Sea urchins play a dual ecological and socio-economic role in Mediterranean rocky reefs. As key grazers, they can influence algal cover, benthic community structure and, under high grazing pressure, contribute to the persistence of simplified reef states. At the same time, commercial species such as Paracentrotus lividus support valuable small-scale fisheries, whose sustainability depends on […]

prova

As part of the ARCO project (TED2021-129426B-I00), funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation, and Universities, sediment cores were collected on the trawled Palamós (also known as La Fonera) submarine canyon (NW Mediterranean) in four sampling areas: two sites at a depth of ~500 m (one site trawled and the other untrawled), one site […]

Conservation prioritization typically relies on the IUCN Red List, yet these frameworks may not adequately capture the diversity of functional traits in assessed taxa. Calculations of functional, phylogenetic and evolutionary uniqueness have been applied at large geographical scales, although at the national scale they may have practical applications to increase efficiency of targeted conservation. Using […]

  .  Bycatch is defined as “the accidental capture of non-targeted species or individuals of undesirable size ranges of the target species by non-selective fishing gear”. It is widely recognized as one of the main threats to marine biodiversity, potentially affecting vulnerable species and altering ecosystem structure and functioning. Consequently, increasing attention has been given […]

Since 2016, the Mediterranean fan mussel Pinna nobilis (L. 1758) has undergone severe Mass Mortality Events (MMEs) throughout its entire range, leading to a drastic decline of the species. However, for reasons not fully understood, some coastal transitional ecosystems still host large extant populations, acting as refugia for the species. Pinna nobilis plays a key […]

Ecology and landscape ecology in Italy have long maintained a reciprocal, mutually fertilizing exchange of ideas, each field enriching the other through continuous conceptual and methodological dialogue. Over the past decades, landscape ecology has introduced spatially explicit perspectives, innovative analytical frameworks, and a focus on patterns, processes, and scale that have broadened ecological interpretation of […]

The widespread footprint of demersal fishing, coupled with evolving environmental legislation, necessitates advanced frameworks to assess both the structural and functional dynamics of benthic ecosystems. Modern marine conservation frameworks increasingly demand assessment tools that go beyond structural changes, capturing also the functional degradation caused by bottom fishing. Here we applied a deterministic trait-based modelling framework, […]

Lake Campolattaro, located in the province of Benevento (Campania), is an artificial reservoir created in the 1970s by damming the Tammaro River. Originally built for water management purposes, it has evolved into a site of ecological significance, designated as both a Special Protection Area (SPA) IT8020015 and Special Area of Conservation (SAC) IT8020001, within the […]

Land abandonment across Europe is a widespread phenomenon that promotes secondary succession, reshaping ecosystem structure and functioning. Soil microorganisms play a central role in these processes through their contribution to soil organic matter (SOM) decomposition and nutrient cycling. However, understanding the relationship between microbial diversity and carbon sequestration requires information that extends beyond taxonomic composition […]

Urban green spaces are people's primary contact with biodiversity. Policies such as the Kunming–Montreal Framework (Target:12) and the EU Biodiversity Strategy 2030 call for biodiversity-inclusive urban planning that reconciles public access and use of green spaces with biodiversity conservation and the enhancement of ecological quality and connectivity. Achieving this reconciliation requires sustainability education and citizen […]

Bio-geogenic rocky outcrops in the northern Adriatic Sea, locally known as "tegnùe" or "trezze", are highly valuable habitats and biodiversity hotspots. This study presents the application of underwater Structure-from-Motion (SfM) photogrammetry for the mapping and characterization of these habitats. The investigated areas include three biogenic outcrops located near Caorle (Venice), including the Natura 2000 site […]

In recent years, an increasing number of studies have reported impacts of ocean warming and marine heatwaves on canopy-forming macroalgae, leading to physiological stress, reduced population size, and local extinctions. Warming events are projected to increase in intensity and frequency in the Mediterranean Sea, threatening the survival of these habitat-forming species. Therefore, understanding their thermal […]

Coral reefs are among the most biodiverse and economically valuable ecosystems on Earth, providing essential services such as coastal protection, fisheries, and tourism. However, these ecosystems are increasingly threatened by global stressors such as ocean warming and acidification, as well as local anthropogenic pressures including chemical pollution. Among these, herbicides like Diuron, widely used in […]

  Roadkill is the most prominent direct effect of roads on wildlife which have sparked an interest on roadkill monitoring at a global level. The two most widely used roadkill monitoring methods are systematic recording, and the use of citizen science for data collection. In this research, we aim to compare two datasets derived from […]

Oceanic islands harbor high levels of endemism, making them conservation priorities, yet their ecosystems are especially vulnerable to anthropogenic disturbance, particularly biological invasions. Assessing the impacts of introduced species is especially challenging when they establish mutualistic interactions with native taxa, as occurs in plant-pollinator systems, creating complex networks shaped by both mutualistic and competitive interactions. […]

Current approaches to valuing biodiversity and ecosystem damage rest largely on standing stock or on contingent monetary estimates, neither of which captures the cumulative ecological work an organism performs over its life. Using Dynamic Energy Budget theory and curated parameter sets for the whole Add-my-Pet collection, we reconstructed the complete carbon life history of more […]

Ulva is a green seaweed genus (Chlorophyta) widely distributed in intertidal and shallowsubtidal environments and has gained attention for its aquaculture potential as a source offood and high-value bioproducts. In particular, ulvan, a sulfated polysaccharide of theUlvophyceae cell wall, has been extensively investigated for its biochemical properties andapplications in biotechnology and pharmaceuticals. Although several studies […]

Camera trapping is a standard practice in animal ecology to investigate the composition of communities, the relative abundance of species and their occupancy dynamics. Camera trap data can also provide valuable information about the factors affecting the overlap or segregation between species in space and time. The Regional Natural Reserves WWF Oases “Lago di Serranella” […]

Marine ecotoxicological bioassays commonly rely on a number of established model organisms, which may partially represent the complexity of marine biodiversity. Expanding the range to ecologically relevant species is therefore essential to advance environmental risk assessment. Despite their key ecological role, previously overlooked, jellyfish's early life stage (ephyra) has only recently emerged as a sensitive, […]

Identifying the environmental factors that influence the distribution of fisheries’ target species is essential for ecological modelling, an useful tool for the sustainable management of fisheries and the protection of essential fish habitats. The giant red shrimp Aristaeomorpha foliacea, is one of the most valuable fishery resources in the Mediterranean, particularly in the Ionian Sea, […]

Posidonia oceanica meadows play several ecological roles and provide essential ecosystem services in the Mediterranean Sea. However, increasing anthropogenic pressures and climate-driven stressors are accelerating their decline, highlighting the need for more sensitive and integrative monitoring approaches. Microbial communities associated with seagrass regulate key biogeochemical processes and contribute to host resistance and resilience. Due to […]

Plastic pollution is widely recognized as a major threat to marine ecosystems due to its persistence and ubiquity across coastal and deep-sea environments. While the presence and distribution of marine litter have been extensively documented, a critical gap persists in understanding its ecological consequences at the population and community levels, particularly for macrozoobenthic assemblages. In […]

Agriculture expansion and intensification are one of the main drivers of biodiversity loss and ecological disturbances in natural habitats. Environmental DNA (eDNA) has emerged as a powerful, non-invasive, cost and time-effective tool for biodiversity assessment across a wide range of ecosystems, enabling the detection of both visible and cryptic taxa. Here, we explore the use […]

Most ecologically optimal corridors cross privately or institutionally owned parcels, involving many stakeholders. Furthermore, least-cost connectivity models often ignore land ownership, creating a gap between theory and implementation. To narrow this gap, we developed LINK (Landscape Interconnectivity via Niche models and Kirchhoff current theory), a framework that integrates cadastral fragmentation as a socio-institutional layer within […]

Understanding the spatial ecology of invasive fish predators is essential for developing effective management strategies. We investigated the horizontal and vertical movements, habitat use, and thermal ecology of the invasive European catfish Silurus glanis in Lake Sirio, a small, deep peri-alpine lake in north-western Italy. Fifteen individuals were tagged with acoustic transmitters equipped with depth […]

Monitoring the spatio-temporal evolution of fish communities is essential to comprehend their resilience under climate change in coastal-marine ecosystems. This is particularly relevant in transitional ecosystems, where strong environmental fluctuations can lead to pronounced changes over time, making them sentinel environments for detecting and monitoring early signs of climate impacts. The aim of this study […]

Rivers host high biodiversity and provide key ecosystem services but are increasingly affected by hydrological alterations. Aquatic communities are shaped by hierarchical environmental filters acting from regional to microhabitat scales, with hydraulics representing a pivotal driver at the finest scale. Over recent decades, several studies have assessed taxon-specific hydraulic preferences allowing the inference of rules […]

Over the past century, Lake Garda has become a major hotspot for biological invasions, with nearly 50 non-indigenous species recorded to date and new introductions continuously occurring. While traditional monitoring methods typically detect these invaders only after they have successfully established, advanced molecular tools offer the potential for early-stage detection. In this context, lacustrine harbors […]

Marine sediments host abundant and diverse bacterial and archaeal assemblages that play a key role in global biogeochemical cycles. However, patterns of prokaryotic diversity and the environmental factors shaping microbial assemblage composition in coastal subsurface sediments remain poorly understood, particularly within the first meters below the seafloor. Here, we used 16S rRNA gene metabarcoding to […]

Poly-lactic acid (PLA) is a biodegradable, bio-based thermoplasticderived primarily from renewable resources such as corn starch or sugarcane. It's widely used in packaging, biomedical devices, textiles, and increasingly in 3D printing, owing to its ease of processing, compostability, and relatively low environmental impact. While it is generally considered non-toxic in its bulk form, its degradation […]

Microplastics (MPs), defined as particles <5 mm, are widespread throughout the global ocean; however, their ecological interactions in the Southern Ocean remain poorly constrained, raising concerns about their incorporation into marine food webs. In this context, copepods may represent a potential pathway for MP transfer across trophic levels. To explore this interaction, zooplankton samples collected […]

Quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) analysis of environmental DNA (eDNA) has become a sensitive and cost-effective tool for monitoring freshwater ecosystems and for the early detection of invasive fish species. The European catfish (Silurus glanis L.) is one of the largest apex freshwater predator worldwide and can exert a significant negative impact on local fauna in […]

Mesotriton alpestris and the Apennine endemic Mesotriton apuanus are two recently recognized species characterized by distinct evolutionary histories, although their ecological differentiation has never been investigated in detail. In this study, we compared their ecological niches in northern Italy using Ecological Niche Models (MaxEnt) based on occurrence data from Trentino-Alto Adige (M. alpestris) and Liguria (M. apuanus). Models […]

Posidonia oceanica is a foundation species of the Mediterranean coastline, producing approximately 20 liters of O₂ per square meter per day while removing CO₂, stabilizing sediments, mitigating coastal erosion, and providing habitat for roughly a quarter of Mediterranean marine fauna. Despite these critical ecosystem services, P. oceanica meadows are in continuous decline, primarily driven by […]

Systematic reviews (SR) are powerful tools to synthesise existing scientific knowledge. The information generated can be more accessible to policymakers, representing a fundamental support for science-informed management. In this study, we apply a SR protocol framework to investigate marine biodiversity research conducted inside Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), a well-established biological conservation measure, in Sicily, Italy. Sicily represents a critical case study for Italy and the Mediterranean region, where 7 MPAs are present - the oldest established in 1986 and […]

