19 research outputs found
Primi dati del monitoraggio di Pinna nobilis nell'AMP "Isole di Ventotene e Santo Stefano"
A study on the distribution, abundance and morphometric variables of Pinna nobilis Linnaeus, 1758 (Mollusca, Bivalvia) has been carried out in the ‘Isole di Ventotene e Santo Stefano’ Marine Protected Area, in the Central Tyrrhenian Sea. A total of 39 individuals was recorded (0.7 ind./100 m2), 37 of them were dead (94.87%) and 2 were alive (5.13%), with a shell length of 57.97±12.84 cm and 40.69±4.65 cm respectively. This study represents a first investigation about the current status of the P. nobilis population around Ventotene Island
HYDROLYTIC EXOENZYME SCREENING OF HETEROTROPHIC BACTERIA ASSOCIATED WITH CORALLIUM RUBRUM
Hydrolytic exoenzyme screening of heterotrophic bacteria associated with Corallium rubrum
demography of deep-dwelling red coral populations: Age and reproductive structure of a highly valued marine species
Distribution and assessment of marine debris in the deep Tyrrhenian Sea (NW Mediterranean Sea, Italy)
Marine debris is a recognized global ecological concern. Little is known about the extent of the problem in the Mediterranean Sea regarding litter distribution and its influence on deep rocky habitats. A quantitative assessment of debris present in the deep seafloor (30-300m depth) was carried out in 26 areas off the coast of three Italian regions in the Tyrrhenian Sea, using a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV). The dominant type of debris (89%) was represented by fishing gears, mainly lines, while plastic objects were recorded only occasionally. Abundant quantities of gears were found on rocky banks in Sicily and Campania (0.09-0.12 debris m-2), proving intense fishing activity. Fifty-four percent of the recorded debris directly impacted benthic organisms, primarily gorgonians, followed by black corals and sponges. This work provides a first insight on the impact of marine debris in Mediterranean deep ecosystems and a valuable baseline for future comparisons
Marine phanerogams of the Mediterranean as a source of active cosmetic ingredients: a study on Cymodocea nodosa
Distribution and assessment of marine debrids in the deep Tyrrhenian sea
Commercially harvested since ancient times, the highly valuable red coral
Corallium rubrum (Linnaeus, 1758) is an octocoral endemic to the Mediterranean
Sea and adjacent Eastern Atlantic Ocean, where it occurs on rocky bottoms
over a wide bathymetric range. Current knowledge is restricted to its
shallow populations (15–50 m depth), with comparably little attention given to
the deeper populations (50–200 m) that are nowadays the main target of
exploitation. In this study, red coral distribution and population structure were
assessed in three historically exploited areas (Amalfi, Ischia Island and Elba
Island) in the Tyrrhenian Sea (Western Mediterranean Sea) between 50 and
130 m depth by means of ROV during a cruise carried out in the summer of
2010. Red coral populations showed a maximum patch frequency of
0.20 0.04 SD patchesm
1 and a density ranging between 28 and 204 colonies
m
2, with a fairly continuous bathymetric distribution. The highest red
coral densities in the investigated areas were found on cliffs and boulders
mainly exposed to the east, at the greatest depth, and characterized by medium
percentage sediment cover. The study populations contained a high percentage
(46% on average) of harvestable colonies (>7 mm basal diameter). Moreover,
some colonies with fifth-order branches were also observed, highlighting the
probable older age of some components of these populations. The Ischia population
showed the highest colony occupancy, density and size, suggesting a better
conservation status than the populations at the other study locations. These
results indicate that deep dwelling red coral populations in non-stressed or
less-harvested areas may diverge from the inverse size-density relationship
previously observed in red coral populations with increasing depth.
Introduction
In recent years the interest of marine ecologists has
increasingly focused on deep sublittoral rocky bottoms
(50–200 m depth), also named twilight or mesophotic
zones (Cerrano et al. 2010; Kahng et al. 2010). These
environments, representing a continuum with their
shallower water counterparts, support several ha