The Use of Reproductive Indicators for Conservation Purposes: The Case Study of Palinurus elephas in Two Fully Protected Areas and Their Surrounding Zones (Central-Western Mediterranean)

Simple Summary The European spiny lobster Palinurus elephas is a species with a high commercial value that inhabits the Mediterranean Sea and the adjacent Atlantic waters and is classified by IUCN as vulnerable due to its continuous overfishing. In this study, we analyse the reproductive parameters of P. elephas populations in two different fully protected areas, including their surrounding commercial zones, in Sardinia (Italy, central-western Mediterranean), where a restocking programme was carried out. Here, data on fecundity, size at maturity, vitellogenin concentration and temporal trends of egg production of P. elephas was provided, and the relevance of this information for fisheries management and conservation planning is discussed. In 1990s, the European spiny lobster Palinurus elephas, one of the most commercially important species in the Mediterranean, exhibited a population decline. For this reason, fully protected areas (FPAs) appeared effective in re-establishing natural populations and supporting fishery-management objectives. Here, the reproductive parameters of P. elephas populations in two different FPAs (Su Pallosu and Buggerru, central-western Mediterranean), where a restocking programme was carried out, and in their surrounding commercial zones, were investigated from quantitative and qualitative perspectives. The comparison of fecundity between females collected inside and outside FPAs did not show statistical differences as well as the vitellogenin concentration, which did not vary among eggs of different size classes of females caught inside and outside the FPAs, indicating the same reproductive potential. The study demonstrated a benefit of overexploited populations in terms of enhancement of egg production overtime (15 years for Su Pallosu and 6 years for Buggerru) with a mean egg production 4.25-5.5 times higher at the end of the study than that observed at the beginning of the study. The main driver of eggs production appeared to be size, with larger lobsters more present inside the FPAs than outside. Given these results, the dominant contribution of the two studied FPAs to the regional lobster reproduction is remarkable

Traditional rural buildings of Central Sardinia: the Barbagia. Condition and typological classification. Considerations and comments. A possible reclamation for re-use in the context of the rural landscape

