Benthic foraminifera, single-cell marine organisms found worldwide, represent an important component of seabed ecosystems. Due to their sensitivity to environmental pollution, they are often used as bioindicators, providing an efficient tool in toxicity studies. Among the pollutants affecting marine coastal and estuarine environments, persistent flame retardants, such as polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), are frequently found. Low-level exposure to BDE-47, a PBDE congener, is known to affect organismal development. In this framework, this study aims to assess the effects of BDE-47 exposure on benthic foraminifera from coastal marine environments. Foraminifera specimens belonging to the symbiont-bearing Peneroplidae family were sampled and exposed to two different BDE-47 concentrations for up to 48 h. Vitality indicators such as changes in pseudopodial activity, movement, reproduction, loss of symbiont algae, and occasional mortality events were monitored during the experiment. Exposure to BDE-47 induced alterations in pseudopodial activity, movement, reproduction, and symbiont retention, with the progressive loss of vitality and limited mortality at increasing exposure levels, highlighting the sensitivity of this species to BDE-47. These findings suggest the harmful repercussions of PBDE pollution on marine coastal ecosystems, affecting benthic organisms and potentially contributing to biomagnification processes within the food web, with possible implications for human health.

- Sculpins (Psychrolutidae) are valuable biological models for research on coastal fish species due to their robustness, which allows them to be easily maintained in captivity. Additionally, their reproductive strategy-where eggs are deposited in a clutch rather than being released as pelagic eggs-as well as their relatively short generation time offers significant advantages for developmental studies. A literature review of the early life history of Taurulus bubalis is presented and complemented by our own observations and documentation of all developmental stages (from eggs to juveniles). Our description is based on both materials collected in the Northeast Atlantic, the northern Bay of Biscay (Baie de la For & ecirc;t) in north-western France and on aquarium reared specimens. We provide detailed images and measurements with an update on spawning season and new insights on when maturity is reached. Differences between larvae of T. bubalis and larvae of the similar Micrenophrys lilljeborgii, and Myoxocephalus scorpius, are discussed together with a review of their historical and current distributions in the Northeast Atlantic.

Freshwater ecosystems are rapidly losing biodiversity due to anthropogenic and environmental pressures. Considering that many species remain unknown, these systems represent an invaluable reservoir of biodiversity. For this reason, a prompt biodiversity census becomes essential. Environmental DNA (eDNA) has the potential to provide a faster and non-invasive alternative to traditional methods for biodiversity monitoring, conservation, and management. This study used eDNA to provide a preliminary snapshot of vertebrates in two Sicilian lakes: Lake Rosamarina and Lake Garcia. eDNA analyses identified four classes of vertebrates, 14 orders, and 16 families, with notable taxonomic differences between the two lakes. The analysis revealed the presence of several non-native and potentially invasive species, including fish (Cyprinus carpio, Micropterus salmoides, Perca fluviatilis, Carassius auratus, and Ameiurus melas), as well as the amphibian Xenopus laevis and the terrestrial mammal Myocastor coypus. The presence of these species, known for their ecological impact on native communities, highlights the potential of eDNA analysis as a powerful tool for the early detection and preventive biomonitoring of biological invasions. These results provide an initial assessment of vertebrate biodiversity in these sites, demonstrating how eDNA can serve as an effective method for biodiversity evaluation and monitoring.

Vibrio is a genus of ubiquitous aquatic bacteria that includes numerous pathogenic species. Their remarkable genomic plasticity and rapid evolution make them of particular interest from both clinical and ecological perspectives. Successful infection by Vibrio species often relies on multiple virulence factors, including secreted enzymes. Here, we report the characterization of a novel environmental Vibrio strain isolated from a wild octopus that developed fulminant septicaemia accompanied by widespread soft tissue lysis. These severe symptoms prompted a detailed investigation into the bacterium’s identity and enzymatic profile, focused on proteases as potential virulence factors. Multi-locus sequence analysis placed the isolate within the Harveyi clade but revealed no perfect match to known strains, supporting its designation as a novel strain. Biochemical assays demonstrated strong proteolytic—including collagenolytic—activity, which makes this strain a promising source of enzymes for biotechnological applications.