Recreational boating in the Mediterranean Sea has shown to be a major vector for the introduction of non-indigenous species (NIS) via biofouling. In order to prevent its development on submerged artificial hard substrates antifouling coatings are commonly applied. Biocidal coatings (BC), typically based on copper and booster biocides, remain the most widely used despite concerns […]

Ghost crabs are key components of tropical sandy shores, linking marine and terrestrial ecosystems through sediment dynamics and nutrient recycling.  Despite their ecological relevance, information on Maldives’ populations of the ghost crab Ocypode ceratophthalmus is currently lacking, particularly regarding population structure and trophic ecology. In this context, stable isotope analysis of carbon (δ¹³C) and nitrogen […]

Fishways are key mitigation measures for restoring longitudinal connectivity at man-made obstacles in rivers, yet their ecological effectiveness is rarely assessed through continuous, non-invasive monitoring. Here we present the preliminary results from a video-based monitoring system installed on a fishway on the Po River (La Loggia dam, NW Italy), designed to automatically record videos of […]

Submarine canyons are biodiversity hotspots and key ecosystems, connecting shallow and deep environments and sustaining valuable fisheries. Among the fishing techniques, bottom trawling is the most harmful due to its effects in overexploitation, habitat destruction, physical and biogeochemical alterations of the seabed. Along the NW Mediterranean continental slope, deep-sea trawling is practiced recurrently, mainly targeting […]

One of the paradigms of a just sustainable transition of food systems, is that respecting sustainability principles for food production reduces vulnerability to environmental and socio-economic stressors. This is particularly relevant for small producers, who are the back bone of local economies, but also the most fragile elements of the food system. Addressing environmental challenges […]

The structural architecture of ecological systems evolves across space and time, with profound implications for biodiversity conservation. Through the combined use of spectral graph theory and topological zigzag persistence, we previously unveiled the spatio-temporal evolution of an Algerian charophyte metacommunity, laying the foundations for a multi-purpose prioritization of conservation actions based on the relative role […]

Anthropogenic pressures have caused widespread Posidonia oceanica seagrass meadow degradation throughout the Mediterranean Sea. Although restoration initiatives have been increasingly implemented, restoration success has been assessed predominantly through structural plant descriptors (e. g., shoot density, cover, growth rates). Conversely, much less attention has been paid to the recovery of habitat functions that regulate sediment dynamics […]

Biodiversity loss has been caused by global warming and the spread of invasive alien species. A long-term conservation programme has been implemented to enhance the populations of the native crayfish Austropotamobius pallipes in Italy. This also includes the control of non-native crayfish species, in order to limit their spread. Since 2022, control measures have been […]

Coastal lagoons and adjacent marine areas form dynamic habitat mosaics, providing essential ecosystem services shaped by temporal and spatial fluctuations of local biotic and abiotic factors. The present study investigated the spatiotemporal variation in the abundance of Lithognathus mormyrus (Linnaeus, 1758) in Faro Lake (Capo Peloro Coastal Lagoon, Sicily), and two adjacent permanently or seasonally […]

Coastal marine ecosystems in the Mediterranean are increasingly exposed to multiple pressures, including climate change and local anthropogenic impacts, with consequences for biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. In the Ligurian Sea, previous studies have shown marked changes in water-column temperature dynamics, including longer warm seasons and warmer cold seasons (Vassallo et al, 2022). As zooplankton play […]

Soil degradation hampers stability and functioning of soil ecosystems. Among various soil threats, salinization represents a critical abiotic stress, especially in Mediterranean area, which can compromises land quality and limit plant productivity. To address this issue, the implementation of sustainable nature-based solutions represents an important strategy for soil quality restoration. Organic amendments such as composts […]

Marine Animal Forests (MAFs), such as those formed by gorgonians, play a vital role in enhancing local biodiversity by creating complex three-dimensional habitats, and provide a wide range of ecosystem services, including carbon sequestration, nutrient cycling, and constitute nursery grounds for species of commercial interest. Despite their ecological importance, MAFs face significant threats including climate […]

Species Distribution Modelling (SDM), also known as Habitat Distribution Modelling, is a widely used framework for estimating a species’ realised ecological niche based on occurrence records and relevant environmental variables. Once the niche has been characterised, SDMs are then used to identify where and when similar environmental conditions occur, allowing projections across geographic regions and […]

Ecological succession influences vegetation structure, ecosystem functioning, and soil properties. This study evaluated soil changes along a Mediterranean successional gradient, from open gaps (G) to low maquis (LM) and mature high maquis (HM), in the Castel Volturno Nature Reserve (CE, Italy). Soil samples (0–10 cm) were collected over two consecutive years in early spring and […]

Abandoned, lost, or otherwise discarded fishing gears (ALDFG), represent a major source of marine pollution worldwide, posing significant threats to biodiversity. This study assesses the influence of ALDFG on marine ecosystems along 300 km of the Valencian coastline (Spain), analysing the biodiversity responses following their removal in one (Benidorm) of the fifteen explored sites. Between […]

The use of infrared spectroscopy in soil ecology is gaining attention for the low costs and high efficiency in predicting variables strictly related to the right functioning of soil in the existing ecosystem. Predictive models estimate soil properties across large spatial scales, reducing field sampling and laboratory analyses. However, predicting pH, nutrients and biological properties […]

The deep-water benthopelagic red shrimp Aristaeomorpha foliacea (Risso, 1827) represents one of the main target species of the trawl fishery in the Strait of Sicily (Fiorentino et al., 2024). Its distribution is typically associated with deep muddy bottoms, which are considered oligotrophic, homeothermic and environmentally stable habitats. These conditions, which promote stable life cycles over […]

Diatoms are among the main primary producers in marine benthic ecosystems, where they colonize a variety of substrates. Their complex interactions with co-occurring microorganisms and macroorganisms are possibly mediated by infochemicals, including volatile organic compounds (VOCs).  However, the overall VOC emission profile (volatilome) of epiphytic diatoms remains largely understudied. We performed a comprehensive volatilome profiling […]

Plant invasions modify habitat structure and resource availability, potentially altering the assembly of belowground fauna communities. Little is known about how soil microarthropod communities respond across different stages of plant invasion. This study investigated whether invasion density and estimated stand age influence soil microarthropod community composition and abundance along an Ailanthus altissima invasion gradient.Thirty invaded […]

The phytoplankton community plays a key role in ecosystem functioning. Monitoring their biodiversity and dynamics is essential for assessing ecosystem responses to diverse environmental drivers, including but not limited to climate change. Traditional phytoplankton analysis relies on inverted light microscopy (Utermöhl method), an accurate but time-consuming and resource-intensive technique. Moreover, typical sampling frequencies are not always adequate for detecting rapid ecological events, such as harmful algal blooms (HABs). To […]

Biological invasions can modify interactions among species and food web structure. A key question in invasion ecology is whether invasive species succeed by maintaining their trophic niche across geographic ranges (niche conservatism) or by exploiting novel resources and expanding their niche in recipient ecosystems (niche expansion). The blue crab Callinectes sapidus, native to the western […]

Plastic pollution is widely recognized as a major threat to marine ecosystems and biodiversity. Although systematic reviews (SRs) and meta-analyses (MAs) on plastic pollution have become increasingly common in the last decades, the conveyed evidence remains fragmented and often leads to contrasting conclusions. To obtain a broader perspective, we conducted the first systematic review of […]

Ocean acidification is widely expected to suppress marine ecosystem functioning, yet how it reshapes biodiversity-ecosystem functioning (BEF) relationships is poorly understood. Using in situ benthic chambers along a natural CO₂ gradient at Vulcano Island (Mediterranean Sea), we measured community metabolism (community respiration (CR), net (NCP) and gross (GCP) community production) and macrophyte community structure in […]

Plastic pollution is widely recognized as a pervasive global issue affecting ecosystems worldwide, including freshwater environments. Its impacts extend across multiple ecological dimensions and can reverberate through key ecosystem functions. One important pathway is the alteration of biogeochemical cycles, particularly the carbon cycle, via effects on aquatic metabolism, which governs the production and consumption of […]

Open access big data are crucial to investigate the spatial arrangement of biodiversity facets, its drivers, and the existing and potential threats to the persistence and functionality of ecosystems. Groundwater-dependent ecosystems (GDEs), including purely subterranean aquatic environments as well as groundwater-fed springs and the hyporheic zone, host diversified metazoan communities, where crustaceans usually represent the […]

The European project OCEAN CITIZEN, funded by the European Commission, aims to develop an innovative and sustainable model for the restoration of coastal and marine ecosystems, with a particular focus on the regeneration of marine algal and animal forests. Within this framework, the present study is part of Work Package 5 (WP5), which focuses on […]

Monitoring plankton biodiversity is a key tool for assessing the status of marine ecosystems, particularly in port areas subject to strong anthropogenic pressure and the introduction of non-indigenous species (NIS) through ballast water. In the Port of Genoa, the presence of the non-indigenous copepod Paracartia grani grani (Sars G.O., 1904) has been known since 1997. […]

Plankton plays a fundamental role in marine ecosystems by regulating major elemental cycles and supporting functions and biomass of higher trophic levels. However, under ongoing environmental changes, marine ecosystems are experiencing impacts that can be difficult to detect using conventional bulk indicators such as biomass or primary production. To address this challenge, we applied a […]

The coralligenous reef represents one of the most important coastal marine habitats in the Mediterranean in terms of associated biodiversity and the ecosystem services it provides, being capable of creating an extremely complex and diverse seascape. However, it is highly vulnerable to mechanical damage, particularly from fishing activities. Within a collaboration agreement between the Capo […]

Human activities are a major driver of biodiversity loss yet understanding how economic activities contribute to ecological degradation remains a challenge. The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) identifies five direct drivers of biodiversity loss: land and sea use change, direct exploitation of organisms, climate change, pollution and invasive alien species. However, […]

The NEPTUNE EVOLUTION project (PatrimoNio natUralE sommerso e gesTione sosTeNibiLe della subacquEa ricreativa — EVOLUTION — IF Marittimo00198) aims to enhance and monitor underwater natural capital, as well as to promote the environmental sustainability of recreational diving in the cross-border area between Italy and France. This project is a follow-up to NEPTUNE, ended in 2022, […]

Scientific evidence emphasises the importance of phytoplankton cell size in competition and coexistence dynamics, although these mechanisms are not yet fully clarified. Theoretical frameworks predict that, under low nutrient availability, smaller cells are favoured because of their higher surface-to-volume ratio, whereas larger cells dominate under nutrient-rich conditions. The size and shape of phytoplankton cells influence […]

The analysis of stomach contents is a pivotal tool for understanding the trophic ecology of marine predators, predator-prey interactions, and the indirect occurrence of marine litter within food webs. This study investigates the diet of the small-spotted catshark Scyliorhinus canicula, sampled in the northern Ionian Sea during the 2025 MEDITS International Bottom Trawl Survey. A […]

Global change is increasingly altering the structure and functioning of aquatic ecosystems through the combined action of chemical pollution, nutrient enrichment, temperature variations and other environmental stressors. Understanding how these pressures affect ecological functions and ecosystem services is essential to assess ecosystem resilience and to support effective management and conservation strategies. In this study, we […]

Posidonia oceanica meadows represent one of the most important coastal habitats in theMediterranean Sea, providing multiple ecosystem services, among which carbon sequestration playsa crucial role in climate regulation. Nevertheless, these ecosystems are still inadequatelyrepresented within National Accounting Systems. This study proposes a spatially explicit approachto quantify the extent, ecological condition, and the carbon sequestration service […]

