Areas of spatial overlap between common bottlenose dolphin, recreational boating, and small-scale fishery: management insights from modelling exercises

Background Sustainable management requires spatial mapping of both species distribution and human activities to identify potential risk of conflict. The common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) is a priority species of the European Union Habitat Directive, thus, to promote its conservation, the understanding of habitat use and distribution, as well as the identification and spatial trend of the human activities which may directly affect populations traits, is pivotal. Methods A MaxEnt modeling approach was applied to predict the seasonal (from April to September) habitat use of a small population of bottlenose dolphins in the north-western Sardinia (Mediterranean Sea) in relation to environmental variables and the likelihoods of boat and fishing net presence. Then, the overlapping areas between dolphin, fishing net and boat presence were identified to provide insights for the marine spatial management of this area. Results Three of the main factors influencing the seasonal distribution of bottlenose dolphins in the area are directly (boating and fishing) or indirectly (ocean warming) related to human activities. Furthermore, almost half of the most suitable area for dolphins overlapped with areas used by fishing and boating. Finally, relying on fishing distribution models, we also shed light on the potential impact of fishing on the Posidonia oceanica beds, a protected habitat, which received higher fishing efforts than other habitat types. Discussion Modelling the spatial patterns of anthropogenic activities was fundamental to understand the ecological impacts both on cetacean habitat use and protected habitats. A greater research effort is suggested to detect potential changes in dolphin habitat suitability, also in relation to ocean warming, to assess dolphin bycatch and the status of target fish species, and to evaluate sensitive habitats conditions, such as the Posidonia oceanica meadow

Common Bottlenose Dolphin Protection and Sustainable Boating: Species Distribution Modeling for Effective Coastal Planning

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Effects of high temperature and marine heat waves on seagrasses: Is warming affecting the nutritional value of Posidonia oceanica?

9 pages, 5 figures, 4 tables.-- Under a Creative Commons licensePrimary producers nutritional content affects the entire food web. Here, changes in nutritional value associated with temperature rise and the occurrence of marine heat waves (MHWs) were explored in the endemic Mediterranean seagrass Posidonia oceanica. The variability of fatty acids (FAs) composition and carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) content were examined during summer 2021 from five Mediterranean sites located at the same latitude but under different thermal environments. The results highlighted a decrease in unsaturated FAs and C/N ratio and an increase of monounsaturated FA (MUFA) and N content when a MHW occurred. By contrast, the leaf biochemical composition seems to be adapted to local water temperature since only few significant changes in MUFA were found and N and C/N had an opposite pattern compared to when a MHW occurs. The projected increase in temperature and frequency of MHW suggest future changes in the nutritional value and palatability of leavesThis research was financially supported by Botany and Plant Science at University of Galway, by the project Marine Habitats Restoration in a Climate Change-impaired Mediterranean Sea [MAHRES] funded by the Italian Ministry of Research under the PRIN 2017 Program (Project N. 2017MHHWBN; CUP: 74I19001320001), by “Fondo di Ateneo per la Ricerca 2019” by the University of Sassari, by PON - National Operational Programme - Research and Innovation 2014–2020, PhDs and research contracts on innovation-related topics and by the project DRESSAGE (MIS5045792) (through the Operational Program ‘Competitiveness, Entrepreneurship and Innovation’ (EPAnEK 2014–2020)Peer reviewe

Discutindo a educação ambiental no cotidiano escolar: desenvolvimento de projetos na escola formação inicial e continuada de professores

A presente pesquisa buscou discutir como a Educação Ambiental (EA) vem sendo trabalhada, no Ensino Fundamental e como os docentes desta escola compreendem e vem inserindo a EA no cotidiano escolar., em uma escola estadual do município de Tangará da Serra/MT, Brasil. Para tanto, realizou-se entrevistas com os professores que fazem parte de um projeto interdisciplinar de EA na escola pesquisada. Verificou-se que o projeto da escola não vem conseguindo alcançar os objetivos propostos por: desconhecimento do mesmo, pelos professores; formação deficiente dos professores, não entendimento da EA como processo de ensino-aprendizagem, falta de recursos didáticos, planejamento inadequado das atividades. A partir dessa constatação, procurou-se debater a impossibilidade de tratar do tema fora do trabalho interdisciplinar, bem como, e principalmente, a importância de um estudo mais aprofundado de EA, vinculando teoria e prática, tanto na formação docente, como em projetos escolares, a fim de fugir do tradicional vínculo “EA e ecologia, lixo e horta”.Facultad de Humanidades y Ciencias de la Educació

Proprieta' strutturali e dinamiche di superaggregati

Dottorato di ricerca in scienze chimiche. 8. ciclo. A.a. 1992-95Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche - Biblioteca Centrale - P.le Aldo Moro, 7, Rome; Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale - P.za Cavalleggeri, 1, Florence / CNR - Consiglio Nazionale delle RichercheSIGLEITItal