Off the southern coast of Sicily, the frontal region south of Cape Passero (Malta Channel) provides favorable conditions for fish larvae survival and development and hosts a biodiversity hotspot for larval assemblages. In this area, the analysis of ichthyoplankton data collected during 16 oceanographic summer surveys, carried out every year over the period from 2001 to 2016, shows a cyclical pattern in the yearly average larval biodiversity, which appears to be linked to the alternating cyclonic/anticyclonic surface circulation of the North Ionian Gyre (NIG), associated with the Adriatic–Ionian bimodal oscillating system (BiOS). Specifically, the cyclonic mode of NIG, by enhancing the advection of Modified Atlantic Water (MAW) toward the southern Levantine Basin and reducing its deflection toward the Adriatic, is supposed to intensify the frontal thermohaline structure, thus inducing higher retention/survival rates for fish larval stages and, definitively, resulting in higher biodiversity. The association between total fish larval density and biodiversity with available environmental data, namely, satellite-derived sea surface temperature (SST) and in situ temperature, salinity, and surface current speed, corroborates this hypothesis. Finally, the observed changes in the biodiversity of the larval fish community would result from increased/reduced retention time for fish larvae (and accordingly, slower/faster larval dispersal) across the frontal area, as induced by the alternating cyclonic–anticyclonic modes of NIG. These results pave the way for future investigations on the role of surface circulation patterns in the dynamics of fish populations, with special emphasis on the effects of retention processes on fish larval stages.

Starting from the evaluation of presence-only data, and according to stochastic processes theory, we propose a classification method for unknown larval fish specimens, which is based on Local Indicators of Spatio-Temporal Association (LISTA). LISTA functions are typically used to evaluate the presence of clustered local second-order structures in spatio-temporal data. Here, these tools were applied to the classification of two rare species of mesopelagic fish larvae belonging to the genus Vinciguerria (V. attenuata and V. poweriae), detected in the Strait of Sicily, from 1998 to 2016. To evaluate the dependence of larval fish abundance spatio-temporal distributions from covariates, with the aim of understanding their impact on the reproducing activity of Vinciguerria spp., we fit a thinned inhomogeneous multitype spatio-temporal Poisson point process model. According to the goodness-of-fit evaluation, based on second-order diagnostics, the spatio-temporal Poisson point process model perfectly fits larval fish abundance’ presence-only data, after the classification procedure. We classify units representing spatio-temporal events by a LISTA functions-based classification procedure of local interaction. In addition, a stochastic processes’ model for the evaluation of presence-only data from an inferential point of view is estimated, accounting for covariates and sampling bias correction. The modeling analysis is carried out before and after the classification procedure, with the aim to evaluate the difference in terms of interpretation and diagnostics.

The dataset presented here consists of 273 conductivity–temperature–depth (CTD) stations, as well as 2034 sampled data points in the water column, where dissolved inorganic nutrients have been measured, that were collected during 12 summer oceanographic cruises (BANSIC series) in the Sicily Channel (central Mediterranean Sea) between 2010 and 2021. The quality of the CTD dataset is ensured by regular sensor calibrations and an accurate control process adopted during the acquisition, processing, and post-processing phases. The quality of the biogeochemical dataset is ensured by the adoption of best-practice analytical and sampling methods. This data collection fills a gap of information in the Sicily Channel, i.e., a key area where complex water mass exchange processes involve the transfer of physical and biogeochemical properties between the eastern and western Mediterranean. The available dataset will be useful to evaluate the long-term variability on a wide spatial scale, supporting studies on the evolution of the Mediterranean circulation and its peculiar biogeochemistry, as well as on the physical and biogeochemical modeling of this area. The data are available in Zenodo (https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8125006, Placenti et al., 2023).