Glitter particles are increasingly recognized as a potential source of microplastic contamination in aquatic environments, yet their effects on freshwater invertebrates remain poorly investigated. This study assessed the accumulation and biological effects of pristine, non-conditioned glitter particles (NCG) and environmentally conditioned glitter particles (CG) in the red swamp crayfish Procambarus clarkii. Crayfish were exposed under […]

The conservation of marine biodiversity requires tools capable of detecting functional alterations in trophic networks before they result in potentially irreversible structural changes in ecosystems. In this context, the study proposes an integrated index to assess the continuity of the ecological processes that support marine biodiversity, applicable within the framework of the Marine Strategy Framework […]

Mediterranean marine forests formed by Fucales are key coastal ecosystems supporting high levels of biodiversity. Cystoseira compressa (Esper) Gerloff & Nizamuddin 1975 habitats are recognised as highly relevant within the framework of the Nature Restoration Regulation, as the enhancement of its distribution can directly contribute to improving habitat quality, biodiversity, and ecological connectivity, thereby contributing […]

Marine foundation species such as seagrasses structure coastal ecosystems not only through their physical architecture but through the metabolic activities of their associated microbiomes. The holobiont framework predicts that intimate multi-species associations may give rise to emergent properties: collective functions that exceed the sum of individual contributions and cannot be predicted from the partners in […]

Incidental by-catch represents a major conservation concern for Protected, Endangered, and Threatened (PET) marine species in the Mediterranean Sea. Within the framework of the TALASSA project, interactions between professional fishery and PET species were investigated along the Ligurian coast, encompassing four Special Areas of Conservation (SACs). The study focused on elasmobranchs, cetaceans, seabirds, and marine […]

Seasonal environmental variability strongly influences the physiology and biochemistry of intertidal macroalgae, affecting their ecological performance and adaptive capacity. This study investigated seasonal changes in the brown alga Ericaria amentacea through an integrated analysis of photosynthetic pigments (chlorophyll a, chlorophyll c, and fucoxanthin), nutritional parameters (carbon, nitrogen, and protein content), oxidative stress markers (malondialdehyde, MDA), […]

Marine biodiversity is increasingly recognized as a critical indicator of environmental health and sustainability, yet its integration into Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) remains underdeveloped. This systematic review synthesizes 30 studies that evaluate and contribute to the development of marine biodiversity impact assessment within LCA, including studies that propose preliminary impact pathways or alternative biodiversity loss […]

Mediterranean lagoon ecosystems are particularly sensitive to Climate Change (CC) events that include rapid reductions in salinity (e.g., flash flood) and increase of seawater temperature represent major stressors for bivalve populations. Continuous monitoring of behavioral responses can provide a sensitive indicator of physiological stress. This study used Hall sensor valvometry to investigate the valve-gaping behavior […]

Discards represent the portion of the total fishery catch rejected at sea, for different reasons; their management has become increasingly important within the framework of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), representing a major challenge for commercial fisheries, with significant implications for the sustainable management of fishery resources and marine ecosystems in the Mediterranean Sea. This […]

Posidonia oceanica meadows are fundamental ecosystems for Mediterranean marine biodiversity. In recent decades, a drastic decline of this habitat has been observed, mainly as a consequence of increasing anthropogenic pressures. Therefore, several restoration projects have been launched using different techniques and materials. Although many restoration interventions resulted successful in ensuring the stability of transplanted cuttings, […]

The Mediterranean Basin biodiversity hotspot covers around 2,300,000 km2. Here, occurr mafic and ultramafic outcrops (serpentine outcrops s.l.), naturally fragmented ecosystems that host a rich flora adapted to their edaphic extreme conditions. Moreover, these outcrops are also subjected to pressure from metals and rare earth elements extraction. Despite the numerous studies on individual or local […]

Over the last two decades, blooms of the benthic dinoflagellate Ostreopsis cf. ovata have become a recurring phenomenon along the Mediterranean coast, with ecological and health implications linked to the production of ovatoxins and the exceeding of risk thresholds. Although sea surface temperature is one of the main factors regulating the development of these blooms, […]

The BLUECO-TAP (Thematic Annual Programming) initiative represents a strategic effort to strengthen collaboration among nationally funded research projects within the framework of the Sustainable Blue Economy Partnership (SBEP). Rather than duplicating existing research, the TAP focuses on creating added value by connecting different national projects through a structured network. Its primary objective is to foster […]

Marine (MHW) and atmospheric heatwaves (AHW) are extreme thermal events of growing ecological relevance for intertidal communities (Stillman et al., 2025). Using in-situ data from the ISPRA monitoring network across 34 Italian coastal stations (2010-2025), we identified 1,577 MHW and 6,826 AHW events (Hobday et al., 2016; Perkins & Alexander, 2013, respectively). Unsupervised classification identified three recurring event typologies: Dynamic, short and moderately intense events; Pulsed, short duration with rapid onset; and Persistent, […]

Is water quality or the presence of aquatic macrophytes more important for supporting taxonomic and functional macrozoobenthic diversity in lowland running waters? To address this question, we sampled for a year 12 water streams in the Po Plain. At each site and sampling station, three samples were collected across four seasons: spring (May), summer (July), […]

Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile is a seagrass endemic to the Mediterranean Sea and a significant contributor to human well-being through a variety of ecosystem functions, such as primary productivity and carbon cycling. Its widespread presence over the coasts of many Mediterranean countries, its role as a biodiversity hotspot and the various ecosystem services it provides […]

The red swamp crayfish Procambarus clarkii is one of the most successful invasive freshwater species in Mediterranean ecosystems, where its establishment may affect native biota and ecosystem functioning. This study assessed the long-term population dynamics of P. clarkii in Lake Trasimeno, a shallow Mediterranean lake characterized by marked environmental variability. Historical and recent datasets spanning […]

Establishing a Marine Protected Area (MPA) is crucial not only for biodiversity conservation and coastal ecosystem restoration, but also for the sustainable development of local communities. MPA effectiveness depends on integrating protection, scientific research, and socio-economic and educational dimensions by overcoming the traditional conservation–human activities dichotomy. We present the first activities of the Capo Spartivento […]

The white-clawed crayfish Austropotamobius pallipes species complex is widely distributed across the European area. This species has a narrow ecological niche and inhabits small streams with clean and cold waters. Due to anthropogenic activities, its population size and distribution have declined dramatically over the last fifty years. Moreover, pathogens carried by non-native invasive crayfish species […]

Nowadays, aquaculture has undergone significant transformations, increasingly adopting more sustainable practices. Low-trophic organisms, particularly seaweeds, are now recognized as strategic components for regenerative aquaculture. Among them, Ulva spp. has emerged as one of the most promising seaweeds for integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA) systems due to its high nutrient uptake capacity, fast growth rates in tank-based […]

Posidonia oceanica is a seagrass endemic to the Mediterranean Sea, where it forms extensive meadows of high ecological value, providing key ecosystem services such as biodiversity maintenance, coastal protection and carbon sequestration. In recent decades these meadows have undergone a marked regression due to cumulative anthropogenic pressures and environmental changes, making effective conservation and restoration […]

Although fire is widely regarded as a disturbance, it is also recognized as an important driver of biodiversity, with its effects varying across ecosystems and fire regimes. As global change is expected to alter wildfire activity worldwide, understanding how fire influences biodiversity has become increasingly relevant. A major challenge is that vegetation and fire interact […]

Seagrass meadow restoration has become a key strategy to counteract the decline of the Mediterranean endemic Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile, and transplant monitoring represents a fundamental tool for evaluating the success of interventions. In this context, monitoring plans are increasingly integrating basic plants functional traits with traditional structural descriptors, yet photosynthetic assessments remain largely overlooked […]

Plants have been shown to react to external stimuli by producing variations in the transmembrane electric potential (EP), which propagate through the vascular bundle and influence the physiology of even distant plant tissues. Our objective is to determine whether drought stress can be detected by analysing stem EP recordings and identify the signal features that […]

While soil microbial community shifts can widely affect SOM decomposition, nutrient re-cycle and biogeochemical outputs, the temporal dynamics of the microbial ecological succession in natural soils is far from being understood. This is particularly relevant in karst ecosystems, where shallow lepotsoils, with rapid drainage, meteorological pulses and microclimatic variability can expose microbial communities to abrupt […]

Understanding trophic interactions of marine mesopredators is essential for evaluating ecosystem functioning and supporting ecosystem-based fisheries management. The small-spotted catshark, Scyliorhinus canicula, is one of the most abundant demersal elasmobranchs in the Mediterranean Sea. This study investigated the trophic ecology of S. canicula in the southern Tyrrhenian Sea through the analysis of the stomach contents […]

Since 2016, populations of the Mediterranean fan mussel, Pinna nobilis Linnaeus, 1758, have undergone a dramatic decline throughout the Mediterranean Sea due to recurrent mass mortality events associated with a multifactorial disease. As a result, several conservation initiatives have been launched to support the recovery of this critically endangered species. Among these, the European LIFE […]

Brown macroalgal forests of the complex Cystoseira sensu lato have undergone a severe decline along Mediterranean coastlines, making active restoration strategies, based on the ex-situ cultivation of juveniles from fertile apices, increasingly necessary. Under the Nature Restoration Regulation, the recovery of Cystoseira s.l. species, including Cystoseira compressa, is a priority action for achieving restoration targets, […]

The Mediterranean Sea is undergoing ecological degradation driven by overfishing and other anthropogenic stressors, which, together with climate change, lead to the loss of upper-trophic-level biodiversity and affect ecosystem functioning. Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are widely used to mitigate the direct impacts and support marine biodiversity conservation. However, total fish biomass, one of the most […]

Marine-derived bioproducts are increasingly proposed as sustainable soil amendments influencing nutrient availability, including nitrogen which is essential for plant nutrition and development, microbial functioning, and soil quality. The study aimed to identify which marine-derived bioproduct most effectively promoted soil nitrogen availability and to determine whether these changes would reflect in shifts in nitrogen-cycling microbial functional […]

Forest floors are vertically structured systems in which successive stages of leaf-litter decomposition alter both the stable isotope composition and availability of basal resources to consumers.Yet it remains unresolved whether trophic differences along this vertical profile arise from taxonomic turnover or isotopic shifts within taxa shared among forest-floor layers. To address this, we sampled three […]

Mediterranean ecosystems are among the most vulnerable to climate change, which is expected to increase the frequency and intensity of heat waves and prolonged drought events. These environmental stressors impose strong constraints on plant growth by limiting photosynthetic performance. In this study, we compared leaf functional traits and photosynthetic performance of species widely distributed in […]

Cystoseira sensu lato (s.l.) forests are among the most complex and productive habitats along the rocky shores of the Mediterranean Sea. These habitats provide many ecosystem services, including carbon sequestration and coastal protection, and due to their three-dimensional structure and ecological role provide shelter and trophic resources for a wide range of benthic organisms. Indeed, […]

The blue crab Callinectes sapidus, native to the western Atlantic, is one of the most successful marine invaders in the Mediterranean Sea, where transitional waters may function as key invasion landscapes. However, the ecological mechanisms shaping its local persistence in heterogeneous lagoon-channel-salt-pan systems remain poorly understood. We investigated the spatial distribution, population structure and reproductive […]

Posidonia oceanica meadows and the accumulations of dead leaves along Mediterranean shorelines, known as banquettes, are key components of coastal ecosystems, providing multiple ecological functions and ecosystem services. These deposits contribute to shoreline stabilization, mitigate erosion processes, and support biodiversity at the land–sea interface. Despite their ecological importance, banquettes are often perceived as a nuisance […]

