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

n/

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

Hamigera Gray 1867

Genus <i>Hamigera</i> Gray, 1867 <p> <i>Emended diagnosis</i>: Hymedesmiidae without acanthostyles; with strongyles or tylotes as tornotes; with coring and echinating smooth styles or subtylostyles. The styles can also be polytylote with two size categories; arcuate chelae or cleistochelae.</p> <p> <i>Hamigera cleistochela</i> Bertolino, Costa & Pansini <b>sp. nov.</b></p> <p>(Fig. 5)</p> <p> <b>Type material.</b> Holotype: MSNG 60892 (CILE 67), Seno Magdalena F (44.631235°S 72.904239°W), Puerto Cisnes (Chile), 25 m depth, on a rocky slope, 2014</p> <p> <b>Description.</b> Small, massive globose sponge (covering an area of about 5 cm 2) (Fig. 5A). Surface regularly areolate with inhalant and exhalant parts clearly distinguishable from one another (Fig. 5A). The colour in life is ochre (Fig. 5A). Consistence is soft and compressible.</p> <p> <i>Skeleton</i>. Plumose skeleton with multispicular tracts of polytylote styles that form bouquets near the sponge surface. Microscleres scattered in the skeleton, but they are mainly concentrated in the sponge surface.</p> <p> <i>Spicules</i>. Megascleres: Two size categories of polytylote styles: (I), larger styles, straight with acerate tips, 440 (482.5) 580 x 5 (8.6) 10 µm (Fig. 5B); (II), very thin, smaller polytylote styles, straight, 105 (188.2) 252.5 x 2 (2.3) 2.5 µm (Fig. 5C). Microscleres: Cleistochelae with frontal teeth more or less fused together (Fig. 5D). Arcuate isochelae with short, inward teeth (Fig. 5E). Both measure 25 (30.1) 35 x 5 (5.3) 7.5 µm.</p> <p> <b>Etymology.</b> The new species in named after its characteristic chelae (cleistochelae).</p> <p> <b>Ecology.</b> Our specimen was found on rocky walls at 25 m depth.</p> <p> <b>Remarks.</b> The species is assigned to <i>Hamigera</i> Gray, 1867 due to the presence of an areolate surface, according to the structure skeleton and the absence of acanthostyles. Four species of the genus are known in total. None has polytylote styles and cleistochelae, therefore they are all different from the new species. <i>Hamigera hamigera</i> (Schmidt, 1862), collected in Mediterranean Sea down to 23 m, has tornotes in the form of strongyles to tylotes (230–320 x 3–7 µm), styles to subtylostyles (240–320 x 5–9 µm), and arcuate isochelae (15–22 µm). <i>Hamigera macrostrongyla</i> Bergquist &Fromont, 1988, from New Zaland, has styles (360–490 x 5–10 µm), strongyles (370– 460 x 7–10 µm), and arcuate isochelae (49–56 µm). <i>Hamigera strongylata</i> Burton, 1934, from East Australia, has strongyles (280–400 x 8 µm) and isochelae (30 µm). <i>Hamigera tarangaensis</i> Bergquist & Fromont, 1988, from New Zealand, has strongyles (210–440 x 3.5–7 µm), and arcuate isochelae with short alae (23–60 µm).</p> <p> <i>Hamigera cleistochela</i> sp. nov., according to its unusual spicular set, with two size categories of polytylote styles, and chelae including cleistochelae, is here considered as new to science.</p>Published as part of <i>Bertolino, Marco, Costa, Gabriele, Reboa, Anna, Bavestrello, Giorgio, Pansini, Maurizio, Betti, Federico, Bo, Marzia & Daneri, Giovanni, 2019, The sponge fauna of the Seno Magdalena and Puyuhuapi Fjord (Chile), with a description of two new species, pp. 306-320 in Zootaxa 4623 (2)</i> on page 315, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4623.2.5, <a href="http://zenodo.org/record/3255473">http://zenodo.org/record/3255473</a&gt

