1,720,985 research outputs found
FIGURE 1 in Two new species of deep-sea sponges (Porifera, Demospongiae) from submarine canyons of the Sardinian continental margin (western Mediterranean Sea)
No full textFIGURE 1. Map of Sardinia coast with collecting localities of Poecillastra tavianii n. sp. (square, Coda Cavallo and Nora Canyons) and Hymedesmia (Hymedesmia) quadridentata n. sp. (circle, Coda Cavallo Canyon).Published as part of Cardone, Frine, Pansini, Maurizio, Corriero, Giuseppe & Bertolino, Marco, 2019, Two new species of deep-sea sponges (Porifera, Demospongiae) from submarine canyons of the Sardinian continental margin (western Mediterranean Sea), pp. 407-419 in Zootaxa 4688 (3) on page 408, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4688.3.7, http://zenodo.org/record/351683
Presence of Celleporaria brunnea (Bryozoa: Lepraliellidae) in the Central Mediterranean: First occurrence in the Gulf of Taranto
No full textWe report the presence of the non-indigenous species (NIS) Celleporaria brunnea (Bryozoa, Ascophora) in the Central
Mediterranean. It was found in the Gulf of Taranto (Ionian Sea, southern Italy), which represents one of the most important
hotspots for NIS in the Mediterranean. Using PVC plates as species collectors, immersed in different times of the year, we
observed a recruitment of C. brunnea during the warmer period of the year from July to October. This work highlights a
range expansion of C. brunnea and provides information about its autoecology traits in the host environmen
Benthic invertebrates associated with subfossil cold-water coral frames and hardgrounds in the Albanian deep waters (Adriatic sea)
Full text linkThe fauna collected associated with subfossil Lophelia pertusa and Dendrophyllia cornigera coral samples and hardgrounds from Albanian waters between 190–230 m is discussed. Eighty-three benthic species are recorded: 2 Foraminifera, 22 Porifera, 6 Cnidaria, 25 Mollusca, 14 Annelida, 1 Arthropoda, 12 Bryozoa, and 1 Echinodermata. Seventy-four species are new records for the poorly investigated Albanian deep waters
The co-occurrence of the demosponge Hymeniacidon perlevis and the edible mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis as a new tool for bacterial load mitigation in aquaculture
No full textPollutants in marine coastal areas are mainly a consequence of anthropogenic inputs, and microorganisms often play a major role in determining the extent of this pollution. Thus, practical and eco-friendly techniques are urgently required in order to control or minimise the pathogenic bacterial problem. The bacterial accumulation of Mytilus galloprovincialis (Lamarck 1919) in the presence or absence of another filter feeder, the demosponge Hymeniacidon perlevis (Montagu 1818) on sewage flowing into the Northern Ionian Sea has been estimated in a laboratory study. On account of the interesting results obtained, we also evaluated the bioremediation capability of the sponges when reared in co-culture with mussels. Specimens of M. galloprovincialis and H. perlevis were collected from the Mar Grande and from the Second Inlet of the Mar Piccolo of Taranto (Northern Ionian Sea, Italy), respectively. In the laboratory, we detected the bacterial abundances in the sewage, in sponge homogenates (both sponges alone and sponges that have been added to sewage with mussels) and in mussel homogenates (both mussels alone and mussels that have been added to sewage with sponges). In the field, we estimated the bacterial concentration in both the seawater within the mussels culture and the seawater collected where mussels were reared in co-culture with sponges. The bacteriological analyses were performed analysing the following parameters: the density of culturable heterotrophic bacteria by spread plate on marine agar, total culturable bacteria at 37 °C on plate count agar and vibrios on thiosulphate–citrate–bile–sucrose–salt (TCBS) agar. Total coliforms, Escherichia coli and intestinal streptococci concentrations were detected by the MPN method. The study demonstrates a higher efficiency of the sponges in removing all the considered bacterial groups compared to the mussels. Due to the conspicuous bacterial accumulation by the sponge, we can conclude that the co-occurrence of the filter-feeder H. perlevis with M. galloprovincialis is a powerful tool in reducing the bacterial load in shellfish culture areas thus playing a role in mitigating the health hazard related to the consumption of edible mussels
Sponges associated with coralligenous formations along the Apulian coasts
Full text linkSponge assemblages associated with coralligenous outcrops were studied with the aim of describing and comparing their composition, morphological features and distribution at different depths (shallow vs. deep) along the Apulian coasts. In addition, image analysis enabled the description of the main features of coralligenous outcrops and the detection of structuring species. The paper provides a significant contribution in terms of supplying new taxa of sponges associated to coralligenous assemblages and emphasising the importance of invertebrates in realising calcareous constructions. Most of the new finding came from deep sites, thus underlining the need to improve taxonomic studies on coralligenous communities at greater depths. A total of 153 taxa of sponges were recorded: 4 Calcarea, 6 Homoscleromorpha