Predation plays a key role in determining marine community structure and dynamics. Due to their dietary flexibility, generalist predators are considered more successful than specialist feeders under ongoing climate change. Nevertheless, dietary specialization is often conceptualised as a fixed attribute derived from the fundamental niche, rather than as an ecological outcome reflecting resource use across […]

Water-soluble polymers (WSPs) are widely used in industrial, medical, and consumer applications. Their large-scale production and the lack of dedicated regulatory frameworks contribute to their continuous and uncontrolled release into aquatic environments. Although WSPs have been traditionally considered environmentally safe based on conventional apical (eco)toxicological assays, growing evidence indicates that they may induce sub-lethal effects […]

The accumulation of dead leaves of Posidonia oceanica (banquettes) is a natural process along Mediterranean coasts, providing important ecosystem services such as beach nourishment and protection against coastal erosion. Despite their ecological relevance, banquettes remain poorly investigated, particularly regarding their geomorphological characteristics and composition, which are essential for supporting sustainable management practices. In many tourist […]

Organic soil amendments are increasingly being recognised as effective tools for restoring degraded soils, particularly in Mediterranean regions where climatic conditions accelerate the depletion of organic matter and increase the risk of desertification. Waste-derived materials represent a sustainable option that could be adopted within a circular economy framework. The application of these materials can improve […]

Marine litter represents one of the major anthropogenic pressures affecting marine ecosystems, with evidence of its long-term impacts. Despite the growing availability of monitoring programs, the lack of standardized assessment tools limits the comparison of litter conditions among different areas and the evaluation of ecological impacts. To address this gap, we developed MariLIn (Marine Litter […]

Understanding ecological processes requires the development of systems thinking, which is essential for grasping the interconnections, feedback, and non-linear relationships that govern ecosystems. However, conveying these abstract concepts within educational and social contexts is often challenging. In this framework, gaming (including board games, role-playing, and simulations) emerges as a powerful pedagogical tool, capable of transforming […]

Intertidal organisms experience rapid and frequent environmental fluctuations that may influence structure and function across all biological scales. We investigated short‑term tidal emersion and its effects on physiological and structural ecological traits of the green alga Ulva lactuca in the Ria de Aveiro (Portugal). Thalli were sampled during maximum tide level at two nearby microhabitats: […]

Severe wildfires, which occur frequently in Mediterranean regions, could affect the ecosystem service of carbon sequestration in the plant-soil system for a period of time that may vary depending on the considered ecosystem. In the framework of PRIN 2022 “FIRE LEGACIES AND RESILIENCE OF SOIL AND PLANT COMMUNITIES IN MEDITERRANEAN COASTAL FORESTS (FLER_MeCoFor)” (20222CT8J3), the […]

In contrast to continuous background flux of marine snow, episodic food falls deliver concentrated pulses of carbon that nourish communities in food-limited environments. Macroalgal detachment represents an understudied food-fall pathway. The deep kelp forest of Laminaria ochroleuca on the Madeira Desertas Ridge is unique, as it grows at 72-91 m depth under exceptional water clarity. […]

Biodiversity supports essential ecosystem services, with pollination playing a crucial role in both natural ecosystems and agricultural production. However, pollinators are increasingly threatened by multiple factors and are consequently declining, making ecological restoration and habitat management at local and landscape scales widely recognized strategies to support pollinator communities and the services they provide.  To tailor […]

Climate is a major driver of plant phenology and a key determinant of species geographic distribution. Anticipating the effects of climate change on crops is essential for helping producers make informed decisions and implement adaptation strategies. Here, we propose a process-based phenological model for Asparagus officinalis in temperate production areas and use it to assess […]

Shallow-water hydrothermal vents are naturally fragmented habitats characterized by steep physicochemical gradients and environmental heterogeneity. These systems function as natural laboratories providing unique environments to investigate the processes that regulate community assembly and ecosystem functioning under extreme conditions. Despite the widespread occurrence of hydrothermal activity in the Aeolian Archipelago (southern Tyrrhenian Sea), the ecology of […]

Shallow-water hydrothermal vents are naturally fragmented habitats characterized by steep physicochemical gradients and environmental heterogeneity. These systems function as natural laboratories providing unique environments to investigate the processes that regulate community assembly and ecosystem functioning under extreme conditions. Despite the widespread occurrence of hydrothermal activity in the Aeolian Archipelago (southern Tyrrhenian Sea), the ecology of […]

Deltaic transitional lagoons are highly productive and ecologically valuable coastal ecosystems, providing multiple ecosystem services. However, they are vulnerable to anthropogenic pressures such as channelization, hydrological alterations and marine intrusion, leading to habitat loss and degradation of ecosystem functions. The study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of hydrological restoration and native aquatic vegetation recovery as […]

Small-scale fisheries (SSF), such as the sea urchin (Paracentrotus lividus) fishery along Mediterranean coasts, are complex and diverse social-ecological systems (SES) undergoing major pressures including climate change, biodiversity loss, and changes to social and economic drivers. SSF require multi- and transdisciplinary research approaches to understand the complex dynamics between humans and nature and to design […]

The valorization of invasive biomasses (BMs), periodically removed and treated as special waste, could contribute to the development of new strategies to increase soil water retention, especially in scarcely hydrated conditions. In the framework of PRIN PNRR 2022M7S2J SeaforSoil project, biomasses of Agardhiella subulata (Rhodophyta) (BMAs), Ulva ohnoi (Chlorophyta) (BMUo) and Chaetomorpha aerea (Chlorophyta) (BMCa), […]

Seaports have long represented - and still represent - critical entry points for rodents into new regions worldwide, through transport via the high volume of ships and vessels. Given their role in the circulation of a wide range of zoonotic pathogens, the current distribution of different viruses reflects rodent dispersal events and their interactions with […]

Marine phytoplankton is a key component of natural capital, supporting ecosystem functioning and the provision of ecosystem services related to seafood production. Harmful algal blooms (HABs) can impact these services by producing biotoxins that accumulate along the food chain, in particular in shellfish Mytilus galloprovincialis tissues. Within the PNRR PRIN ENDRIMUS Project, temporal and spatial […]

Most ecologically optimal corridors cross privately or institutionally owned parcels, involving many stakeholders. Furthermore, least-cost connectivity models often ignore land ownership, creating a gap between theory and implementation. To narrow this gap, we developed LINK (Landscape Interconnectivity via Niche models and Kirchhoff current theory), a framework that integrates cadastral fragmentation as a socio-institutional layer within […]

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are considered as global contaminants of emerging concern in marine ecosystems because of their persistence, bioaccumulation and toxicity. Seabirs are considered excellent indicators for monitoring marine contaminants because they are long-lived, widely distributed, and feed at relatively high trophic levels, allowing the integration of contaminant exposure across space and time. […]

This study analyzes the relationship between the main environmental factors and the structure of the cladoceran community in the Malta Channel during late summer. Zooplankton samples were collected at 32 stations during the OUROBS2025 campaign, between August 31 and September 6, using a Bongo40 net (200 μm) and a CTD profiler to characterize the environmental […]

Posidonia oceanica is a seagrass endemic to the Mediterranean Sea, where it forms extensive meadows of high ecological value, providing key ecosystem services such as biodiversity maintenance, coastal protection and carbon sequestration. In recent decades these meadows have undergone a marked regression due to cumulative anthropogenic pressures and environmental changes, making effective conservation and restoration […]

The Atlantic blue crab, Callinectes sapidus, is among the fastest-expanding invasive species in the Mediterranean Sea, where it has established dense populations in coastal and estuarine habitats. Although its ecological impacts in these environments are documented, its occurrence and role in inland freshwater ecosystems remain poorly understood. A previous study conducted along the Po River […]

Understanding the architecture of marine food webs and the diverse patterns of trophic controls is fundamental to assessing ecosystem functioning. Energy pathways are mediated by complex combinations of top-down, bottom-up and wasp-waist controls and quantifying the relative contribution of direct and indirect interactions played by species (or trophic groups) is a critical challenge. This contribution […]

Callinectes sapidus is an invasive species in the Mediterranean Sea, causing significant impacts on native biodiversity and small-scale fisheries. In Sardinia, the species was first recorded in 2017 and has rapidly spread to several coastal lagoons. To study its expansion and support management actions, the Autonomous Region of Sardinia promoted a scientific monitoring program aimed […]

Abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded fishing gear (ALDFG) represents a major source of disturbance for benthic habitats, causing mechanical damage, covering burrows and trapping mobile fauna. ALDFG removal is commonly considered a mitigation measure, but in structurally complex ecosystems such as Mediterranean coralligenous reefs it may involve ecological trade-offs. Old gear often becomes colonised with […]

Fisheries resources are vital to sustaining coastal communities and meeting the increasing global seafood demand. In the Mediterranean Sea, the definition of sustainable fisheries relies on the concept of maximum sustainable yield and related stock-specific reference points, which guide the regulation of the fleet effort. Despite recent conservation efforts, many fish stocks remain overexploited, highlighting […]

Transitional environments in deltaic areas comprise a mosaic of aquatic ecosystem resources, characterized by distinct biological communities and ecological functions that contribute significantly to human well-being. In the context of ecological quality, identifying reliable biotic indicators for assessing the conservation status and ecosystem services in these systems remains a challenge due to their high spatial […]

Biodiversity encompasses the variety of life at all complexity levels - from genes to ecosystems – and cannot therefore be described by species richness alone; consideration of functional diversity is also required. Marine ecosystems are undergoing biodiversity loss, making it fundamental to study their change over time. In the Mediterranean Sea, coralligenous reefs support biodiversity […]

Wrack depositions play fundamental ecological roles in coastal environments, including contributing to the formation of embryonic dunes and providing nutrients to dune plants. Despite their importance, wrack depositions are considered as a nuisance, and they are frequently removed from beaches. In Italy, the wrack made of portions of Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile is often moved […]

The rare earth element (REE) signal recorded in a coastal system depends on which organism is used to read it, yet how differently co-occurring species capture that signal is rarely examined directly. REEs are increasingly recognised as emerging contaminants of global concern, yet their behaviour remains comparatively understudied in marine environments. Shallow-water hydrothermal vents enrich […]

Traditional urban green planning often relies on per-capita indicators, overlooking the spatial distribution of ecosystem service (ES) and socio-demographic inequalities. This study presents a geospatial framework developed for the Green Plan of Cento (Italy), integrating ES assessment, landscape ecology and environmental justice to support urban green planning. The framework combined three analyses: (i) biophysical modelling […]

Species population trajectories mostly arise from the combined influence of anthropogenic disturbance, biotic interactions and abiotic factors. However, assessing the relative contribution of these drivers remains challenging, as long-term ecological datasets, essential for robust inference, are scarce. We examined the population dynamics of the co-occurring sea urchins Paracentrotus lividus and Arbacia lixula using time series […]

Urban soils are dynamic systems increasingly affected by atmospheric inputs and anthropogenic pressures. Traffic-derived particulate matter (PM) and associated trace metals, including platinum (Pt) from catalytic converters, represent emerging contaminants with potential impacts on soil ecological functioning and the sustainability of urban spaces. This study investigates soil chemical and biological responses under Quercus ilex L. […]

Urbanization is among the main drivers of biodiversity loss, altering ecological communities and ecosystem functioning. Understanding how urbanization affects biodiversity is essential for biodiversity conservation in increasingly human-dominated landscapes. Arthropods play key ecological roles and are widely used to assess the impacts of environmental change. Among them, spiders are suitable indicators of urbanization because they […]