Clathria (Clathria) Schmidt 1862

Subgenus <i>Clathria</i> (<i>Clathria</i>) Schmidt, 1862 <p> <b> <i>Clathria</i> (<i>Clathria</i>) <i>microxa</i></b> Desqueyroux, 1972</p> <p>(Fig. 6)</p> <p> <b>Material.</b> CILE 80, Seno Magdalena E (44.613885°S 72.941490°W), Puerto Cisnes (Chile), depth 25 m, on a vertical cliff, 2014.</p> <p> <b>Description.</b> Small (4 cm 2), massive sponge, 2 cm thick. Surface rugose, with slightly elevated, round oscules. The colour in life is dark purple (Fig. 6A). The sponge is soft and fragile.</p> <p> <i>Skeleton</i>. The skeleton shows a typical plumo-reticulate arrangement present in <i>Clathria</i> (<i>Clathria</i>).</p> <p> <i>Spicules</i>. Megascleres: choanosomal principal styles, straight or slightly curved, with smooth shaft and microspinate heads, 326.4 (376.9) 520.2 x 16.4 (18.6) 20.5 µm (Fig. 6B); subectosomal auxiliary subtylostyles, straight or sinuous, spines restricted to the heads, 244.8 (402.9) 561 x 5.7 (9) 12.3 µm (Fig. 6C); echinating acanthostyles, straight, with spines along the entire spicule length, spines of the head may be bifid or trifid (Fig. 6D), 119 (144.5) 170 x 8.5 µm. Microscleres: toxas variously curved in the middle, or even straight (Fig. 6E), 82 (216.9) 369 µm; straight microxeas, often showing a biconical shape (Fig. 6F), 36.9 (42) 45.1 x 2.6 (2.7) 5.2 µm.</p> <p> <b>Ecology.</b> This species was first recorded at 50–90 m depth (Desqueyroux, 1972) and then found as epibiotic on mollusc shells (<i>Zygochlamys patagonica</i> and <i>Fusitriton magellanicus</i>) between 92 and 100 m depth (Schejter <i>et al.</i>, 2006, 2011). Our specimen lived on a vertical cliff at 25 m depth.</p> <p> <b>Distribution.</b> Corcovado Gulf (Chile) (Desqueyroux, 1972), Argentina (Schejter <i>et al.</i>, 2006, 2011) and Puyuhuapi Fjord (Queulat Fjord, Chilean Patagonia).</p> <p> <b>Remarks.</b> Desqueyroux (1972) observed a single type of angulate toxas in the holotype. Also, Schejter <i>et al.</i> (2006) recorded a single type of long, and multiply bent toxa. Since we observed toxas of different shapes, even if they cannot be divided into categories, the spicule variability of the species increases. Furthermore, due to more detailed SEM photos, we could detect the microspination of the heads of styles and subtylostyles.</p>Published as part of <i>Bertolino, Marco, Costa, Gabriele, Reboa, Anna, Bavestrello, Giorgio, Pansini, Maurizio, Betti, Federico, Bo, Marzia & Daneri, Giovanni, 2019, The sponge fauna of the Seno Magdalena and Puyuhuapi Fjord (Chile), with a description of two new species, pp. 306-320 in Zootaxa 4623 (2)</i> on page 318, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4623.2.5, <a href="http://zenodo.org/record/3255473">http://zenodo.org/record/3255473</a&gt

Callyspongia Duchassaing & Michelotti 1864

Genus <i>Callyspongia</i> Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864 <p> <i>Callyspongia fusifera</i> (Thiele, 1905)</p> <p>(Fig. 3)</p> <p> <b>Studied material.</b> CILE 92 (MSNG 60891), Bouy W (I) (44.566666°S 72.716666°W), Puerto Cisnes (Chile), 30 m depth, on a rocky slope, 2014</p> <p> <b>Description.</b> The sponge has three tubes starting from a small common base (2 cm thick and 1.5 cm across) (Fig. 3A). Two of them are erect, and the third one is bent almost at a right angle. The highest tube is about 6 cm high. The mean diameter is about 1 cm but all the tubes show alternate swellings and narrowings. The surface is smooth and the consistence soft. The colour in life is beige with mauve tinges. Oscules are round, slightly raised, opening on top of the tubes, but also on their side (Fig. 3A).</p> <p> <i>Skeleton</i>. The ectosome is formed by a network of thin, generally unispiculate fibres forming quadrangular meshes. Erect spicule brushes, supported by the apical part of the choanosomal primary fibres, make the sponge surface hispid (Fig. 3B). The choanosome is a rather regular network of plurispicular spongin fibers forming quadrangular meshes (Fig. 3C). The fibres measure 2 (6.9) 12 μm in diameter, and the meshes 200 (522.7) 800 μm. Most toxas are embedded in the primary fibres, but sparse microscleres are also present.</p> <p> <i>Spicules</i>. Megascleres: Short and thick oxeas, generally straight or sometimes slightly curved, with pointed or mucronate ends (Fig. 3D),e 52.5 (66.6) 75 x 5 (6.4) 7.5 µm. Microscleres: One category of toxas showing different degrees of folding: from gently curved to deeply bent (Fig. 3E), 40 (46.4) 62.5 x 2 (2.9) 5 µm.</p> <p> <b>Ecology.</b> Thirty meters depth in an area characterized by detritus slopes and rocky walls.</p> <p> <b>Remarks.</b> The specimen has been attributed to <i>Callyspongia fusifera,</i> notwithstanding the presence of toxa microscleres, because a study in progress at the Museu Nacional of Rio de Janeiro on several specimens from Chile, and on Thiele’s holotype has revealed the presence of toxas (Bispo, personal communication). The shape of the oxeas with pointed extremities matches the description of Burton (1940), but differs from that of Desqueyroux- Faúndez (1990) for Easter Island who recorded strongyloid oxeas.</p>Published as part of <i>Bertolino, Marco, Costa, Gabriele, Reboa, Anna, Bavestrello, Giorgio, Pansini, Maurizio, Betti, Federico, Bo, Marzia & Daneri, Giovanni, 2019, The sponge fauna of the Seno Magdalena and Puyuhuapi Fjord (Chile), with a description of two new species, pp. 306-320 in Zootaxa 4623 (2)</i> on page 313, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4623.2.5, <a href="http://zenodo.org/record/3255473">http://zenodo.org/record/3255473</a&gt

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