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Cau A, Sbrana A, Franceschini S, Fiorentino F, Follesa MC, Galgani F, Garofalo G, Gerigny O, Profeta A, Rinelli P, Sbrana M, Russo T. What, where, and when: Spatial-temporal distribution of macro-litter on the seafloor of the western and central Mediterranean sea. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2024; 342:123028. [PMID: 38012965 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.123028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2023] [Revised: 11/03/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
The progressive increase of marine macro-litter on the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea is an urgent problem that needs accurate information and guidance to identify those areas most at risk of accumulation. In the absence of dedicated monitoring programs, an important source of opportunistic data is fishery-independent monitoring campaigns of demersal resources. These data have long been used but not yet extensively. In this paper, MEDiterranean International Trawl Survey (MEDITS) data was supplemented with 18 layers of information related to major environmental (e.g. depth, sea water and wind velocity, sea waves) and anthropogenic (e.g. river inputs, shipping lanes, urban areas and ports, fishing effort) forcings that influence seafloor macro-litter distribution. The Random Forest (RF), a machine learning approach, was applied to: i) model the distribution of several litter categories at a high spatial resolution (i.e. 1 km2); ii) identify major accumulation hot spots and their temporal trends. Results indicate that RF is a very effective approach to model the distribution of marine macro-litter and provides a consistent picture of the heterogeneous distribution of different macro-litter categories. The most critical situation in the study area was observed in the north-eastern part of the western basin. In addition, the combined analysis of weight and density data identified a tendency for lighter items to accumulate in areas (such as the northern part of the Tyrrhenian Sea) with more stagnant currents. This approach, based on georeferenced information widely available in public databases, seems a natural candidate to be applied in other basins as a support and complement tool to field monitoring activities and strategies for protection and remediation of the most impacted areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Cau
- Dipartimento di Scienze della vita e dell'ambiente, Università degli Studi di Cagliari, Via Tommaso Fiorelli 1, 09126, Cagliari, Italy; ConISMa, Piazzale Flaminio 9, 00196, Rome, Italy
| | - Alice Sbrana
- Laboratory of Experimental Ecology and Aquaculture, Department of Biology - University of Rome Tor Vergata, via della Ricerca Scientifica snc, 00133, Rome, Italy; PhD program in Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via della Ricerca Scientifica 1, 00133, Rome, Italy.
| | - Simone Franceschini
- Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawaii at Mānoa, Kāne'ohe, HI, 96744, USA
| | - Fabio Fiorentino
- Italian National Research Council (CNR), Institute for Marine Biological Resources and Biotechnology (IRBIM), via L. Vaccari 61, 91026, Mazara del Vallo (TP), Italy; Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn (SZN), Lungomare Cristoforo Colombo, 4521, 90149, Palermo, Italy
| | - Maria Cristina Follesa
- Dipartimento di Scienze della vita e dell'ambiente, Università degli Studi di Cagliari, Via Tommaso Fiorelli 1, 09126, Cagliari, Italy; ConISMa, Piazzale Flaminio 9, 00196, Rome, Italy
| | - Francois Galgani
- Ifremer Centre Mediterranée, Laboratoire LER/PAC, immeuble Agostini, ZI Furiani, 20600, Bastia, Corse, France
| | - Germana Garofalo
- Italian National Research Council (CNR), Institute for Marine Biological Resources and Biotechnology (IRBIM), via L. Vaccari 61, 91026, Mazara del Vallo (TP), Italy; Italian Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA), Lungomare Cristoforo Colombo, 4521, 90149, Palermo, Italy
| | - Olivia Gerigny
- Ifremer Centre Mediterranée, Laboratoire LER/PAC, Zone Portuaire de Brégaillon, 83500, La Seyne-sur-Mer, France
| | - Adriana Profeta
- Italian National Research Council (CNR), Institute for Marine Biological Resources and Biotechnology (IRBIM), Via S. Raineri, 86 98122, Messina (ME), Italy
| | - Paola Rinelli
- Italian National Research Council (CNR), Institute for Marine Biological Resources and Biotechnology (IRBIM), Via S. Raineri, 86 98122, Messina (ME), Italy
| | - Mario Sbrana
- Consorzio per il Centro Interuniversitario di Biologia Marina ed Ecologia Applicata "G. Bacci" (CIBM), viale N. Sauro 4, I-57128, Livorno, Italy
| | - Tommaso Russo
- ConISMa, Piazzale Flaminio 9, 00196, Rome, Italy; Laboratory of Experimental Ecology and Aquaculture, Department of Biology - University of Rome Tor Vergata, via della Ricerca Scientifica snc, 00133, Rome, Italy
