Environmental Conditions along Tuna Larval Dispersion: Insights on the Spawning Habitat and Impact on Their Development Stages

Estimated larval backward trajectories of three Tuna species, namely, Atlantic Bluefin Tuna (Thunnus thynnus, Linnaeus, 1758), Bullet Tuna (Auxis Rochei, Risso, 1801) and Albacore Tuna (Thunnus alalunga, Bonnaterre, 1788) in the central Mediterranean Sea, were used to characterize their spawning habitats, and to assess the impact of changes due to the major environmental parameters (i.e., sea surface temperature and chlorophyll-a concentration) on larval development during their advection by surface currents. We assumed that the environmental variability experienced by larvae along their paths may have influenced their development, also affecting their survival. Our results showed that the Tuna larvae underwent an accelerated growth in favorable environmental conditions, impacting on the notochord development. In addition, further updated information on spawning and larval retention habitats of Atlantic Bluefin Tuna, Bullet and Albacore Tunas in the central Mediterranean Sea were delivered

Coupling Lagrangian simulation models and remote sensing to explore the environmental effect on larval growth rate: The Mediterranean case study of round sardinella (Sardinella aurita) early life stages

The relationship between environmental conditions and early life-history traits of Sardinella aurita are investigated using material collected in two sites of the Central Mediterranean Sea. Individual mean daily growth during the planktonic phase has been determined by using otolith microstructure analysis, while Lagrangian simulation models allowed to estimate the daily position in space and time of each specimen from the hatching to the catch. Generalized Additive Mixed Models (GAMMs) have been implemented to explore the impact of environmental conditions at time t, t-1 day and t-2 days on the mean daily growth rate occurring at time t. Spatial analysis evidenced a wide dispersion of eggs and larvae in the coastal area of both sampling sites in correspondence to relatively warmer and chlorophyll-a enriched waters. Lagrangian simulations detected a complementary larval dispersal pathway able to transport larvae to a known retention area. Temperature at time t was the most important driver affecting the mean daily larval growth, followed by the food availability. On the other hand, models performed on lagged environmental covariates (t-1 and t-2) did not show any significant effect on the growth rate at time t. In addition to the sub-linear positive correlation between temperature and mean daily larval growth, model highlighted a decrease in the otolith core width at higher temperature that can be linked to an earlier stage of ontogeny at hatching. This study provided a useful methodological approach that takes advantage of available remote sensing data to perform ecological studies in support to fisheries management

Exploiting videos for science communication: the edulab experience

Nowadays, science communication and popularisation are part of a scientist’s everiday life because because divulgation disseminates scientific information to the general pubblic, helping himto under stand specific scientific subject and the advancements of research, as well as inspiring critical reflection, awareness and environmentally responsible behaviours. A team of scientists, researches and technicians of the IAS-CNR of Capo Granitola welcomed this challenge, founding the EDULab group. Its core activities are addressed in science divulgation and experimentation of innovative approaches using emerging digital technologies. Among a variety of science comunication products, videos have proved to be one of the best ways to litterally «immerse» the audience in scientific research and make the experience fun, in particular for non scientic audience and young people

Valutazione dello stato della biodiversità in aree antropizzate: applicazione della metodologia BRUV (Baited Remote Underwater Video) per lo studio della componente nectonica dell'ecosistema

Uno studio di valutazione dello stato della biodiversità focalizzato sulla componente nectonica e finalizzato alla determinazione dell’abbondanza e della composizione in specie del popolamento marino costiero si può avvalere di diversi strumenti e metodologie, le quali possono essere più o meno invasive sull’ecosistema oggetto dello studio. È possibile ad esempio applicare delle metodologie di pesca sperimentale, i.e. di prelievo degli organismi dal loro ambiente al fine di riconoscere e quantificare la presenza delle specie nectoniche nell’area di studio. Esistono tuttavia metodologie meno distruttive che permettono la raccolta di dati attraverso una stima visiva dell’abbondanza e della composizione delle specie direttamente nel loro ambiente naturale. Di queste metodologie fanno parte i censimenti visivi in situ (Samoilys M.A. 1997), i quali hanno il vantaggio di permettere la raccolta dati nel rispetto della biodiversità, evitando eventi mortali e/o fortemente stressanti agli individui oggetto dello studio. Questo fa si che tali metodologie risultino particolarmente utili in ambienti vulnerabili e/o soggetti a particolari vincoli protezionistici volti alla conservazione dell’ambiente marino, come le Aree Marine Protette (AMP), le quali in questo studio rappresentano delle zone di confronto caratterizzate da un limitato impatto antropico. Per tali ragioni, nell’ambito del progetto CISAS è stato scelto di portare avanti la valutazione dello stato del popolamento ittico attraverso una particolare tecnica di censimento visivo, la quale viene effettuata attraverso il sistema BRUV (Baited Remote Underwater Video)

Milk From Cow Fed With High Forage/Concentrate Ratio Diet: Beneficial Effect on Rat Skeletal Muscle Inflammatory State and Oxidative Stress Through Modulation of Mitochondrial Functions and AMPK Activity

