Inter and intra-population variability of the migratory behaviour of a short-distance partial migrant, the Eurasian Stone-curlew Burhinus oedicnemus (Charadriiformes, Burhinidae)

Migratory behaviour in birds shows a remarkable variability at species, population and individual levels. Short-distance migrants often adopt a partial migratory strategy and tend to have a flexible migration schedule that allows a more effective response to extreme environmental variations. Weather seasonality and environmental heterogeneity have been reported as significant factors in the diversification of migratory behaviour for Mediterranean migrants, but relatively few studies investigated the migration patterns of non-passerine birds migrating within the Mediterranean basin. In this study, we investigated the migratory strategy of 40 Eurasian Stone-curlews Burhinus oedicnemus tagged with geolocators and GPS-GSM tags and belonging to continental and Mediterranean populations of the Italian peninsula. The proportion of migrants was higher in continental populations, but we observed a significant variability also within Mediterranean populations. All birds spent the winter within the Mediterranean basin. Continental Stone-curlews departed earlier in spring and later in autumn and covered longer distances than those from Mediterranean areas. The speed of migration did not change between seasons for continental birds, while Mediterranean individuals migrated faster in spring. The likelihood of departure for autumn migration of GPS-tagged birds increased when temperatures were near or below 0 °C suggesting that Stone-curlews tend to delay departure until weather conditions worsen abruptly. As a consequence of global warming in the Mediterranean, the frequency of migratory birds in the considered populations might decrease in the near future. This could affect the distribution of species throughout the year and should be taken into account when targeting conservation measures

Monitoraggio ed Analisi di Detriti Marini Spiaggiati (Beach Litter) in alcune zone costiere circostanti l'Area Marina Protetta Internazionale del Santuario dei Cetacei.

Lavoro svolto in collaborazione con CNR-ISMAR (Istituto di Scienze Marine del Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche UOS Pozzuolo di Lerici) ed DLTM (Distretto Ligure delle Tecnologie Marine) a La Spezia nell'ambito del Progetto SEACleaner. Il Progetto è mirato al monitoraggio e alla successiva analisi del Beach Litter (Detriti Marini spiaggiati di origine Antropogenica o DMA) accumulati sulle spiagge di siti individuati all’interno dell’Area Marina Protetta Internazionale del “Santuario dei Cetacei” o “Santuario Pelagos”. La tesi è suddivisa in due parti: la prima, dal carattere prevalentemente compilativo, riassume lo stato dell’arte e le conoscenze pregresse inerenti gli impatti causati dai DMA; la seconda di taglio sperimentale, riporta ed analizza i dati di due anni di campionamento su alcuni siti delle zone costiere del Mar Ligure e dell’Alto Mar Tirreno. Nello specifico, nella prima parte si affronta la problematica dell’inquinamento marino ad opera dell’uomo esponendo la situazione a livello del bacino del Mar Mediterraneo e le attuali pratiche suggerite per contenere e risolvere l’emergenza del Marine Litter - tra cui quelle indicate dalla Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD); inoltre si dedica un paragrafo all’attuale stato della ricerca riguardo tale importante descrittore per monitorare lo stato di salute del Mediterraneo, rivolgendo soprattutto particolare attenzione agli studi che hanno indagato l’impatto dei rifiuti antropogenici sugli organismi marini. Infine, si presenta il progetto Pilota “SEACleaner”. Nella seconda parte vengono descritte le attività svolte durante i due anni di studio: (1) la fase di pre-monitoraggio, con l’identificazione e la messa a punto del Protocollo (e relativo Manuale) per il Campionamento dei DMA (che specifica la tipologia e dimensione degli articoli da campionare, la pianificazione temporale delle campagne, l’individuazione dei siti e la dimensione dei transetti); (2) la fase operativa (con la raccolta e la classificazione dei DMA); ed infine la (3) fase di elaborazione dei dati raccolti con le relative analisi statistiche. Infine vengono esposte la discussione relativa ai risultati derivanti dalle analisi effettuate e le conclusioni dello studio