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Gorule PA, Šmejkal M, Tapkir S, Stepanyshyna Y, Stejskal V, Follesa MC, Cau A. Long-term sublethal exposure to polyethylene and tire wear particles: Effects on risk-taking behaviour in invasive and native fish. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 908:168233. [PMID: 37923265 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.168233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2023] [Revised: 09/21/2023] [Accepted: 10/29/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023]
Abstract
Anthropogenic polymeric particles pollute even the most remote ecosystems and may compromise organisms' behaviour and movement skills. It is expected that invasive species cope better with pollutants than native species (i.e., pollution resistance hypothesis). In this study, invasive gibel carp (Carassius gibelio) and native crucian carp (Carassius carassius) were used as model organisms. Specimens were fed daily with food pellets (1 % body weight) added with 0.1 % polyethylene (PE), tire wear particles (TWPs) and control. Their behavioural parameters were compared before and after 14 and 60 days of exposure. Additionally, we evaluated burst swimming capacity after 60 days of exposure to the treatments. The fishes exposed to the PE and TWPs treatments showed significant trends toward increased boldness scores and, in the PE treatment, higher utilization of the open field, and both behavioural changes are associated with higher risk-taking. Invasive gibel carp had substantially better swimming performance than crucian carp, but the expected trend in relation to the treatments was not found. Fish exposed to sublethal doses of PE and TWPs showed signs of behavioural changes after two months of exposure that may affect risk-taking behaviour, which might impact species interactions with predators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pankaj A Gorule
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Cagliari, Via Tommaso Fiorelli 1, 09126 Cagliari, Italy
| | - Marek Šmejkal
- Institute of Hydrobiology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Na Sádkách 7, 370 05, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
| | - Sandip Tapkir
- Institute of Hydrobiology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Na Sádkách 7, 370 05, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Yevdokiia Stepanyshyna
- Institute of Hydrobiology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Na Sádkách 7, 370 05, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Vlastimil Stejskal
- University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, South Bohemian Research Center of Aquaculture and Biodiversity of Hydrocenoses, Institute of Aquaculture and Protection of Waters, Na Sádkách 1780, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Maria Cristina Follesa
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Cagliari, Via Tommaso Fiorelli 1, 09126 Cagliari, Italy; ConISMa, Piazzale Flaminio 9, 00196 Rome, Italy
| | - Alessandro Cau
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Cagliari, Via Tommaso Fiorelli 1, 09126 Cagliari, Italy; ConISMa, Piazzale Flaminio 9, 00196 Rome, Italy
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Sciutteri V, Pedà C, Longo F, Calogero R, Cangemi G, Pagano L, Battaglia P, Nannini M, Romeo T, Consoli P. Integrated approach for marine litter pollution assessment in the southern Tyrrhenian Sea: Information from bottom-trawl fishing and plastic ingestion in deep-sea fish. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2023; 188:114661. [PMID: 36708618 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.114661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2022] [Revised: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 01/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Marine litter pollution threatens marine ecosystems and biodiversity conservation, particularly on seafloors where all anthropogenic waste naturally sinks. In this study, we provide new information on the composition, density and origin of seafloor macrolitter as well as on plastic ingestion in deep-sea fish from bottom-trawling by-catch in the southern Tyrrhenian Sea. Plastic constituted the highest fraction of litter in terms of density (64 %) and weight (32 %) and was also retrieved in the gastrointestinal traits of Chlorophthalmus agassizi, Coelorhynchus coelorhynchus and Hoplosthethus mediterraneus. FT-IR spectroscopy analysis on the seafloor macrolitter and the ingested plastics revealed the presence of artificial polymers including PE, PET/polyester, PA widely used for food packaging, plastic bags and several common products, especially Single Use Plastic (SUP). These results underline how poor waste management schemes or their incorrect application strongly contribute to marine litter accumulation on seafloors and plastic ingestion in deep-sea fish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Sciutteri
- Department of Integrative Marine Ecology (EMI), Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, National Institute of Biology, Ecology and Marine Biotechnology, Sicily Marine Centre, Villa Pace, Contrada Porticatello 29, 98167 Messina, Italy.
