Integrated Geomorphological Mapping of Emerged and Submerged Coastal Areas based on the Coupling of Terrestrial and Marine Datasets

A deeper understanding of the processes acting on the coastal areas is crucial for coastal hazard assessment and mapping. To this aim, integrated geomorphological investigations of emerged and submerged areas resulting in geomorphological mapping represent an innovative way to provide the necessary knowledge for preventing hazards and reducing risks. An example is provided from the north-western coast of Malta (central Mediterranean Sea)

New evidence of a Roman road in the Venice Lagoon (Italy) based on high resolution seafloor reconstruction

This study provides new evidence of the presence of an ancient Roman road in correspondence to a paleobeach ridge now submerged in the Venice Lagoon (Italy). New high resolution underwater seafloor data shed new light on the significance of the Roman remains in the lagoon. The interpretation of the data through archive and geo-archaeological research allowed a threedimensional architectural reconstruction of the Roman road. The presence of the ancient Roman road confirms the hypothesis of a stable system of Roman settlements in the Venice Lagoon. The study highlights the significance of this road in the broader context of the Roman transport system, demonstrating once more the Roman ability to adapt and to handle complex dynamic environments that were often radically different from today

The Bathymetry of the Adriatic Sea.

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Benthic habitat map of the southern Adriatic Sea (Mediterranean Sea) from object-based image analysis of multi-source acoustic backscatter data

© The Author(s), 2021. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in Prampolini, M., Angeletti, L., Castellan, G., Grande, V., Le Bas, T., Taviani, M., & Foglini, F. Benthic habitat map of the southern Adriatic Sea (Mediterranean Sea) from object-based image analysis of multi-source acoustic backscatter data. Remote Sensing, 13(15), (2021): 2913, https://doi.org/10.3390/rs13152913.A huge amount of seabed acoustic reflectivity data has been acquired from the east to the west side of the southern Adriatic Sea (Mediterranean Sea) in the last 18 years by CNR-ISMAR. These data have been used for geological, biological and habitat mapping purposes, but a single and consistent interpretation of them has never been carried out. Here, we aimed at coherently interpreting acoustic data images of the seafloor to produce a benthic habitat map of the southern Adriatic Sea showing the spatial distribution of substrates and biological communities within the basin. The methodology here applied consists of a semi-automated classification of acoustic reflectivity, bathymetry and bathymetric derivatives images through object-based image analysis (OBIA) performed by using the ArcGIS tool RSOBIA (Remote Sensing OBIA). This unsupervised image segmentation was carried out on each cruise dataset separately, then classified and validated through comparison with bottom samples, images, and prior knowledge of the study areas.This research was funded by EUROSTRATAFORM (EC contract no. EVK3-CT-2002-00079), EU-FP-VI HERMES (GOCE-CT-2005-511234-1), EU-FP-VII HERMIONE (contract no. 226354) and COCONET (Grant agreement no: 287844); Convenzione MATTM-CNR per i Programmi di Monitoraggio per la Direttiva sulla Strategia Marina (MSFD, Art. 11, Dir. 2008/56/CE); Italian Flag Project Ritmare (Ricerca Italiana per il Mare); MAGIC (Accordo di Programma Quadro Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche—CNR, Dipartimento della protezione civile della Presidenza del Consiglio dei Ministri); MIUR-PRIN 2009 “Carbonate conduits linked to hydrocarbons enriched seepages” and MIUR-PRIN 2017 GLIDE 2017FREXZY. This paper contributes to H2020 Projects EVER-EST (Grant agreement no: 674907) and RELIANCE (Grant agreement no: 101017501). This is ISMAR-CNR contribution number 1975

CoCoNet: towards coast to coast networks of marine protected areas (from the shore to the high and deep sea), coupled with sea-based wind energy potential

This volume contains the main results of the EC FP7 “The Ocean of Tomorrow” Project CoCoNet, divided in two sections: 1) a set of guidelines to design networks of Marine Protected Areas in the Mediterranean and the Black Seas; 2) a smart wind chart that will allow evaluating the possibility of installing Offshore Wind Farms in both seas. The concept of Cells of Ecosystem Functioning, based on connectivity, is introduced to define natural units of management and conservation. The definition of Good Environmental Status, as defined in the Marine Strategy Framework Directive, is fully embraced to set the objectives of the project, by adopting a holistic approach that integrates a full set of disciplines, ranging from physics to bio-ecology, economics, engineering and many sub-disciplines. The CoCoNet Consortium involved scientist sfrom 22 states, based in Africa, Asia, and Europe, contributing to build a coherent scientific community.peer-reviewe