounts for the full species community in the catches. Specifically, we evaluated and compared the catch performance of the two codends allowed for this fishery, made of 40 mm square (SM40) and 50 mm diamond (DM50) meshes. Results showed that 50 and 80% of the catch in weight and count numbers, respectively, consisted of species without commercial value, demonstrating that large proportions of the catch are not considered when using the existing approach to evaluate the ecological impact of the fishing activity. Significant differences in catch profiles between the two codends were observed, especially for two commercial flatfish species, Arnoglossus laterna and Citharus linguatula, with larger contributions in the SM40. Further, the SM40 codend had a significantly higher retention, compared to DM50 codend, for specific sizes of Merluccius merluccius and Mullus barbatus. The outcomes of the study can be useful for the Mediterranean bottom trawl fisheries management.

Pots are traditional fishing gear type largely employed in Mediterranean Small Scale Fisheries (SSFs). Their often higher species selectivity and catch quality compared to other gear types such as passive set nets or trawls are appealing characteristics for reducing the impact on benthic communities and diversifying fishing effort in the region. Despite this, in some SSFs, pots are still rarely used as prevalent gear due to low landings and profits. The present study investigated if an experimental pot design of two different colours could improve the catch efficiency for mantis shrimp (Squilla mantis) in the Adriatic coastal SSF, compared to the traditionally used design. The experimental design in white colour increased the catch efficiency for S. mantis compared to the same design in black colour and the traditional pots, while the catch efficiency for black goby (Gobius niger, another commercial species) was higher in the experimental design regardless of the colour. Furthermore, the species composition in catches was not significantly affected with the use of the experimental design, neither in target nor in bycatch species, therefore not causing negative effect on the species community. Finally, the experimental pot design also led to some improvements in gear durability, ensuring a higher resistance to wear, sea currents and marine fouling. The promising results obtained with this new design could broaden the interest towards increased use of pots as alternative and low impact gear in other Mediterranean areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cr(VI) is highly soluble and mobile in water solution and extremely toxic. In order to obtain a specific material with adsorption properties towards Cr(VI), and that can be used in environmental remediation of water contaminated with Cr(VI), one-step sol-gel technique, at low temperature (50 °C), has been optimized to prepare transparent silica-based xerogel monolith by using tetraethyl orthosilicate as precursor. The obtained xerogel, with disk shape, was fully characterized by Raman, BET, FE-SEM and XRD analysis. The results indicated that the material showed silica amorphous phase and high porosity. The study of the adsorption properties towards different concentrations of Cr(VI), in the form of HCrO4− in acidic condition, showed prominent results. The absorption kinetics were evaluated by studying different models, the final result showing that the absorption of Cr(VI) occurred through intra-particle diffusion process, following two steps, and that the absorption equilibrium is regulated by Freundlich isotherm model. The material can be restored by reducing the hazardous Cr(VI) to Cr(III), a less toxic form of chromium, by 1,5-diphenylcarbazide, and with successive treatment in acidic water.

Passive acoustics are widely used to monitor the presence of dolphins in the marine environment. This study aims to introduce a low-cost and homemade approach for assembling a complete underwater microphone (i.e., the hydrophone), employing cheap and easy to obtain components. The hydrophone was assembled with two piezo disks connected in a balanced configuration and encased in a plastic container filled with plastic foam. The hydrophone’s performance was validated by direct comparison with the commercially available AS-1 hydrophone (Aquarian Hydrophones, Anacortes, U.S.) on different underwater acoustic signals: artificial acoustic signals (ramp and multitone signals) and various dolphin vocalizations (whistle, echolocation clicks, and burst pulse signals). The sensitivity of the device’s performance to changes in the emission source position was also tested. The results of the validation procedure on both artificial signals and real dolphin vocalizations showed that the significant cost savings associated with cheap technology had a minimal effect on the recording device’s performance within the frequency range of 0–35 kHz. At this stage of experimentation, the global cost of the hydrophone could be estimated at a few euros, making it extremely price competitive when compared to more expensive commercially available models. In the future, this effective and low-cost technology would allow for continuous monitoring of the presence of free-ranging dolphins, significantly lowering the total cost of autonomous monitoring systems. This would permit broadening the monitored areas and creating a network of recorders, thus improving the acquisition of data.

