The Italian Museo Nazionale dell’Antartide

These abstract proceedings were produced based on the program for the POLAR2018 SCAR/IASC Open Science Conference, updated until 25 May 2018

Some taphonomic aspects of the benthic foraminifers from Tremiti Islands (Central Adriatic Sea).

Abstract - Post-mortem transport of foraminiferal tests in shallow-waters sediments is reported by several authors. To evidence these phenomena, data regarding some taphonomic aspects of the benthic foraminifers assemblages from Tremiti Islands are reported. The test preservation, represented by the percentage of fragmentation, indicates that high values correspond rather well with the coarse sands and fine gravels under bottom currents (SGCF) biocoenosis distribution. The occurrence of variable quantity of sub-recent fossils foraminifers in recent sediments is not dependent on the Cenozoic outcrops supply, but rather it can represent previous paeloenvironments, linked to the late Quaternary sea level variations. A dimensional statistical study on Elphidium crispum, by mean of Matrox Inspector 3.0 software, are reported from 117 tests random selected from three stations. Together with the textural characteristics of the sediments, the sorting degree of the tests in the TRE19 and 26 samples may testify that the wave-motion is more active on the northwestern windward side of the islands, touched by more recurrent storm surges. On the contrary, low sorting of E. crispum population in sediments from the southern side of the Archipelago (TRE9 sample), could be considered as autochthonous, indicating the lower hydro dynamism of this sector. Key-words: Tremiti Islands, foraminifers, taphonomy, sediments

Aspetti geomorfologici e vulnerabilit\ue0 della fascia litorale salentina (Adriatico meridionale e Ionio)

Il presente lavoro descrive le caratteristiche morfologiche della fascia litorale salentina (Adriatico meridionale e Ionio), nel tratto fra T.re Guaceto (BR) e P.ta Prosciutto (LE), al fine di individuare le zone pi\uf9 vulnerabili sottoposte all\u2019erosione costiera naturale e/o indotta da fenomeni antropici. I risultati esposti sono parte dello studio rivolto alla \u201cClassificazione e dinamica delle coste\u201d eseguito nell\u2019ambito del Progetto INTERREG II Italia \u2013 Grecia (Qualit\ue0 dei sistemi marini costieri e proposte di localizzazione di aree marine protette), cofinanziato dall\u2019Unione Europea e dalla Regione Puglia e gestito dal CoNISMa. Durante i rilevamenti geomorfologici sono stati raccolti informazioni di tipo qualitativo (costa alta rocciosa, costa rocciosa digradante piana, falesia, spiaggia sabbiosa, pocket beach, cordone dunare, ecc.) e semiquantitativo (ampiezza ed inclinazione della battigia, quota della berma ordinaria s.l.m., distanza della berma ordinaria dalla linea di riva, altezza e quota della duna e del piede della duna s.l.m.) in 61 punti stazione ubicati lungo i 280 km ad eccezione dell\u2019area portuale di Brindisi e della zona militare a nord di S. Cataldo, nel settore adriatico. Quale risultato dei rilevamenti effettuati sono stati prodotti 69 fogli cartografici, utilizzando la base cartografica regionale alla scala 1:10.000, corredati da singole schede per ciascuno dei punti stazione, con la descrizione delle caratteristiche del tratto di costa interessato e da documentazione fotografica

Spatial variation, speciation and sedimentary records of mercuryin the Guanabara Bay (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)

As part of the \u201cTAGUBAR\u201d (TAngential GUanabara Bay Aeration Recovery) project, surface and long core sediments of the Guanabara Bay (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) were investigated for mercury (Hg). The main, but not the only, input of Hg into the Bay\u2019s waters is known to be a Chlor-Alkali Plant (CAP) located in the Acar\uec-S\ue3o Jo\ue3o de Merit\ued River system, on the northwestern side of the Bay. Mercury distribution in surface sediments (<0.1-3.22 mg kg-1, average 0.87\ub10.80, n=40) seems to be controlled by the organic component, along with sulphur rather than grain-size, where Hg concentrations are less than 1 mg kg-1. Conversely, where the metal contents are higher than 1 mg kg-1, accumulation in surface sediments is mostly related to the presence of nearby contamination sources, such as industrial and urban settlements in the western sector of the Bay. Although total Hg contents in surface sediments exceed the values suggested by the effects-based standard quality guidelines as potentially toxic for the benthic community, results from a sequential extraction procedure showed that the contribution of the more soluble, easily exchangeable and eventually bioavailable Hg phases was found almost negligible (<0.1%). Most of the metal is strongly bound to the mineral lattice of the sedimentary matrix and should therefore be considered almost immobilized. The reduction in Hg accumulation in bottom sediments, expected as a consequence of the adoption of contamination control policies (i.e. Hg-free technologies in the CAP and sewage treating facilities), has not been clearly observed in the core profiles. Current estimates of Hg accumulation rates at the core top range from approximately 1 to 18 mg m-2 yr-1. Pre-industrial bottom core samples indicate that the central and northeastern sectors of the Bay are strongly affected by Hg enrichment: concentrations exceed the estimated baseline concentration by up to 20 factor. A cumulative Hg inventory suggests that the metal content has increased with the same order of magnitude in the vicinity of potential contamination sources on the western side of the Bay, but at a different rate; this is apparently determined by local conditions. A natural attenuation of Hg concentrations to background levels is not predictable in the near future

Coloriamo l\u2019Antartico: un esempio di peer education per una nuova didattica delle scienze

La Sezione di Trieste del Museo Nazionale dell'Antartide, al fine di trovare e sperimentare nuove potenzialit\ue0 formative ed educative, nel 2011 ha avviato con il Corso per tecnici dell'industria audiovisiva dell'IPSIA Galvani di Trieste, un'attivit\ue0 di Peer Education volta appunto a sviluppare la crescita dello studente mediante lo sviluppo del senso critico, della coscienza di s\ue9 e della propria generazione. L'iniziativa dal titolo "Coloriamo l'AntARTico: un continente tutto bianco da di pingere", prevedeva il coinvolgimento di ragazzi delle scuole elementari e medie invitati a dipingere su grandi tele la loro idea del Polo Sud: pinguini, iceberg, distese di ghiaccio, tempeste di vento, aurore australi