Localizzando la ricerca in un’area della Sardegna, la Barbagia,: montagnosa, interna e centrale, fino agli anni Cinquanta del XX secolo a prevalente economia pastorale, si è inteso affrontare alcune pressanti quesiti, centrati sul tema se esistano fabbricati rurali che testimonino di una tradizione e siano ancora documentabili; se dalla loro disamina si risalga ai caratteri edilizi di un tempo, utilizzati di prassi in quel territorio; se quelle architetture siano state oggetto di rifunzionalizzazione e in che modo e in quale misura risultino modificate; quale sia l’eventuale orientamento che ne guida gli attuali adeguamenti; se sia infine lecito, oggi, mutate radicalmente le condizioni al contorno, ipotizzare un loro riutilizzo che ne mantenga intatte le caratteristiche. Si è voluta articolare la risposta a queste argomentazioni soprattutto attraverso la base oggettiva della documentazione fotografica (d’epoca e realizzata ad hoc), suddividendo l’area considerata in un sistema di 5 comprensori a cultura omogenea, osmotici entro il microsistema così parcellizzato, per un totale di 24 centri; aree diverse se si prendesse a campione quella a nord rispetto all’altra più a sud. Ciascun centro, nell'inserimento dello specifico territorio in cui sorge, è osservato attraverso il “paesaggio” e per gradi, scendendo di scala, se ne documenta la via o il vicolo nel rapporto instaurato con le abitazioni; si cerca e si sottolinea la tipologia tradizionale del fabbricato storico (a uno, due, più livelli) quale esempio abitativo, i suoi dettagli come i muri portanti perimetrali, l’accesso, i serramenti, le bucature superiori (con architravi e stipiti lignei e/o in pietra dei luoghi), l’infisso, la tessitura muraria, l’intonaco, la copertura, alcuni elementi costruttivi e in fregio e l’arredo all’interno. Agli edifici rurali tradizionali si è sovrapposta, mediante l’innesto o la cancellazione radicale o parziale, la riproposta dello “stile” precedente che si rivela oggi, quasi sempre, una reinvenzione; insomma i nuovi edifici sorgono con caratteri di deciso contrasto con i predecessori. A sostenere inizialmente la presente analisi è stato l’inconfessato bisogno di fermare lo sviluppo non disciplinato dell’edilizia vigente, fattore negativo evidente ovunque come tale, purtroppo dilagante, soprattutto per queste aree rimaste in buona parte integre sino a pochi decenni or sono, per arrivare infine all’amara conclusione che le esigenze portate dalla cultura massificata non accettano e nemmeno hanno interesse a fissare o musealizzare un’architettura povera sinonimo di arretratezza e miseria. Almeno da quanto si evince nei sorprendenti tentativi di ripristino nel nome di un presunto “stile sardo”, gusto che, troppo debole per diventare stile, dagli anni Sessanta, è diretta conseguenza del totale annullamento della cultura locale a favore dell’unica forma di economia voluta per l’Isola: il turismo. Gusto attualmente inquadrabile come “country chic”. Ecco dunque in chiusura la tesi a sostegno di un’abitazione “minima”, certamente diversa dalla tradizionale, massimamente se recente, tuttavia non lontana dall’antica di natura nomade-pastorale, capace nei caratteri espressi e controcorrente (ridotti costi di costruzione, significativo risparmio energetico, materiali ecocompatibili, ripristino del rapporto col paesaggio, impatto ambientale pari a zero), di mettere in crisi i nuovi modelli indotti.The research, located in Barbagia (a mountainous and inland area of Sardinia characterized until the first half of the 20th century by prevalent sheep-farming economy) intends to address some important questions centred on whether farm buildings remain that testify to a tradition and could be documented; if a close examination could give back results about building characters of yore in the area; if those architectures were used for dissimilar purposes and how, and to what extent they changed; what guides current adjustments; if it is fair, today, to assume a re-use keeping features intact while boundary conditions radically changed. Solutions have been investigated mainly by means of photographic documentation (of both those days and the present age) and the territory has been organized in a system of five homogeneous and osmotic districts, having in total 24 built-up centres with a certain level of difference from the far northern to the southern one. Each centre, in its specific area, is viewed through the landscape and then, going gradually down the scale, streets or alleys are documented in their relationship with the housing; traditional typology of historic buildings (one, two, multi-level) is emphasized and so are details such as bearing walls, access, windows, openings with lintels and doorpost made out of wood and / or local stones, frames, textures of walls, plaster, coverage, and some structural or ornamental elements and the furnishings inside. Traditional rural buildings were overlapped by re-proposal of the original "style" (through additions or partial/ complete cancellations) that is, today, almost always a reinvention; all in all, the new buildings rise with dissimilar characters when compared to precedent ones. Original analysis was meant to act against irregular development in the construction sector, a negative but widespread and growing phenomenon especially in areas mostly intact until a few decades ago. The bitter conclusion is that fixing an architecture stigmatized as outdated and miserable has little interest to mass culture and its needs, as can be seen in the recovery efforts made in the name of a so-called "Sardinian style”: a trend too weak to become a style that is, from the Sixties, direct consequence of the total annulment of local culture in favor of the one form of economy intended for the island, tourism. A trend currently framed as "country chic ". The closing argument supports a "minimum" housing certainly different from the traditional, especially if recent, but not far from the ancient nomadic and pastoral nature, against the stream and capable in its characters (reduced construction costs, significant energy saving, environment-friendly materials, restoration of the relationship with the landscape, environmental impact equal to zero) to undermine the new induced models.Dottorato di ricerca in Analisi e valorizzazione del paesaggio (XXII ciclo

Oviducal gland microstructure of Raja miraletus and Dipturus oxyrinchus (Elasmobranchii, Rajidae)

We studied the morphology and histology of the oviducal gland (OG) in the brown ray (Raja miraletus) and the long-nosed skate (Dipturus oxyrinchus) to understand its functional role in the reproductive strategy of these species. The external morphology of the gland was similar in both species, with lateral extensions like those found in other members of the Rajidae. Microscopic analysis showed a similar internal organization in both species. Immature and developing glands did not react to histochemical techniques. On reaching maturity, the OG had the largest width due to an increase in the production of secretory materials. In both species, the club zone of the gland showed a strong reaction to Periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) and alcian blue (AB) stains, indicating production of neutral and sulfated acid mucins. The secretory material produced by the papillary zone varied greatly between the two species. Both displayed tubular glands similar to those observed in the club zone, but in D. oxyrinchus the region near the lumen was intensely PAS+, whereas the last row of tubules of the brown ray stained intensely for a mixture of neutral and sulfated mucins. The baffle zone was the most conspicuous and extensive segment of all OGs, and it did not react to PAS/AB. The terminal zone, which is responsible for production of hair filaments, differed between the two species in terms of composition and organization of serous and mucous glands. This difference probably is related to the different substrates in which they release the egg capsules. Individual sperm detected in the brown ray baffle lamellae could be the result of a recent mating, whereas their presence in the deep recesses of the baffle and in the terminal zone of the long-nosed skate might indicate sperm storag