This project aims to restore Posidonia oceanica meadows along the Posillipo coast in Naples (Italy) by experimenting with new methodologies based on transplanting seedlings grown under controlled conditions. The seeds were collected in spring 2025 along the coasts of southern Italy thanks to a citizen science initiative. Four main areas were selected: two in Campania […]

Rhodolith beds are complex marine habitats that sustain high biodiversity and provide a wide range of ecosystem services (ES), including habitat provision, fisheries support, and carbon cycling. However, despite their ecological relevance, these habitats remain underrepresented in ecosystem services accounting and marine management frameworks. This study proposes the application of the System of Environmental-Economic Accounting […]

The stalked lollipop sponge Stylocordyla pellita (Topsent, 1904) is an Atlantic-Mediterranean deep-sea species rarely reported from the Azores Archipelago, the Aegean Sea, the northern Ionian Sea, the Strait of Sicily, the Tyrrhenian Sea, and the Ligurian Sea. Despite its apparently broad geographic range, the bathymetric distribution, habitat preferences, and ecological significance of this species remain […]

Rhodolith beds (RBs) are globally distributed, biodiversity-rich habitats formed by free-living coralline algae that function as ecosystem engineers and important carbonate reservoirs. Despite their ecological and biogeochemical significance and their increasing vulnerability to climate change and ocean acidification, RBs remain understudied. This preliminary study integrates morphological, taxonomic and genetic approaches to characterise RBs in the […]

Climate change is rapidly altering Mediterranean benthic ecosystems, with marine heatwaves posing a major threat to long-lived habitat-forming species such as the gorgonian Eunicella singularis. This study investigates how seasonal thermal stress affects the eco-physiological performance and ecosystem functioning of E. singularis forests in a coralligenous habitat of the central Mediterranean Sea (Capo Gallo and […]

The Ross Sea is one of the most productive regions of Antarctica and a key hotspot for Southern Ocean biogeochemical cycling. In this area, the Ross Ice Shelf (RIS) exerts a major influence on the physical and biogeochemical properties of the water column, releasing large amounts of freshwater during summer. However, the consequences of these […]

In recent decades, Mediterranean benthic communities have undergone significant changes in composition and distribution, largely attributed to global warming. Porifera represent a key group for detecting environmental change, with some species declining and others expanding their range. This study compares present and past sponge diversity at three Mediterranean areas: one site along the Portofino Promontory […]

The increasing concern over the environmental impacts of conventional petroleum-based, non-biodegradable plastics has driven the development of innovative bio-based polymers (bioplastics) as more sustainable alternatives. However, knowledge of the microbial biofilms associated with these materials remains limited. Improving our understanding of biofilm colonization is essential for evaluating the environmental degradation of biopolymers and assessing their […]

Intensive harvesting of the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus, a crucial grazer in Mediterranean rocky reefs, selectively removes commercial-sized individuals and produces size-truncated populations dominated mainly by medium-size individuals. Whether this demographic reorganization alters grazing pressure on macroalgal communities remains poorly understood. Grazing at the population scale emerges jointly from per-capita consumption, size structure and density […]

Rhodolith beds are globally widespread biogenic habitats formed by the accumulation of free-living calcareous red algae. They support high biodiversity and provide important ecosystem services, including carbon sequestration. In the Mediterranean Sea, these habitats mainly occur at mesophotic depths (30-100 m), and their distribution, structural complexity, and biodiversity are still poorly known. This study focuses […]

Recreational activities in protected areas can influence wildlife and acoustic environments, yet methods for simultaneously monitoring human activity and biodiversity responses remain limited. We used passive acoustic monitoring to assess whether anthropogenic sounds were associated with reduced bird acoustic detections at Alpine climbing sites located in protected areas in north-western Italy. Ten autonomous recording units […]

Seawater increasing temperature significantly affect marine ecosystems, threatening biodiversity and essential ecosystem functions. Therefore, the identification of thermal preferences of the species is of paramount importance to determine the response of the marine community to climate change. This work aims to establish a rigorous methodological approach to characterize the thermal preference of the demersal species […]

Persistence under ocean acidification is often framed as long-term adaptation, yet on the timescales over which seawater chemistry is changing, organismal persistence may depend on rapid physiological adjustment. Distinguishing such plasticity requires manipulative approaches that natural CO₂ vents make possible. At the Levante Bay vent system (Vulcano Island, Mediterranean Sea), where the symbiotic sea anemone […]

Soils in the Mediterranean region are affected by climatic conditions that increase the risk of organic matter depletion and desertification. Intensive land use exacerbates this susceptibility, leading to soil degradation, biodiversity loss and reduced ecosystem functionality. Organic soil amendments, rich in stable organic matter, represent a sustainable strategy for restoring degraded soils. Amendments derived from […]

La digitalizzazione dei dati di biodiversità e la produzione di sequenze di barcoding della biodiversità sono due importanti frontiere della ricerca in campo limnologico e oceanografico. La comunicazione evidenzierà come GBIF offra una potente infrastruttura aperta per la condivisione, l'accesso e il riutilizzo dei dati sulla biodiversità, integrando infrastrutture e reti di ricerca come DiSSCo, […]

The promotion of long-term monitoring in ports is crucial for the early detection of non-native species (NNS). In 2018, we started a continuous NNS monitoring across five marinas in the Gulf of La Spezia, using a standardized protocol developed by the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC). This method utilizes horizontally oriented 14x14 cm PVC settlement […]

Solar salterns are extreme environments of high scientific interest, hosting specialized microbial communities shaped by steep physicochemical gradients. Here we present the first comparative metagenomic analysis of two solar salterns in southern Sardinia: Conti Vecchi (active saltern, AS) and Molentargius (inactive saltern, IS), located ~20 km apart and exposed to similar climatic conditions. This setting […]

The Water Code – The Formula for the Sustainable Management of the World’s Water Resources is an active global citizenship and sustainability education project, aimed at promoting knowledge, skills, attitudes, and behaviours supporting environmental protection and the sustainable management of water resources. Within the project, outdoor educational activities focused on microplastic (MP) pollution were carried […]

The increasing spread of invasive alien species (IAS) in freshwater ecosystems poses major ecological challenges while generating large amounts of biomass through mandatory eradication and control programs. The CIRCOLACQUA project funded by the Italian Ministry of Health (IZS PLV 09/22 RC, CUP: J19I22001180001) proposes an integrated circular economy approach aimed at transforming this management issue […]

Protecting marine biodiversity is a global priority, and effective Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are key tools for supporting the conservation and recovery of marine ecosystems, while boosting local socio-economies. However, the recent emphasis on expanding the spatial extent of protected marine surface has raised concerns about the proliferation of "paper parks", i.e. areas where legal […]

The integration of in situ ecological monitoring with high-resolution, multi-source environmental data is increasingly central to spatially explicit conservation planning, particularly for highly mobile marine species whose critical functional areas are difficult to delineate using static tools. Identifying where a species feeds, rather than simply where it occurs, is essential to functionally define critical habitat, […]

A trophic niche is more than diet: it’s the phenotypic route through which organisms acquire energy and redistribute nutrients. Because trophic niches are shaped by selection, resource availability and behavioural trade-offs, they determine the identity of consumed resources, trophic position, the carbon pools that are mobilised, and the nutrients returned to receiving ecosystem compartments through […]

Climate change is reshaping ecosystem structure, functioning and biodiversity worldwide, yet the role of abiotic landscape heterogeneity in mediating ecosystem responses remains poorly understood. Geodiversity has recently emerged as a key factor for ecosystem resilience, potentially influencing biodiversity patterns, ecosystem functioning and the capacity of ecosystems to adapt to environmental changes. However, the extent to […]

The Mediterranean Sea is a biodiversity hotspot but faces a range of direct and indirect anthropogenic pressures threatening its ecosystems, including intensive coastal urbanization. Growing “marine urbanization”, such as the construction of commercial and touristic ports and marinas, has led to extensive coastal armoring, with evidence of marine ecosystems’ disruption. However, recent studies have found […]

The Mediterranean Sea is a biodiversity hotspot but faces a range of direct and indirect anthropogenic pressures threatening its ecosystems, including intensive coastal urbanization. Growing “marine urbanization”, such as the construction of commercial and touristic ports and marinas, has led to extensive coastal armoring, with evidence of marine ecosystems’ disruption. However, recent studies have found […]

The Mediterranean Sea is a biodiversity hotspot but faces a range of direct and indirect anthropogenic pressures threatening its ecosystems, including intensive coastal urbanization. Growing “marine urbanization”, such as the construction of commercial and touristic ports and marinas, has led to extensive coastal armoring, with evidence of marine ecosystems’ disruption. However, recent studies have found […]

Plastic mulch debris is increasingly accumulating in agricultural soils worldwide, and their ecological role in reshaping soil detritivores functions remain poorly investigated. Here we demonstrated that terrestrial isopods (Porcellionides pruinosus) actively fragment and transform both fossil-derived low-density polyethylene (LDPE) and biodegradable (MaterBi®) mulch debris into secondary plastics by shaping ecological traits. Using long-term soil microcosms, […]

Environmental variability, particularly changes in temperature and oceanographic conditions, can alter habitat suitability and drive shifts in the bathymetric distribution of demersal fish species. The Bathymetric Centre of Gravity (CoG) is a useful indicator for detecting temporal changes in species distribution along depth gradients. This study investigated temporal changes in the bathymetric distribution of the […]

In April 2026, as part of the “Offshore – Ibleo Gas Fields Argo and Cassiopea” project, two females of Ommastrephes bartramii (Lesueur, 1821) (neon flying squid) were collected. The individuals measured 60.0 cm and 50.5 cm mantle length (ML) and weighed 7.5 kg and 4.7 kg, respectively. They were caught in two hauls conducted during […]

Intertidal organisms experience rapid and frequent environmental fluctuations that may influence structure and function across all biological scales. We investigated short‑term tidal emersion and its effects on physiological and structural ecological traits of the green alga Ulva lactuca in the Ria de Aveiro (Portugal). Thalli were sampled during maximum tide level at two nearby microhabitats: […]

Recent studies demonstrated that urban environments, characterized by small-scale heterogeneity and intensive management practices, induce contingency in vegetation community assembly and shifts from niche-based to stochastic assembly processes. However, the extent to which this phenomenon affects the structural and functional relationships among different communities remains poorly understood. We hypothesized that trophic interactions may mediate the […]

Thalassa Movement (TM) is an environmental education project aimed at promoting scientific knowledge and behaviors that support the conservation of marine ecosystems through movement practices. The TM project’s methodology is based on a theoretical framework that integrates the theory of Embodied Cognition (Varela), the theory of perception (Merleau-Ponty), and the concept of mimesis (Scaramuzzo), recognizing […]

Molecular tools are reshaping biodiversity monitoring by enabling the detection of species from trace DNA released into the environment. In this context, environmental DNA (eDNA) represents a sensitive and non-invasive approach for surveying species presence in environmental matrices, complementing other conventional surveys. eDNA analysis is particularly suited for aquatic environments and can be applied to […]

Biological invasions are a key driver of global change, affecting biodiversity, community structure and ecosystem functioning in aquatic environments. Their dynamics and impacts may be further shaped by chemical contamination and other anthropogenic pressures, which can influence establishment, persistence, spread and the magnitude of ecological effects. In invaded ecosystems, non-native species often occur under multiple […]

Seagrass restoration effectiveness remains uncertain probably due to the unique features of each species, the wide range of practices and methodologies used in transplanting actions, and suitability of reference sites. This is a space-for-time substitution to evaluate the effectiveness of restoring the ecological complexity of Posidonia oceanica meadows, hypothesising that in successful operas the differences […]