and 143 Demospongiae. Two species, Clathria (Microciona) macrochela and Thoosa armata, are new records for the Italian sponge fauna, with C. (M.) macrochela representing a new record for the whole Mediterranean. New findings for the Ionian and Adriatic Seas totalled 25 and 8 species, respectively. Thirty-nine species are endemic for the Mediterranean. Data analyses clustered sites into two groups, separated according to the depth. Deep sites, characterised by animal dominance, exhibit a heterogeneous substrate texture richer in cavities than the shallow and homogeneous algal ones. Differences in sponge species composition also correspond to differences in the distribution of sponge growth forms, with the insinuating cryptic species more abundant in deeper communities. Ten of 15 sponge species included in national and international wildlife protection laws and policy have been detected in the present study
Habitat use in juvenile and adult life stages of the sedentary fish Hippocampus guttulatus
Full text linkUnderstanding of the spatial distribution and habitat use in different stages of a life cycle represents the essential aspect of threatened species management and conservation. In the present paper, the spatial and temporal patterns of habitat use in juvenile and adult life stages of the long-snouted seahorse Hippocampus guttulatus in the Mar Piccolo of Taranto (Apulia—Italy) (40°28′N, 17°16′W) were examined. From October 2012 to January 2014, monthly visual censuses were conducted in six coastal habitats of a focal area (Buffoluto site). Of a total of 317 individuals of the long-snouted seahorse that were sighted, 148 were juveniles, 82 adult females and 87 adult males. Our results showed significant differences in the habitat use between adult and juvenile life stages of H. guttulatus. Adult individuals were mainly concentrated within Cladophora prolifera beds and the wood poles of a mussel farm at 2–4 m of depth, while juvenile individuals were mainly present in shallower water (0.4–1 m) on artificial hard substrates covered by a brown algae turf. Assessing and describing the habitat use within different life stages of H. guttulatus represent a useful tool to support species conservation by protecting the habitats it uses
A multidisciplinary approach for evaluating Sabellaria bioconstructions: The case study of Torre Mileto (Northen Gargano coast, Adriatic sea)
No full textThe S. spinulosa (Leukhart, 1849) worm reef of Torre Mileto is a site of extraordinary beauty, proposed as a Site of Community Importance (SCI) to be protected by law. Recent studies highlight both the ability of this structure to increase the biodiversity of the adjacent sector of coast, and to act as a barrier to defend from coastal erosion as well as a temporary reservoir of sediments, lengthening the cycle of sand in the beach.This work shows the results of image analysis techniques on bioconstruction samples integrated with seasonal and annual monitoring. A multidisciplinary approach involving sedimentological, ecological and biological analysis techniques offers an overall view of the evolutionary state of the environment and provides quantitative data which are necessary for the protection and monitoring of this sit
Seafloor integrity of the Mar Piccolo Basin (Southern Italy): quantifying anthropogenic impact
Full text linkThe Mar Piccolo Basin is a coastal brackish marine ecosystem located along the northern coast of the Gulf of Taranto (Southern Italy). Despite the ecological relevance of the area (Site of Community Importance IT9130004, Regional Reserve ‘Palude La Vela’ EUAP1189), the entire basin is subjected to intensive human usage. The main activities include extensive mussel farming, important industrial activities, a military harbor and densely populated shores. The goal of our study was to spatially quantify human pressure within the basin and its relationship with biocoenoses. A broad set of data was integrated including acoustic remote data (obtained using a multibeam echosounder and side scan sonar devices), direct observations obtained by SCUBA diving and from a trawled camera, an orthophoto and ESRI® Imagery Basemap. At least eight categories of anthropogenic infrastructure and marks of past and present-day human activities were identified within the Mar Piccolo Basin water column and on the seafloor. These included line farms, pole farms, breeding frame structures, anchoring scars, excavations, buoys, wrecks and undefined traces. Each category was mapped and described using morphometric characterization. The integration of all available data allowed the production of an original map providing the Mar Piccolo seafloor disturbance by anthropogenic impact and an updated distribution of benthic communities, showing their spatial relation. Through the production of a specific thematic map, our work provides the first quantitative assessment of the extent and density of the identified human impact in order to evaluate seafloor integrity
Sedimentological features of Sabellaria spinulosa reefs in the Adriatic Sea (Torre Mileto, northern Gargano Promontory, Southern Italy)” abstract books del convegno internazionale
No full textThe reefs of Sabellaria spinulosa along the northern coastal Gargano area (southern Italy): the interactions between physical and biological processes
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