Homing and orientation of Palinurus elephas (Fabricius) in three no-take areas of the central-western Mediterranean: implications for marine reserve design

The homing and orientation skills of Palinurus elephas were investigated in three no-take areas of the central-western Mediterranean in order to inform future reserve design. In general, P. elephas did not show a particular ability to orient homeward. A considerable portion of tagged lobsters were recaptured in the same direction as the capture point but, the points of capture and recapture were at such a distance from each other as to exclude any possible return to the original den. Homing ability seemed to be constrained to where lobsters were only displaced a short distance. For distances longer than 0.5km, the lobster movements seem to become nomadic, without a particular direction. The movement pattern suggests that it will be important that any restocking of marine reserves must be performed with lobsters collected in adjacent zones at distance more than 0.5km. Lobsters captured in a fishing zone <0.5km outside the reserve will return to the point of capture whilethose collected from further away will not go back to their original place. Our results indicate that, for species like P. elephas, small reserves can protect most small subpopulations with a consequent benefit for the surrounding commercial areas

Diet and feeding behaviour of longnosed skate Dipturus oxyrinchus

A total of 255 longnosed skate Dipturus oxyrinchus caught in Sardinian waters (central-western Mediterranean Sea), was analysed with respect to fish total length (LT), season and depth, in order to provide information on diet and feeding behaviour. Specimens ranging from 93 to 1153mm LT, were collected at depths between 121 and 671m, during experimental trawl surveys carried out from 2005 to 2010. The diet comprised crustaceans [prey specific index of relative importance (%IPSRI)=72·69], teleosts (%IPSRI=10·28) and molluscs (%IPSRI=10·94). Levins' index (Bi) showed a narrow niche breadth (Bi=0·35). The mean±s.e. trophic level (TL) was 3·63±0·50. The analysis showed major ontogenetic changes in the feeding behaviour. Early life stages were characterized by a benthic diet, which changed to benthopelagic during growth. Mysids, particularly Lophogaster typicus (%IPSRI=34·51), were the main prey items of immature individuals, replaced by euphausiids, mainly Meganyctiphanes norvegica (%IPSRI=13·19), in maturing fish. Crustaceans became less important in mature specimens, being replaced by molluscs (%IPSRI=28·99) and teleosts (%IPSRI=24·56). A concomitant increase of the TL was recorded (mean±s.e.=3·41±0·44, 3·75±0·54 and 4·28±0·61 for immature, maturing and mature individuals). These feeding patterns ensured low levels of intraspecific competition. This study provides new information about the role that the D. oxyrinchus plays in the marine food chain and data now essential to formulate new and effective management plans for this species

Temporal dynamics of demersal chondrichthyan species in the central western Mediterranean Sea: The case study in Sardinia Island

Occurrence, abundance and size trends of 25 demersal Chondrichthyes (10 Sharks: 3 Carcharhiniformes, 2 Hexanchiformes, 5 Squaliformes; 14 Batoids: 3 Myliobatiformes, 8 Rajiformes, 3 Torpediniformes and 1 Holocephalan: 1 Chimaeriformes) collected from 22 years (1994–2015) of Mediterranean International Trawl Surveys (MEDITS) around Sardinian seas, were given. Data relative to two strata, the continental shelf (10–200 m), the slope (201–800 m), and the overall (10–800 m), were analyzed in order to identify the general species distribution of their habitat preference. From the gathered data it appeared that the shelf was mostly inhabited by batoids while the slope by sharks. Only the small-spotted catshark Scyliorhinus canicula and the thornback skate Raja clavata were equally distributed with high values of occurrence and abundance both in the shelf and in the slope. All the other species showed a preferential distribution only in one stratum (shelf or slope). In general, temporal trends of abundance indexes were stable or increasing in all strata. GAM analysis also confirmed a stable trend. Almost all species displayed stable in size structure analysis, apart from R. brachyura and Dipturus oxyrinchus that showed a statistically increasing trend. Although the investigated chondrichthyan species seemed to display a not alarming status of conservation in Sardinian seas, more investigation should be done to assure a proper management of this threatened resource