Climate models project increasing frequency and intensity of droughts in the Mediterranean Basin, escalating the threat to ecosystems. Exceptionally dry periods can significantly reduce ecosystem productivity and functioning, eventually leading to dieback. Understanding the effect of individual drought attributes on ecosystem resilience is crucial, particularly for the Mediterranean Basin, a biodiversity and climate change hotspot.   […]

Sea urchins are key components of rocky reef ecosystems and valuable fishery resource in many coastal regions. Their management is challenging because they can act both as ecological drivers, influencing algal cover and habitat state, and as harvested resources whose overexploitation may compromise population viability and fishery sustainability. Conservation and fishery objectives are often addressed […]

Understanding the conditions that favor the persistence of metapopulations inhabiting riverine landscapes, or riverscapes, is essential to guiding conservation and restoration efforts aimed at preserving biodiversity and ecological integrity in freshwater environments. Here, we present a modeling framework to examine the transient persistence of fluvial metapopulations—that is, the temporary occupation of riverscape patches by metapopulations […]

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) occur in terrestrial ecosystems as complex mixtures, and their ecological effects are more accurately characterized through the integration of multiple complementary biomarkers rather than single-endpoint assessments. In earthworms, innate immune and stress-response pathways provide sensitive indicators of contaminant-induced physiological alterations across different levels of biological organization. The present study aimed […]

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a diverse group of highly persistent contaminants that accumulate in terrestrial ecosystems and can exert adverse effects on non-target organisms. The earthworm Eisenia fetida is widely recognized as a sensitive bioindicator for assessing sub-lethal soil contamination. Previous studies have demonstrated that PFAS exposure induces oxidative stress, metabolic disruption, and […]

Difenoconazole is a persistent triazole fungicide frequently detected in agricultural environments, where its environmental fate is influenced by soil amendments and soil biota. This study investigates the interactive effects of mealworm frass-derived biochar and the anecic earthworm Lumbricus terrestris on the fate of difenoconazole and soil ecological functions. Using two-dimensional terraria to simulate planar soil […]

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are persistent environmental contaminants highly resistant to chemical, physical, and biological degradation. The application of sustainable organic amendments such as biochar has emerged as a promising strategy to reduce PFAS bioavailability and accumulation in crops. The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential of biochar-amended vermicompost (vermichar) to […]

Artificial Light At Night (ALAN) is a globally widespread anthropogenic stressor in coastal areas, affecting physiology and behaviour of several species, with cascading impacts on community and ecosystem level processes. However, little is known about how habitat structure modulates these effects. The sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus is an ecologically important species that exhibits behavioural changes […]

Nature-based Solutions (NbS) are recognized as a strategic approach to improve environmental conditions and human well-being by the provision of multiple ecosystem services. Specifically, urban vegetation can improve air quality by removing atmospheric particulate matter (PM) through adsorption processes. However, not all species are equally effective, as their capacity to capture and retain PM mainly […]

Antarctic fast-ice ecosystems are highly exposed to the effects of climate change, as alterations in sea-ice extent, persistence and stability can profoundly influence habitat availability, species distribution and ecosystem functioning. These habitats, however, remain poorly studied because of the logistical challenges associated with sampling under ice-covered conditions. Two studies from Terra Nova Bay (Ross Sea, […]

Recreational boating represents a primary source of underwater noise in coastal regions; its impacts on fish acoustic communities within Posidonia oceanica meadows, has a gap in knowledge. In the present study, passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) was used to evaluate how boat traffic influences fish biophony across two Mediterranean Marine Protected Areas (MPAs): Capo Gallo–Isola delle Femmine and […]

Coralligenous formations represent one of the most complex and species-rich benthic habitats in the Mediterranean Sea, providing a wide variety of ecological niches for cryptic sponge communities. These assemblages, including boring and cavity-dwelling species, play a key role in bioerosion, carbonate turnover, and the maintenance of habitat structural complexity. In this study, cryptic sponge assemblages […]

Lepomis gibbosus is one of the most widespread invasive freshwater fish species in Europe. Its ecological plasticity, broad trophic niche, and high adaptability facilitate its establishment in lentic ecosystems, where it may alter native communities and contribute to pathogen circulation. Besides its ecological impacts, this species may act as an epidemiological reservoir for infectious agents […]

Coastal management in the Mediterranean often prioritises beach usability for tourism over ecosystem functioning, leading to the routine removal of the stranded seagrass biomass. This reflects a broader mismatch between short-term tourism demands and the sustainable management of coastal ecosystems. However, Posidonia oceanica banquettes, accumulations of dead leaves along shorelines, play a key role in […]

Symbiotic dinoflagellates of the family Symbiodiniaceae play a fundamental role in shallow water coral physiology, ecology, and resilience to environmental change. Variations in symbiont composition can influence the response of host coral to thermal stress and other environmental stressors, making the characterization of coral-algal associations particularly relevant in the context of climate change. Despite their […]

Mass mortality events are increasingly affecting benthic communities of Mediterranean coastal ecosystems, with the red gorgonian, Paramuricea clavata, being among the most visibly impacted. Over the past twenty years, studies focusing on the microbial communities of this species have revealed a link between its die-off and the dysbiosis of its bacterial community (i.e., changes of […]

Within the One Health approach, soil health plays a central role in sustaining ecosystem functioning, environmental quality, biodiversity conservation, and human well-being. Several of these functions are driven by soil microbial community, mediating nutrient cycling, plant productivity, carbon sequestration and pollutant biodegradation. This research investigates the potential of innovative vermicomposts as sustainable strategies for the […]

The potential of plant biodiversity to support food production and preserve ecosystem services is not fully explored and exploited. Neglected and underutilised species (NUS) for example can represent an extremely interesting economic source in marginal areas of Mediterranean, where degradation, drought and also salinization might impoverish farmer options. NUS might present many environmental advantages, one […]

Urban green infrastructure (UGI) plays a fundamental role in the provision of ecosystem services (ES), especially in highly urbanised environments. Among these, regulating ecosystem services (RES) are often neglected in ES assessments due to the difficulties associated with their biophysical quantification, despite their critical role. Methodological choices in ES assessment can significantly affect their estimation. […]

Coral reefs of Vietnam host high biodiversity and hold significant ecological and economic values for the country. However, in recent years, increasing anthropogenic and climate pressures have caused drastic degradation of these ecosystems. Effective conservation requires reliable monitoring programs that integrate innovative approaches with traditional survey methods. Here we will present the preliminary results from […]

Traditional urban green infrastructure design has often prioritised aesthetic criteria, highlighting a lack of systematic approaches to maximising ecosystem services. However, today's urban greening projects increasingly focus on the functional role of plants in mitigating critical environmental issues such as urban heat islands, air and soil contamination, flood risk and biodiversity loss. The aim of […]

The transition to renewable energy is crucial to ensuring a sustainable future and ground-mounted Photovoltaic Systems (PV) offer huge potential for reducing net CO₂ emissions. However, ground-mounted solar panels require a significant amount of land, which can lead to conflicts with other land uses, particularly agriculture and biodiversity conservation. The dual-use nature of agrivoltaics (agricultural […]

Historically, Lake Orta has been severely impacted by industrial pollution, which led to the disruption of its biological communities. Although remediation measures, mostly liming, have driven significant ecological recovery, the ecosystem has not yet been fully restored and remains vulnerable to potential new sources of both industrial and domestic pollution which remain largely overlooked. To […]

Bottom trawling is one of the most pervasive forms of fishing disturbance in marine ecosystems, yet its effects on the trophic organisation of benthic-demersal assemblages remain difficult to detect using taxonomic or biomass-based descriptors alone. Here, we integrate stable isotope analysis, Bayesian isotopic niche metrics and functional trait clustering to assess whether chronic trawling acts […]

The European hake Merluccius merluccius (Linnaeus, 1758) is one of the main fishery resources in the Mediterranean Sea and plays a key ecological role as a mid- to high-trophic-level predator linking demersal and mesopelagic food webs. As a species capable of feeding throughout the water column, European hake interacts with multiple trophic compartments, serving as […]

The macrophytes stranded on the beach, also known as wrack can provide habitat and food to beach-dwelling macrofauna and seabirds, contribute to carbon and nutrient cycling and protect from coastal erosion, when accumulations are large and compact. In the Mediterranean Sea, beach wrack is largely composed of endemic seagrass Posidonia oceanica leaves and rhizome fragments, often mixed with woody debris. The aim of this […]

Coastal ecosystems are increasingly affected by human activities and climate change. These factors can alter the structure and functioning of phytoplankton assemblages, potentially favouring the development of Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs). Rising temperatures, changing nutrient regimes, and altered hydrodynamic conditions can modify species composition and promote the proliferation of bloom-forming, potentially toxic taxa. This has […]

Species distribution models (SDMs) are central to forecasting how species will respond to climate change, yet their accuracy when extrapolated to climate conditions far outside present-day variability is rarely tested directly. Here, we evaluate hindcast SDMs against a rare empirical benchmark: eggshell remains of Mute Swan Cyngus olor from an archaeological site in eastern Jordan, […]

Acoustic behaviour is increasingly recognized as a key component of animal interactions, yet it remains poorly explored in freshwater invertebrates. The red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) is a globally invasive species whose behavioural plasticity, aggressive social dynamics, and high tolerance to pollution and habitat degradation drive its ecological success. While P. clarkii is known to […]

Wastewater treatment plants are essential infrastructures for protecting aquatic ecosystems, as they remove chemical and biological contaminants from domestic, industrial, and agricultural effluents before environmental discharge. Wastewater commonly contains fine suspended and dissolved solids, including inorganic and organic particles, whose small size makes their removal particularly challenging. Among available technologies, coagulation and flocculation are widely […]

Perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids (PFCAs) are persistent contaminants increasingly subjected to regulatory restrictions. To date, their effects on terrestrial plants remain poorly investigated. To address these knowledge gaps, a comparative assessment was conducted to identify the most sensitive plant species and the most responsive early-growth endpoints. Five PFCAs were selected according to their carbon-chain length (from 3 […]

Extreme climatic events, particularly heatwaves, are expected to disrupt plant–pollinator interactions and compromise crop reproduction. However, it remains unclear whether landscape complexity, through enhanced pollinator communities, can buffer these negative effects. Here, we investigated whether pollination services act as a nature-based solution mitigating the impact of heat stress on plant reproductive success. We conducted a […]

Biodiversity loss and climate change call for re-evaluating traditional agricultural systems as Nature-based Solutions (NbS). The European project TRANSFOrm investigates traditional agroforestry systems (TAS) as models that integrate production and ecological resilience. We present first-year results from cherry orchards in northern Italy, comparing three management regimes: abandoned, extensive, and semi-intensive. We assessed how management intensity […]

Understanding forest responses to climate change requires moving beyond mean-based trait–environment relationships and explicitly quantifying how climate affects intraspecific trait variability. Trait dispersion within populations may represent a key component of adaptive capacity, particularly for hydraulic traits linked to drought resistance and tree survival. We analysed five functional traits — P50, Kmax, Huber Value, specific […]

The Mediterranean Sea is warming three to four times faster than the global ocean, with a rapid increase in the frequency of extreme temperature events (e.g., marine heatwaves) and evident consequences for coastal ecosystems. Marine heatwaves (MHWs) not only alter the distribution and abundance of species and therefore ecosystem functions but also act synergistically with […]

