Integrated Environmental Study for Beach Management: A Methodological Approach

This paper aims to present a project convened by the University of Genoa and Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei (FEEM), in collaboration with Local Authorities, concerning the development of tools for beach management in the Riviera del Beigua (Liguria Region, Italy). The aim of the first step of the project is to assess the environmental state of resort beaches examining them interdisciplinary, through a data analysis based on a sound understanding of the components of the physical and the human system. The following step will be the treatment of the data, through the use of various instruments, which use a synthesis analysis, such as the traditional SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) analysis, and the use of a set of environmental and socio-economic indicators. Finally, our ultimate target is to propose guidelines, which will supply an instrument to back up policies concerning beach planning and management.Costal management, Sustainable tourist, Integrated assessment, Indicators

Optimización del modelo de regresión espacio-temporal multivariado basado en Fourier para la predicción de la presencia de la clorofila-a alrededor de las Islas Galápagos

Chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) is an indicator of phytoplankton biomass, which can be used to predict the presence of fish in the ocean. By predicting the Chl-a with sufficient time, this data can be used to better plan naval operations that combat illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing by increasing surveillance of the identified areas where the greatest fishing activity would take place. In this work, a new technique is proposed, based on the application of the discrete Fourier transform theory to develop multivariate spatial-temporal regression model, which considers physical and biogeochemical ocean variables to predict the presence of  Chlorophyll-a around Galápagos Islands. This work considers open access data taken from the Copernicus space program, used in the European Union.La Clorofila-a es un indicador de la biomasa del fitoplancton, que puede ser utilizado para predecir la presencia de peces en el océano. Al predecir la Chl-a con suficiente tiempo, se puede utilizar en la planificación de las operaciones navales que combaten la pesca ilegal, no regulada y no reglamentada, por cuanto se identifica el lugar donde existirá mayor actividad pesquera, para incrementar su vigilancia. En este trabajo, proponemos una novel técnica basada en la aplicación de la teoría de la transformada discreta de Fourier, al modelo de regresión multivariable espacio-temporal desarrollado, que considera las variables físicas y biogeoquímicas del océano para la predicción de la clorofila-a, alrededor de las Islas Galápagos. Este trabajo considera datos de acceso libre del programa espacial Copérnico de la Unión Europea

The Graham Bank: hydrographic features and safety of navigation

To ensure safety of navigation, the monitoring of high-risk seabed areas is one of the primary tasks of the hydrographic activity. Monitoring of these areas also provides insights into environmental and scientific applications. The Graham Bank (Strait of Sicily in the Mediterranean Sea) has been monitored by the Italian Hydrographic Institute (IIM) for over a century. This article describes the IIM monitoring of the Graham Bank by conducting surveys using techniques and technologies available at each time and integrating all of the data into a modern bathymetric database. Based on the outcomes of this case study, the IIM proposes ways to minimize the risk to vessels passing close to the Graham Bank.Para garantizar la seguridad de la navegación, la supervisión de las zonas de los fondos marinos de alto riesgo es una de las tareas principales de la actividad hidrográfica. La supervisión de estas áreas también proporciona percepciones relativas a las aplicaciones ambientales y científicas. El Banco Graham (Estrecho de Sicilia en el mar Mediterráneo) ha sido supervisado por el Instituto Hidrográfico Italiano (IIM) durante más de un siglo. Este artículo describe la supervisión por parte del IIM del Banco Graham mediante la realización de levantamientos, utilizando las técnicas y tecnologías dispnibles en cada momento e integrando todos los datos en una base de datos batimétricos moderna. Basándose en los resultados de este estudio de caso, el IIM propone modos de minimizar el riesgo para los buques que pasan cerca del Banco Graham.Afin d'assurer la sécurité de la navigation, la surveillance des zones de fonds marins à haut risque est l'une des tâches principales de l'activité hydrographique. Surveiller ces zones permet également d'avoir un aperçu des enjeux environnementaux et scientifiques. Le Banc de Graham (Canal de Sicile, Mer Méditerranée) est surveillé par le Service hydrographique italien (IIM) depuis plus d'un siècle. Cet article décrit la surveillance du Banc de Graham par l'IIM qui s'appuie sur des levés effectués à l'aide des différentes techniques et technologies disponibles à chaque époque et sur l'intégration de toutes les données dans une base de données bathymétriques moderne. Sur la base des résultats de cette étude de cas, l'IIM propose des solutions afin de minimiser les risques pour des navires qui croisent à proximité du Banc de Graham