Spatial distribution of marine litter along italian coastal areas in the Pelagos sanctuary (Ligurian Sea - NW Mediterranean Sea): A focus on natural and urban beaches

ur paper will show data on quantity, typology, distribution of beach litter (Anthropogenic Marine Debris - AMD) within a coastal macroarea surrounding the Pelagos Sanctuary, an International Protected Area in the NW Mediterranean Sea. AMD Monitoring and characterisation have been performed by using SEACleaner Protocol: an adapted version of UNEP/IOC, OSPAR and EU guidelines. 11 beaches located in 5 different areas, have been monitored with a total amount of thirty three surveys, from January 2014 to December 2015, during different seasons. Three kinds of beaches have been considered: Natural (belonging to MPAs), Urbanized and Urban. A total of 34,027 items on a total area of 32,154 m2 have been removed and classified. Spatial difference in abundance and composition of AMDs - as well as beach environmental quality - has been detected. Natural sites, and particularly protected areas close to river mouths show a major density compared to other areas.Published140-1524A. Oceanografia e climaJCR Journa

Marine pollution and environmental awareness: An efficient way to approach high school students towards marine sciences

All the seas are filling up with micro/macro plastic, with degradationrates up to 1000 years. Often they accumulate in specific areas (the famous “Pacific plastic island”) and Mediterranean sea is not an exception (Suaria&Aliani, 2014). On one hand, damages suffered by animals after contact with macro/micro plastic objects has led to an increase of studies especially on the effects of these pollutants in the food chain (Galgani et al. 2014).On the other hand we still lack knowledge concerning marine litter fluxes in our seas (coming from harbors, river mouths, illegal landfills and sewers) and accumulation on European beaches (Andrady, 2011). ISMAR Institute has undertaken, since 2013, the SEACleaner project, with the goal to gather as much data as possible on the presence, type and amount of marine litter in the coastal area around the “Pelagos Sanctuary “ (Notarbartolo di Sciara et al., 2008) a special area that encompasses over 87.500 km2 of the north-western Mediterranean Sea, between south-eastern France, Monaco, north-western Italy and northern Sardinia, surrounding Corsica and the Tuscan Archipelago. SEACleaner project involves 4 marine protected areas/marine parks of Liguria and Tuscany, 4 research institutes (such as ISMAR, DLTM, ENEA-UTMAR and DLTM) and one University (University of Pisa). The project has been conducted by involving high schools of the neighbouring areas of La Spezia and Parma trough work-related internships (regulated by Legislative Decree n.77 of 15.04.2005 and Law n. 107of 13.07.2015). Students recollect a large amount of data (citizenscience). This approach has proven to be valid also from an educational point of view (Merlino et al. 2015), since it brings students close to social and environmental issues, while improving knowledge of scientific methodology. Students (at now 450 in three years) participate also to data analysis and give their contribution in different tasks, depending on their school curricula (graphical design, computer science, bio-technology etc.). The project have had an European Union grant for shoot a documentary (translated in French and subtitled in English), screened at the “tenth anniversary of the researcher night” (September 2015) and selected for several environment film festival, as the Torino Environmental Festival, the LEGAMBIENTE-CLOROFILLA Festival and the International LIFE AFTER OIL Festival [MARINE RUBBISH. A challenge to share. 2015. English subtitled version is now available on ISMAR Youtube channel and on LIFE AFTER OIL International Film festival website].PublishedBruge, Belgium2TM. Divulgazione Scientific

Marine Litter in the Pelagos Sanctuary: alone we can do so little. Together we can do so much!

Participation of volunteers in scientific projects has been demonstrated to be effective also from educational and social point of view, since it fills the gap between who produces science/technology and who benefits from it. Nevertheless, motivating and enabling citizens in a long-term commitment represents an essential problem. SeaCleaner project is an example on how this can be guaranteed trough involvement of both volunteers and students in a monitoring program on the subject of marine litter, in a stretch of the Mediterranean-Sea characterized by the presence of marine mammals (Pelagos Sanctuary). This areal is threatened, as many coastal areas, by increasing pollution due to the waste stranded on beaches or floating in the water column, with damage to marine life. Monitoring activities have been carried on, in the last two years, through collaboration of research institutions (ISMAR, INGV), educational institutions (Liguria, Emilia-Romagna and Toscana secondary schools), voluntary associations, national and regional parks and protected marine areas in Liguria and Toscana [1]. Students have been directly involved in the definition of a protocol of data acquisitions (based on MSFD [2]), and in the set up of an app for Android devices, easy-to-use and, at the same time, methodologically sound and comprehensive, that should support volunteers during scheduled trash removal campaigns, overcoming the current lack of data (amount of litter per unit of surface, correlations between trash abundance and factors as degree of protection of the area, presence of rivers, ports, touristic activities etc.). Seacleaner effects: it expands young generation's knowledge on topics not strictly related to scholastic curriculum, and approaches environment problems often unknown to them; it brings students of middle and high school to interact each other and with volunteers and researchers engaged in the monitoring actions (peer-education, inter-generational education), it implements technology training for solving environmental problems concerning local heritage.PublishedFirenze2TM. Divulgazione Scientific

Ensuring long-term commitment of citizens in environmental monitoring and scientific research.