After being for a long time disregarded, marine plastic pollution is now a growing topic among scholars, industry and government. It represents an enormous pressing threat to the integrity of the marine ecosystem, influencing its ability to provide socio-economic benefits on which human well-being is based [1]. The need to react is clear: the annual discharge of plastic into the ocean is estimated to be 11 million tons [2]. Projections indicate that by 2040, plastic leakage into the ocean will nearly triple [2].This article aims to perform a systematic literature review on marine plastic pollution, approaching it from a problem-solving perspective. The study provides readers with an overview of how the issue is generally perceived and the potential solutions implemented and proposed thus far. Indeed, as a multi-sectoral problem, marine plastic pollution does not have a single solution. An appropriate approach to the problem should involve several levels of action: governmental (at local and global levels) and community-based (consumer and industry commitment and local initiatives). To conduct our systematic review, we decided to narrow our research to three aspects essential for effectively addressing the issue: consumer perception of marine plastic pollution, best local practices of plastic pollution management and global governance of marine plastic.Consumer perception of the issue is crucial in the fight against marine plastic pollution. In this regard, many authors highlight the important role that the general public can play in influencing patterns of industrial and government choice of actions. Sharing knowledge and raising the level of awareness about the issue appears essential. Many authors also stress the importance of bottom-up approaches to implement sustainable waste management. In this sense, local management of marine plastic debris can be seen as an opportunity for communities to drive economic development based on innovative use and disposal of plastic waste. As for the governance level, this study tries to collect research on marine plastics devoted to the study of the ongoing and future possible actions that global decision-makers can take to address the issue. Notwithstanding the high relevance of local governance of marine plastic pollution, we have decided to focus our attention on the global governance level. Indeed, marine plastic pollution, as a global problem, necessarily needs a coordinated international response. Despite the optimistic expectations stemming from the ongoing negotiations for a global plastics-binding treaty since March 2022, the reviewed authors denounce the current international marine plastic legal framework as incomplete and fragmented, characterised by a shortage of effective and binding instruments to reduce marine plastic pollution. Overall, from the analysis of our selected articles, it is possible to observe a rising widespread consensus on the urgency for transitioning from the current linear take–make–dispose approach to a more circular model.

European anchovies and round sardinella play a crucial role, both ecological and commercial, in the Mediterranean Sea. In this paper, we investigate the distribution of their larval stages by analyzing a dataset collected over time (1998–2016) and spaced along the area of the Strait of Sicily. Environmental factors are also integrated. We employ a hierarchical spatio-temporal Bayesian model and approximate the spatial field by a Gaussian Markov Random Field to reduce the computation effort using the Stochastic Partial Differential Equation method. Furthermore, the Integrated Nested Laplace Approximation is used for the posterior distributions of model parameters. Moreover, we propose an index that enables the temporal evaluation of species abundance by using an abundance aggregation within a spatially confined area. This index is derived through Monte Carlo sampling from the approximate posterior distribution of the fitted models. Model results suggest a strong relationship between sea currents’ directions and the distribution of larval European anchovies. For round sardinella, the analysis indicates increased sensitivity to warmer ocean conditions. The index suggests no clear overall trend over the years.

The continuous release of municipal and industrial products into the environment poses a growing concern for public health. Among environmental pollutants, polystyrene (PS) stands out as a primary constituent of environmental plastic waste, given its widespread use and high production rates owing to its durability and user-friendly properties. The detection of polystyrene microparticles (PS-MPs) in various living organisms has been well-documented, posing a serious threat due to their potential passage into the human ecosystem. In this manuscript, we aimed to study the toxicological effects of low concentrations of pristine and photoaged PS-MPs in a murine macrophage cell line. To this purpose, PS-MPs were photoaged by indoor exposure to visible light to simulate environmental weathering due to solar irradiation (PS-MPs3h). Physical characterization revealed that the irradiation treatment results in particle degradation and the possible release of nanoparticles. Monocultures of the RAW264.7 cell line were then exposed to PS-MPs and PS-MPs3h at concentrations comparable to experimental measurements from biological samples, to assess cytotoxicity, intracellular oxidative stress, primary genotoxicity, and inflammatory effects. Significant toxicity-related outcomes were observed in cells treated with both pristine PS-MPs and PS-MPs3h even at low concentrations (0,10 μg/ml and 1 μg/ml). PS-MPs3h exhibited greater adverse effects compared to PS-MPs, including reduced cell viability, increased ROS production, elevated DNA damage, and upregulation of IL-6 and NOS2 gene expression. Therefore, we can conclude that changes induced by environmental aging in the physicochemical composition of PS microplastics play a crucial role in the adverse health outcomes associated with microplastic exposure.

