A5067939021- Coral and Marine Ecosystems Studies
- Marine Ecology and Invasive Species
- Marine Biology and Ecology Research
- Marine and coastal plant biology
- Marine Biology and Environmental Chemistry
- Marine animal studies overview
- Marine Sponges and Natural Products
- Parasite Biology and Host Interactions
- Insect Pheromone Research and Control
- Malaria Research and Control
- Microplastics and Plastic Pollution
- Paleontology and Stratigraphy of Fossils
- Coastal wetland ecosystem dynamics
- Cephalopods and Marine Biology
- Geological formations and processes
- Isotope Analysis in Ecology
- Underwater Vehicles and Communication Systems
- Marine and fisheries research
- Echinoderm biology and ecology
- Species Distribution and Climate Change
- Coastal and Marine Management
- Aquatic Invertebrate Ecology and Behavior
- Marine Invertebrate Physiology and Ecology
- Geology and Paleoclimatology Research
Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale
2024
University of Genoa
2019-2024
University of Palermo
2024
CoNISMa
2022-2023
The Ligurian Sea is one of the most studied Mediterranean basins. Since beginning last century, many research expeditions have characterized its benthic and pelagic fauna through scuba diving trawl surveys. However, a large knowledge gap exists about composition communities extending into so-called mesophotic or twilight depth range, currently under intense pressure from commercial recreational fishing. A series visual surveys, carried out by means remotely operated vehicles between 2012...
The deep shoal of Punta del Faro (Ligurian Sea, Mediterranean Sea) is a mesophotic rocky elevation hosting complex animal forests threatened by fishing activities. To identify appropriate conservation measures and set reference example for similar cases, we present detailed characterization its megabenthic communities quantification the pressure. results highlight high natural value area, presenting biodiversity (111 demersal species) diverse types forest, predominantly dominated cnidarians....
Abstract Differently from the North Atlantic Ocean, only few examples of sponge grounds are known Mediterranean Sea, mainly thriving in deep sea. In this study, a novel temperate mesophotic ecosystem dominated by massive keratose sponges is reported Ligurian continental shelf. An extensive Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) survey allowed to study structure and large‐scale distribution biocoenosis. The here described highly fragmented, being formed large number dense, discrete aggregations...
The analysis of 879 ROV dives carried out along the Italian coasts on hard substrata at mesophotic and upper bathyal depths (40-775 m) allowed us to evaluate current basin-scale presence, relative abundance, bathymetric limits, habitat preferences one most charismatic Mediterranean habitat-former anthozoan species, Corallium rubrum (Linnaeus, 1758). species is widespread, its occurrence ranged from 13% explored sites in Ionian Calabria a hotspot approximately 80% Sardinia. Population...
During the last decades, number of observations basket star Astrospartus mediterraneus (Risso, 1826) in Mediterranean Sea has significantly grown, thanks to SCUBA diver and ROV sightings, citizen reports, as well particularly large catches by artisanal fishery. Having been generally considered rare many areas basin, such a long-term increase records might assign this putative role winner species context climate changes. In present study, we combined overall literature information with data...
The occurrence, relative abundance and bathymetric distribution of the deep Mediterranean heterobranch fauna were evaluated as a result an extensive visual census down to 1825 m depth, carried out along western Italian coasts, covering latitudinal range about 600 nautical miles. Observations conducted using Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) in 551 sites, focusing on deepest part continental shelf, shelf edge upper bathyal zone. analysis over 508 hours video footage more than 27,000...
This Collective Article presents information on 20 taxa belonging to five (5) Phyla: Cnidaria (2), Mollusca (8), Arthropoda (4), Echinodermata (1) and Chordata recorded from the Alboran Sea Levantine Sea. These new records were found in seven (7) different ecoregions as follows: Sea: record of rare football octopus Ocythoe tuberculata harbour Algeciras (Spain); Western Mediterranean first isopod Arcturinella deltensis Ligurian Sea, third whole Sea; site for Muricidae Coralliophila ahuiri...
The sea star Hymenodiscus coronata is the only Mediterranean representative of deep-sea order Brisingida. In North-eastern Atlantic Ocean, this species known to create dense aggregations, while, in basin, it generally reported as scattered individuals. Through analysis video footage obtained from an extensive ROV campaign carried out northern Strait Sicily 2021, over 2850 specimens were counted. specimens, observed between 310 m and 714 depth, showed a large variability size number arms. It...
Over the past thirty years, red gorgonian Paramuricea clavata in Mediterranean Sea has faced increasing threats, including heat waves and human activities such as fishing diving. Epibiosis on damaged colonies is generally used an indirect indication of stressed conditions. The density height P. percentage affected by epibiosis entangled lost gear were studied to investigate phenomenon its trend over time Ligurian Sea. Analyses based transects collected during ROV campaigns between 2015 2022...
An analysis of 483 remotely operated vehicle (ROV) dives carried out along the Italian coast on hard substrata at mesophotic depths (40–200 m) allowed an overview rich sponge diversity (53 taxa) deep continental platform to be obtained for first time. About 40% potential actual species was recognisable using ROV, suggesting that this group is among richest yet underestimated technology in contrast other megabenthic taxa. Additionally, study us gather data current basin-scale distribution and...
The precious coral Corallium rubrum (Linnaeus, 1758) is a charismatic Mediterranean species. A recent large-scale investigation along the Italian coast highlighted its widespread occurrence at mesophotic and upper bathyal depths, especially on coralligenous vertical hardgrounds. lack of morphometric data limited considerations structure health status populations, fundamental to identify most vulnerable sites correct management actions. For this reason, ROV dataset, consisting 624 dives...
Compared to their fossil counterparts, living brachiopods are investigated far less often, due occurrence in remote environments such as dark caves or deep environments. Due the scarcity of studies targeting situ brachiopods’ populations, large-scale information on distribution and ecological preferences is still lacking, especially hardgrounds. The extensive employment remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), however, has opened up chance better explore this taxon’s diversity ecology mesophotic...
Abstract Detailed knowledge about the distribution of species in need protection is required for management Marine Protected Areas, a major tool to reduce marine biodiversity loss. Such deficient most invertebrates. Axinella polypoides sponge included on list protected by Barcelona Convention (1976) and Bern (1987). This large erect has an important ecological role habitat forming benthic–pelagic coupling. Bathymetrical, geographical data over last 60 years were collated from publications...
Over the past thirty years, red gorgonian Paramuricea clavata in Mediterranean Sea has faced increasing threats, including heat waves and human activities such as artisanal recreational fishing. Epibiosis on damaged colonies is generally used an indirect indication of stressed conditions. The density height P. percentage affected by epibiosis entangled lost fishing gear were monitored to investigate phenomenon its trend over time Ligurian Sea. Analyses based transects collected during ROV...
Echinoderms are among the most charismatic megabenthic taxa in mesophotic and deep waters. However, they generally have a scattered distribution difficult to collect, especially on hardgrounds, so defining their abundance, ecological preferences is challenging. The largest available Italian remotely operated vehicle dataset, including 624 dives carried out between 2006 2022 coastal offshore areas depth range of 40–1825 m, was used assess echinoderm diversity large-scale geographic...