An Integrated Monitoring Approach to the Evaluation of the Environmental Impact of an Inshore Mariculture Plant (Mar Grande of Taranto, Ionian Sea).

The results of an survey aiming to assess the impact of a fish farm in the Mar Grande of Taranto (southern Italy, Mediterranean Sea) on the surrounding environment are reported. There, the implementation of an innovative IMTA plant was planned, with the goals of environment bioremediation and commercially exploitable biomass production. Analyses were conducted in February and July 2018.

Filtration of the Microalga by the Polychaetes and : A New Tool for the Control of Harmful Algal Blooms?

Harmful algal blooms (HABs) are extreme biological events representing a major issue in marine, brackish, and freshwater systems worldwide. Their proliferation is certainly a problem from both ecological and socioeconomic contexts, as harmful algae can affect human health and activities, the marine ecosystem functioning, and the economy of coastal areas. Once HABs establish, valuable and environmentally friendly control actions are needed to reduce their negative impacts.

The Pandora's box: Morphological diversity within the genus emAmphiglena/em Claparède, 1864 (Sabellidae, Annelida) in the Mediterranean Sea, with description of nine new species.

We report the description of nine new taxa of sabellid polychaetes belonging to the genus Amphiglena, of which diversity in the Mediterranean Sea has been widely underestimated. Examined material derived from both new collections along the Italian coast, including four CO2 vents/hydrothermal systems, and from a re-examination of older material previously attributed to A. mediterranera (Leydig, 1851) which was so far the only species of the genus reported for the Mediterranean area.

Integrated Multitrophic Aquaculture By-Products with Added Value: The Polychaete and the Seaweed as Potential Dietary Ingredients.

Aquaculture expansion is limited by the negative environmental impact of the waste and the need for alternative sources in the diet of reared fish. In this framework, for the first time, the survival rates, biomass gain, and fatty acid profiles of the polychaete and the macroalga , reared/cultivated as bioremediators in an integrated multitrophic aquaculture system (IMTA), were evaluated for their potential reuse applications. Results showed that these organisms represent a natural source of omega-3 and omega-6.

First Insight on the Mucus of the Annelid (Polychaeta, Sabellidae) as a Potential Prospect for Drug Discovery.

Many marine organisms, including invertebrates, produce mucosal matrices having different functions. Besides mechanical protection, the mucus of many invertebrates contains specific compounds to make the animal poisonous and/or distasteful or irritating. The presence of antibiotic molecules is more advantageous for some invertebrates to contrast bacterial attack.

Heavy metals in five Sabellidae species (Annelida, Polychaeta): ecological implications.

The present work analyzed three hard-bottom and two soft-bottom species of sabellid polychaetes to determine the content of several heavy metals in their branchial crown and body. The highest concentrations of heavy metals were recorded in the hard-bottom species Branchiomma bairdi, a recent Mediterranean introduction. Differences in the metal concentrations were most notable in the high trace metal levels of the branchial crown for all the studied species.

Filtering activity on a pure culture of Vibrio alginolyticus by the solitary ascidian Styela plicata and the colonial ascidian Polyandrocarpa zorritensis: a potential service to improve microbiological seawater quality economically.

We investigated and compared, by laboratory experiments, the filter-feeding activity on bacteria by the solitary ascidian Styela plicata and the colonial ascidian Polyandrocarpa zorritensis. Clearance rates and retention efficiencies were estimated by using, as only food source, the bacterial species Vibrio alginolyticus selected on account of its importance in aquaculture pathogenicity. The Cmax was 1.

The Mediterranean non-indigenous ascidian Polyandrocarpa zorritensis: Microbiological accumulation capability and environmental implications.

We investigated the bacterial accumulation and digestion capability of Polyandrocarpa zorritensis, a non-indigenous colonial ascidian originally described in Peru and later found in the Mediterranean. Microbiological analyses were carried out on homogenates from "unstarved" and "starved" ascidians and seawater from the same sampling site (Adriatic Sea, Italy). Culturable heterotrophic bacteria (22 °C), total culturable bacteria (37 °C) and vibrios abundances were determined on Marine Agar 2216, Plate Count Agar and TCBS Agar, respectively.

The co-occurrence of the demosponge Hymeniacidon perlevis and the edible mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis as a new tool for bacterial load mitigation in aquaculture.

Pollutants in marine coastal areas are mainly a consequence of anthropogenic inputs, and microorganisms often play a major role in determining the extent of this pollution. Thus, practical and eco-friendly techniques are urgently required in order to control or minimise the pathogenic bacterial problem. The bacterial accumulation of Mytilus galloprovincialis (Lamarck 1919) in the presence or absence of another filter feeder, the demosponge Hymeniacidon perlevis (Montagu 1818) on sewage flowing into the Northern Ionian Sea has been estimated in a laboratory study.

Microbiological accumulation by the Mediterranean invasive alien species Branchiomma bairdi (Annelida, Sabellidae): potential tool for bioremediation.

We examined the bacterial accumulation and digestion in the alien polychaete Branchiomma bairdi. Microbiological analyses were performed on worm homogenates from "unstarved" and "starved" individuals and on seawater from the same sampling site (Ionian Sea, Italy). Densities of culturable heterotrophic bacteria (22 °C), total culturable bacteria (37 °C) and vibrios were measured on Marine Agar 2216, Plate Count Agar and TCBS Agar, respectively.

