Cristina Mazziotti

Correlation between the presence of Gonyaulax fragilis (Dinophyceae) and the mucilage phenomena of the Emilia-Romagna coast (northern Adriatic Sea)

Abstract The formation of massive amounts of suspended mucilaginous organic matter which periodically affects the Adriatic Sea, has been regarded as a complex physico-chemical phenomenon resulting from the production of extracellular material by phytoplankton. Although the exact cause has remained obscure, the mechanism of its formation has usually been considered to be a long-term process, starting after the late winter-early spring blooms, and involving the participation of various algal species, mainly within the diatom group. In this paper we report on the results of a phytoplankton monitoring programme in northern Adriatic seawaters off the Emilia-Romagna coast of Italy which revealed the constant concomitant presence of the dinoflagellate Gonyaulax fragilis (Schutt) Kofoid and mucilaginous formations. In the early stages of the phenomenon the dinoflagellate was clearly observable by microscopic examination in the mucilage, but as the mucilage aged this alga almost completely decomposed and diatom cells increased in number and became predominant. Although characterized by a slow growth rate in culture, in natural seawater G. fragilis was observed to reach cell densities of up to 7.0×10 6 cells l −1 . The results of this study lead us to propose the hypothesis that the appearance of mucilage in the water column of the Adriatic Sea is the consequence of a seasonal growth of this dinoflagellate favoured by specific environmental circumstances.

Erratum to: Alien species along the Italian coasts: an overview

We present a contribution to the knowledge of marine and brackish water alien species (infraspecific taxa included) recorded along the Italian coasts. The Italian Peninsula, with over 7,000 km of coastline, is located in the center of the Mediterranean Sea, splitting the Western and the Eastern basins. Data were collected from published material, mostly authored by the experts of different marine taxa participating in the ‘‘Allochthonous Species Group’’ of the Italian Society of Marine Biology (SIBM). The data have been reviewed according to the taxonomic expertise of the authors and are organized in a referenced database containing information on each species about: distribution along Italian coasts, the native range, most probable vectors of introduction, population status and impact. The A. Occhipinti-Ambrogi (&) A. Marchini DET-Dipartimento di Ecologia del Territorio, University of Pavia, Via S.Epifanio 14, 27100 Pavia, Italy e-mail: occhipin@unipv.it G. Cantone Dipartimento di Biologia Animale ‘‘M. La Greca’’, University of Catania, Via Androne 81, 95124 Catania, Italy A. Castelli Dipartimento di Biologia, University of Pisa, Via Derna 1, 56126 Pisa, Italy C. Chimenz Dipartimento di Biologia Animale e dell’Uomo, University ‘‘La Sapienza’’ of Roma, Viale Università 32, 00185 Rome, Italy M. Cormaci G. Furnari G. Giaccone Dipartimento di Botanica, University of Catania, Via A. Longo 19, 95125 Catania, Italy C. Froglia CNR-ISMAR, Sede Ancona, Largo Fiera della Pesca, 60125 Ancona, Italy M. C. Gambi Stazione Zoologica ‘‘Anton Dohrn’’, Benthic Ecology Group, Villa Dohrn, Punta S. Pietro, 80077 Ischia, Napoli, Italy A. Giangrande C. Gravili S. Piraino CONISMA-Consorzio Nazionale Interuniversitario per le Scienze del Mare (ULR Lecce), DiSTeBA-Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche ed Ambientali, University of Salento, Via Provinciale Lecce-Monteroni, 73100 Lecce, Italy F. Mastrototaro Dipartimento di Biologia Animale ed Ambientale, University of Bari, Via Orabona 4, 70125 Bari, Italy C. Mazziotti ARPA Emilia-Romagna, Struttura Oceanografica Daphne, Viale Vespucci 2, 47042 Cesenatico, FC, Italy L. Orsi-Relini DipTeRis-Dipartimento per lo studio del Territorio e delle sue Risorse, University of Genoa, Corso Europa 26, 16132 Genoa, Italy

Floating plastics in Adriatic waters (Mediterranean Sea): From the macro- to the micro-scale

Macro- and microplastics abundances were determined in the Adriatic Sea following the MSFD TG10 protocol. The studied areas included populated gulfs, river outlets and offshore waters in five Adriatic countries. The use of small ships enabled us to detect small sized plastics (2.5-5 cm) and record average macroplastics densities of 251 ± 601 items km-2, one order of magnitude higher than previously considered. Results from manta net tows for microplastics revealed an average abundance of 315,009 ± 568,578 items km-2 (217 ± 575 g km-2). We found significantly higher microplastics abundances in nearshore (≤4 km) than in offshore waters (>4 km) and this trend seems to affect also the small sized macro plastic fragments (2.5-5 cm). The dominant polymers were polyethylene and polypropylene while the presence of some rare polymers and waxes used in food and dentistry indicated waste water treatment plants as potential sources of microplastics.

Marine litter on the beaches of the Adriatic and Ionian Seas: An assessment of their abundance, composition and sources

The abundance, composition and sources of marine litter were determined on beaches located in the seven countries of the Adriatic-Ionian macroregion, namely Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Greece, Italy, Montenegro and Slovenia. A total of 70,581 marine litter items were classified and recorded through one-year long surveys carried out in 31 sites. The average litter density of 0.67 items/m2 found within this study is considered to be relatively high. The beaches investigated differed in terms of human-induced pressures; their majority is classified either as semi-urban or semi-rural, while very few beaches could be characterized as urban or remote/natural. The majority of litter items were made of artificial/anthropogenic polymer materials accounting for 91.1% of all litter. Litter from shoreline sources accounted for 33.4% of all litter collected. The amount of litter from sea-based sources ranged in the different countries from 1.54% to 14.84%, with an average of 6.30% at regional level.