Abstract The striped venus clam (Chamelea gallina) is the main edible bivalve living in Italian waters. According to Regulation (EU) 2020/2237, undersized specimens (total length of the shell, 25 mm) specimens. For the field survivability experiments, clams under and above the minimum conservation reference size were placed in separate metal cages. Survival rates were 94.8% and 96.2% respectively in the laboratory and at sea, without significant differences between the two experiments or among size classes. These findings conclusively demonstrate that C. gallina specimens returned to the sea have a very high survival probability and that they can contribute to mitigate the overexploitation of natural populations.

The catch composition of bottom trawls is commonly refined and improved through changes in codend design. Measures like reducing the number of meshes in codend circumference or turning diamond netting by 90 degrees are well known to improve the size selectivity of fish species with rounded cross-sectional shape. Based on this we speculated whether the same measures, if applied in other parts of a bottom trawl, would provide similar benefits as in the codend. Therefore, experiments were carried out by deploying these changes to the trawl extension piece in a Mediterranean bottom trawl fishery. However, for European hake and monkfish, results showed no indication of improved selectivity or catch pattern compared to the standard extension piece in the trawl. Contrary, for red mullet, one of the most important species in this fishery, reducing the number of meshes in the circumference of the extension piece jeopardized the size selection obtained in the trawl with a standard extension piece. The lesson learnt from this study was that the design changes that work for the codend do not necessarily work for other parts of the trawl. In fact, they can even have negative effects.

Marine Recreational Fishing (MRF) is a highly attended complex activity, extremely evident along the coastlines, and mainly practiced among riparian communities. For that reason, this activity plays an important role to effectively contribute to the collective well-being, both from the social and economic points of view. However, it may negatively affect the fish stocks and the marine environment in general, mainly due to the removal of biological resources. The growing need to evaluate the magnitude of marine recreational fishing is recognized worldwide, especially in the last decade, when inclusive fishing programs began to focus their attention on this fishing activity. Based on its unexpected evidence and its wider repercussion on social behavior, the COVID-19 pandemic is considered by the scientific community as one of the most unique opportunities to better understand the social phenomenon and their repercussion on the environment. In this work will be reported very preliminary results on the consistency of marine recreational fishing in the case study of the Marche region (Italy). Number of recreational fishers and fishing effort were estimated through a telephone survey conducted in the Italian side of the Northern Adriatic Sea (FAO GFCM Geographical Sub Area 17) by interviewing 580 households. The sampling strategy also included a recall survey, which was carried out every month on a list of recruited fishers. In this manner, additional information was collected, such as detailed fishing effort, catches, and expenditures. In addition, biological data of catches were estimated through several on-site surveys. The information collected from January and December 2020 was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in terms of social restrictions and access to marine places, inevitably impacting on marine recreational fishing features, including the biological resources and the related economic aspects.

Twenty-four individuals of Albunea carabus (Linnaeus, 1758), a species rarely reported in the Mediterranean Sea, have recently been collected in the Tyrrhenian Sea (Italy) in hydraulic dredge surveys carried out to assess local razor clam stocks. They were found in sandy bottoms at depths of 1–6 m in association with the commercial bivalves Ensis minor and Chamelea gallina and the decapods Diogenes pugilator, Portumnus latipes and Liocarcinus vernalis. The distribution of the species in the Italian seas is described based on a careful search of the available records. Notes on its reproductive biology and autoecology are also included.

