macrobenthic assemblage responses to three different anthropogenic pressures (sand extraction, pipeline installation and organic enrichment due to fish-farm) were investigated by multivariate analysis and through the application of some... more
macrobenthic assemblage responses to three different anthropogenic pressures (sand extraction, pipeline installation and organic enrichment due to fish-farm) were investigated by multivariate analysis and through the application of some ecological indices. The investigated indices give good ecological classification on high organic enriched substrata (fish farm) and partial or incorrect information on the benthic assemblage responses to physical pressure. The quali-quantitative study of macrobenthic communities structure, including the presence of opportunistic species, represents a good tool to assess the ecological status of the marine environment under anthropogenic pressures.
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Research Interests: Geography, Multivariate Statistics, Principal Component Analysis, Ecology, Correspondence Analysis, and 15 moreBiological Sciences, Environmental Sciences, Ecological Indicators, Community Structure, Ecological, CHEMICAL SCIENCES, National Park, Marine Environment, Ordination, Mediterranean Climate, Canonical Correspondence Analysis, Indexation, Diversity index, Organic Matter, and Community Composition
... habe er nicht anders ge-wusst, als sie würden der Kirche dienen, und sei es von des Besten wegen geschehen; dass nun mit dem »armen Judas* so hoch sollte gesündigt sein, auch des Kaisers und des Herzogs Ungnade des-halb zu erwarten,... more
... habe er nicht anders ge-wusst, als sie würden der Kirche dienen, und sei es von des Besten wegen geschehen; dass nun mit dem »armen Judas* so hoch sollte gesündigt sein, auch des Kaisers und des Herzogs Ungnade des-halb zu erwarten, werde billig für wunderlich ...
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The authors report the recovery of the Mactridae species Eastonia rugosa (Helbling, 1799) along the coast of Tor Caldara (Rome) in the Central Tyrrhenian Sea, Italy, where several complete specimens and single valves were collected.
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Some stretches of Latium coast subject to frequent erosion need repeated control actions to overcome the problem. Since 1999 “Regione Lazio” executed a beach nourishment program using “relict” marine sand located off Capo d’Anzio (Italy).... more
Some stretches of Latium coast subject to frequent erosion need repeated control actions to overcome the problem. Since 1999 “Regione Lazio” executed a beach nourishment program using “relict” marine sand located off Capo d’Anzio (Italy). ICRAM carried out a research to assess environmental impact of these activities by using different investigations before, during and after dredging. Side Scan Sonar and Multibeam investigations of sea bottom, sedimentological and biological studies and analyses on the water column were carried out during oceanographic surveys. One year later results showed changes in depth of the excavated area; grain size analyses indicate a textural variation but also a progressive recovery of the original characteristics. Changes in benthic community are clearly proportional to distance. There is no evidence of recovery even after one year. The whole study gave a methodological and scientific outline for future research on excavation activities for beach nourish...
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All over the world marine waters are under increasing pressure from human activities affecting marine ecosystems. Several EU Directives require assessment of the condition of marine environments; in particular the Marine Strategy... more
All over the world marine waters are under increasing pressure from human activities affecting marine ecosystems. Several EU Directives require assessment of the condition of marine environments; in particular the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) applies an ecosystem approach to the management of human activities. In this context, the mapping of pressures in a standardized and comparable way is a critical step to assess the spatial pattern, the temporal change and the ecological impacts of human pressures. Within the MSFD, one of the stressors directly affecting the seafloor is the Physical Loss (PL) pressure, representing the permanent or long-term alteration of marine habitats. The main purpose of this study was to propose a method to estimate the spatial extent of PL pressure in the framework of the Initial Assessment phase of the MSFD. Furthermore, considering that human activities PL-related cause the loss of benthic habitats, and that the Mediterranean sea is charact...
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Some stretches of Latium coast subject to frequent erosion need repeated control actions to overcome the problem. Since 1999 " Regione Lazio " executed a beach nourishment program using " relict " marine sand located... more
Some stretches of Latium coast subject to frequent erosion need repeated control actions to overcome the problem. Since 1999 " Regione Lazio " executed a beach nourishment program using " relict " marine sand located off Capo d'Anzio (Italy). ICRAM carried out a research to assess environmental impact of these activities by using different investigations before, during and after dredging. Side Scan Sonar and Multibeam investigations of sea bottom, sedimentological and biological studies and analyses on the water column were carried out during oceanographic surveys. One year later results showed changes in depth of the excavated area; grain size analyses indicate a textural variation but also a progressive recovery of the original characteristics. Changes in benthic community are clearly proportional to distance. There is no evidence of recovery even after one year. The whole study gave a methodological and scientific outline for future research on excavation ...
