Editorial Material
Ecology
Nils C. Krueck
Summary: A study warns that concentrated fishing near marine protected areas can hinder population recovery both within and beyond the protected areas.
NATURE ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Gabriella La Manna, Marta Picciulin, Alessia Crobu, Francesco Perretti, Fabio Ronchetti, Michele Manghi, Alberto Ruiu, Giulia Ceccherelli
Summary: This study characterized the soundscape of the Capo Caccia-Isola Piana Marine Protected Area in Italy and identified the main biological and anthropogenic components, with a focus on fish sounds. Results showed that sound pressure levels were significantly higher during the day, with certain frequency bands dominated by boat noise. Anthropogenic noise was loudest in the A zone, indicating a lack of protection from acoustic pollution. Additionally, impulsive sounds from invertebrates, snapping shrimps, and fish were the dominant biological components of the soundscape. The study provides baseline data for monitoring future changes and suggests measures to reduce noise impact on marine biodiversity.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Chris Brown, Gabby N. Ahmadia, Dominic A. Andradi-Brown, Nur Arafeh-Dalmau, Christina A. Buelow, Max D. Campbell, Graham J. Edgar, Jonas Geldmann, David Gill, Rick D. Stuart-Smith
Summary: Well-resourced marine protected areas (MPA) are better managed and achieve improved ecological outcomes. This study investigates whether fees charged for entry into MPAs are associated with enhanced fish biomass and the effectiveness of MPA management. The findings suggest that entry fees are linked to greater fish biomass, particularly in MPAs with lower scores for management effectiveness. Additionally, the study indicates that entry fees contribute to budget security and staff capacity for critical management activities in MPAs.
BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Emmanouil Tyllianakis
Summary: This paper explores the attitudes and preferences of residents in Malta toward marine protected areas (MPAs). The findings indicate that while residents support the idea of protecting marine ecosystems, they are against further restrictions in accessing MPAs. They are willing to pay for increased provisioning ecosystem services and show a preference for individualistic and use-driven values. However, there is a lack of awareness regarding the threats posed by climate change and tourism vessels. These findings highlight the importance of cooperation and effective communication in managing marine resources through MPAs.
JOURNAL FOR NATURE CONSERVATION
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Marine
A. A. Kallianiotis, I. E. Batjakas
Summary: The study evaluated the impact of temporal factors and physiochemical properties on the quantities and biomass of fish in the Thermaikos Gulf and adjacent habitats in Northern Greece. The analysis showed seasonal differences in fish abundance and biomass values, with the commercially significant species exhibiting varying patterns throughout the study period.
JOURNAL OF MARINE SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Giacomo Sardo, Luca Vecchioni, Giacomo Milisenda, Fabio Falsone, Michele Luca Geraci, Daniela Massi, Pietro Rizzo, Danilo Scannella, Sergio Vitale
Summary: This study investigates the use of guarding net to reduce discard waste in the small-scale fisheries of Egadi Islands MPA. The results show a significant difference in discard quantities between the control group using traditional trammel net and the experimental group using trammel net with guarding net. However, the use of guarding net leads to a significant commercial loss of 40%.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
V. Fagiano, C. Alomar, M. Compa, J. Soto-Navarro, G. Jorda, S. Deudero
Summary: The study found a high abundance of microplastics in the Cabrera Marine Protected Area, which can impact the composition of the local zooplankton community. While no correlation was observed between the overall abundance of microplastics and zooplankton, there were positive and negative correlations between microplastic abundance and specific zooplankton species.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Anju Baroth, Sonalika Mamgain, Kuppusamy Sivakumar, Prachi Sachchidanand Hatkar, Sameeha Pathan
Summary: This study is the first to assess marine litter and plastic pollution in India's first marine protected area (MPA), the Gulf of Kachchh Marine Protected Area (GOKMPA). The research found that plastic was the most common component of litter at all sites, with GOKMPA having the lowest litter density but the highest proportion of plastic litter. Most people expressed concern about waste but were hesitant to take responsibility and discourage littering.
JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
A. Higueruelo, A. Santin, J. Salazar, S. Ambroso, A. Soler-Membrives, J. Grinyo
Summary: This study examined the status of artisanal fisheries in Cap de Creus Marine Protected Area through collaboration with local fishers. The findings revealed higher fishing pressure and impact in a specific area, highlighting the importance of coastal management. In comparison to unprotected areas in the Mediterranean, MPAs showed lower impact on marine ecosystems.
MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Francesca Visintin, Elisa Tomasinsig, Maurizio Spoto, Francesco Marangon, Paolo D'Ambrosio, Luciana Muscogiuri, Sergio Fai, Stefania Troiano
Summary: The article introduces an integrated environmental accounting model called 'eValue', applied in the Italian Marine Protected Areas to implement an environmental accounting system. The eValue model showed impressive results in terms of value generated in the Porto Cesareo MPA and the ratio of net benefit to public funding.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Ori Frid, Shahar Malamud, Antonio Di Franco, Paolo Guidetti, Ernesto Azzurro, Joachim Claudet, Fiorenza Micheli, Ruth Yahel, Enric Sala, Jonathan Belmaker
Summary: The positive effect of fully protected marine protected areas (MPAs) on marine biodiversity, and specifically on fishes, has been widely documented. The potential of MPAs to mitigate the impact of adverse climatic conditions has seldom been investigated. This study assessed the effectiveness of MPAs in increasing fish biomass across the Mediterranean Sea and found that while MPAs did increase fish biomass, higher seawater temperatures were associated with decreased fish biomass. Importantly, the rate of decrease in fish biomass with temperature was similar between protected and fished sites.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Oceanography
Teresa Maggio, Patrizia Perzia, Manuela Falautano, Giulia Visconti, Luca Castriota
Summary: The Non-Indigenous Species (NIS) and particularly the Invasive Alien Species (IAS) have an impact on biodiversity, and their monitoring is important for preventing their spread. This study collected Local Ecological Knowledge (LEK) data in a Marine Protected Area (MPA) and focused on the Lessepsian blue crab Portunus segnis. The findings highlight the importance of collaboration between researchers and citizens in monitoring activities and provide suggestions for improving surveillance systems.
OCEAN & COASTAL MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Environmental Studies
Laura L. Griffiths, Dominic A. Andradi-Brown, Gabby N. Ahmadia, Purwanto, Awaludinnoer, Dale Bryan-Brown, Christopher J. Brown
Summary: Researchers developed a modeling approach to evaluate the performance of two MPAs in Raja Ampat, Indonesia by predicting the impact of fishing pressure and biophysical conditions on fish biomass recovery. They found that historical fishing pressure, wave exposure, and proximity to coastal habitats were important factors determining pre-MPA fish biomass. Their study suggests that evaluating MPA performance requires considering the link to historical fishing pressure and biophysical conditions.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Maria Maestro, Juan Adolfo Chica-Ruiz, Zvjezdana Popovic Perkovic, Maria Luisa Perez-Cayeiro
Summary: This paper analyzes the management model of MPAs in Croatia and identifies their strengths and weaknesses. Through the evaluation of specific indicators, different management scenarios are identified for different MPAs, and improvement measures are proposed. Overall, MPA management in Croatia tends towards a proactive model, but public participation is not yet fully consolidated.
Article
Environmental Studies
Renee Albrecht, Carly N. Cook, Olive Andrews, Kelsey E. Roberts, Martin F. J. Taylor, Michael B. Mascia, Rachel E. Golden Kroner
Summary: Marine protected areas (MPAs) play a crucial role in global marine biodiversity conservation, but are at risk of PADDD events, mainly driven by industrial-scale resource use and extraction. At least six countries have experienced 43 PADDD events in MPAs, with most occurring in Australia, affecting an area of at least 1,198,774 square kilometers.
Article
Zoology
A. N. D. R. E. A. BELLODI, A. N. N. A. BENVENUTO, R. I. C. C. A. R. D. O. MELIS, A. N. T. O. N. E. L. L. O. MULAS, M. O. N. I. C. A. BARONE, C. L. A. U. D. I. O. BARRIA, A. L. E. S. S. I. A. CARIANI, L. A. U. R. A. CARUGATI, A. R. C. H. O. N. T. I. A. CHATZISPYROU, M. O. N. I. Q. U. E. DESROCHERS, A. L. I. C. E. FERRARI, J. A. V. I. E. R. GUALLART, F. A. R. I. D. HEMIDA, C. E. C. I. L. I. A. MANCUSI, C. A. R. L. O. T. T. A. MAZZOLDI, S. E. R. G. I. O. RAMIREZ-AMARO, J. A. V. I. E. R. REY, D. A. N. I. L. O. SCANNELLA, F. A. B. R. I. Z. I. O. SERENA, F. A. U. S. T. O. TINTI, A. D. R. I. A. N. A. VELLA, M. A. R. I. A. C. R. I. S. T. I. N. A. FOLLESA, R. I. T. A. CANNAS
Summary: The current shift of fishery efforts towards the deep sea raises concern about the vulnerability of poorly studied deep-water sharks. This study focuses on the taxonomy of genus Centrophorus in the Mediterranean Basin and clarifies the presence of a unique species, suggesting a need for revision of the genus's systematics in the area.