Interactions between fishing and dolphins can be detrimental, since on one hand dolphins can be lethally entangled by nets and trawls, and on the other dolphins can predate fish caught by nets. For dolphins, this interaction can be dangerous as they can be wounded or accidentally killed; for fishers, the predation of their catch results in economic losses due to reduced quantity and/or quality of catches and damage to fishing gear. During July and November 2020, we surveyed the “dolphin–fisheries conflict” through compiling 209 fisher interviews from nine locations in Italy and Croatia. Fishers mentioned the common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) as the species primarily interacting with fishing, with the major issue being catch damage by predation. The interaction probability varied among gears and seasons, with some fishing activities (e.g., passive nets) more affected than others (e.g., bottom trawls), especially in terms of economic loss (1000–10,000 €/year on average). More than 70% of the fishers claimed that dolphin populations have increased over the last 10 years, in different degrees and based on different areas. Dolphin bycatch rates are generally low; however, 34.6% of respondents reported having captured at least one dolphin during their career. The fishers’ attitude towards acoustic deterrents (“pingers”) as a mitigation measure revealed that few of them were aware of these devices or were using them.

We present a colorimetric sensor based on functionalized silver nanoparticles for the detection of metal ions in aqueous solutions. The interaction between the target metal ion and the functionalizing agent triggers the aggregation of these nanoparticles, and the consequent change in optical properties allows the detection/quantification of the analyte. In detail, this work describes the synthesis of AgNPs by a chemical reduction method, and the production of mercaptoundecanoic acid functionalized NPs with different surface densities (multi-, full-, and two partial layers). UV-Vis spectroscopy was used to monitor the functionalization processes, and to investigate the aggregation behavior of each AgNPs@11MUA sensor upon titration with the metal ions of interest, namely Ni2+, Zn2+, Co2+, Cd2+, Mn2+, and Cu2+. The resulting UV-Vis raw data obtained for each layer density were submitted to principal component analysis to dissect the role of the metal ions in NP aggregation and in establishing the sensitivity and selectivity of the AgNPs@11MUA sensor. Interestingly, we observed an increase in sensor sensitivity and selectivity at a lower density of the functionalizing agent on the AgNPs’ surface, which results in characteristic colors of the NP suspension upon titration with each metal ion.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a fatal neurodegenerative disorder associated with severe dementia, progressive cognitive decline, and irreversible memory loss. Although its etiopathogenesis is still unclear, the aggregation of amyloid-β (Aβ) peptides into supramolecular structures and their accumulation in the central nervous system play a critical role in the onset and progression of the disease. On such a premise, the inhibition of the early stages of Aβ aggregation is a potential prevention strategy for the treatment of AD. Since several natural occurring compounds, as well as metal-based molecules, showed promising inhibitory activities toward Aβ aggregation, we herein characterized the interaction of an organoruthenium derivative of curcumin with Aβ(1–40) and Aβ(1–42) peptides, and we evaluated its ability to inhibit the oligomerization/fibrillogenesis processes by combining in silico and in vitro methods. In general, besides being less toxic to neuronal cells, the derivative preserved the amyloid binding ability of the parent compound in terms of equilibrium dissociation constants but (most notably) was more effective both in retarding the formation and limiting the size of amyloid aggregates by virtue of a higher hindering effect on the amyloid–amyloid elongation surface. Additionally, the complex protected neuronal cells from amyloid toxicity.

Relevant, historically, it is the role of the Diocese of Fermo (Italy) in the Vatican organization dedicated to vast ecclesiastical patrimony on the territory of the Marche region. In this context, for the peculiarity of its identity and its property, the object of this study is the “Chiesa della Pietà”. This research starts with the photogrammetric survey to document and analyse the existing condition of the church. The data acquisition provides many scans following a network schema and the photographic survey allows to create orthoimages to make more realistic the 3D representation. Once acquired the geometric and material survey, a series of investigations have been carried out to assess the surface degradation and the material decay of the external façades and internal environments. Furthermore, some structural problems have been occurred, investigating and verifying the presence of advanced stages of deterioration of the wooden structures and the restoration of these structural elements must be mandatory. To take under control the decay and to propose a restoration step, we have arranged the 3D model in HBIM software with different LOD, according to the BIM Forum Level of Development Specification (2016), suitable to develop a well-structured information system. Before the 3D modelling phase, a decomposition of the building is useful to implement a semantic classification of the architectural elements. Basing on a hierarchy of classes and subclasses, the dedicated database organizes the building components assigning an ID-code to the features, putting in evidence materials decay by a thematic mapping.