“Percorsi nel BLU”/“Blue Paths” is a project – carried out by a Science teacher of a Unified School District in La Spezia - aimed for teaching scientific methods trough interactive learning and operational research on marine habitats. SEACleaner, instead, is a project carried out by a National Research Centre – Institute of Marine Sciences ISMAR-CNR– aimed for monitoring the impact of marine debris and for raising awareness on the importance of appropriate management strategies for solving this problem; this project involves higher secondary school students trough “work-related learning” internships. “Percorsi nel BLU”/“Blue Paths” and SEACleaner are actually cooperating and sharing some goals, methodologies and sampling sites of the coastal Tuscan and Ligurian Protected Areas. The cooperation is giving interesting and important educational outcomes and scientific results such as: updated checklists of benthic communities, high frequency of surveys that can allow to identify significant seasonal patterns (especially for beach litter accumulation rates) but also synergy among very different partners (marine parks, researchers, local authorities, citizens, environmental education centres, teachers and students) that represents an effective push-pull impulse for maintaining a long lasting engagement of citizens in scientific research.PublishedGenova, Italy3A. Ambiente Marinoreserve

Ensuring long-term commitment of citizens in environmental monitoring and scientific research.

“Percorsi nel BLU”/“Blue Paths” is a project – carried out by a Science teacher of a Unified School District in La Spezia - aimed for teaching scientific methods trough interactive learning and operational research on marine habitats. SEACleaner, instead, is a project carried out by a National Research Centre – Institute of Marine Sciences ISMAR-CNR– aimed for monitoring the impact of marine debris and for raising awareness on the importance of appropriate management strategies for solving this problem; this project involves higher secondary school students trough “work-related learning” internships. “Percorsi nel BLU”/“Blue Paths” and SEACleaner are actually cooperating and sharing some goals, methodologies and sampling sites of the coastal Tuscan and Ligurian Protected Areas. The cooperation is giving interesting and important educational outcomes and scientific results such as: updated checklists of benthic communities, high frequency of surveys that can allow to identify significant seasonal patterns (especially for beach litter accumulation rates) but also synergy among very different partners (marine parks, researchers, local authorities, citizens, environmental education centres, teachers and students) that represents an effective push-pull impulse for maintaining a long lasting engagement of citizens in scientific research

2,3-Dihydro-1<em>H</em>-cyclopenta[<em>b</em>]quinoline Derivatives as Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitors—Synthesis, Radiolabeling and Biodistribution

In the present study we describe the synthesis and biological assessment of new tacrine analogs in the course of inhibition of acetylcholinesterase. The obtained molecules were synthesized in a condensation reaction between activated 6-BOC-hydrazinopyridine-3-carboxylic acid and 8-aminoalkyl derivatives of 2,3-dihydro-1<em>H</em>-cyclopenta[b]quinoline. Activities of the newly synthesized compounds were estimated by means of Ellman’s method. Compound <strong>6h</strong> (IC<sub>50</sub> = 3.65 nM) was found to be most active. All obtained novel compounds present comparable activity to that of tacrine towards acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and, simultaneously, lower activity towards butyrylcholinesterase (BChE). Apart from <strong>6a</strong>, all synthesized compounds are characterized by a higher affinity for AChE and a lower affinity for BChE in comparison with tacrine. Among all obtained molecules, compound <strong>6h</strong> presented the highest selectivity towards inhibition of acetylcholinesterase. Molecular modeling showed that all compounds demonstrated a similar binding mode with AChE and interacted with catalytic and peripheral sites of AChE. Also, a biodistribution study of compound <strong>6a</strong> radiolabeled with <sup>99m</sup>Tc was performed. <strong></strong&gt