The Strait of Sicily is an hydrodynamically active stretch of sea in the centre of the Mediterranean Sea, crucial for its circulation, as waters masses from the western basin meet water masses of the eastern one. In this context, zooplankton represents an excellent indicator of the ecology of pelagic environment of the area. The aim […]

As large carnivore populations expand across human-dominated landscapes worldwide, there is a growing need to assess their medium- and long-term conservation outlook and their potential consequences for human activities. The wolf (Canis lupus) recolonizing the Italian Alps is a good case study. This species of high ecological and societal interest has recently seen its legislative […]

Historically, marine ecotoxicology has relied on a limited range of model organisms, primarily sea urchins (Echinoidea), resulting in an incomplete representation of the functional biodiversity of coastal ecosystems. This study combines a thorough 20-year literature review of underutilised echinoderm classes (Asteroidea and Ophiuroidea) in ecotoxicology with an original experimental investigation into the biological effects of […]

Plant functional traits provide a robust framework for understanding ecosystem responses to environmental change, as they reflect plant strategies and ecosystem functioning. This study aims to develop Spatial Functional Networks to investigate how the structure of Mediterranean landscapes responds to climate variability and aridity in the Los Pedroches region (Córdoba, Spain). The main research question […]

Soundscape analysis is increasingly recognized as a valuable approach in functional marine ecology. Nevertheless, further investigation is needed to clarify how habitat-related characteristics, environmental and biological factors, and anthropogenic pressures affect acoustic metrics. This study examined the influence of seagrass meadow condition, seasonal variability, and human disturbance on soundscape structure and dynamics. To achieve this, […]

Marine conservation is undergoing a profound transformation driven by the recognition that oceans are socio‑ecosystems shaped by tightly interwoven relationships between humans, non‑human, and inanimate entities. Marine conservation thus increasingly requires approaches that overcome traditional divides between: nature and culture; natural and social sciences; science and society. Such dualisms are inadequate for addressing current socio‑ecological […]

Climate change and other human pressures are profoundly transforming marine ecosystems, altering species distributions, ecological interactions, and the connectivity patterns that underpin biodiversity, and ecosystem functioning and services’ provision. Addressing these challenges requires integrating ecological, oceanographic, climatic, socio-economic, and governance perspectives. Drawing on recent case studies, this presentation will explore how climate-informed ecological modelling, large-scale […]

The expansion of coastal infrastructures is increasingly recognised as a major driver of marine biodiversity loss. Urban and industrial ports are particularly human-impacted marine environments, where submerged artificial surfaces are often structurally less complex and colonised by non-indigenous species. Eco-engineering approaches that increase habitat complexity are emerging as Nature-based Solutions (NbS) to enhance biodiversity. This […]

Growing anthropogenic impacts on ecosystems pose a serious threat to biodiversity and environmental health, with effects that extend along food webs right up to humans. In this context, the identification of sentinel organisms and early-warning molecular biomarkers is a priority, especially from a One Health perspective, which recognizes the intrinsic connection between the health of […]

Small-scale fisheries (SSF) are not just a ‘productive sector’ important for local coastal economies; they are complex socio-ecological systems linking marine biodiversity, from species to ecosystems, with traditional knowledge, cultural heritage, and food supply systems involving diverse actors and infrastructures. We present an integrated framework developed across two complementary projects, BE-NATURAL and CORE. Aimed at […]

Coral reefs worldwide confront escalating threats, characterized by increased sea water temperatures due to climate change, resulting in mass coral bleaching events. Endosymbiosis with Symbiodiniaceae algae and bacteria is fundamental for coral survivorship and adaptation to environmental stressors. However, how the spatial-temporal dynamics, inter- and intra-specific difference influence these communities is still not clear. In […]

Large mammalian herbivores have a disproportionately high impact on terrestrial ecosystems compared to other species and play unique ecological roles as environmental engineers. The (re)introduction of large herbivores is gaining momentum as an effective way to rewild and restore grassland habitats. Large herbivores, like horses (Equus ferus), are excellent candidates for rewilding activities, as they […]

The increasing frequency and severity of wildfires pose a growing threat to soil microbial community, which plays a key role in soil health and functioning of the whole terrestrial ecosystem. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of high-severity wildfires, occurred during 2017 and 2023 summers within the Maiella National Park, on […]

Marine foundation species such as seagrasses structure coastal ecosystems not only through their physical architecture but through the metabolic activities of their associated microbiomes. The holobiont framework — which considers the host and its microbial partners as a single ecological and evolutionary unit — predicts that intimate species associations may give rise to emergent properties: […]

Desertification in Mediterranean landscapes results from the interaction of climatic stress, ecological sensitivity, human pressure, and limited adaptive capacity. This study proposes an integrated framework for highlighting desertification risk by combining Land Management Units (LMUs) with conceptual maps of land degradation processes. LMUs, represented by grid cells, pasture plots, or habitat patches, provide a spatial […]

Corals are fundamental elements of rocky shore coastal ecosystems, which are threatened by several local and global stressors including wastewater and river discharges, tourism and climate change. Among these, the impact of contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) still needs to be thoroughly investigated. The aim of this study was twofold: i) monitoring the health status […]

Prolonged increases in droughts and heatwaves globally affect evapotranspiration rates, reducing soil water availability, thereby altering ecosystem functioning, biogeochemical cycles, and plant-soil interactions. This study examined the potential of marine-derived additives as a sustainable strategy for improving soil water dynamics. Novel biopolymers from thermophilic bacteria, including six exopolysaccharides (EPS1-EPS6) and four biosurfactants (BS1-BS4), and biomasses […]

Understanding how forest management practices and environmental factors shape belowground community is crucial for preserving soil biodiversity and ecosystem services. Soil microbial community has a key role in soil functioning and its responses to management regime and seasonal dynamics can strongly influence ecosystem processes.This study investigated the influence of forest type (Beech and Turkey oak), […]

Soil degradation caused by anthropogenic disturbance compromises essential ecosystem functions, including nutrient cycling, soil biological activity, and plant productivity, making restoration of degraded soils a major ecological challenge. This study, conducted within the EMBRACE project (PRIN PNRR 2022), evaluated the potential of a novel lumbricompost derived from Posidonia oceanica residues to promote the ecological restoration […]

The stranding of 571 post-larval and juvenile Macroramphosus gracilis (Lowe, 1839) specimens on the shoreline of the Strait of Messina in spring 2025 allowed us to study their morphological features and how they change throughout development. This was also possible thanks to the rather broad size range (9–52 mm Standard Length) of the stranded specimens. […]

A total of 276 specimens of Hygophum hygomii were collected stranded along the Sicilian shoreline of the Strait of Messina between 2010 and 2018 (winter and spring). Their stomach contents were examined to study their diet. The in-depth analysis, at family, genus, and species levels, of the prey ingested by H. hygomii enabled us to […]

Harmful algal blooms (HABs) represents a major environmental concern in coastal marine ecosystems due to their impacts on human health, fisheries, aquaculture, tourism, and ecosystem functioning. In the Mediterranean Sea, blooms of toxin-producing microalgae, including species belonging to Ostreopsis sp., Alexandrium sp., and Dinophysis sp., highlighted the need for effective monitoring strategies that can support […]

Marine autotrophic plankton communities are fundamental components of coastal ecosystems, supporting marine food webs and contributing to ecosystem functioning through primary production. Understanding how their taxonomic composition and size structure vary over time is essential for assessing ecosystem responses to environmental changes. In this study, we used a size-fractionated eDNA metabarcoding approach to investigate phytoplankton […]

The loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) is the most widespread sea turtle species in the Mediterranean Sea and the only one regularly nesting along the Italian coasts. Understanding factors affecting hatching success is essential for conservation, particularly in nesting areasincreasingly exposed to environmental and human pressures. While abiotic drivers such as temperature and humidity have […]

Predicting how invasive alien plants (IAPs) will respond to global change is a central challenge for ecology and conservation, yet many forecasts do not consider the functional traits that actually govern invasion success. Here, we investigate whether global change will simply modify IAP ranges uniformly or instead reorganize the functional composition of invasive assemblages. A […]

Pharmaceutical compounds (PCs) are one of the main classes of emerging contaminants, raising concern due to their potential impact on aquatic ecosystems. Among the most widely prescribed PCs worldwide, acyclovir (ACV), carbamazepine (CBZ), diclofenac (DCF), and propranolol (PRP) are frequently detected in marine environments, due to the limited removal efficiency of conventional wastewater treatment plants. […]

The Caribbean spiny lobster (Panulirus argus) fishery of the Punta Allen fishing cooperative, located within the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve (Mexico), is widely recognized as a successful example of community-based and sustainable fisheries management. However, in recent years this fishery has been increasingly challenged by climate-related environmental changes, illegal fishing, and economic pressures, raising concerns […]

Microplastics (MPs) are widespread across environmental compartments and originate from land-based sources such as urban runoff, agriculture, wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). Among these sources, WWTP bypass flows remain largely unknown, despite their relevance as contaminant inputs. Bypass flows may be activated during intense rainfall events, whose frequency is expected to increase due to climate change. […]

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) comprise a large class of synthetic chemicals characterized by high thermal and chemical stability, as well as hydrophobic and oleophobic properties. These characteristics have led to their widespread use in numerous industrial and consumer products. Their extensive application has resulted in continuous environmental release, making PFAS ubiquitous contaminants. Due to […]

Traditional urban green infrastructure design has often prioritised aesthetic criteria, highlighting a lack of systematic approaches to maximising ecosystem services. However, today's urban greening projects increasingly focus on the functional role of plants in mitigating critical environmental issues such as urban heat islands, air and soil contamination, flood risk and biodiversity loss.The aim of this […]

The Italian spring goby (Orsinigobius punctatissimus) is a critically endangered freshwater fish endemic to the Padanian plain, inhabiting springs and resurgences. Over recent decades, habitat loss, pollution, and climate change have driven a range contraction, fragmenting populations and reducing the availability of reproductive substrates. Springs and resurgences are additionally exposed to increasing plastic contamination, raising […]

Two decades of methodological progress have made marine forest restoration technically feasible. Yet large-scale recovery remains elusive, suggesting that the principal bottlenecks are no longer technical but biological. A first and more fundamental constraint precedes these limitations: unresolved taxonomic boundaries within the Cystoseira sensu lato complex complicate species delimitation, potentially encouraging species-agnostic restoration approaches that […]

The Southern Ocean, characterized by high levels of endemism and ecological diversity, is particularly vulnerable to climate-driven environmental change. Pioneer benthic species represent effective indicators of ecosystem responses, as they are among the first organisms to react to changes in seasonality, trophic availability, and physical conditions. In recent years, artificial intelligence-based photoanalysis tools have improved […]

Antarctic coastal ecosystems represent some of the most ecologically unique and vulnerable marine environments on Earth yet remain critically under-characterised due to logistical constraints and the scarcity of long-term benthic time series. Autonomous Reef Monitoring Structures (ARMS), standardised PVC plate assemblies developed to combine recruitment of benthic organisms with molecular characterisation of colonising pioneer communities, […]

The presence of per-and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in environment poses a serious risks to organisms due to their persistence, bioaccumulation and negative effects. Among PFAS, perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) has been recognized as one of the most hazardous compounds. Despite extensive research on PFOA toxicity, its effects on ecosystem structure and functioning remain poorly understood, as most […]

L'inquinamento da microfibre (MF) e microplastiche (MP) è sempre più riconosciuto come una minaccia pervasiva per gli ecosistemi marini, in grado di raggiungere anche le regioni più remote, come l’Antartide, attraverso il trasporto a lunga distanza e le attività antropiche locali. Questo studio integra analisi condotte su diverse specie bentoniche, evidenziando il ruolo dei tratti […]