Managing the marine aquarium trade: revealing the data gaps using ornamental polychaetes.

The marine aquarium industry has great potential to generate jobs in low-income coastal communities creating incentives for the maintenance of a healthy coral reef, if effectively managed. In the absence of current monitoring or legislation to govern the trade, baseline information regarding the species, number and source location of animals traded is missing despite being critical for its successful management and sustainability. An industry assessment to establish the number and provenance of species of ornamental polychaetes (sabellids and serpulids) traded was undertaken across UK wholesalers and retailers.

Bioremediation of bacteria in aquaculture waste using the polychaete Sabella spallanzanii.

The excessive release of bacterial pathogens from animal waste into the aquaculture environment has become a major concern for the aquaculture industry. The biological filtration by macroinvertebrates contributes to water purification as a result of the bacterioplankton removal from the water. The filter-feeder polychaete Sabella spallanzanii is known for its ability to accumulate bacteria from the marine environment.

Effects of offshore platforms on soft-bottom macro-benthic assemblages: a case study in a Mediterranean gas field.

The exploitation of fossil fuels in the Mediterranean Sea will likely lead to an increase in the number of offshore platforms, a recognized threat for marine biodiversity. To date, in this basin, few attempts have been made to assess the impact of offshore gas and oil platforms on the biodiversity of benthic assemblages. Here, we adopted a structured experimental design coupled with high taxonomic resolution to outline putative effects of gas platforms on soft-bottom macrofauna assemblages in the North Ionian Sea.

Evaluation of microbiological accumulation capability of the commercial sponge Spongia officinalis var. adriatica (Schmidt) (Porifera, Demospongiae).

This study was carried out to evaluate the microbiological accumulation capability of the demosponge Spongia officinalis var. adriatica. Six microbiological parameters were researched in two sampling periods in the water and in reared sponge samples coming from sites with different degrees of microbial contamination: an off-shore fish farm displaced off the Apulian coast (Southern Adriatic Sea) and a no-impacted area displaced into the Marine Protected Area of Porto Cesareo (Apulian coast-Ionian Sea).

Filter-feeder macroinvertebrates as key players in culturable bacteria biodiversity control: a case of study with Sabella spallanzanii (Polychaeta: Sabellidae).

The present study investigates the effect of the filtering activity of Sabella spallanzanii on the culturable heterotrophic bacterial community through the comparison of the bacterial diversity in transplanted polychaetes and the surrounding seawater. For isolation of culturable heterotrophic bacteria, seawater samples as well as polychaete homogenates were plated in triplicates onto Bacto Marine Agar 2216 (Difco). All the colonies grown were isolated, subcultured and identified by several morphological, biochemical and cultural methods.

Bacterial accumulation by Branchiomma luctuosum (Annelida: Polychaeta): a tool for biomonitoring marine systems and restoring polluted waters.

In this study, we examined the bacterial accumulation in the filter feeder polychaete Branchiomma luctuosumGrube (Sabellidae). Analyses were performed on worm homogenates from 'unstarved' and 'starved' individuals, and seawater from the same sampling site (Gulf of Taranto, Western Mediterranean, Italy). Densities of culturable heterotrophic bacteria (22 degrees C), total culturable bacteria at 37 degrees C and halophilic vibrios at 22 and 35 degrees C were measured on Marine Agar 2216, Plate Count Agar and thiosulphate-citrate-bile-salt-agar (TCBS) plus 2% NaCl, respectively.

Filtering activity of Spongia officinalis var. adriatica (Schmidt) (Porifera, Demospongiae) on bacterioplankton: implications for bioremediation of polluted seawater.

A study on the filtering activity has been carried out on reared specimens of the demosponge Spongia officinalis var. adriatica coming from an off-shore farm displaced off the Apulian coast (Ionian Sea). The experience was carried out under laboratory conditions, by using natural seawater collected from the sponge environment.

Sabella spallanzanii filter-feeding on bacterial community: ecological implications and applications.

The filtration process of Sabella spallanzanii Gmelin on bacterial community was studied in a coastal area of the Northern Ionian Sea (Mediterranean Sea) at three sites, S. Vito, Lido Gandoli and Lido Silvana, where some specimens of S. spallanzanii were transplanted.

Clearance rates of Sabella spallanzanii and Branchiomma luctuosum (Annelida: Polychaeta) on a pure culture of Vibrio alginolyticus.

The influence exerted by filter-feeding activity on bacterial density by two sabellid species from the Mediterranean Sea (Ionian Sea, Italy), Branchiomma luctuosum Grube and Sabella spallanzanii Gmelin (Annelida: Polychaeta) was investigated. Clearance rates and retention efficiencies were estimated utilizing the species Vibrio alginolyticus selected on account of previous field studies and its importance in fish culture pathogenicity. The Cmax was 43.

Polychaetes as environmental indicators revisited.

The utilization of polychaetes in descriptive ecology is reviewed in the light of recent research especially concerning the biota hard bottom environments. Polychaetes, often linked in the past to the concept of opportunistic species able to proliferate after an increase in organic matter, have played an important role especially with regard to impacted soft-bottom habitats. Increased knowledge of the group, suggests that not only opportunistic species can be utilised as indicators, so that these organisms can be disengaged from the old concept of opportunistic taxa.