| | - Cristina Pedà
- Department of Integrative Marine Ecology (EMI), Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, National Institute of Biology, Ecology and Marine Biotechnology, Sicily Marine Centre, Villa Pace, Contrada Porticatello 29, 98167 Messina, Italy.
| | - Francesco Longo
- Department of Integrative Marine Ecology (EMI), Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, National Institute of Biology, Ecology and Marine Biotechnology, Sicily Marine Centre, Villa Pace, Contrada Porticatello 29, 98167 Messina, Italy.
| | - Rosario Calogero
- Department of Integrative Marine Ecology (EMI), Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, National Institute of Biology, Ecology and Marine Biotechnology, Sicily Marine Centre, Villa Pace, Contrada Porticatello 29, 98167 Messina, Italy.
| | - Giuseppe Cangemi
- Department of Integrative Marine Ecology (EMI), Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, National Institute of Biology, Ecology and Marine Biotechnology, Sicily Marine Centre, Villa Pace, Contrada Porticatello 29, 98167 Messina, Italy; Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Viale F. Stagno d'Alcontres 31, 98166 Messina, Italy.
| | - Luca Pagano
- Department of Integrative Marine Ecology (EMI), Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, National Institute of Biology, Ecology and Marine Biotechnology, Sicily Marine Centre, Villa Pace, Contrada Porticatello 29, 98167 Messina, Italy; Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Viale F. Stagno d'Alcontres 31, 98166 Messina, Italy.
| | - Pietro Battaglia
- Department of Integrative Marine Ecology (EMI), Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, National Institute of Biology, Ecology and Marine Biotechnology, Sicily Marine Centre, Villa Pace, Contrada Porticatello 29, 98167 Messina, Italy.
| | - Matteo Nannini
- Department of Integrative Marine Ecology, Ischia Marine Centre, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Punta San Pietro, 80077 Ischia, Naples, Italy.
| | - Teresa Romeo
- Department of Integrative Marine Ecology (EMI), Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, National Institute of Biology, Ecology and Marine Biotechnology, Sicily Marine Centre, Villa Pace, Contrada Porticatello 29, 98167 Messina, Italy.
| | - Pierpaolo Consoli
- Department of Integrative Marine Ecology (EMI), Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, National Institute of Biology, Ecology and Marine Biotechnology, Sicily Marine Centre, Villa Pace, Contrada Porticatello 29, 98167 Messina, Italy.
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Gallitelli L, Battisti C, Scalici M. Dunal plants intercepting macrolitter: Implications for beach clean-ups. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2023; 187:114585. [PMID: 36638716 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.114585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2022] [Revised: 12/27/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Coastal vegetation intercepts macroplastics and, consequently, it may represent a reservoir of anthropogenic litter and organic wrack. We aimed at investigating (i) the abundance variation of macrolitter from the beach to foredune and backdune (three cross-shore plots over 20 long-shore sectors) and (ii) the role of the halo-psammophilous plants and Phragmites australis reedbed in intercepting the macrolitter, respectively, in the foredunes and backdunes. The vegetation in the foredunes (mainly halo-psammophilous species) acted as a first interception belt for macrolitter, while the bigger litter reached the backdunes. Our results might be of great concern with implications for beach clean-ups - which must also be mainly focused in foredunes and backdunes, however warning operators in advance that they could damage the vegetation by trampling on.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Gallitelli
- Department of Sciences, University of Rome Tre, Rome, Italy.
| | - Corrado Battisti
- "Torre Flavia" LTER (Long Term Ecological Research) Station, Protected Areas Service, Città Metropolitana di Roma Capitale, Rome, Italy.
