Marine Science Can Contribute to the Search for Extra-Terrestrial Life.

Life on our planet likely evolved in the ocean, and thus exo-oceans are key habitats to search for extraterrestrial life. We conducted a data-driven bibliographic survey on the astrobiology literature to identify emerging research trends with marine science for future synergies in the exploration for extraterrestrial life in exo-oceans. Based on search queries, we identified 2592 published items since 1963.

Estimate of Growth Parameters of (Forskäl, 1775) (Crustacea, Penaeidae) in the Northern Adriatic Sea.

Crustacean fisheries are gaining prominence globally amid a decline in finfish stocks. Some decapod crustacean species have experienced increased landings in response to shifting market demands and environmental dynamics. Notably, the caramote prawn (-Forskål, 1775) in the northern Adriatic Sea, Geographical Sub Area (GSA) 17, has risen in both landings and economic importance in recent years.

Use of grape by-products in aquaculture: New frontiers for a circular economy application.

Grape by-products have already been used in cosmetics, food industries, but also animal feed industry, especially monogastrics and in aquaculture. Grape by-products have been studied for a long time and their principal activities are antimicrobial and antioxidant. Concerning aquaculture, the great demand and necessity to replace animal sources with vegetable ones, has placed grape by-products as possible new phytonutrients with beneficial properties.

Reviewing the state of biosensors and lab-on-a- chip technologies: opportunities for extreme environments and space exploration.

The space race is entering a new era of exploration, in which the number of robotic and human missions to various places in our solar system is rapidly increasing. Despite the recent advances in propulsion and life support technologies, there is a growing need to perform analytical measurements and laboratory experiments across diverse domains of science, while keeping low payload requirements. In this context, lab-on-a-chip nanobiosensors appear to be an emerging technology capable of revolutionizing space exploration, given their low footprint, high accuracy, and low payload requirements.

Complex organic matter degradation by secondary consumers in chemolithoautotrophy-based subsurface geothermal ecosystems.

Microbial communities in terrestrial geothermal systems often contain chemolithoautotrophs with well-characterized distributions and metabolic capabilities. However, the extent to which organic matter produced by these chemolithoautotrophs supports heterotrophs remains largely unknown. Here we compared the abundance and activity of peptidases and carbohydrate active enzymes (CAZymes) that are predicted to be extracellular identified in metagenomic assemblies from 63 springs in the Central American and the Andean convergent margin (Argentinian backarc of the Central Volcanic Zone), as well as the plume-influenced spreading center in Iceland.

Identification of Marine Biotechnology Value Chains with High Potential in the Northern Mediterranean Region.

Marine (blue) biotechnology is an emerging field enabling the valorization of new products and processes with massive potential for innovation and economic growth. In the Mediterranean region, this innovation potential is not exploited as well as in other European regions due to a lack of a clear identification of the different value chains and the high fragmentation of business innovation initiatives. As a result, several opportunities to create an innovative society are being missed.

Oxidoreductases and metal cofactors in the functioning of the earth.

Life sustains itself using energy generated by thermodynamic disequilibria, commonly existing as redox disequilibria. Metals are significant players in controlling redox reactions, as they are essential components of the engine that life uses to tap into the thermodynamic disequilibria necessary for metabolism. The number of proteins that evolved to catalyze redox reactions is extraordinary, as is the diversification level of metal cofactors and catalytic domain structures involved.

Integrating culture-based and molecular methods provides an improved assessment of microbial quality in a coastal lagoon.

Faecal pollution in aquatic environments is a worldwide public health concern, yet the reliability and comprehensiveness of the methods used to assess faecal contamination are still debated. We compared three approaches, namely a culture-based method to enumerate Faecal Indicator Bacteria (FIB), a FIB-targeting qPCR assay, and High-Throughput Sequencing (HTS) to detect faeces- and sewage-associated taxa in water and sediment samples of an impacted model lagoon and its adjacent sea across one year. Despite at different levels, all approaches agreed in showing a higher contamination in the lagoon than in the sea, and higher in sediments than water.

Impact of Modern Oven Treatments on Lipid Oxidation and Vitamin E Content of Fillets from Sardine () at Different Reproductive Cycle Phases.

The beneficial effects of sardine consumption can be related to the presence of bioactive compounds, such as vitamin E and ω3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. In any case, the levels of these compounds in sardine fillet depend on different factors mainly related to the diet and reproductive cycle phase of the fish as well as the technological treatments carried out to cook the fillets. The aim of the present study is two-fold: first, to evaluate changes in the total fatty acid profile, lipid oxidation, and vitamin E content of raw fillets from sardine () at different reproductive cycle phases (pre-spawning, spawning, and post-spawning); and second, to highlight how these nutritional profiles are affected by three oven treatments (conventional, steam, and sous-vide).

The gut microbiome-Does stool represent right?

Many stool-based gut microbiome studies have highlighted the importance of the microbiome. However, we hypothesized that stool is a poor proxy for the inner-colonic microbiome and that studying stool samples may be inadequate to capture the true inner-colonic microbiome. To test this hypothesis, we conducted prospective clinical studies with up to 20 patients undergoing an FDA-cleared gravity-fed colonic lavage without oral purgative pre-consumption.

Donor-side and user-side evaluation of the Atlantic blue crab invasion on a Mediterranean lagoon.

The recent invasion of Callinectes sapidus in the Lesina Lagoon has raised great concern about its potential impacts on the ecosystem and on local fisheries. The effects of the blue crab presence on the receiving ecosystem were evaluated from both a donor-side perspective, through the application of emergy analysis, and a user-side perspective, by means of interviews to the local fishermen. While emergy analysis showed that C.