Microplastics (MPs, 1 µm – 5 mm) in aquatic environments undergo complex weathering transformations such as those induced by microbial colonization and biofilm formation, that affect their ability to interact with environmental contaminants (co-contaminants). In this study, the microbial composition of MP biofilms and its influence on the sorption and bioavailability of two co-contaminants with different physicochemistry, benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) and cadmium (Cd) in a mixture, were assessed. Aqueous-phase bioavailability was measured by assessment of biomarker gene expression for these toxicants (cytochrome P450 1A, cyp1a, and metallothionein 2, mt2, for B[a]P and Cd respectively) in larval zebrafish, Danio rerio. Significant induction of cyp1a and mt2 gene expression (p < 0.05) was observed after exposure to the mixture of Cd, B[a]P and MPs compared to joint exposure with individual contaminants and MPs. Significant changes in bioavailability for mt2 biomarker (p < 0.001) resulted after exposure to a Cd and B[a]P mixture with MPs compared to the same exposure without MPs. Biofilms significantly reduced bioavailability of B[a]P (cyp1a gene expression (p < 0.01)) but not Cd (mt2 gene expression) in the mixture with Cd and B[a]P (HDPE + BF + B[a]P + Cd) compared to the same treatment without biofilm (HDPE + B[a]P + Cd). Thus, compared to Cd, the biofilm could provide additional interactions with B[a]P, and new specific active sites on the MPs surface, that reduced B[a]P bioavailability. Additionally, the biofilm microbial community included hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria able to metabolize hydrophobic chemicals. These data indicated that in a mixture of co-contaminants, the biofilm selectively influenced their bioavailability and that the microbial composition of MPs biofilm may have played a key role in reducing B[a]P bioavailability. The results of this study highlight how in a complex exposure scenario characterized by a mixture of different co-contaminants, the polymer and chemical properties and micro-surroundings of the organisms may affect contaminants' bioavailability and/or exposure.

A new understanding of plankton ecology has been obtained by studying the phenotypic traits of free-living prokaryotes in the Sicily Channel (Central Mediterranean Sea), an area characterised by oligotrophic conditions. During three cruises carried out in July 2012, January 2013 and July 2013, the volume and morphology of prokaryotic cells were assessed microscopically using image analysis in relation to environmental conditions. The study found significant differences in cell morphologies among cruises. The largest cell volumes were observed in the July 2012 cruise (0.170 ± 0.156 µm3), and the smallest in the January 2013 cruise (0.060 ± 0.052 µm3). Cell volume was negatively limited by nutrients and positively by salinity. Seven cellular morphotypes were observed among which cocci, rods and coccobacilli were the most abundant. Cocci, although they prevailed numerically, always showed the smallest volumes. Elongated shapes were positively related to temperature. Relationships between cell morphologies and environmental drivers indicated a bottom-up control of the prokaryotic community. The morphology/morphometry-based approach is a useful tool for studying the prokaryotic community in microbial ecology and should be widely applied to marine microbial populations in nature.

Scientific popularization for people with sensory disabilities is today insufficient and lacking in specific methods as it uses contents rich in visual and abstract references, difficult to assimilate by those with perceptual or sensory deficiencies. This research aims to fill the gap through an exploratory case study, conducted with an inclusive and multisensory method. This method is based on the use of natural sounds to communicate complex concepts related to ecology and environmental vulnerability. It has a bottom-up approach, starting from a single theme to arrive at the definition of ecosystems and environmental emergencies. The results indicate that natural sounds contribute to students’ learning by improving the ability to recognize and describe ecological and environmental issues. The proposed method was highly appreciated by the participants and exhibits excellent performance and great expandability to complex themes.