Length–weight relationships of bivalve species collected during razor clam (Ensis minor) surveys along Italian coastal waters (Northern Adriatic and Tyrrhenian Sea) in the 3-year period 2016–2018 are reported. A total of 13,588 individuals, belonging to 12 bivalve species and 20 populations between the Adriatic and Tyrrhenian Seas, were sampled for this study. Analyzing growth parameters for each population, we found 11 allometries and nine isometries. About half of the species investigated showed different growth characteristics between the two areas.

Age and growth studies provide critical data for clam fishery management. Three aging techniques, thin sections and acetate peel replicas – which involve shell sectioning – and surface growth rings were used to estimate the age and growth of Chamelea gallina populations in the mid-western Adriatic Sea. Their results were compared to identify the most reliable and least time-consuming approach. There were no significant differences between the two shell sectioning techniques (χ2 = 4.66, df = 3, p = 0.198), which were described by the same von Bertalanffy (VBF) growth curve parameters (L8 = 43.9, k = 0.26, t0 = −0.84), whereas significantly different L8 and k values were found between the two shell sectioning techniques and surface growth rings (L8: χ2 = 13.62, df = 1, p < 0.001; k: χ2 = 9.18, df = 1, p < 0.002; these statistics refer to the comparison between acetate peels and surface growth rings). The latter approach proved unreliable and error-prone, as it underestimated age and overestimated the growth rate (L8 = 26.4, k = 1.91, t0 = −0.11). Although the thin sections and acetate peel techniques both provide reliable age and growth estimates, the former approach was less time-consuming. Our analyses demonstrated that shell growth is slower in the cold season and in older specimens and that it has slowed down over the past few decades.

Background The Mediterranean swordfish stock is overfished and considered not correctly managed. Elucidating the patterns of the Mediterranean swordfish population structure constitutes an essential prerequisite for effective management of this fishery resource. To date, few studies have investigated intra-Mediterranean swordfish population structure, and their conclusions are controversial. Methods A panel of 20 microsatellites DNA was used to investigate fine-scale population structuring of swordfish from six main fishing areas of the Mediterranean Sea. Results This study provides evidence to reject the hypothesis of a single swordfish population within the Mediterranean Sea. DAPC analysis revealed the presence of three genetic clusters and a high level of admixture within the Mediterranean Sea. Genetic structure was supported by significant FST values while mixing was endorsed by the heterozygosity deficit observed in sampling localities indicative of a possible Wahlund effect, by sampling admixture individuals. Overall, our tests reject the hypothesis of a single swordfish population within the Mediterranean Sea. Homing towards the Mediterranean breeding areas may have generated a weak degree of genetic differentiation between populations even at the intra-basin scale.

Passive bottom-set nets are the most widely used fishing gears in Mediterranean small-scale fisheries (SSFs). Trammel nets, in particular, have key advantages such as their ease of use and handling and high capture efficiency for numerous commercial species. However, they entail high discard rates (5–44% of the total catch) connected to high mortality, thus exerting an adverse impact on benthic communities, besides catching individuals of commercial species under the minimum conservation reference size (MCRS) and specimens of protected species. Fish pots are seen as alternative and a more sustainable gear type that allow reducing discards in SSFs. In this study, a collapsible pot was tested at three coastal sites in the north-western Adriatic Sea (GFCM GSA 17) to compare its catch efficiency with that of the local traditional trammel nets. Data analysis demonstrated a similar catch efficiency for the commercial species, both among sites and as a whole. Moreover, the trammel net caught a larger amount of discards, both in terms of species number and of CPUEW. The catch comparison study involved the two most abundant landed species, common cuttlefish Sepia officinalis and annular sea bream Diplodus annularis. The pots were more effective for S. officinalis, whereas the trammel net was more effective for the shorter length classes for D. annularis, which were mostly under the MCRS (12 cm). The innovative pots could provide a valuable alternative to the trammel nets traditionally used in the Adriatic Sea, at least in certain areas and periods. Their main advantages include that they do not require a different rigging and they can be used without bait, while their foldable design allows large numbers to be easily loaded on board SSF vessels. The results of this pilot study indicate that pots can achieve the objectives of reducing discards and bycatch in SSFs without penalizing the catch of commercial species.