New insights into life–history traits of Mediterranean Electric rays (Torpediniformes: Torpedinidae) as a contribution to their conservation

Despite being commonly recognized by the general public, knowledge about the biology and life-history of electric rays is still scarce. Globally, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, more of the 80% of the species belonging to the Torpedinidae family are, indeed, classified as Data Deficient, so as, in most of the cases, no proper management measures are available for the conservation of these species. For this reason, the main goal of this study is to provide new information on life-history traits of three species inhabiting the Mediterranean Sea. Age and growth were estimated through direct annuli count of 146 vertebral centra sections of Torpedo marmorata. Females’ growth pattern was found to be better described by a S-shaped function (Gompertz L∞ = 622 mm TL; k = 0.15; IP = 2.75 years), while males’ by a logarithmic one (von Bertalanffy L∞ = 485 mm TL; k = 0.14; t0 = -2.28). The oldest female and male were aged 17 (560 mm TL) and 11 (432 mm TL), respectively. Females (L50 = 379 mm TL and A50 = 5.5 years) appeared to mature later than males (L50 = 272 mm TL and A50 = 3.8 years), also attaining bigger sizes. Despite the observation of late-pregnant females being found only in autumn and regressing ones in autumn and winter, the presence of uveniles dur- ing the whole year may indicate a longer reproductive period. The stomach content analysis identified T. marmorata as a top predator (TROP = 4.38) with a very narrow trophic niche (Bi = 0.22), etremely specialized in feeding on bony fishes. In addition, this work provides new and updated information on T. torpedo and the rare Tetronarce nobiliana growth, reproductive features and diet. Therefore, offering new essential data to assess the population conditions of all Torpedinidae species that inhabit the Mediterranean Sea, will lead to effective conservation plans

First Integrative Morphological and Genetic Characterization of Tremoctopus violaceussensu stricto in the Mediterranean Sea

An integrative approach based on morphological and genetic analyses was undertaken for the first time to confirm the species identification of Mediterranean samples belonging to the genus Tremoctopus. Sequences of two mtDNA genes (cytochrome c oxidase subunit (COI) and 16S) were generated for the first time from Mediterranean samples. Both the similarity-based identifications and tree-based methods indicated that three females can be identified as Tremoctopus violaceus sensu stricto in agreement with their morphological classifications. All Mediterranean sequences clustered with the sequences of Tremoctopus violaceus from the Gulf of Mexico and were clearly differentiated from the sequences attributed to T. gracilis and T. robsoni. The chromatic pattern of the web and some features of gill filaments, arms formula, stylets, radulae, beaks, and stomach contents were given for all the samples; 105,758, 20,140, and 11,237 oocytes were estimated in the mature, immature, and developing samples, respectively. The presence of four spermatangia inside the cavity of the maturing female suggested the ability of this species to mate before reaching full maturity with more partners. Age investigation using beaks, performed for the first time in T. violaceus and within the genus gave results consistent with the different sizes and maturity conditions of the samples

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The MEDITS maturity scales as a useful tool for investigating the reproductive traits of key species in the Mediterranean Sea

Maturity is one of the most important biological parameters used in stock assessment programmes. Indeed, the macroscopic stage of gonadal development is an essential feature in estimating the maturity ogive and spawning stock biomass. It is also useful for determining the spawning season of a species and for monitoring long-term changes in the spawning cycle as well as for many other research needs related to the biology of fish. Despite the efforts made during the last few decades to standardize maturity stage data among all the researchers, marine biologists continue without a manageable and unique maturity scale to describe the reproductive development of fish gonads. For these reasons, the objectives of this article are 1) to investigate the biological parameters of five selected key species (Mullus barbatus, Galeus melastomus, Etmopterus spinax, Aristeus antennatus, Loligo vulgaris) with different reproductive strategies following the macroscopic maturity scales based on the same univocal criteria adopted in the MEDITS programme and described in this work; and 2) to compare them among some Mediterranean geographical sub-areas (GSAs) involved in the programme. Neither spawning periods nor size at first maturity (SFM50) for the studied species showed particular differences in the investigated GSAs