The relationship between environmental conditions and early life-history traits of Sardinella aurita are investigated using material collected in two sites of the Central Mediterranean Sea. Individual mean daily growth during the planktonic phase has been determined by using otolith microstructure analysis, while Lagrangian simulation models allowed to estimate the daily position in space and time of each specimen from the hatching to the catch. Generalized Additive Mixed Models (GAMMs) have been implemented to explore the impact of environmental conditions at time t , t -1 day and t -2 days on the mean daily growth rate occurring at time t . Spatial analysis evidenced a wide dispersion of eggs and larvae in the coastal area of both sampling sites in correspondence to relatively warmer and chlorophyll-a enriched waters. Lagrangian simulations detected a complementary larval dispersal pathway able to transport larvae to a known retention area. Temperature at time t was the most important driver affecting the mean daily larval growth, followed by the food availability. On the other hand, models performed on lagged environmental covariates ( t -1 and t -2) did not show any significant effect on the growth rate at time t . In addition to the sub-linear positive correlation between temperature and mean daily larval growth, model highlighted a decrease in the otolith core width at higher temperature that can be linked to an earlier stage of ontogeny at hatching. This study provided a useful methodological approach that takes advantage of available remote sensing data to perform ecological studies in support to fisheries management.

Estimated larval backward trajectories of three Tuna species, namely, Atlantic Bluefin Tuna (Thunnus thynnus, Linnaeus, 1758), Bullet Tuna (Auxis Rochei, Risso, 1801) and Albacore Tuna (Thunnus alalunga, Bonnaterre, 1788) in the central Mediterranean Sea, were used to characterize their spawning habitats, and to assess the impact of changes due to the major environmental parameters (i.e., sea surface temperature and chlorophyll-a concentration) on larval development during their advection by surface currents. We assumed that the environmental variability experienced by larvae along their paths may have influenced their development, also affecting their survival. Our results showed that the Tuna larvae underwent an accelerated growth in favorable environmental conditions, impacting on the notochord development. In addition, further updated information on spawning and larval retention habitats of Atlantic Bluefin Tuna, Bullet and Albacore Tunas in the central Mediterranean Sea were delivered.

Microplastics (MPs) in the marine environment undergo complex weathering factors that can affect their ability to interact with different coexisting environmental contaminants (termed here co-contaminants). In this study, the influence of artificially aging using UV on the sorption of a complex mixture of co-contaminants onto MPs was investigated in order to provide meaningful hypotheses on their individual and combined toxicities on sea urchin embryos. A mixture of artificially aged MPs (PS particles and PA microfibers) combined with 2,2',4,4'-tetrabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-47), or Cd or Cu, both alone and in a mix, were used to expose embryos of Paracentrotus lividus. The effects of polymer aging on co-contaminants bioavailability were assessed by measuring changes in the transcriptional profile of genes involved in oxidative-stress response and skeletogenic and endo-mesodermal specification. Changes in the sorption ability of MPs to co-contaminants in the aqueous phase highlighted that aging did not affect the sorption of BDE-47 and Cd on MPs, although a certain influence on Cu sorption was found. Despite no morphological effects in embryos at the gastrula stage after MPs/contaminants combinatorial exposure emerged, the greatest influence of the aging process was mainly found for combined exposures which included BDE-47. Finally, the exposure to multiple contaminants generated transcriptional profiles poorly related to those activated by single contaminant, at times suggesting a mixture-dependent different aging influence. These results open new scenarios on the controversial role of vector of co-contaminants for MPs, especially when complex and different types of mixtures were considered.

A potential environmental risk of microplastics (MPs) is associated with their ability to interact with diverse environmental pollutants. Aging processes play a crucial role in influencing sorption mechanisms adding complexity to the role of MPs as a vector of contaminants. In this study, chemical and molecular approaches were used to investigate the influence of artificially aging on sorption of complex mixture of contaminants and provide meaningful hypotheses on the combined effects of their bioavailable fractions MP-mediated on P. lividus embryos. Individual or combined effects of a mixture involving artificially aged polystyrene (PS) and polyamide (PA) with BDE-47 and metal ions (Cd and Cu) were investigated. The effects of polymer aging on the sorption of contaminants by MPs and alterations in the transcriptional profile of genes involved in stress response and skeletogenesis and endo-mesodermal specification were evaluated. Changes in the interactions between sorbent and sorbate aging-induced mainly influenced Cu sorption, although in a polymer type-dependent manner. Despite no morphological effects in embryos at the gastrula stage after MPs/contaminants combinatorial exposure emerged, canonical developmental program and oxidative status were negatively affected. This study concludes that multiple factors UV exposure-produced act on sorption/desorption and subsequent transfer of chemicals to P. lividus embryos influencing their acute effects.