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Cesarini G, Secco S, Battisti C, Questino B, Marcello L, Scalici M. Temporal changes of plastic litter and associated encrusting biota: Evidence from Central Italy (Mediterranean Sea). MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2022; 181:113890. [PMID: 35785720 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.113890] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2022] [Revised: 06/13/2022] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
We investigated the temporal changes from spring to summer of the stranded litter and the composition of plastic encrusting biota along an Italian beach. Our findings highlight a higher quantity of litter (average value 1510.67 ± 581.27 items) in spring, particularly plastic material with a composition driven by currents, winds and waves transported from rivers to sea. During summer the source was caused by anti-social behaviours (e.g. cigarettes). Regarding the plastic size, the most is macroplastic (85.96 %), followed by mesoplastic (13.74 %) and megaplastic (0.30 %) overall, and no seasonal trend was observed. Concerning the encrusting biota, Mollusca was the most frequent phylum found on plastic beach litter, whereas Porifera the most abundant overall. During spring a greater abundance of individuals was recorded compared to summer. The trend of taxa richness was decreasing from spring to summer. Arthropoda, Porifera and Mollusca phyla were significantly more abundant in spring, while Algae in summer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Cesarini
- Department of Sciences, University of Roma Tre, viale G. Marconi 446, 00146 Rome, Italy
| | - Silvia Secco
- Department of Sciences, University of Roma Tre, viale G. Marconi 446, 00146 Rome, Italy.
| | - Corrado Battisti
- Torre Flavia LTER (Long Term Ecological Research) Station, Protected Areas - Regional Park Service, Citta ` Metropolitana di Roma Capitale, viale G. Ribotta, 41, 00144 Rome, Italy
| | - Beatrice Questino
- Department of Sciences, University of Roma Tre, viale G. Marconi 446, 00146 Rome, Italy
| | - Leonardo Marcello
- Department of Sciences, University of Roma Tre, viale G. Marconi 446, 00146 Rome, Italy
| | - Massimiliano Scalici
- Department of Sciences, University of Roma Tre, viale G. Marconi 446, 00146 Rome, Italy
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Palmas F, Cau A, Podda C, Musu A, Serra M, Pusceddu A, Sabatini A. Rivers of waste: Anthropogenic litter in intermittent Sardinian rivers, Italy (Central Mediterranean). ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2022; 302:119073. [PMID: 35248620 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.119073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2021] [Revised: 02/25/2022] [Accepted: 02/25/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
While the increasing accumulation of anthropogenic litter in the marine environment has received considerable attention over the last decade, litter occurrence and distribution in rivers, the main source of marine litter, have been comparatively less investigated. Moreover, little information is available about the amount and typology of Riverine Anthropogenic Macro-litter (RAM) entering marine environments from intermittent rivers in low populated areas of the Mediterranean basin. To provide insights on this issue, we investigated density and composition of RAM accumulated over a total of 133 riverbanks, belonging to 37 river basins in the Sardinia Island (Mediterranean Sea). We report here that plastics, especially single-use items, represent the most frequent and abundant RAM category in all investigated basins. Statistical modelling revealed that occurrence of lightweight RAM (especially plastic) is mostly explained by levels of urban (12.3% of the relative contribution) and agricultural (12%) land use of the territory, whereas the proximity of bridges to the sampling point (21%) and the local population density (19.8%) are best predictors of heavy weighted RAM items (i.e., large metal items, appliances) occurrence. Our results confirm that plastics represent an important component of RAM and pinpoint that, beside plastic reduction policies and better waste management, actions aimed at abating and monitoring litter contamination should be localized on the proximity of bridges, whatever the local population density. Finally, to fill existing knowledge gaps in understanding the severity of litter discharge and accumulation in the Mediterranean Sea, land-to-sea systematic monitoring campaigns at appropriate spatial and temporal scales should be put in place.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Palmas
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Cagliari, Via Fiorelli 1, 09126, Cagliari, CA, Italy.