EFFECT OF MARITIME TRAFFIC AND MAN-MAD NOISE ON MARINE MAMMALS

Nelle ultime decadi si è assistito a un crescente interesse in merito agli effetti del traffico marittimo e del rumore di origine antropica sugli ecosistemi marini e, in particolare, su quelle specie, come i Cetacei, che utilizzano i suoni e la comunicazione acustica per l’orientamento, l’alimentazione e il comportamento sociale. Nonostante siano presenti in letteratura numerosi studi sull’argomento, l’entità di questi effetti e le loro conseguenze a livello di individuo e di popolazione sono ancora oggi in gran parte sconosciuti. Lo scopo di questa tesi è stato di aumentare le conoscenze relative alla problematica descritta affrontandola da diverse prospettive, sia su una scala generale che in riferimento a due specie particolari: il tursiope (Tursiops truncatus) e il capodoglio (Physeter macrocephalus). Il primo obiettivo è stato la realizzazione di una revisione sistematica della letteratura (Systematic review) che, attraverso tecniche rigorose di ricerca della letteratura e sintesi quantitativa dei risultati, fornisse alla comunità scientifica una misura oggettiva dell’effetto del traffico marittimo e del rumore antropico sul comportamento dei Cetacei, differenziando per specie o gruppi di specie e per tipologia di rumore antropico. Il secondo obiettivo è stato lo studio della risposta comportamentale del tursiope alla presenza di imbarcazioni nelle acque di Lampedusa (Stretto di Sicilia). In particolare, è stato valutato se: i) i tursiopi adottano una strategia di displacement, avoidance o di tolleranza alla presenza di imbarcazioni, e quali sono i fattori che la influenzano (durata del distrubo, tipo di imbarcazione); ii) i tursiopi modificano il loro comportamento acustico per eludere l’effetto masking del rumore delle imbarcazioni e se la strategia adottata cambia in funzione del tipo di imbarcazione ed è stabile tra diversi gruppi di animali. Infine, l’ultimo obiettivo è stato verificare se i rumori antropici di tipo continuo e impulsivo influenzano la presenza di capodogli nelle acque del Golfo di Catania (Mar Ionio) e se il rumore impulsivo è causa di un’alterazione del comportamento acustico della specie, in particolare, se provoca interruzione o cambiamento delle vocalizzazioni o variazioni nel ritmo di emissione delle sequenze di click di ecolocalizzazione. I risultati conseguiti hanno consentito di ottenere evidenze scientifiche utili alla comprensione del fenomeno, sia in generale che in merito alle due specie studiate, di valutare l’efficienza dei diversi sistemi di monitoraggio acustico passivo (PAM) impiegati e di delinerare linee guida per il perfezionamento dei disegni sperimentali delle ricerche future

Influence of Foraging Context on the Whistle Structure of the Common Bottlenose Dolphin

Sounds are particularly important for animals that live in complex social communities. In this study, we assessed the communication calls (whistles) that common bottlenose dolphins emit during their foraging activities in the absence and presence of motor boats and during dolphin depredation on trawlers, in Alghero (Sardinia, Italy) and Cres-Lošinj Archipelago (Croatia). The latter behaviour involves foraging on concentrated food sources during very noisy human activity and may require the emission of distinctive whistles. Thus, we investigated if whistle structure, in terms of frequency and time parameters, changes depending on these three foraging contexts. In Sardinia, during foraging in interaction with trawlers, whistles differed from those emitted during the other foraging contexts. Conversely, in Cres-Lošinj, significant variations in whistles were found to be related mainly to the presence of motor boats. This study represents the first report on how two dolphin populations adopt different acoustic tactics in the context of similar foraging behaviour. By investigating the effects of opportunistic foraging on acoustic repertoires, we provide new findings on the acoustic adaptation of dolphins to local conditions and contribute to understanding the relationships between dolphins and human activities, such as fishing and boat traffic.Sounds are particularly important for animals that live in complex social communities. In this study, we assessed the communication calls (whistles) that common bottlenose dolphins emit during their foraging activities in the absence and presence of motor boats and during dolphin depredation on trawlers, in Alghero (Sardinia, Italy) and Cres-Losinj Archipelago (Croatia). The latter behaviour involves foraging on concentrated food sources during very noisy human activity and may require the emission of distinctive whistles. Thus, we investigated if whistle structure, in terms of frequency and time parameters, changes depending on these three foraging contexts. In Sardinia, during foraging in interaction with trawlers, whistles differed from those emitted during the other foraging contexts. Conversely, in Cres-Losinj, significant variations in whistles were found to be related mainly to the presence of motor boats. This study represents the first report on how two dolphin populations adopt different acoustic tactics in the context of similar foraging behaviour. By investigating the effects of opportunistic foraging on acoustic repertoires, we provide new findings on the acoustic adaptation of dolphins to local conditions and contribute to understanding the relationships between dolphins and human activities, such as fishing and boat traffic