ZOOLOGICAL JOURNAL OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Monica Barone, Frederik H. Mollen, Jenny L. Giles, Lindsay J. Marshall, Melany Villate-Moreno, Carlotta Mazzoldi, Elisa Perez-Costas, Jurgen Heine, Castor Guisande
Summary: The past decade has witnessed a growing international concern for the conservation status of sharks and rays, which are heavily traded due to the demand for their valuable commodities. Many countries have recognized the urgency to regulate this trade and have voted to include more shark and ray species in the CITES appendices. However, the identification of shark fins before they enter international trade poses a major obstacle for CITES compliance. This study evaluates the performance of the iSharkFin system, a machine learning technology that aims to identify shark species from dorsal fin images, and suggests its potential as a rapid field identification tool for fisheries monitoring and compliance with CITES regulations.
ECOLOGICAL INFORMATICS
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Giulia Ceccherelli, Piero Addis, Fabrizio Atzori, Nicoletta Cadoni, Marco Casu, Stefania Coppa, Mario De Luca, Giuseppe Andrea de Lucia, Simone Farina, Nicola Fois, Francesca Frau, Vittorio Gazale, Daniele Grech, Ivan Guala, Mariano Mariani, Massimo Sg Marras, Augusto Navone, Arianna Pansini, Pieraugusto Panzalis, Federico Pinna, Alberto Ruiu, Fabio Scarpa, Luigi Piazzi
Summary: This study evaluates the effect of human harvest on sea urchins within marine protected areas. Findings show that only restricted harvest promotes an increase in sea urchin abundance, while allowing harvest leads to significant population regression.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Elena Desidera, Carlotta Mazzoldi, Augusto Navone, Pieraugusto Panzalis, Cedric Gervaise, Paolo Guidetti, Lucia Di Iorio
Summary: This study reveals the reproductive biology of the vulnerable grouper species, Mycteroperca rubra, and confirms the use of passive acoustic monitoring for monitoring its spawning sites to enhance the effectiveness of marine protected areas.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Monica Francesca Blasi, Pasquale Avino, Ivan Notardonato, Cristina Di Fiore, Daniela Mattei, Marco Friedrich Walter Gauger, Michelle Gelippi, Davide Cicala, Sandra Hochscheid, Andrea Camedda, Giuseppe Andrea de Lucia, Gabriele Favero
Summary: This study investigated the presence of PAEs in the blood of Mediterranean loggerhead turtles for the first time and found that PAEs concentrations varied among individual turtles. Blood was determined to be a good matrix for assessing the acute exposure of marine turtles to PAEs.
ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Alice Sbrana, Tommaso Valente, Jessica Bianchi, Simone Franceschini, Raffaella Piermarini, Flavia Saccomandi, Andrea Giuseppe de Lucia, Andrea Camedda, Marco Matiddi, Cecilia Silvestri
Summary: The study aims to investigate the composition, quantity, and spatial distribution of microplastics in Italian seawaters, as well as the distribution of microplastics between surface and subsurface water layers. The results show that microplastics concentrations decrease with coastal distance, and the amount of surface microplastics is almost four times that of subsurface microplastics.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Tommaso Valente, Tania Pelamatti, Carlo Giacomo Avio, Andrea Camedda, Maria Letizia Costantini, Giuseppe Andrea de Lucia, Carlo Jacomini, Raffaella Piermarini, Francesco Regoli, Alice Sbrana, Daniele Ventura, Cecilia Silvestri, Marco Matiddi
Summary: This study investigates the environmental contamination of microplastics in three different marine areas in Italy using a multispecies approach. The results show that microplastic ingestion frequencies are influenced by proximity to urban settlements and river flows, as well as the feeding habits of the examined species.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Sandra Hochscheid, Fulvio Maffucci, Elena Abella, Mohamed Nejmeddine Bradai, Andrea Camedda, Carlos Carreras, Franoise Claro, Giuseppe Andrea de Lucia, Imed Jribi, Cecilia Mancusi, Adolfo Marco, Nicola Marrone, Luana Papetti, Ohiana Revuelta, Salvatore Urso, Jesus Tomas
