Real-time monitoring of port dynamics for safety of navigation and mooring manoeuvres within the European Interreg Maritime Project SINAPSI

The present PhD thesis developed within the Project “SINAPSI - Navigation assistance for safe access to ports”, which was part of the Interreg Italy-France Maritime 2014-2020 Programme. The Project involved Italian and French Partners, for the creation and development of instrumentation networks suitable for monitoring marine conditions in the Project ports, aiming to improve the safety of navigation. The Port of Genoa was one of the entities involved, and this thesis dealed specifically with the implementation of a network of Acoustic Doppler current profilers (ADCPs) for monitoring port water dynamics. Initially, a characterization of the Port of Genoa area was conducted, both in terms of management and logistics, and of the most frequently occurring weather and sea conditions, to identify the areas that may be most problematic for navigational safety and most interesting for the study of dynamics. In addition, a research regarding the issues and conditions most frequently encountered in maritime accidents was conducted , including the role of weather and sea conditions. Furthermore, part of the PhD Project was the involvement of international port realities to obtain useful information with respect to the characteristics that a monitoring network must have in order to be as efficient as possible. Before the set up of the network of current meters, monitoring campaigns has been carried out, with the aim to collect data on the dynamics of the Port of Genoa under different weather conditions, providing preliminary information to create a solid base on which to develop the Project, and to be compared with the data obtained from the monitoring network. The implementation of the monitoring network consisted of several steps, as the acquisition of the instruments and the facilities for their installation and for data transmission, the identification of suitable sites for the placement of the current meters, and finally the installation of the instruments in the Port of Genoa. Once the monitoring network was installed, the data obtained has been analysed for the study of water dynamics in the Port of Genoa. Therefore, this PhD Project therefore aimed to realise a fundamental tool for ensuring safety to navigation in port waters, also deepening scientific knowledge regarding the water dynamics of the area Port of Genoa

Correction to: Microplastics in seawater: sampling strategies, laboratory methodologies, and identification techniques applied to port environment

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Baseline evaluation of metal contamination in teleost fishes of the Gulf of Tigullio (north-western Italy): Histopathology and chemical analysis

Metals, whether essential (Cu, Zn, Cr, Fe, Mn) or non-essential (Al, As, Cd, Ni, Pb, Hg) for organism metabolism, occur naturally in the marine environment and their abundance can increase due to the presence of human activities. In this study, fish were used as bio-indicators, to determine a correlation between the bio-accumulation of metals in muscle and gill tissues and the health status of fish. The study area was the Gulf of Tigullio (north-western Italy), which is impacted by various sources of metal contamination. Histopathology served as a significant tool to investigate possible alterations in gills, one of the main organs involved in fish physiology. Results highlighted some correlations between certain metals (e.g. Pb, Ni) and gill alterations (e.g. epithelial hyperplasia, epithelial lifting), providing baseline data from a pool of different fish species, which can be used for comparison purposes in further studies

Mugilidae fish as bioindicator for monitoring plastic pollution: Comparison between a commercial port and a fishpond (north-western Mediterranean Sea)

In the last decade, interest in monitoring and managing plastic pollution has greatly increased. This study compared levels of microplastic contamination in stomachs of Mugilidae fish, suggesting this family as a target for plastic pollution monitoring in areas with different degrees of anthropisation. Two sites characterised by low and high anthropic impact, a fishpond (S'Ena Arrubia, Italy) and a port (Genoa, Italy), respectively, were compared. This study highlighted a stronger microplastic contamination in the port, with a higher percentage of fish showing the presence of microplastics and a larger polymeric variability compared to the fishpond. The microplastic number in fish from the port was higher than in the literature, but it was not significantly different from S'Ena Arrubia in terms of the microplastic percentage found in single individuals. Biomonitoring of microplastic contamination in Mugilidae fish resulted in a valid tool for the investigation of areas differently affected by human activity

Relationship between benthic fishes and bottom sediment metals in the Gulf of Tigullio (Ligurian Sea, Italy)

The contamination of heavy metals in water and sediments, when occurring in higher concentrations, is a serious threat because of their toxicity, long persistence, and bioaccumulation and biomagnification in the food chain. Fishes are used as bioindicators, playing an important role in monitoring heavy metals pollution. Morphological endpoints in gills, liver and kidney of benthic teleosts living in heavy metal contaminated sites are presented in this study

The sponge fauna of the Seno Magdalena and Puyuhuapi Fjord (Chile), with a description of two new species

The presence of fjords, islands and channels originating from glacial erosion and ice cap retreat, makes the Chilean benthic biodiversity difficult to explore and study. Our survey of this region allowed the identification of 29 Demospongiae species in total. Two of them are new to science and here described: Biemna lutea sp. nov., and Hamigera cleistochela sp. nov.. Two species (Clathria (Clathria) microxa and Lissodendoryx (Ectyodoryx) patagonica,) are new for the region and the Chilean fjords. Lissodendoryx (Ectyodoryx) patagonica was found for the second time after the original description by Ridley & Dendy, 132 years ago. These results \u2013 considering the small number of species identified on the whole \u2013 are promising and confirm that the marine biodiversity of Chilean fjords is remarkable but not well known yet

The EU Interreg Project "GEREMIA" on waste management for the improvement of port waters: results on monitoring the health status of fish as bioindicator

Highly anthropized areas as ports represent complex scenarios that require accurate monitoring plans aimed to address the environmental status. In this context, the activities of the EU Interreg Project "GEstione dei REflui per il MIglioramento delle Acque portuali (GEREMIA)" were focused on comparing sites differently affected by human presence, as the Port of Genoa and the natural area of the S'Ena Arrubia fishpond: a panel of analyses was carried out on Mugilidae fish sampled in these two areas, aimed to address trace metal accumulation in the liver, gills, and muscle, as well as cytochrome P450 (CYP450) induction in liver and biliary polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) metabolites, and histopathological alterations in the liver and gills. Chemical analyses in the liver, gills, and muscle of specimens collected in the port area showed an overall higher degree of trace metal contamination compared to the natural fishpond, and similar results were obtained in terms of CYP450 induction and biliary PAH metabolites, suggesting a higher exposure to organic compounds. In addition, histopathological analyses revealed a significant alteration and then a loss of functionality of liver and gill tissue in individuals from the port. Overall, this study describes the complex environmental pollution scenario in the Port of Genoa, confirming the importance of using multidisciplinary approaches and different types of analyses to address both the presence and the effects of contaminants in marine environments

Microplastics in the abyss: a first investigation into sediments at 2443-m depth (Toulon, France)

Plastic and microplastic pollutions are known to be widespread across the planet in all types of environments. However, relatively little about microplastic quantities in the deeper areas of the oceans is known, due to the difficulty to reach these environments. In this work, we present an investigation of microplastic (<5 mm) distribution performed in the bottom sediments of the abyssal plain off the coast and the canyon of Toulon (France). Four samples of deep-sea sediment were collected at the depth of 2443 m during the sea operations carried out by the French oceanographic cruises for the KM3NeT project. The chemical and physical characterisation of the sediment was carried out, and items were extracted from sediments by density separation and analysed by optical microscope and \ub5Raman spectroscopy. Results show microplastics in the deep-sea sediments with a concentration of about 80 particles L-1, confirming the hypothesis of microplastics spread to abyssal sediments in the Mediterranean Sea