26 research outputs found
Is the 2018 loggerhead nest really another exceptional sea turtle nesting record following the 2012 and 2016 previous nesting cases in Malta?
We report another nesting event by a loggerhead turtle in Ġnejna (Malta), in June 2018, with an extraordinary hatching rate of 99.1%. This follows the previously reported nesting in 2012 in the same bay, and the 2016 event in a nearby beach at Golden Bay, both beaches located in the NW of Malta. Before the 2012 record, scientifically recorded turtle nesting in Malta had only been reported dating back some 100 years, although in one paper it is alleged that turtles may have been nesting in Malta up until some 50-60 years ago. Noting that loggerheads have an average remigration interval of 2 years, it is possible that the same turtle that nested in 2012 came back to Ġnejna to nest again in 2018. It is hoped that DNA analysis, which ideally follows at a later stage, will determine whether it was the same turtle.
Campaigns are currently ongoing to solicit greater reporting of nesting. Relocation of eggs is discussed. In this paper we also describe conservation measures that were set-up in this bay and in Golden Bay, including measures during hatching. Emergency conservation orders were issued in all the three nesting events, to protect the beaches in question from any major and potentially harmful activities. The sites were also surrounded and physically protected with a 24 hour monitoring scheme being set-up with the help of volunteers from Nature Trust Malta and government officials
Blazing the trail: Social innovation supporting wildfire-resilient territories in Catalonia (Spain)
Mediterranean territories have co-evolved and been shaped by fire throughout history. However, global environmental change conditions are increasing the size, intensity and severity of wildfires, which have gone from a regular natural disturbance to a serious threat for civil protection, surpassing firefighting capacities. Therefore, building resilience in fire-prone territories is an increasingly relevant policy and management objective. However, the notion of resilience has been criticized for paying insufficient attention to key social issues such as socio-political dynamics, power imbalances and societal change. At the same time, social science contributions to wildfire research are still rather limited. In this paper, we bridge social innovation theory to resilience theory in order to create a territorially embedded and socially sensitive framework for assessing socio-ecological resilience. From this perspective, we then examine how Forest Defence Groups (ADFs, by their Catalan acronym) have evolved from grassroots, bottom-up initiatives to well-established bottom-linked institutions and we evaluate their contributions to socio-ecological resilience in the territories where they operate. Our results show that ADFs contribute in several aspects to socio-ecological resilience and that the pave the way for opening up spaces of dialogue and collaboration through which local communities can engage with the issues that directly affect them, such as wildfires.This research received funding from the SIMRA project, funded by European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 677622. During the writing phase it also received funding from the Pyrolife project, funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme MSCA-ITN2019 – Innovative Training Networks, under grant agreement No 860787
Marine biodiversity in Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (ABNJ)
It is a known fact that 50 to 80% of biodiversity is found in the marine environment.
Thus safeguarding marine ecosystems is of critical importance for the sustainable
development of present and future generations. The conservation and sustainable use
of marine biodiversity in ABNJ is becoming increasingly enticing internationally,
as more scientific information is discovered on the productivity of such biodiversity
and as we are realising that such biodiversity is also highly susceptible to increasing
anthropogenic threats particularly in seamounts, hydrothermal vents and cold-water
coral reefs.peer-reviewe
Baseline ecological data collection from the marine area around Filfla (Malta, Central Mediterranean Sea)
Acoustic and limited video sampling were carried out in a 1.1 nautical mile-radius area
around Filfla, an islet 4.4 to the south-west of Malta, to characterize the benthos and the habitat type
distribution. In addition, identified priority areas were sampled during SCUBA diving surveys. A total of
173 species were recorded during the current survey. Rhodophytes were the most represented (29 species),
followed by molluscs (25 species). The biotic assemblages recorded from the marine area around Filfla are
generally representative of those found in Maltese inshore waters.peer-reviewe
Involvement of institutions and local communities in turtles and cetacean monitoring and conservation in Maltese waters through networking
The loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta) and the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops
truncatus) are regularly found around Maltese waters, especially the former. However,
until recently, information on the populations and conservation status of both species
in the area was lacking. The EU LIFE+ project MIGRATE (LIFE11 NAT/MT/1070)
was carried out to address these information gaps by aiming to obtain more biotic data
on these species and to identify areas essential for the life cycle and reproduction of
these protected species in Maltese waters.
