Gestión integrada de las áreas costeras y oceánicas que albergan mamíferos marinos: el caso de estudio del Estrecho de Gibraltar

The Strait of Gibraltar is a cross-border coastal and marine area in which overlapping intense maritime traffic and highly protected species of cetaceans could generate conservational or economic conflict. The current publication applies an integrated management approach in order to improve knowledge of cetaceans, maritime activities, and Whale Watching (WW), as well as to involve key stakeholders in WW and to provide insights for a sustainable public policy in the Strait. A comparative study on WW activity in the Strait of Gibraltar and in the Hauraki Gulf, New Zealand, was interrupted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This abrupt change allowed us to investigate the effects of the human lockdowns, such as the reduction in maritime traffic, on the marine animals of the Gulf, contributing to the study of the global effects on nature. This thesis is organized into the following sections: i) Whale watching activities, ii) monitoring maritime traffic and cetaceans using ferries as platforms and iii) effects of COVID-19 lockdowns on nature. In order to achieve social, economic, and ecological sustainability, WW in the Strait of Gibraltar needs adequate management. In Tarifa (Spain) and Gibraltar (UK), between 2017 and 2019, key stakeholders (e.g., WW customers and operators, researchers, NGOs, and policymakers) were invited to fill out 637 questionnaires and a direct assessment of the WW trips was conducted. Results suggest that: (1) local WW operators only partially follow WW legislation, (2) whale watchers had high levels of education and purchasing power, and the majority of them were national tourists who showed signs of loyalty to WW and support for conservation, (3) 51% of the expenses made by WW customers directly benefited the local economy of Tarifa, (4) customers scored WW operators more highly when cetaceans were indifferent to, or approached vessels, and their satisfaction improved depending on the education provided before and during the WW trip, and (5) interviewed stakeholders recognize the scientific, recreational and educational values of WW. As a result of this study we recommend implementing educational programmes, launching national publicity campaigns targeting whale watchers, establishing administrative facilities for WW companies, monitoring WW activities, and enforcing WW legislation to promote sustainable management of WW. Furthermore, the designation of Marine Protected Areas, a regional shipping plan, and an integrated management approach could benefit the WW industry and improve its sustainability. Cetaceans and their threats were monitored using ferries as a platform of opportunity along the routes Algeciras¿Ceuta and Algeciras-Tanger Med in the Strait during 2018 and 2019, following the standardized protocol of the international cooperative project Fix Line Transect Mediterranean Monitoring Network (FLT Med Net). During 59 visual surveys 264 sightings of cetaceans were reported, including seven species and four near-miss collisions (pilot, sperm, and fin whales). Data were used to i) investigate cetaceans¿ seasonal presence and distribution and, for the bottlenose dolphin, habitat suitability in the Strait, ii) consider cetaceans' relationships with different maritime activities identifying risk areas and the consistency of the spatial conservation spatial management measures in force, and iii) compare data with the other partner of the FLT Med Net across two Habitat Directive 6-year periods (2013-2019/2008-2012), testing four potential indicators to assess short-term range and habitat trends of the Risso¿s dolphin, and of the pilot and Cuvier¿s whale (low-density species). The FLT Med Net sampling design proved adequate for trend assessment in the Western Mediterranean and Adriatic. In conclusion, together with international surveillance, the designation of a micro-sanctuary in the Bay between Algeciras and Gibraltar, and a mandatory speed reduction to 13 knots in an extended Cetacean Critical Navigation Zone can positively optimize conservation efforts in the Strait of Gibraltar. The lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic banned all non-essential services and travel both on land and sea in several parts of the world. In response to this sudden drop in traffic, the bigeyes fish and the bottlenose dolphin experienced an immediate increase in their communication ranges by up to 65% in the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park, demonstrating how small vessels can impact underwater soundscapes. These results were shared with the global scientific community to monitor the immediate impacts of lockdowns, demonstrating how humans are both threatening and protecting ecosystems and species. It is possible to favourably tilt this delicate balance by reducing impacts and increasing conservation effectiveness

Basal Cell Carcinoma: 10 Years of Experience

Introduction. Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is a locally invasive malignant epidermal tumour. Incidence is increasing by 10% per year; incidence of metastases is minimal, but relapses are frequent (40%–50%). The complete excision of the BCC allows reduction of relapse. Materials and Methods. The study cohort consists of 1123 patients underwent surgery for basal cell carcinoma between 1999 and 2009. Patient and tumor characteristics recorded are: age; gender; localization (head and neck, trunk, and upper and lower extremities), tumor size, excisional margins adopted, and relapses. Results. The study considered a group of 1123 patients affected by basal cell carcinoma. Relapses occurred in 30 cases (2,67%), 27 out of 30 relapses occurred in noble areas, where peripheral margin was <3 mm. Incompletely excised basal cell carcinoma occurred in 21 patients (1,87%) and were treated with an additional excision. Discussion. Although guidelines indicate 3 mm peripheral margin of excision in BCC <2 cm, in our experience, a margin of less than 5 mm results in a high risk of incomplete excisions

Testing indicators for trend assessment of range and habitat of low-density cetacean species in the Mediterranean Sea