Species abundance distributions (SADs) are a fundamental pattern in ecology, describing the distribution of species abundances within ecological communities. However, their underlying causes remain debated. Classical explanations invoke either stochastic processes, as in neutral theory, or ecological differences among species, as in niche-based approaches. To investigate the processes that can generate SADs, we developed a […]

Land-use change is one of the main drivers of landscape transformation, affecting both landscape composition and configuration. Forest fragmentation represents a major ecological concern, resulting from habitat loss and the increasing spatial isolation of forest patches. Land take is a key process accelerating fragmentation. This study aims at analyzing and comparing forest fragmentation patterns, based […]

Sewage sludge, the solid by-product of wastewater treatment, is increasingly applied to agricultural land as a soil amendment. However, wastewater treatment plants are not specifically designed to remove trace contaminants, which may accumulate in sludge and subsequently enter ecosystems. Understanding the bioaccumulation and trophic transfer of these contaminants, as well as their effects on wildlife, […]

Awareness of ocean-related challenges has grown considerably in recent years. Since the early 2000s, research in Ocean Literacy (OL), defined as the understanding of the ocean’s influence on humans and humanity’s influence on the ocean, has increased significantly.Nevertheless, despite considerable efforts worldwide and broad support from UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission, academics, educators, and policymakers, a […]

Urban ecosystems are increasingly affected by anthropogenic pressures that result in biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation. Nevertheless, urban biodiversity plays a fundamental role in maintaining ecosystem functions and delivering benefits to human well-being. Enhancing public understanding of urban ecology is therefore essential to foster awareness of the interconnections between biodiversity, ecosystem health, and quality of […]

Understanding ecological systems requires students to grasp the interactions among wildlife populations, human activities, and environmental processes. Yet these relationships are characterized by nonlinear dynamics, feedback loops, and emergent behaviors that are often difficult to communicate through traditional teaching approaches. Agent-Based Models (ABMs) offer an opportunity to transform these abstract concepts into interactive learning experiences. […]

Small pelagic fish represent a key component of Mediterranean marine ecosystems, playing an essential role in the transfer of energy from lower to higher trophic levels, represented by apex predators. Among these, the anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus) and the sardine (Sardina pilchardus) are species of high ecological and economic interest, in fact they constitute a significant […]

Soil is an important reservoir of biodiversity, and its microbial communities play a key role in sustaining ecological functions essential for soil fertility and ecosystem stability; however, land use and management practices, such as grazing and mowing, can significantly influence the structure and functioning of these communities. The aim of this study was to assess […]

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are persistent organic pollutants banned under the Stockholm Convention but still detected in contaminated soils, biota, and food matrices after production stopped. In northern Italy, the Caffaro chemical plant in Brescia, operated as one of Europe's largest PCB manufacturers until the 1980s and, now designated as a Site of National Interest (SIN) […]

Mangrove ecosystems provide critical ecological functions and socio-economic benefits worldwide yet remain among the most threatened coastal habitats. Although global assessments indicate a recent transition from net mangrove loss to slight net gain, this trend is not consistent across regions. In the Maldives, mangroves are classified as Critically Endangered by the IUCN and face increasing […]

The phylum Platyhelminthes is poorly studied in the Republic of Maldives, and its biodiversity remains largely undocumented. By integrating published literature, citizen-science platforms, and online photographic resources, 39 species belonging to 20 genera and nine families were compiled, including both free-living and parasitic taxa. Only a limited fraction of records came from the formal literature, […]

The global production of anthropogenic fibres has markedly increased over recent decades, rising from 23% in 1965 to approximately 72% of today’s textile market. As a result, fibre-shaped microplastics (MPs) represent the most prevalent form detected in environments. In parallel, European policies (e.g., Regulation 2025/40 and Directive 2019/904) are promoting a transition towards recycled plastic […]

Per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances, PFAS, have emerged as contaminants of global concern due to their extensive industrial use, environmental persistence, mobility, and potential adverse effects on ecosystems and human health. The LIFE-CASCADE project aims to develop innovative analytical methods and wastewater treatment technologies to improve the detection and removal of these emerging contaminants from […]

In 2011, the terrestrial snail Helix pomatia was classified as Least Concern by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species [1]. In Northwestern Italy, this species has been farmed for culinary purposes, with farmers collecting individuals from wild populations in selected areas of the Piedmont region. However, habitat destruction has contributed to a decline in natural populations [2], limiting this practice and increasing reliance on snails imported from Eastern Europe [3].   This study investigated […]

Show caves are natural cavities equipped with infrastructure that facilitates access and typically requires an entrance fee. Nowadays, cave tourism generates approximately 3 billion/year of U.S. $ (value 2028), representing an important cultural and economic resource. However, the presence of visitors introduces multiple disturbances, with consequent impacts on cave ecosystems. Among these, artificial lighting plays […]

Microplastic pollution is an increasingly important component of urban atmospheric contamination, yet its fine-scale spatial patterns remain poorly understood. Spider webs have recently emerged as effective passive samplers of airborne particles and may provide a low-cost tool for biomonitoring atmospheric microplastics. We investigated microplastic occurrence in spider webs along an urbanization gradient in Torino (NW […]

Biology is commonly taught by progressing through hierarchical levels of biological organization, from the very small scale of molecules and cells to the very large scale of ecosystems and biomes. While this approach provides a logical structure for introducing biological concepts, students may struggle to appreciate how processes occurring at different scales contribute to the […]

The interest in Nature-based Interventions as ways to improve human wellbeing and health has rapidly increased in recent years. However, there is still limited evidence on which ecosystem properties trigger specific beneficial psycho-physical effects. Here we present the results of a pilot study conducted in a woodland ecosystem in central Italy, where a nine-month “Green […]

Urbanisation is a major driver of habitat fragmentation and pollinator decline. Although urban green spaces are increasingly recognized as important refuges for pollinator conservation, most studies have focused on habitat types such as parks, gardens, allotments, and urban meadows. In contrast, grasslands running along rivers remain poorly studied despite being widespread features of European cities […]

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) constitute a class of organic contaminants, that can derive from the incomplete combustion of wood and fossil fuels and vehicular traffic. Once emitted they can be found in air as gas or particulate phase. Plants can remove PAHs from the air through the so-called Forest Filter Effect (FFE) accumulating these compounds […]

Global warming is severely threatening Mediterranean coastal lagoons’ integrity, with potentially severe consequences for their functioning and ability to provide ecosystem goods and services. The Mediterranean green crab, Carcinus aestuarii, is a key component of Mediterranean lagoons trophic webs, also supporting local artisanal fisheries. Thus, assessing future changes in its distribution under progressively warmer lagoon […]

Vehicular traffic generates the so-called Tire Road Wear Particles (TRWPs), debris produced by the wear of both tires and road pavements. Asphalts, in turn, can be modified with recycled rubber from End-of-Life Tires (ELTs) and polymers to improve their mechanical performance and reduce traffic noise. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine whether […]

In agriculture, plastic mulching films enhance nutrient efficiency and provide thermal insulation. However, the use of mulches has been debated due to its potential to adversely affect the biodiversity of agroecosystems. The present study aimed to evaluate the behavioural responses of the arthropods Folsomia candida (springtails) and Porcellionides pruinosus (woodlice) to leachates released from LDPE and PP additive-free plastic […]

In March 2006, the oceanographic cruise "Fin Whale Sicily Strait" (FWSS) was conducted around Lampedusa Island (Pelagian Archipelago, Italy) in the Strait of Sicily. Due to its unique morphological, hydrological, and hydrodynamic features, this area significantly influences the distribution and composition of the plankton community; furthermore, it plays a critical role in understanding the hydrodynamic […]

Ostreopsis cf. ovata is a benthic marine microalga recorded along the Italian coasts since the 1990s, being responsible for recurrent bloom events in the Ligurian Sea. Under specific environmental conditions, such as shallow waters, low hydrodynamics and high temperatures, it can form Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs), causing mass mortality of benthic organisms, including sea urchins. […]

Climate change is considered one of the major threats to global biodiversity, as it can modify both species distributions and ecological interactions, including host–parasite relationships. This study investigates how future climatic conditions may affect the geographic ranges and niche overlap of the kleptoparasitic spider Argyrodes argyrodes and its hosts, Argiope lobata and Cyrtophora citricola, across […]

Urban biodiversity is critically undermined by the loss and mismanagement of habitat trees—living or dead trees that provide essential microhabitats for highly specialized organisms. Although urban tree planting initiatives are widely promoted, urban forests often lack age diversity, with mature and senescent trees being rare or absent.In our research project, we monitored biodiversity associated with […]

Fire strongly shapes plant functional strategies in Mediterranean ecosystems. When studying how plants respond to fire disturbance, species are frequently classified into broad categories according to their post-fire regeneration strategies, such as resprouters and reseeders. These classifications have improved our understanding of plant functioning, distribution, persistence, and recovery after fire. However, post-fire responses vary substantially […]

Over the last two decades, a significant conceptual shift has taken place within the EU and the broader scientific community regarding the environmental sustainability of productive systems. The focus has progressively moved beyond the mere assessment of environmental harm towards the active quantification of positive contributions to ecosystem services and nature-based benefits. Current EU legislative […]

Freshwater systems are among the most threatened ecosystems worldwide, facing degradation from multiple anthropogenic pressures, including the introduction of emerging contaminants such as pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs). To evaluate the occurrence, distribution, and ecological risk of PPCPs across environmental compartments, a multi-matrix study was conducted along the Elsa River (Tuscany, Italy). Seventeen PPCPs, […]

The importance of pollinators in agriculture has been widely demonstrated by decades of research. However, due to modern, intensive farming practices, these vital organisms are facing significant challenges. In the Mediterranean region, olive groves and vineyards dominate the landscape and account for a large share of the economy but often support low pollinator diversity. Although […]

This work is situated within the field of ecology education and addresses the theme of ecological literacy through an innovative approach based on active and participatory methodologies. The study presents the design of an educational role-playing activity entitled “Dungeon Maestra”, inspired by the dynamics of tabletop role-playing game "Dungeons & Dragons" based on the use […]

Experimental research on biophilia suggests that attention restoration is a state-based process, whereas affiliation is a trait-based one. This finding highlights how differently Nature influences individuals’ perceived restoration and affiliation to Nature, depending on contextual characteristics and exposure time. Perceived restoration is a context-dependent process driven by Nature’s capacity to evoke fascination. Fascination encompasses both […]

Intertidal ectotherms live at their physiological limits, where minor environmental shifts could be instantly reflected in the species physiology, population fitness and community dynamics. In the present study, we quantified the phenotypic plasticity of the periwinkle Littorina brevicula across a natural estuarine gradient by applying untargeted LC-MS/MS metabolomics and a combination of traditional and 3D […]

Forest plant diversity is threatened by global change and is rapidly shifting due to multiple drivers. Ecologists use different approaches (e.g., long-term studies, space-for-time substitution) and indices (e.g., taxonomic, phylogenetic, and functional; alpha and beta diversity) to monitor forest plant diversity, often yielding contrasting outcomes. Here, we synthesize findings from our research based on several […]

Predicting the stability of ecological communities in changing environments is challenging. Classical theory posits that community stability cannot be understood without considering interspecific interactions. A contrasting view is that species’ environmental responses and their variation (response diversity) influence stability to the extent that effects of interspecific interactions can be ignored. Surprisingly, few studies have evaluated […]