Bivalve molluscs fishery is of great importance along the Italian coasts, both in economic and landing terms, and different edible bivalve species are harvested both in Adriatic and Tyrrhenian Seas. A medium-term assessment of the impact of the hydraulic dredges targeting razor clam Ensis minor on macro-benthic community was made during two surveys carried out in winter 2017 and late spring – summer 2018 in central Tyrrhenian Sea, which represents the main fishing ground for this species. The study area was located between 1 and 4 m depth, within 0.3 nautical miles from the coast. A net sampler (40 cm width, 18 cm height, and 14 mm mesh size) was mounted on a commercial dredge (3 m width) and enabled to collect specimens of the smallest sizes for the entire community present in the areas. A control area was identified where fishing does not occur, in order to compare exploited and not exploited sea bottoms. The results show that benthic assemblages found in dredged areas are characterized by species living in high-energy habitat, due to the closeness to the shore, and thus showing a high resilience at medium-term disturbs. Differences in species richness were not clearly evident both for the entire community and for the mollusc assemblages evaluated over the two surveys, among the control and the impacted areas, with few exceptions mainly depending on local conditions and anthropic pressure. Thus, even if the benthic community is typical of a moderately disturbed environment, the effects of fishing on the community structure are still discernible over and above the natural variation.

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) can be used as a surface plasmon resonance (SPR) colorimetric sensor; the correlation between the SPR phenomenon and the aggregation state of nanoparticle allows the real-time detection of a target molecule. Surface functionalization of NPs with proper molecular baits is often performed to establish the selectivity of the sensor. This work reports on the synthesis of AgNPs under reducing conditions and on the functionalization thereof with mercaptoundecanoic acid (11-MUA). UV-VIS Spectroscopy confirmed the formation of AgNPs, eliciting a surface plasmon absorption band (SPAB) at 393 nm that shifted to 417 nm upon surface coating. Dynamic light scattering was used to investigate the surface coatings; moreover, pelleted AgNPs@11MUA nanoparticles were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray analyzers (EDX), and infrared spectroscopy to corroborate the presence of 11MUA on the surface. Most interestingly, the resulting AgNPs@11MUA selectively detected micromolar levels of Ni2+, also in the presence of other cations such as Mn2+, Co2+, Cd2+, Cu2+, Zn2+, Fe2+, Hg2+, Pb2+, and Cr3+.

Built in the years between 1915 and 1918, and located on the west bank of the “Varano” Lake, a bay running along the village of “Cagnano Varano”, the “Ivo Monti” seaplane base was erected on a pre-existing medieval settlement which belonged to the Benedictine Monks from the town of “San Nicola Imbuti”. During WWI, this seaplane base was turned, from a simple water airport, into a strategic military base for floatplanes. As a matter of fact, the large lagoon could be used as landing spot for the planes sent off to patrol the dalmatic coast, one of the historical regions of Croatia, then controlled by the Austrians. After WWI, after the seaplane became an outdated technology, the “Ivo Monti” base was progressively dismantled and then totally abandoned at the beginning of the 1950s. In 2014, considering the historical relevance of this site and the unmistakable architectural value of its elements, a research framework agreement was signed between the “DICEA” Department of Marche Polytechnic University and the city council of the town hosting the site, aimed at the development of shared scientific research projects revolving around the study, the valorisation, and the restoration of the military complex in question, which had been in a complete state of decay and neglect for too long. The still ongoing research project mentioned presents two main missions: the first is the historical reconstruction, the geometric mapping, and the robustness analysis of the ruins, by studying and faithfully representing the state of deterioration of the building materials and of the facilities; the second is the identification and the testing of potential architectural solutions for the conversion and the reuse of the site and of its facilities.

