In the coastal environment, a large amount of microplastics (MPs) can accumulate in the sediments of seagrass beds. However, the potential impact these pollutants have on seagrasses and associated organisms is currently unknown. In this study, we investigated the differences in MPs abundance and composition (i.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe recovery and resilience of the cultural and creative sectors after the COVID-19 pandemic is a current topic with priority for the European Commission. is a crowdsourced web platform managed by the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission aimed at creating community-led maps as well as a common repository for cultural and creative places across European cities and towns. More than 130,000 physical locations and online cultural activities in more than 300 European cities and towns are currently tracked by the application.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFrom the beginning of March 2020 and for the following two and half months, many European countries comprising Italy have been forced into an unprecedented lockdown, allowing only the opening of essential economic activities needed to address the problems created by the pandemic (e.g. sanitary, food provision).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe concentration of As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb and Zn were analyzed in the edible part of several species of fish, crustaceans, molluscs and echinoderms collected in sensitive areas of the Tuscany coast (northern Italy). The concentration of As (0.39-78.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNaturwissenschaften
October 2015
Organismal fecundity (F) and its relationship with body size (BS) are key factors in predicting species distribution under current and future scenarios of global change. A functional trait-based dynamic energy budget (FT-DEB) is proposed as a mechanistic approach to predict the variation of F and BS as function of environmental correlates using two marine bivalves as model species (Mytilus galloprovincialis and Brachidontes pharaonis). Validation proof of model skill (i.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMicrobial products based on the entomopathogenic bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) are among the most common biopesticides used worldwide to suppress insect pests in forests, horticulture and agricultural crops. Some of the effects of commercial Bt have been recorded for terrestrial and freshwater non-target organisms but little research is available on marine fauna. Nevertheless, due to the contiguity of agro-ecosystems and coastal habitats, marine fauna may be highly influenced by this control method.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFClearance rates, respiration rates and food absorption efficiencies of the commercially interesting subtidal bivalve Modiolus barbatus were measured at different temperatures under laboratory conditions and scope for growth calculated. Clearance rates were highest at temperatures from 20 °C to 28 °C, whereas respiration rate was maximal at 9 °C and minimal at 26 °C. Highest mean values of absorbed energy occurred at 20 °C and 26 °C.
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