To achieve these aims, amongst others, a citizen science approach was chosen, with
the involvement of a number of institutes like the Maritime Squadron of the Armed
Forces of Malta (AFM) and that of the Civil Protection Department (CPD) as well as
local non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and other sea-user communities such
as divers.peer-reviewe
Final report in connection with MED-ERMIS (Mediterranean Environmental Reporting Monitoring and Information System) MALTA
This report outlines the work that has been carried so far as part of the MED-ERMIS (Malta) project between November 2000 and November 2002. The Sustainability Indicators – Malta Observatory (SI-MO) was established in November 2000 to meet the requirements of the MED-ERMIS (Malta) project. The Observatory’s main remit was to conduct research and development work, and to disseminate information on Sustainability Indicators for Malta. SI-MO engaged research assistants, consultants and secretarial staff in order to assist in the execution of this project.peer-reviewe
Service-learning in dental education. The experience in Malta
Service learning has gained relevance in dental education in the past decades. Traditionally it is integrated in community dentistry as a key component of the dental curriculum. However emerging trends in our communities’ demand further exploration and development of this notion. Community dentistry, through service learning, provides the framework for the student to understand the concept of social responsibility. Furthermore, it enhances the educational experience in the different aspects of dental education, including improving their clinical skills, self-confidence and empathy. At the same time, it proves to benefit the communities at large by providing access to oral health care. In this paper, we present our experiences in service learning and growing as a community-engaged faculty by providing healthcare to vulnerable populations, creating programs and opening several clinical facilities, and finally earning the respect of the community. Service learning has become one of our greatest strengths as a Faculty.peer-reviewe
Inventory of alien and cryptogenic species of the Dodecanese (Aegean Sea, Greece): collaboration through COST action training school
The Dodecanese region has a high prevalence of marine alien species due to its close proximity to the Suez Canal and associated Suez shipping lanes, as well as its location at biogeographical border between sub-tropical and tropical biota. This region is therefore very important for the early detection of alien species entering the Mediterranean Sea via the Suez Canal and it is imperative that monitoring of alien species is continued in order to assess the levels of biological invasion. We present results of marine alien surveys, carried out in April 2014 on the island of Rodos. Surveys were performed by a team of marine taxonomic
experts and students as part of an EU wide training school, coordinated by the COST Action TD1209 “Alien Challenge”. A variety of survey methods were employed to cover a number of coastal habitats. These included: rapid assessment surveys of epibiota on artificial structures in harbours, rapid assessment snorkelling surveys of biota on sublittoral bedrock, and quantified fishing surveys (both boat-seine and trammel net fishing methods). A total of 33 alien and
cryptogenic species were recorded across all the survey techniques. Of these species, 9 represented first records for Rodos: the foraminiferan Amphisorus hemprichii, the polychaetes Branchiomma bairdi, Dorvillea similis, Hydroides dirampha and Pseudonereis anomala, the molluscs Aplysia parvula, Chama
pacifica and Septifer cumingii, and the bryozoan Hippopodina feegeensis. Of note the record of the Lessepsian invader Dorvillea similis represents the second
record in the Mediterranean Sea. Alien fish species represented a small but notable proportion of the diversity, biomass and number of individuals in fishing
catch of both fishing methods. All alien fish species observed were already known to be present in Rodos. The addition of species firstly recorded in this study
brings the total number of marine alien and cryptogenic species in the Dodecanese region up to 129 species. The vast majority of these alien species have entered
unaided via the Suez Canal, but an increasing number have been introduced through hull fouling or ballast water transfer from shipping. The results highlight the
value of conducting marine alien surveys with teams of a diverse range of taxonomic expertise, both in its scientific output and student training