Biodiversity in Central Mediterranean Sea

The Central Mediterranean Sea is an area that connects the western and the eastern Mediterranean Sea where migratory fluxes of marine organisms are very peculiar. The high biodiversity of these areas is owed to particular hydrological and geomorphological characteristics (Messina Strait and Sicily Channel). The morphology of the Strait of Messina resembles a funnel with the narrow end to the North and the largest one to the South, and its underwater profile can be compared to a mountain whose opposite sides have markedly different slopes. The great biodiversity that characterizes this ecosystem is linked to the particular hydrology of the area. The Sicily Channel (or Strait of Sicily) is a wide water body located between southern Sicily and northern African coasts and represents the transition between the Western (WMED) and the Eastern (EMED) basins of the Mediterranean Sea. Morphologically, the Strait of Sicily belongs to the continental shelf with some other sub‐units, as basins, seamounts and ‘banks’. The bottoms are generally irregular and canyons are present. Mediterranean Sea has been divided into different biogeographic districts that present great variability in water parameters and biocenosis too. This chapter resumes the main physical, chemical and biological properties of the Central Mediterranean Sea

Evaluation of Water Variables in No-Take Zone of Ustica Marine Protected Area (Southern Tyrrhenian Sea)

ABSTRACT In this research, the seasonal fluctuations of the main water variables in the no-take area (A zone) of the Ustica MPA were investigated. This study aims to monitor the water quality of the Ustica MPA, to analyze all the hydrological parameters useful to the physical-chemical characterization of water and to use TRIX index to characterize the trophic level of the coastal marine area. The final results shown that Ustica is an area of relevant environmental and ecological value and is a good example of a Marine Protected Area, which is not excessively affected by the human presence even during the touristic season. This study represents the first records based on well-organized protocol in order to assess water column characteristics of the studied area. This paper could be used as a reference document for future studies regarding the same or similar areas

Caulerpa taxifolia var. distichophylla: a further stepping stone in the western Mediterranean

Background In the Mediterranean sea, about 150 species of invasive macroalgae are recorded until now these alien species have produced serious effect due to their capability to modify the physical and chemical property of the invaded habitats and to compete with native assemblages so as threatening the biodiversity and the ecosystem functioning

Ecomorphological adaptation of Scorpaena porcus (Linnaeus, 1758): evidence from two different environments revealed by sagittae features and somatic growth rates

Improve the knowledge base on the ecomorphological adaptation of teleost species to different environments, trying to reconstruct how habitat can shape sagittae, is essential for conservational purposes, evolutionary evaluations, and population dynamics studies. Here is provided a comparative study between sagittae features, growth rates and age composition of two Scorpaena porcus populations inhabiting the Mediterranean waters, one from the Strait of Messina (Central Mediterranean Sea) and one from the Split area (Adriatic Sea). Additionally, the stomach contents of the Messina specimens have also been analysed to provide some preliminary information on the diet of S. porcus. A total of ninety individuals, half from each area, have been obtained from two extremely different environments. Results showed an overall different morphology, shape, and morphometry of sagittae among the size classes of the two investigated populations. Samples from Messina were characterized by a most elliptical and slender shape, with a more regular serration of margins than those from Split, which exhibited a wider sagitta, with a most enhanced anti-rostrum and longer rostrum. Concerning diet, specimens from Messina showed a preference for Crustacea (especially Brachyura and Amphipoda) and Teleost species, showing some differences with literature data from other geographical areas (Split one included). Results have confirmed the reliability of sagittae to detect the inter-population variability of S. porcus from different geographical areas, an essential tool for stock assessment, population studies and investigation on ecomorphological adaptation of teleost species to different habitats

Effect of environmental and anthropogenic factors on the distribution and co-occurrence of cold-water corals

Cold-water corals (CWCs) are bioengineering species that can increase habitat heterogeneity and improve the deep sea’s biological diversity and ecosystem functioning. Knowledge of their distribution provides a critical baseline for assessing the effect of natural and anthropogenic impacts on these important deep-sea habitats. The aims of this study are: i) provide new data on the spatial distribution of six CWCs species in the Strait of Sicily, ii) describe the principal environmental and anthropogenic variables that play a role in shaping their distribution, iii) identify hotspots in which individuals belonging to the various species co-occur. Presence-only data of six CWCs species, ten environmental variables (depth, slope, rugosity, aspect, flowdir, temperature, salinity, north bottom current, east bottom current, chlorophyll-a), and one variable relating to bottom trawling effort (Automatic Information System – AIS) were used to predict the suitable habitats. We used Maximum Entropy modelling (MaxEnt) approach and used the AUC (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve) and TSS (true skill statistics) to evaluate the model performance. The results showed excellent AUC, TSS and AUC’s standard deviation mean values for all six species. The validation show high predictive performance. MaxEnt identified slope, depth, and rugosity as the most important predictors, showing the highest percentage contribution for all six species considered. Throughout the study area, highlyinterspecific persistent density hotspot of CWCs co-occurrence were discovered, with a total extension of 4.05 km2 where all species co-occur. Although studies on the effect of environmental and anthropogenic factors that impact the distribution of these species of conservation interest remain scarce, the results of this study offer useful guidance for decision-makers to develop necessary conservation measures