Milk and dairy products are relevant components of daily diet and are part of dietary recommendation in many countries due to their content of key nutrients. However, the relatively high content of saturated fat of the milk and its extensive usage for every age group raises concerns about its potential negative health effects. Therefore, in the last years, several researchers dedicated their attention to milk production and quality. Milk fatty acids profile depend on cow feeding and in particular on the type of forage and concentrate and forage/concentrate ratio. It was demonstrated that feeding dairy cows with a 70/30 forage/concentrate ratio yields milk with a low ω6:ω3 ratio and high CLA levels. In this work, we demonstrated that the supplementation of rats diet with this high forage milk (HFM) results, in the skeletal muscle of these animals, in a reduced lipid content and inflammation levels, and an improved mitochondrial lipid oxidation, and redox status through modulation of AMPK activity

Under citizens-observation: O.R.B.S. and the “OpenCoesione” experience

Communication plays an essential role in scientific projects, especially since it is possible to use social media and web platforms, to reach a wide audience. OpenCoesione is the “open-government” initiative on cohesion policies in Italy, a web platform with navigable data on public programmed resources and expenses, locations, thematic areas, programmers and actuators, implementation times and payments of individual projects. It allows to evaluate how the resources are used relation to the needs of the territories. Any citizen can enrich this platform, analysing public projects and documenting the current state with open data.«A Scuola di OpenCoesione» it is part of OpenCoesioneproject and represents an innovative experimental project of school teaching of open government strategy of openness and transparency on development policies. It is a teaching and civic challenge addressed to students and teachers of secondary institutes of second degree. Students move from the analysis of information and data published in open format on the OpenCoesione portal, to find out how public funds are spent on their territory.The goal of A Scuola di OpenCoesione is to involve and sensitize students and teachers to the use of contents and tools to learn and monitor the projects of cohesion policies, to build interdisciplinary educational programs starting from the projects financed on their respective territories and enriching, through crowdsourcing, the information base of OpenCoesione adding information and data that are not currently available as, for example, geolocation, multimedia materials, the characteristics of the project, the physical performance of the works. Focus of this research was the public financing aimed to the creation of O.R.B.S. (Observatory of marine and terrestrial biodiversity in Sicily). Our observatory finds its place within the operational objective 3.2.1 of the OP programming ERDF Sicily 2007-2013 actions,to create a public biodiversity observation node for the protection of natural resources consistent with the provisions of Reg. (EC) 1080/06. It constitutes the implementation program of an interventions plan, approved by the Sicily Region. ISPRA and the CNR have carried out the task of studying marine biodiversity present in Sicily, through the collection of data concerning the presence of species in protected areasand of nonindigenous species, as well as their elaboration. The dissemination methods of O.R.B.S. they have been developed through three phases: reconnaissance of existing data, data processing, monitoring

Signals from the deep-sea: Genetic structure, morphometric analysis, and ecological implications of Cyclothone braueri (Pisces, Gonostomatidae) early life stages in the Central Mediterranean Sea

Cyclothone braueri (Stomiiformes, Gonostomatidae) is a widely distributed fish inhabiting the mesopelagic zone of marine tropical and temperate waters. Constituting one of the largest biomasses of the ocean, C. braueri is a key element in most of the ecological processes occurring in the twilight layer. We focused on the ecological processes linked to early life stages in relation to marine pelagic environmental drivers (temperature, salinity, food availability and geostrophic currents) considering different regions of the Central Mediterranean Sea. A multivariate morphometric analysis was carried out using six parameters with the aim of discerning different larval morphotypes, while a fragment of 367 bp representing the 12S ribosomal RNA gene was used to perform molecular analyses aimed at determining the intraspecific genetic variability. Analysis highlighted two geographically distinct morphotypes not genetically discernible and related to the different nutritional conditions due to spatial heterogeneities in terms of temperature and food availability. The body depth (BD) emerged as an appropriate morphometric parameter to detect the larval condition in this species. Molecular analysis highlighted a moderate genetic divergence in the fish population, showing the recurrence of two phylogroups not geographically separated

Engraulis encrasicolus (Linnaeus, 1758): technical report about extraction and recognition of the digestive tract contents in early stages of the life cycle

The study of ichthyio-plankton stages and its relations with the environment and other organisms is therefore crucial for a correct use of fishery resources. In this context, the extraction and the analysis of the content of the digestive tract, is a key method for the identification of the diet in early larval stages, the determination of the resources they rely on and possibly a comparison with the diet of other species. Additionally this approach could be useful in determination on occurrence of species competition. This technique is preceded by the analysis of morphometric data (Blackith & Reyment, 1971; Marcus, 1990), that is the acquisition of quantitative variables measured from the morphology of the object of study. They are linear distances, count, angles and ratios. The subsequent application of multivariate statistical methods, aims to quantify the changes in morphological measures between and within groups, relating them to the type and size of prey and evaluate if some changes appear in food choices along the larvae growth

Bollettino on-line del progetto Ritmare

Il progetto all’interno del quale si è inserita l' attività "La scienza del Mare nelle scuole" è il Progetto Ritmare (La Ricerca Italiana per il Mare). Il progetto Ritmare è un progetto strategico per la ricerca sul mare in Italia, che vuole coniugare le risorse ambientali del mare con l’uso connesso alle attività produttive e allo sfruttamento energetico delle sue risorse, sviluppando tecnologie ed innovazione e, al tempo stesso, promuovendone la sua conoscenza e il rispetto. In tale contesto il progetto propone di sensibilizzare gli studenti delle scuole di primo e secondo grado alle scienze del mare, sperimentando un approccio multidisciplinare che unisca il mondo scientifico e tecnologico a quello didattico, attraverso l'uso di strumenti di comunicazione che vadano dalle forme artistiche ed espressive a quelle prettamente tecnologiche e multimediali