Assessment of the eutrophication status at Mediterranean sub-basin scale, within the European Marine Strategy Framework Directive.

The aim of this work is to define harmonized reference conditions and assessment thresholds for selected criteria elements of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) Descriptor 5 (Eutrophication) in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea and to test if a tool for integrated assessment of the status of marine systems can be used as a common methodological approach. In this frame, we tested two statistical approaches in order to set threshold values for four criteria of Descriptor 5: nutrients, chlorophyll a, transparency and dissolved oxygen in the bottom waters. It is noteworthy that this work revealed the need to apply common procedures in data treatment and assessment evaluation.

Vulnerability to bioinvasions: Current status, risk assessment and management of ballast water through a regional approach - the Adriatic Sea.

The United Nations recognised the transfer of invasive species across natural barriers as one of the greatest pressures to the world's oceans and seas. The BWM Convention sets the global standards on ballast water management (BWM) requirements, while recognising that regional and local specifics have to be considered for its effective implementation. In the Adriatic Sea cross-border activities were conducted to provide for essential information/data and tools to support a regionally coordinated implementation of the BWM Convention.

Strategy of port baseline surveys (PBS) in the Adriatic Sea.

Port baseline surveys (PBS) provide species inventories in and around ports, with a focus on non-indigenous species that may have been introduced by vessels, primarily via ballast water. PBS are an essential tool to support effective management strategies for non-indigenous as well as native harmful aquatic organisms and pathogens (HAOP). This paper describes the methodology of PBS that were conducted in 12 Adriatic ports.

Dispersant approval procedures in France and Italy: A comparative ecotoxicity study.

A research project has been performed to the request of the RAMOGE Executive Secretariat to identify differences between dispersant approval procedures in France and Italy and propose ways to harmonize them. A collaborative study has been conducted by CEDRE (Centre of Documentation, Research and Experimentation on Accidental Water Pollution) and ISPRA (Italian Institute for Environmental Protection and Research) to: a) compare current approval procedures in Italy and France with identification of differences and commonalities; b) carry out toxicity tests using both procedures on two selected dispersants; c) propose a common approach between Italy and France. The results showed that, because of the differences in ecotoxicological tests and in the evaluation criteria used, the outcomes on the same products could be different in Italy and in France.

Long-term lethal toxicity test with the crustacean Artemia franciscana.

Our research activities target the use of biological methods for the evaluation of environmental quality, with particular reference to saltwater/brackish water and sediment. The choice of biological indicators must be based on reliable scientific knowledge and, possibly, on the availability of standardized procedures. In this article, we present a standardized protocol that used the marine crustacean Artemia to evaluate the toxicity of chemicals and/or of marine environmental matrices.

Toxicity evaluation of diethylene glycol and its combined effects with produced waters of off-shore gas platforms in the Adriatic Sea (Italy): bioassays with marine/estuarine species.

Diethylene glycol (DEG) is commonly used to dehydrate natural gas in off-shore extraction plants and to prevent formation of gas hydrates. It may be released into the sea accidentally or in discharged produced waters (PWs). PWs samples from off-shore gas platforms in the Adriatic Sea (Italy) have been used in this study.

Modulation of CYP1A and genotoxic effects in European seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax) exposed to weathered oil: a mesocosm study.

The aim of this study was to assess medium-term toxicity of weathered oil on European seabass. A mesocosm system reproducing an oil spill at sea was applied. Fish were collected after 48 h, 7, 30 and 60 days.

The use of a test battery in marine ecotoxicology: the acute toxicity of sodium dodecyl sulfate.

For a toxicity assessment of substances entering the marine environment, it is preferable to carry out ecotoxicological tests on a base-set of taxa utilizing target species belonging to different trophic levels. In this study a battery composed of Vibrio fischeri (bacteria), Dunaliella tertiolecta (algae), Tigriopus fulvus (crustacea), Paracentrotus lividus (echinodermata), and Dicentrarchus labrax (pisces) was used for acute toxicity testing of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS). SDS is an anionic surfactant widely employed in industry, agriculture, and domestic usage and therefore is found in abundance in the environment, particularly in the sea.

Extracellular carbohydrates released by the marine diatoms Cylindrotheca closterium, Thalassiosira pseudonana and Skeletonema costatum: effect of P-depletion and growth status.

A laboratory study was performed on the extracellular production of carbohydrates by the marine diatoms Cylindrotheca closterium, Thalassiosira pseudonana and Skeletonema costatum. The investigation was aimed at elucidating the role of P-starvation and growth status on abundance and chemical characteristics of the released non-attached polysaccharides. Inorganic phosphorus depletion determined an increase of total polysaccharides in all species examined compared to nutrient-replete (complete f/2) conditions.

Bacterial uptake of DOM released from P-limited phytoplankton.

The growth and the structure of a coastal bacterioplankton community were monitored in short-term bottle experiments in order to investigate the bacterial uptake of extracellular organic carbon released by the diatom Cylindrotheca closterium grown under P-balanced and P-depleted conditions. Bacterial specific growth rates and carbon demand were significantly lower in the exudates from P-depleted algae (24% and 30% reduction, respectively). The origin of the extracellular carbon appeared also to affect the taxonomic composition of the bacterioplankton assemblage, mainly reducing the development of gamma-Proteobacteria.