Introduction: Conservation of cetaceans is challenging due to their large-range, highly-dynamic nature. The EU Habitats Directive (HD) reports 78% of species in ‘unknown’ conservation status, and information on low-density/elusive species such G.griseus, G.melas, Z.cavirostris is the most scattered. Methods: The FLT-Net programme has regularly collected year-round data along trans-border fixed-transects in the Mediterranean Sea since 2007. Nearly 7,500 cetacean sightings were recorded over 500,000 km of effort with 296 of less-common species. Comparing data across two HD 6-years periods (2013-2019/2008-2012), this study aimed at testing four potential indicators to assess range and habitat short-term trends of G.griseus, G.melas, Z.cavirostris: 1) change in Observed Distributional Range-ODR based on known occurrence, calculated through the Kernel smoother within the effort area; 2) change in Ecological Potential Range-EPR extent, predicted through Spatial Distribution Models; 3) Range Pattern, assessed as overlap and shift of core areas between periods; 4) changes in ODR vs EPR. Results: Most ODR and EPR confirmed the persistence of known important sites, especially in the Western-Mediterranean. All species, however, exhibit changes in the distribution extent (contraction or expansion) and an offshore shift, possibly indicating exploitation of new areas or avoidance of more impacted ones. Discussion: Results confirmed that the ODR could underestimate the real occupied range, as referring to the effort area only; it can be used to detect trends providing that the spatio-temporal effort scale is representative of species range. The EPR allows generalising species distribution outside the effort area, defining species’ Habitat and the Occupied/Potential Range proportion. To investigate range-trends, EPR needs to be adjusted based also on the Occupied/Potential Range proportion since it could be larger than the occupied range in presence of limiting factors, or smaller, if anthropogenic pressures force the species outside the ecological niche. Conclusion: Using complementary indicators proved valuable to evaluate the significance of changes. The concurrent analysis of more species with similar ecology was also critical to assess whether the detected changes are species specific or representative of broader trends. The FLT-Net sampling strategy proved adequate for trend assessment in the Western-Mediterranean and Adriatic basins, while more transects are needed to characterize the Central-Mediterranean and Aegean-Levantine ecological variability

Interesting states in A = 10 mass region, populated in 10B + 10B nuclear reactions

The 10B+10B reactions are measured at beam energies of 50 and 72.2 MeV. The large spin of 10B nucleus (J= 3+) makes this reaction particularly suitable to populate high spin states in the exit channels. Population and decay of different states in A≈10 mass region is studied, and the results are discussed from the structure point of view. In particular, a new state in 12C at Ex= 24.4 MeV is observed to be strongly populated in the triple α-particle coincidences

Self-formed LaAlO3/SrTiO3LaAlO_3/SrTiO_3 Micro-Membranes

Oxide heterostructures represent a unique playground for triggering the emergence of novel electronic states and for implementing new device concepts. The discovery of 2D conductivity at the $LaAlO_3/SrTiO_3$ interface has been linking for over a decade two of the major current research fields in Materials Science: correlated transition-metal-oxide systems and low-dimensional systems. A full merging of these two fields requires nevertheless the realization of $LaAlO_3/SrTiO_3$ heterostructures in the form of freestanding membranes. Here we show a completely new method for obtaining oxide hetero-membranes with micrometer lateral dimensions. Unlike traditional thin-film-based techniques developed for semiconductors and recently extended to oxides, the concept we demonstrate does not rely on any sacrificial layer and is based instead on pure strain engineering. We monitor through both real-time and post-deposition analyses, performed at different stages of growth, the strain relaxation mechanism leading to the spontaneous formation of curved hetero-membranes. Detailed transmission electron microscopy investigations show that the membranes are fully epitaxial and that their curvature results in a huge strain gradient, each of the layers showing a mixed compressive/tensile strain state. Electronic devices are fabricated by realizing ad hoc circuits for individual micro-membranes transferred on silicon chips. Our samples exhibit metallic conductivity and electrostatic field effect similar to 2D-electron systems in bulk heterostructures. Our results open a new path for adding oxide functionality into semiconductor electronics, potentially allowing for ultra-low voltage gating of a superconducting transistors, micromechanical control of the 2D electron gas mediated by ferroelectricity and flexoelectricity, and on-chip straintronics.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figure

Thick-target inverse kinematic method in order to investigate alpha-clustering in212Po

The inverse-kinematic thick-target method has been used in order to investigate 212Po alpha-structure by the elastic scattering of 208Pb on 4He target. A 208Pb beam, accelerated by the Superconducting Cyclotron (CS) of Laboratori Nazionali del Sud - INFN, at the incident energy of 10.1 A MeV was impinging onto a specifically designed 4He gas cell, two meter long. The gas cell wasacting both as target and as beam degrader, stopping the beam before reaching the alpha-particle detection system placed at 0° with respect to the beam axis. In order to disentangle the elastic contribution from other reaction channels (e.g. inelastic scattering) a microchannel plate was used to measure the Time of Flight(ToF) of both the 208Pb beam particles and the ejectiles along the gas cell. The 208Pbstopping power in the 4He gas target was also measured, as a key ingredient in order to establish theinteraction point inside the gas cell, in turn determining the solid angle covered by the detector. In the following, the experimental technique will be described, and the results of a preliminary data analysis will be shown