The sea turtle (Caretta caretta) is the most common sea turtle in the Mediterranean, where incidental catches due to fishing activities are considered the main threat to its conservation. Over 50,000 capture events and likely over 10,000 deaths are estimated to occur in the Italian waters alone. However, current knowledge on the interaction of sea turtles with fishing gears and the implementation of mitigation measures are still poor to hinder the decline of turtle populations in the Mediterranean. In this basin, where fisheries are multispecies, multi-gears and multinational, making demersal fishing activities profitable while preserving sea turtles is a challenge. This study aimed to develop bycatch reducer devices (BRDs) and alternative fishing gears to mitigate the impact of demersal fishing gears on sea turtles: (a) hard and flexible turtle excluder devices (TEDs) were tested in bottom trawling to immediately exclude turtles from the net; (b) visual deterrents (ultraviolet LEDs) were used to illuminate set nets and to alter turtle visual cues, avoiding entanglement during depredation activity. The results showed the different devices did not affect the commercial catch, while bycatch reduction was instead evident. Thus, the study highlights that introducing mitigation measures to reduce sea turtle bycatch in the Mediterranean, where the bycatch of vulnerable species seems as a global issue, can be possible at least in certain areas and periods. Considering fishermen reticence to change the gear traditionally used, determining the optimal gear configuration to minimize commercial loss while reducing bycatch, is the main issue while introducing new technologies. Therefore, a global effort should be done to introduce BRDs in different areas and fisheries of the Mediterranean.

The Mediterranean Sea is a biodiversity hotspot where intense fishing pressure is associated with high bycatch rates of protected species (sea turtles and cetaceans) and top predators (sharks). Since the conservation of these species has become a priority, fishery scientists are faced with the challenge of reducing incidental catch, which entails high rates of mortality. Among the species threatened by fishing activities, the loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta) is a charismatic species considered as "vulnerable" at the global scale. In the Mediterranean Sea trawl nets are the gears with the highest probability of catching protected species incidentally. A new flexible Turtle Excluder Device (TED) was tested for the first time on commercial bottom trawlers to assess its effectiveness in reducing bycatch in the Mediterranean Sea. Analysis of the total catches of the hauls made with and without the TED showed that the difference in terms of weight was not significant. The catch of the main commercial species showed similar rates without a significant loss of size (i.e. total length) with the exception of the largest anglerfish (Lophius spp.). The bycatch of control nets included mostly rays and sharks, but never turtles, although the authors learned from the crews of other vessels operating in the same areas at the time of the trials that they had caught some loggerhead turtles. Our study demonstrates that TED scan be adopted without significantly affecting commercial catch. This informs fishers and managers for a practical and effective means that may reduce the bycatch of threatened species in coastal Mediterranean demersal multispecies fisheries. The measures involving gear modifications require significant investment but they are technically feasible and are capable of improving the conservation prospects of these endangered species. Besides ensuring normal earnings, the TED induced a significant reduction of debris and litter in the codend, thus reducing catch sorting time and improving catch quality.

The italian railway network has several disused lines and many of them cross high-quality landscapes. The artifacts, built to realize these infrastructural networks, remain in rural and mountain areas as 'archaeological ruins' of larger and extensive works. The conservation and enhancement of these 'ruins', allows not to miss an important historical and material evidences, of social and economic development of many Italian regions. In this perspective has been addressed the study of the Railway Adriatico-Amandola, in the Marche region, and the ex-railway station of Fermo, defining a possible pilot project able to recover the historical memory of the places through a compatible reuse and a new relationship with the city and the territory.

The system of medieval military fortifications in the Italian territory constitutes a fundamental part of the monumental and historical heritage of our country. Of these, several, have come to the present day with the architectural consistency of the ruin and, despite their high documentary value, very often characterized by an advanced state of deterioration and neglect that calls into serious risk their preservation and survival. The Castrum Flastrae constitutes a significant synthesis of this reality and, for this reason, has been undertaken a research on this important military fortification with the hope that this work will serve as a concrete starting point for future conservation action and that can serve as driving force for raising awareness and dissemination of a fundamental theme like this for the outback Macerata’s territory and for the “Monti Sibillini National Park”.