A5059991356- Marine Ecology and Invasive Species
- Identification and Quantification in Food
- Marine and fisheries research
- Coral and Marine Ecosystems Studies
- Fish Biology and Ecology Studies
- Ichthyology and Marine Biology
- Fish Ecology and Management Studies
- Marine Biology and Ecology Research
- Marine and environmental studies
University of Malta
2015-2023
“New records of rare species in the Mediterranean Sea” (October 2021)
Alien fish species are increasing in the Mediterranean Sea, urging closer monitoring of coastal habitats and biodiversity towards achieving timely assessment management. Among alien found Maltese waters there members Abudefduf genus. Research work undertaken with cooperation fishermen allows for additional effort to record presence their possible impacts. One such specimen collected from January 2014 was studied through morphological, meristic genetic analyses. Mitochondrial DNA barcoding...
This paper presents morphometric and genetic barcoding analyses of the first record Cocoa Damselfish, Stegastes variabilis in Mediterranean Sea. A single specimen was captured from Senglea waterfront, Malta (Central Mediterranean) on 15th September 2013. The species is non-indigenous Mediterranean, as it native to tropical Western Atlantic. Apart undertaking identification through meristics measurements specimen, analyss 3410 bp mtDNA genes were carried out confirm species' identity. latter...
The current study provides new data on the known records of Atlantic blue crab, Callinectes sapidus Rathbun, 1896, from Maltese Islands through two ovigerous female specimens collected Salini (Malta), a Natura 2000 site, in August 2020. Additional species were also presented San Leonardo River estuary, Syracuse (Sicily, Italy), 2022. both Malta and Sicily identified using morphological molecular analyses. latter has shown that all analysed share their mitochondrial DNA barcode region with...
Non-native marine species, including tropical eastern Atlantic fish species are on the increase in Malta, with shipping activities being main vector for movement of these alien from into Mediterranean Sea. This calls cooperation and collaboration between various sea-users researchers to ensure continuous monitoring coastal biodiversity. Research methods involving local fishermen efforts identify track populations Central has led new records genus Cephalopholis (Perciformes: Serranidae)...
Research and monitoring of coastal habitats biodiversity is increasingly contributing to the discovery new alien species, which highlights use long-term for timely assessment management due marine environmental changes. work undertaken through snorkelling surveys working with fishermen allow additional effort record changes species presence. One such fish was observed during spring research while a specimen collected in August 2016 undertake detailed morphological, meristic genetic analyses....
Abstract Competitive shore‐based sport fishing is a popular recreational activity in the Maltese Islands. However, prior to this study, no scientific research surveys had been carried out during competitions investigate catches. Collaboration with sports fishermen was developed target sustainable management. Recreational catches were recorded between July 2012 and December 2015 by means of 1,633 roving‐access creel surveys, conducted 79 competitions, totalling effort 7,548 hr. A total 29,916...
The Maltese Islands have a very active recreational fishing community which may affect the coastal marine ecosystem. Despite this, studies to scientifically document effects of this activity been lacking prior works between July 2012 and June 2017 presented here as case study. This project, with aim collecting long-term data on characteristics, trends, catches impacts fish populations shore sport fishery at national level also involved pilot study hobby angling. 2589 roving-access creel...
The common two-banded seabream Diplodus vulgaris and sargus were sampled from
 non-commercial fishing catches around the Maltese Islands between July 2012 December
 2017. A total of 1550 (D. N=1204, D. N=346) specimens collected. In this
 study, age, growth, length-weight relationship (LWR), condition factor (K) relative condition
 (Kn) investigated. Ages ranged from 0 to 17 years for 16 for
 vulgaris. positive allometric growth was observed while in vulgaris
...