| | - Alessandro Cau
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Cagliari, Via Fiorelli 1, 09126, Cagliari, CA, Italy
| | - Cinzia Podda
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Cagliari, Via Fiorelli 1, 09126, Cagliari, CA, Italy
| | - Alessio Musu
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Cagliari, Via Fiorelli 1, 09126, Cagliari, CA, Italy
| | - Melissa Serra
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Cagliari, Via Fiorelli 1, 09126, Cagliari, CA, Italy
| | - Antonio Pusceddu
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Cagliari, Via Fiorelli 1, 09126, Cagliari, CA, Italy
| | - Andrea Sabatini
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Cagliari, Via Fiorelli 1, 09126, Cagliari, CA, Italy
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Environmental Status and Geomorphological Characterisation of Seven Black Coral Forests on the Sardinian Continental Shelf (NW Mediterranean Sea). BIOLOGY 2022; 11:biology11050732. [PMID: 35625460 PMCID: PMC9138414 DOI: 10.3390/biology11050732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2022] [Revised: 05/01/2022] [Accepted: 05/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary Black coral forests are three-dimensional components of the marine mesophotic benthic community that play a crucial role in the benthic–pelagic processes, enhancing substrate complexity and creating numerous ecological niches and biodiversity hotspots. The increase of natural and human pressures on these forests is decimating their sophisticated architecture, leading to habitat degradation and biodiversity loss. This study assessed the environmental status of seven black coral forests dwelling in the centre of the Mediterranean Sea using the Mesophotic Assemblages Conservation Status Index. Our results showed how site-specific ecological conditions associated with different geomorphological settings can determine the variability of the environmental status among these habitats. Overall, most of the black coral forests investigated showed a “high” and “good” status; however, in two sites, a degraded benthic community and a marked anthropogenic impact determined a “moderate” and “poor” environmental status, highlighting the fragility of these communities to anthropogenic stressors, even in an area of low urbanisation, such as a Sardinian island. The scenario obtained by this study, combined with a more complete understanding of the processes that drive benthic communities’ dynamics, would facilitate the evaluation of potential measures for the appropriate management of human activities and the general conservation of mesophotic coral forests. Abstract Marine animal forests are key mesophotic ecosystems that are under threat from increasing natural and human pressures. Despite the fact that various international agreements strive to preserve these fragile ecosystems, the environmental status of the majority of these animal-structured environments is unknown. Assessing their environmental status is the first step needed to monitor these essential habitats’ health over time and include them within conservation and protection frameworks, such as the Marine Strategy Framework Directive. Based on Multibeam data and ROV footage, we characterized the geomorphological setting and evaluated the environmental status of seven black coral forests in the centre of the Western Mediterranean Sea, using the Mesophotic Assemblages Conservation Status (MACS) Index. The presence of two antipatharians, Antipathella subpinnata and Leiopathes glaberrima, characterized the seven investigated sites, dwelling on rocky substrate characterized by different environmental drivers (i.e., depth, slope of the substrate, terrain ruggedness, topographic positioning index, and aspect). From the combined evaluation of the associated benthic community status and the anthropogenic impacts affecting it, a “high” and “good” environmental status was assessed for five out of the seven studied black forests, with only two forests classified as having a “moderate” and “poor” status, respectively. Overall, our study showed a site-specific variability of mesophotic black coral forest status, explained by different biological community structures and environmental conditions mainly associated with morphological and anthropogenic factors.
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