Summary: Global warming has led to an expansion of nesting sites for loggerhead turtles in the Western Mediterranean. The number of recorded nests has significantly increased in the past decade, indicating a rising trend in nesting activity. Most nests are found along the coasts of the warmer Tyrrhenian Sea, with specific hotspots identified in Italy, Sardinia, and Tunisia. However, these nesting sites are already under threat from high tourist pressure and coastal development, highlighting the need for urgent conservation actions.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Daniel Li Veli, Andrea Petetta, Giulio Barone, Ilaria Ceciarini, Enrica Franchi, Letizia Marsili, Guido Pietroluongo, Carlotta Mazzoldi, Drasko Holcer, Stanislao D'Argenio, Sergio Guccione, Rosa Linda Testa, Monica Francesca Blasi, Maria Francesca Cinti, Salvatore Livreri Console, Ilaria Rinaudo, Alessandro Lucchetti
Summary: Interactions between fishing and dolphins can have negative consequences, including dolphins becoming entangled and killed by fishing gear and dolphins predating on fish caught by nets. This interaction poses danger to dolphins and leads to economic losses for fishers. A survey conducted in Italy and Croatia revealed that common bottlenose dolphins are the species most commonly involved in fishing interactions, with catch damage being the main issue. The probability of interaction varied among different fishing gears and seasons, with certain activities experiencing higher economic losses. While dolphin bycatch rates are generally low, a significant percentage of fishers reported capturing dolphins during their career. Awareness and use of acoustic deterrent devices among fishers were found to be limited.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Stefania Coppa, Andrea Camedda, Giorgio Massaro, Sara Vencato, Franco Murru, Maria Tiziana Pinna, Davide Urrai, Antonio Casula, Maurizio Riccitelli, Giuseppe Andrea de Lucia
Summary: The study explores the impact of natural souvenirs collection on biodiversity and habitat degradation in the Mediterranean region, using Sardinia, Italy as a case study. Analysis of seized biological material at Cagliari-Elmas Airport revealed 199 taxa, with gastropods and bivalves being the most represented classes. The study also found 22 protected species, including the most threatened invertebrates in the Mediterranean Sea. The research highlights the common illegal collection of natural mementos in Sardinia and the need for regulation and collaboration to implement effective conservation strategies.
CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE
(2023)
Proceedings Paper
Engineering, Ocean
Samira Gallo, Cecilia Mancusi, Abudaya Mohammed, Bakiu Rigers, Adi Barash, Monica Barone, Massimiliano Bottaro, Pierluigi Carbonara, Carlucci Roberto, Ilija Cetkovic, Simona Clò, Eleonora De Sabata, Samira Enajjar, Esmail Shakman, Fulvio Garibaldi, Gianni Giglio, Ioannis Giovos, Hakan Kabasakal, Luca Lanteri, Stefano Lelli, Lovrenc Lipej, Carlotta Mazzoldi, Primo Micarelli, Gabriel Morey, Stefano Moro, Mohamed Nejmeddine Bradai, Giuseppe Notarbartolo di Sciara, Chiara Romano, Bechir Saidi, Alen Soldo, Emilio Sperone, Francesco Tiralongo, Bruno Zava, Fabrizio Serena
Summary: This article presents the results of the analysis of data collected and acquired in the last 5 years by the MEDLEM program, aiming to increase information about large elasmobranchs in the Mediterranean. The most frequent species reported are the sandbar shark and the bluntnose sixgill shark, and new data on other rare and endangered elasmobranch species are also provided.
2022 IEEE INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP ON METROLOGY FOR THE SEA LEARNING TO MEASURE SEA HEALTH PARAMETERS (METROSEA)
(2022)
Proceedings Paper
Engineering, Ocean
Rosalia Maglietta, Daniele Piazzolla, Viviana Piermattei, Elena Scagnoli, Rita Lecci, Marco Marcelli, Matteo Scuro, Giuseppe Andrea De Lucia, Giacomo Marzano, Francesco De Franco, Leonardo Saccotelli, Rocco Caccioppoli, Giovanni Coppini
Summary: This study presents preliminary results on monitoring the distribution of loggerhead sea turtles in the Adriatic and Ionian Seas using marine Argos transmitters. The study analyzes the tracked sea turtles' routes and finds statistically significant differences in water temperatures between male and female individuals. The future aim is to create a habitat model for Caretta caretta turtle in the Mediterranean Sea.
2022 IEEE INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP ON METROLOGY FOR THE SEA LEARNING TO MEASURE SEA HEALTH PARAMETERS (METROSEA)
(2022)
Article
Fisheries
Emilio Riginella, Marco Nalon, Mauro Sinopoli, Carlotta Mazzoldi
Summary: This study compared coastal trawling within and outside of the three nautical miles zone in the Northern Adriatic Sea and found differences in catch composition and economic income. The results support the European Community regulation on coastal trawling, considering factors such as discard, habitat damages, and presence of juveniles.
