Vibrio splendidus clade associated with a disease affecting Paracentrotus lividus (Lamarck, 1816) in Sardinia (Western Mediterranean).

This work reports for the first time the so-called bald sea urchin disease of the populations of Paracentrotus lividus in Sardinia (Italy). Following the disease occurrence reported by local fishermen of about 35% on the collected specimens for commercial purpose, the phenomenon was evaluated in two areas. Animals displayed external lesions represented by loss of spines and greenish/brownish skeleton patches.

Polymer composition assessment suggests prevalence of single-use plastics among items ingested by loggerhead sea turtles in the western mediterranean sub-region.

The ingestion of plastic is becoming a major concern for various species and particularly for marine turtles across the globe. The loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) was recently chosen by the European Commission as a bio-indicator for plastic pollution within the Mediterranean basin. We further investigated which items this key species is more prone to ingest, following the standardised Marine Strategy Framework Directive protocols.

Fishery management in a marine protected area with compliance gaps: Socio-economic and biological insights as a first step on the path of sustainability.

Overfishing is one of the main impacts on the marine environment and multiple-use Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) could be a useful tool to conserve biodiversity and promote sustainable resource exploitation. However, ensuring a high level of protection on the ground is a difficult task. This work contributes to the analysis of the causes at the root of MPAs' ineffectiveness by examining the management of Paracentrotus lividus fishery in an Italian MPA, employing a multidisciplinary approach built on biological and socio-economic competences.

The challenge of managing the commercial harvesting of the sea urchin : advanced approaches are required.

Sea urchins act as a keystone herbivore in marine coastal ecosystems, regulating macrophyte density, which offers refuge for multiple species. In the Mediterranean Sea, both the sea urchin and fish preying on it are highly valuable target species for artisanal fisheries. As a consequence of the interactions between fish, sea urchins and macrophyte, fishing leads to trophic disorders with detrimental consequences for biodiversity and fisheries.