The Mediterranean coastal zone is characterized by landscapes of outstanding natural value and by a large number of important habitats, especially in terms of biodiversity and functional complexity. Moreover, it is subject to... more
The Mediterranean coastal zone is characterized by landscapes of outstanding natural value and by a large number of important habitats, especially in terms of biodiversity and functional complexity. Moreover, it is subject to environmental degradation processes due to both the concentration of conflicting interests and the vulnerability typical of these transitional environments. This vulnerability is increased by erosion problems, currently affecting about 15,100 km of European coastlines. In this framework, within the COASTGAP Project (MED Programme) " Coastal Governance and Adaptation Policies in the Mediterranean " , ISPRA published the "Guidelines for environmental studies related to the construction of coastal defense works". The Guidelines propose a matrix- Corresponding Author: paola.lavalle@isprambiente.it.
Beach nourishment using relict sands has become a well established technique for solving the problem of coastal erosion and it is considered one of the main coastal management tools. Relict sand dredging provides a large amount of sandy... more
Beach nourishment using relict sands has become a well established technique for solving the problem of coastal erosion and it is considered one of the main coastal management tools. Relict sand dredging provides a large amount of sandy materials, having a composition very similar to native beaches; however it may produce significant physical and biological effects on marine environments, especially in highly biodiverse environments and sensitive habitats such as the Mediterranean marine-coastal system. Within this framework, ISPRA has carried out different environmental monitoring studies related to relict sand dredging in order to assess the impact of dredging on the marine environment. These studies encompass direct and indirect investigations, such as seafloors morphology and bathymetry, surface sediments grain-size and chemistry, water column chemical-physical characteristics and particulate matter, and studies on the benthic and demersal fish communities. In this paper we pres...
Mediterranean coastal zones generally present high environmental value and high biodiversity, and are characterized by the presence of a large amount of protected environments and species of European interest. The Mediterranean coastal... more
Mediterranean coastal zones generally present high environmental value and high biodiversity, and are characterized by the presence of a large amount of protected environments and species of European interest. The Mediterranean coastal environments are extremely sensitive and vulnerable transitional zone and they are strongly influenced by human activities (industries, tourism, shipping, fisheries and aquaculture/agriculture activities etc.), which affect the natural evolution of this complex system. The available literature also reports that about 15,100 km of European coastline is undergoing retreat. Within this context, ISPRA has developed a specific methodology aimed at evaluating the potential impacts of coastal defense structures on protected habitat types and on the related flora and fauna species. This approach was developed and shared within the framework of the Component 5 of the COASTANCE Project entitled "Guidelines for Environmental Impacts Studies focused on coast...
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The Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD, 2008/56/EC) is focused on protection, preservation and restoration of the marine environment by achieving and maintaining Good Environmental Status (GES) by 2020. Within this context, this... more
The Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD, 2008/56/EC) is focused on protection, preservation and restoration of the marine environment by achieving and maintaining Good Environmental Status (GES) by 2020. Within this context, this paper presents a methodological approach for a fast and repeatable monitoring that allows quantitative assessment of seabed abrasion pressure due to recreational boat anchoring. The methodology consists of two steps: a semi-automatic procedure based on an algorithm for the ship detection in SAR imagery and a statistical model to obtain maps of spatial and temporal distribution density of anchored boats. Ship detection processing has been performed on 36 ASAR VV-pol images of Liguria test site, for the three years 2008, 2009 and 2010. Starting from the pointwise distribution layer produced by ship detection in imagery, boats points have been subdivided into 4 areas where a constant distribution density has been assumed for the entire period 2008-2010. ...
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Research Interests: Biological Sciences, Mediterranean Sea, Environmental Sciences, Integrated Coastal Zone Management, Ecological Indicators, and 9 moreIndicator species, Environmental protection, Ecological Integrity, Life Cycle, Grain size, CHEMICAL SCIENCES, HUman Disturbance, Long Term Monitoring, and Point of View
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macrobenthic assemblage responses to three different anthropogenic pressures (sand extraction, pipeline installation and organic enrichment due to fish-farm) were investigated by multivariate analysis and through the application of some... more
macrobenthic assemblage responses to three different anthropogenic pressures (sand extraction, pipeline installation and organic enrichment due to fish-farm) were investigated by multivariate analysis and through the application of some ecological indices. The investigated indices give good ecological classification on high organic enriched substrata (fish farm) and partial or incorrect information on the benthic assemblage responses to physical pressure. The quali-quantitative study of macrobenthic communities structure, including the presence of opportunistic species, represents a good tool to assess the ecological status of the marine environment under anthropogenic pressures.