New Plastitar Record for the Mediterranean Sea: Characterization of Plastics and Tar from the Salento Peninsula (Ionian Sea).

The various forms of anthropogenic pollution are regarded as a serious threat to marine coastal areas. The overproduction and mismanagement of petroleum derivatives, such as tar and plastics, have resulted in a significant correlation between these two pollutants. The aggregation of tar, microplastics (MPs), and natural materials can create plastitar blocks, which are common in coastal areas.

Abundance, Size Structure, and Growth of the Invasive Blue Crab in the Lesina Lagoon, Southern Adriatic Sea.

The fishery biology of the invasive Atlantic blue crab in the Mediterranean Sea outside the eastern sectors of the basin has been only recently investigated. Here we studied the population of in the Lesina Lagoon (Adriatic Sea, SE Italy). In total, 838 crabs were captured monthly between February 2021 and January 2022 using fyke nets.

Impact of Hermodice carunculata (Pallas, 1766) (Polychaeta: Amphinomidae) on artisanal fishery: A case study from the Mediterranean sea.

Invasive species can cause severe economic damages, ecosystem alterations, and can even threat human health. In the global warming scenario, which can act as a driving force for the expansion of thermophilic species, we investigated for the first time the economic damage caused by the invasive bearded fireworm, Hermodice carunculata, to artisanal longline fishery in the Mediterranean Sea. We focused on bottom longline fishery targeting the highly prized white seabream Diplodus sargus, investigating catch composition of the fishing gear and Catch Per Unit Effort (CPUE) of species caught, with particular emphasis on the economic damage caused by the bearded fireworm, H.

Preliminary Investigation of Microlitter Pollution in Low-Energy Hydrodynamic Basins Using Sabella spallanzanii (Polychaeta: Sabellidae) Tubes.

Harbor basins are strategically important and heavily impacted water bodies according to the water framework directive. Due to constant traffic, variety of activities, and low-energy hydrodynamics, these areas can have high degrees of water pollution. This study reports the results of the preliminary investigation of anthropogenic microlitter (AM) pollution in a semi-enclosed basin (Civitavecchia harbor; northern Tyrrhenian Sea, Italy) using the tubes built by the polychaete Sabella spallanzanii.

Mercury Enrichment in Sediments of the Coastal Area of Northern Latium, Italy.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the extent of the Hg geochemical anomaly arising in the Amiata and Tolfa complex to the coastal area of northern Latium and to examine the possible influence on this area by the Mignone River, and by the small coastal basins, which are characterized by both previous mining activities and decades of past industrial impact. The results confirm the extension of the anomaly of concentrations of Hg in the coastal area of northern Latium, with the northern sector influenced by the contributions of the Fiora and Mignone Rivers and the southern sector influenced by the contributions of minor basins. The results show high values of the Adverse Effect Index throughout the considered area and highlight the need for further investigation in order to assess the impact of human activities on the present and past values of Hg in marine sediments.

Trace-Metal Enrichment and Pollution in Coastal Sediments in the Northern Tyrrhenian Sea, Italy.

This study evaluated the distribution pattern and pollution of chromium, arsenic (As), manganese (Mn), nickel, lead, and copper in surface sediments along the northern Latium coast of the Tyrrhenian Sea in Italy. The enrichment factor, geoaccumulation index, and potential toxicity response index were used to evaluate the degree of contamination. These results show As and Mn contamination.