A new analysis procedure to extract fusion excitation function with large beam energy dispersions: application to the 6

In the present paper it is described an analysis procedure suited for experiments where cross-sections strongly varying with energy are measured using beams having large energy dispersion. These cross-sections are typically the sub-barrier fusion excitation function of reactions induced by radioactive beams. The large beam energy dispersion, typical of these experiments, can lead to ambiguities in the association of the effective beam energy to the reaction product yields and consequently to an error in the determination of the excitation function. As a test case, the approach is applied to the experiments 6Li+120Sn and 7Li+119Sn measured in the energy range 14 MeV ≤ Ec.m. ≤28 MeV. The complete fusion cross sections are deduced from activation measurements using the stacked target technique. The results of these experiments, that employ the two weakly-bound stable Li isotopes, show that the complete fusion cross sections above the barrier are suppressed of about 70% and 85% with respect to the Universal Fusion Function, used as a standard reference, in the 6Li and 7Li induced reactions respectively. Moreover, the excitation functions of the two systems at energies below the barrier, do not show significant differences, despite the two systems have different n-transfer Qvalue

Individuazione delle aree di alimentazione della balenottera comune (Balaenoptera physalus, Linneaus, 1758) nel Mar Ligure occidentale

Obiettivo di questa tesi è l’individuazione delle aree di alimentazione della balenottera comune nel Mar Ligure Occidentale, zona che fa parte del Santuario Pelagos per i mammiferi marini, riconosciuto come sito estivo di alimentazione della specie. L’individuazione delle aree di alimentazione può permettere una gestione più consapevole nell’ottica di conservazione della specie all’interno del Santuario. La tesi si è svolta nell’ambito del progetto Cetacean Sanctuary Research (CSR) di Tethys Research Institute nel Mar Ligure Occidentale. La specie oggetto di questo studio è la balenottera comune, Balaenoptera physalus (Linneaus, 1758), unica appartenente al sottordine dei Misticeti presente con regolarità in Mediterraneo (Notarbartolo di Sciara, 2003). Studi precedenti condotti dall’Istituto Tethys nel Mar Ligure occidentale erano basati su una tecnica di tracking passivo: il comportamento dell'animale in superficie veniva ricostruito attraverso la rilevazione della posizione dell’imbarcazione utilizzata come piattaforma di osservazione, e la determinazione della posizione relativa dell’esemplare osservato rispetto alla barca. Questi studi hanno permesso di correlare il comportamento in superficie della balenottera comune con l’attività di alimentazione in profondità. Si era ipotizzato infatti che le balene che mostravano in superficie un percorso non rettilineo ma circonvoluto fossero impegnate nell’attività di ricerca del cibo (foraging) o di alimentazione. Tale ipotesi venne anche verificata con i profili di immersione di alcuni animali su cui era stato applicato un rilevatore di velocità-profondità (velocity-time-depth recorder, vTDR). Tra i limiti del metodo di passive tracking in superficie, oltre a quelli tecnici dello strumento di rilevamento della distanza con il laser, è la necessità di condizioni meteo ottimali e la necessità di almeno tre operatori impegnati nel campionamento. Molto più semplice è invece registrare il percorso dell’imbarcazione utilizzata per seguire l’animale. Obiettivo del presente studio è, infatti, valutare l’efficacia dell’uso della traccia in superficie dell’imbarcazione da ricerca come proxy del comportamento in superficie della balena che veniva seguita. Il tracciato della barca, viene generalmente raccolto in maniera sistematica attraverso un semplice dispositivo di data-logging automatico, che salva la posizione della barca ottenuta dal GPS di bordo ad intervalli regolari. Se “validato” come proxy del comportamento in superficie delle balenottere questo tracciato permetterebbe l’analisi di un numero maggiore di campioni, consentendo di considerare anche degli avvistamenti di balenottera per i quali non era stato applicato il protocollo del tracking. Nel lavoro di tesi sono stati considerati 46 campioni di comportamento, ottenuti mediante una tecnica di tracking passivo, in cui erano disponibili sia i tracciati della balena sia quelli dell’imbarcazione. Ai fini della descrizione qualitativa e quantitativa delle rotte dell’imbarcazione da ricerca sono state utilizzati degli indici sintetici: distanza tra il primo e l'ultimo punto di avvistamento dell’individuo, diagonale del rettangolo in cui è inscritto il percorso, indici di velocità ( media, mediana, minima), lunghezza del percorso, indice di linearità. I tracciati sono stati raggruppati in categorie mediante una Cluster analysis e successivamente georeferenziati. Infine, dati satellitari di temperatura superficiale (SST) e relativi alla produttività primaria (Chl-a) sono stati utilizzati per descrivere il contesto ambientale delle aree identificate come siti di alimentazione. Alla luce dell’analisi dei parametri ambientali è stato possibile correlare le aree di foraging con acque più fredde e caratterizzate da una maggiore produttività