Geothermal flow and water-load seafloor depth of the Eastern Mediterranean Sea

We used bathymetry, sediment thickness and terrestrial heat-flow data to investigate the nature of the Eastern Mediterranean Sea lithosphere. We processed bathymetric data by removing the subsidence caused by sediment deposition to obtain the water-loaded seafloor depth. Terrestrial heat flow measurements were corrected for sedimentation and climatic changes to infer the purely conductive steady-state geothermal flow. Water-load seafloor depths and thermal data were then compared to reference models of continental lithosphere stretching and ocean plate cooling. The results argue that the Levantine Basin is floored by a continental stretched crust that thinned by a factor of 1.6-2.7, whereas the Herodotus Basin crust is of oceanic type. The water-loaded seafloor depths in all the Eastern Mediterranean are consistent with geological ages of > 250 Ma. The mantle heat flow in the Herodotus Basin (33 mW m-2) is consistent with that of the oceanic Ionian lithosphere, whereas in the Levantine Basin (26 mW m-2) is comparable to that of the Sinai continental microplate

Caratterizzazione dell’ambiente marino dei Campi Flegrei. Risultati preliminari della campagna oceanografica RICAMAR 2013

The caldera of the Phlegraean Fields (also known as Campi Flegrei) is one of the most dangerous and populated volcanic area in the world, covering an area that comprises the western part of Naples and the Gulf of Pozzuoli. The main peculiarity of current volcanic activity is the gradual and periodic lift (positive or negative) of part of the Earth\u27s surface (bradyseism) combined, only during the positive phase, with a strong sismicity and surficial hydrotermal activity. Deformative models, calibrated using land-based measurements, highlighted the Gulf of Pozzuoli as the area with the largest deformation. Although the network of monitoring sensors on land is well developed and structured, there is a lack of sensing systems for the marine deformation. The activities of RIlievi per la Caratterizzazione dell’Ambiente MARino nel Golfo di Pozzuoli 2013 (RICAMAR2013) project - sinergically conducted by the Italian Navy\u27s Survey Vessel Ammiraglio Magnaghi , the Italian Hydrographic Office (IIM) and the Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV)- were targeted to fulfill this gap. In fact, the creation of marine observatories about the caldera\u27s phenomena will be based on the data collected during these bathymetric, magnetometric, stratigrafic and hydrologic surveys

The International Bathymetric Chart of the Arctic Ocean Version 4.0

Funder: The Nippon Foundation of Japan, grant Seabed 2030Funder: Open access funding provided by Stockholm UniversityAbstract: Bathymetry (seafloor depth), is a critical parameter providing the geospatial context for a multitude of marine scientific studies. Since 1997, the International Bathymetric Chart of the Arctic Ocean (IBCAO) has been the authoritative source of bathymetry for the Arctic Ocean. IBCAO has merged its efforts with the Nippon Foundation-GEBCO-Seabed 2030 Project, with the goal of mapping all of the oceans by 2030. Here we present the latest version (IBCAO Ver. 4.0), with more than twice the resolution (200 × 200 m versus 500 × 500 m) and with individual depth soundings constraining three times more area of the Arctic Ocean (∼19.8% versus 6.7%), than the previous IBCAO Ver. 3.0 released in 2012. Modern multibeam bathymetry comprises ∼14.3% in Ver. 4.0 compared to ∼5.4% in Ver. 3.0. Thus, the new IBCAO Ver. 4.0 has substantially more seafloor morphological information that offers new insights into a range of submarine features and processes; for example, the improved portrayal of Greenland fjords better serves predictive modelling of the fate of the Greenland Ice Sheet