Intestinal bacterial flora of Mediterranean gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata Linnaeus) as a novel source of natural surface active compounds

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Distribution of the order Lampriformes in the Mediterranean Sea with notes on their biology, morphology, and taxonomy

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Editorial: Microplastics in the Mediterranean Sea

Microplastics (MPs) pollution is a threat to the marine environment worldwide (Andrady, 2011) from the tropics to the poles (Waller et al., 2017). The Mediterranean Sea, a semi-closed basin, is heavily affected by this pollution as well (Llorca et al., 2020). The aim of this special issue was to collect the latest studies on MPs pollution in the Mediterranean Sea. MPs are plastic particles smaller than 5 mm in size that derive from industrial products (primary microplastics) or from the fragmentation of large plastic pieces (secondary microplastics) (Auta et al., 2017). MPs are found floating on the surface, along with those in the water column, in sediments, and up to the deep sea (Van Cawenberghe et al., 2013). MPs can be ingested by aquatic biota and they can be a vehicle for other pollutants such as persistent organic pollutants (POPs), that can be adsorbed and concentrated from the surrounding seawater. As a result, MPs can be transfer several toxic pollutants via the food chain (Fytianos et al., 2020). This editorial introduces to the Research Topic “Microplastics in the Mediterranean Sea,” highlighting the pollution of MPs in this peculiar ecosystem and aiming at a better understanding of the occurrence, distribution, and toxicity presence and the study of MPs in the Mediterranean Sea

Evaluation of Water Variables in No-Take Zone of Ustica Marine Protected Area (Southern Tyrrhenian Sea)

ABSTRACT In this research, the seasonal fluctuations of the main water variables in the no-take area (A zone) of the Ustica MPA were investigated. This study aims to monitor the water quality of the Ustica MPA, to analyze all the hydrological parameters useful to the physical-chemical characterization of water and to use TRIX index to characterize the trophic level of the coastal marine area. The final results shown that Ustica is an area of relevant environmental and ecological value and is a good example of a Marine Protected Area, which is not excessively affected by the human presence even during the touristic season. This study represents the first records based on well-organized protocol in order to assess water column characteristics of the studied area. This paper could be used as a reference document for future studies regarding the same or similar areas

Carbamazepine exposure in the sea anemones Anemonia sulcata and Actinia equina: metabolite identification and physiological responses

Trabajo presentado en el 11º Congreso Ibérico, 8º Iberoamericano de Contaminación y Toxicología (CICTA 2018) celebrado en la Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería de Montes, Forestal y del Medio Natural, Madrid del 11 al 13 de julio de 2018There is a rising interest for both the conservation and biotechnological application of Sea anemones belonging to Anthozoa Class, (Cnidaria Phylum). Global warming has been recognised as one of the most important hazards for some species but the risk posed by pharmaceuticals and other emergent compounds present in the coastal waters they inhabited have been less studied. Anemonia sulcata and Actinia equina are widely distributed species in the Mediterranean Sea. The objective of this work has been to determine the physiological and biochemical effects of carbamazepine (CBZ) exposure as well as to characterize the degradation routes followed by this compound in water and tissues (biotransformation) of the two anemones species. Anemones provided by Oceanografic of Valencia Aquarium were acclimatized to laboratory conditions for two weeks and exposed to 1 ¿g/L and 100 ¿g/L of CBZ in artificial sea water in a semi-static system. Small portion of the tentacles were taken after two and seven days. Ion transport (measured as NKATPase activity), energetic metabolism (measured as glucose and lactate levels) and nitrogen excretion (measured as ammonia concentration in tissues) were determined. Treated samples of A. sulcata and A. equina were analysed by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatographyhigh-resolution mass spectrometry on a quadrupole-time-of-flight (QqTOF) (TripleTOF®, ABsciex). The structures of metabolites have been proposed using HRMS and HRMS/MS data. In particular, the combination of mass accuracy and the fragmentation patterns of metabolites and parent compound allowed proposing plausible structures for each metabolite. CBZ metabolites originated from aromatic and benzylic hydroxylation and epoxidation. The analysis of the water samples saved from each aquarium pointed out that a small percentage of CBZ can be degraded by hydrolysis and/or oxidation to the hydroxylated metabolites but not to the epoxidized ones. The current work constitutes the first study on the identification of Cnidaria metabolites of CBZ in species of the Anthozoa Class.Peer reviewe