The European anchovy is an important fishing resource in the Sicilian Channel that supports a high recruitment success variability. The presence of two spawning areas, the drifting of the larvae along the currents and the different oceanographic conditions within the region suggest the presence of different larvae subpopulations. Morphometric and biochemical approaches have been used to analyze the differences among larvae collected. The amino acid composition discriminates two larval groups closely related to the spawning regions: Adventure Bank and the shelf between the South of Sicily and Malta. In addition, there are morphometric and growth differences between recently hatched larvae in these two regions, reinforcing the hypothesis of two larval subpopulations and suggesting differences in the parental reproduction effort. Between the South of Sicily and Malta there are growth and biochemical composition differences since larvae from the Maltese coast present a higher protein content and a bigger growth rate than those from Sicily, pointing out that Malta is an area with a better nutritional condition environment. No differences in the growth rate have been observed between the Adventure Bank area and the Maltese shelf, therefore, a diverse nutritional condition cannot be suggested between these two areas despite the Maltese larvae having a higher protein content present.

Interannual fluctuations in the structure and the composition of ichthyoplankton assemblages in the pelagic waters of the Strait of Sicily (SoS, Central Mediterranean) were investigated, trying to relate them to the observed variability in oceanographic conditions. Plankton data used in this study were from 16 summer surveys carried out in the SoS every year from 2001 to 2016, using oblique bongo plankton net (0–100 m) tows. Out of more than 12,000 fish larvae collected in the sampling stations included in the analysis, 9,519 of them were identified and regularly classified in 15 orders and 49 families. Ichthyoplankton assemblages, defined at the family level due to the uniform availability of this information along the time series, showed a decreasing trend over time in total larval abundance, along with taxonomic (family) richness and Shannon index (α diversity), more pronounced in the shelf area and in the slope area, respectively. Conversely, the relatively high levels of yearly compositional changes observed in the larval assemblage from both shelf and slope areas, as estimated by the Jaccard dissimilarity index (β diversity), did not show any significant linear trend. In addition, a biodiversity hotspot (both in terms of family richness and Shannon index) was evidenced in the frontal structure characterizing the southeastern part of the study area. Generalized additive models were used to evaluate the effect of oceanographic conditions on the temporal and spatial patterns of ichthyoplankton biodiversity. Results evidenced the role of salinity, surface temperature, and surface currents in modulating biodiversity indices, especially in the shelf area. Finally, the relevance of local frontal oceanographic structures in sustaining high biodiversity levels is postulated.

Species distribution models (SDMs) are important tools for exploring the complex association between species and habitats. Here, we applied six SDMs combining 1946 pieces of presence/absence data regarding European anchovy eggs with environmental parameters from surveys conducted in the Strait of Sicily from 1998 to 2016. We aimed to investigate the mechanisms influencing spawning habitat suitability for anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus). The dataset was split into a training subset (75%) and a test subset (25%) for evaluating the predictive performance of the models. The results suggested the role of environmental parameters in explaining egg occurrence, model accuracy and spatial predictions. Bottom depth consistently had the highest importance, followed by absolute dynamic topography, which gives insights about local mesoscale oceanographic features. Each modelling method, except the linear model, produced successful performance for both the training and the test datasets. The spatial predictions were estimated as weighted averages of single-model predictions, with weights based on discriminatory power measured by the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). This ensemble approach often provided more robust predictions than a single model. The coastal waters were identified as the most favorable for anchovy spawning, especially the south-central sector and the area around the southern-most tip of Sicily.