Established and Emerging Research Trends in Norway Lobster, .

The burrowing crustacean decapod is a significant species in European Atlantic and Mediterranean fisheries. Research over the decades has mainly focused on behavioral and physiological aspects related to the burrowing lifestyle, since animals can only be captured by trawls when engaged in emergence on the seabed. Here, we performed a global bibliographic survey of all the scientific literature retrieved in SCOPUS since 1965, and terminology maps were produced with the VOSviewer software to reveal established and emerging research areas.

Seasonal Trophic Ecology and Diet Shift in the Common Sole in the Central Adriatic Sea.

The common sole, , is one the most important commercial species in Europe and, within the Mediterranean, the Adriatic basin is the most crucial area for its production. Although the species is overexploited in the basin, data on its trophic ecology are fragmentary, even though this is one of the most important features within the Ecosystem Approach to Fishery. Here, we analysed temporal variations in the feeding ecology of the species by using an integrated approach of stomach contents and stable isotope analyses coupled with the analysis of some condition indices such as the gonadosomatic and the hepatosomatic indices.

Chemolithoautotroph distributions across the subsurface of a convergent margin.

Subducting oceanic crusts release fluids rich in biologically relevant compounds into the overriding plate, fueling subsurface chemolithoautotrophic ecosystems. To understand the impact of subsurface geochemistry on microbial communities, we collected fluid and sediments from 14 natural springs across a ~200 km transect across the Costa Rican convergent margin and performed shotgun metagenomics. The resulting 404 metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) cluster into geologically distinct regions based on MAG abundance patterns: outer forearc-only (25% of total relative abundance), forearc/arc-only (38% of total relative abundance), and delocalized (37% of total relative abundance) clusters.

Accounting for environmental and fishery management factors when standardizing CPUE data from a scientific survey: A case study for Nephrops norvegicus in the Pomo Pits area (Central Adriatic Sea).

Abundance and distribution of commercial marine resources are influenced by environmental variables, which together with fishery patterns may also influence their catchability. However, Catch Per Unit Effort (CPUE) can be standardized in order to remove most of the variability not directly attributable to fish abundance. In the present study, Generalized Additive Models (GAMs) were used to investigate the effect of some environmental and fishery covariates on the spatial distribution and abundance of the Norway lobster Nephrops norvegicus within the Pomo/Jabuka Pits (Central Adriatic Sea) and to include those that resulted significant in a standardization process.

From Sequences to Enzymes: Heterologous Expression of Genes from Marine Microbes.

Heterologous expression is an easy and broadly applicable experimental approach widely used to investigate protein functions without the need to genetically manipulate the original host. The approach is used to obtain large quantities of the desired protein, which can be further analyzed from a biochemical, structural, and functional perspective. The expression system consists of three main components: (1) a foreign DNA sequence coding for the protein of interest; (2) a suitable expression vector; (3) a suitable host (bacterial, yeast, or mammalian cells) which does not encode or express the protein of interest.

From Sequences to Enzymes: Comparative Genomics to Study Evolutionarily Conserved Protein Functions in Marine Microbes.

Comparative genomics is a research field that allows comparison between genomes of different life forms providing information on the organization of the compared genomes, both in terms of structure and encoded functions. Moreover, this approach provides a powerful tool to study and understand the evolutionary changes and adaptation among organisms. Comparative genomics can be used to compare phylogenetically close marine organisms showing different vital strategies and lifestyles and obtain information regarding specific adaptations and/or their evolutionary history.

Severe, rapid and widespread impacts of an Atlantic blue crab invasion.

The Atlantic blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) has rapidly invaded coastal environments in the western Mediterranean, but there is no consistent assessment of its impacts yet. We use interviews and long-term data series in the Ebro Delta (NE Spain) to: i) characterise the evolution of the blue crab invasion; and ii) identify its impacts. The blue crab was first recorded in 2012, but its expansion started around 2016, with an exponential increase in abundance between 2017 and 2018.

Occurrence of the protozoan parasites Toxoplasma gondii and Cyclospora cayetanensis in the invasive Atlantic blue crab Callinectes sapidus from the Lesina Lagoon (SE Italy).

The occurrence of the protozoan parasites Toxoplasma gondii and Cyclospora cayetanensis was molecularly investigated in the hemolymph, gills, stomach, hepatopancreas and gonads of the eleven invasive Atlantic blue crab Callinectes sapidus from the Lesina Lagoon (Mediterranean Sea). Out of 11 blue crabs, 6 (54.5%) and 4 (36.

Partitioning and sources of microbial pollution in the Venice Lagoon.

Microbial pollutants are a serious threat to human and environmental health in coastal areas. Based on the hypothesis that pollution from multiple sources may produce a distinct microbial signature and that microbial pollutants seem to distribute between a free-living and a particle-attached fraction, we investigated the occurrence, partitioning and sources of microbial pollutants in water samples collected in the Venice Lagoon (Italy). The area was taken as a case study of an environment characterized by a long history of industrial pollution and by growing human pressure.

Genomic and Physiological Characterization of Bacilli Isolated From Salt-Pans With Plant Growth Promoting Features.

Massive application of chemical fertilizers and pesticides has been the main strategy used to cope with the rising crop demands in the last decades. The indiscriminate use of chemicals while providing a temporary solution to food demand has led to a decrease in crop productivity and an increase in the environmental impact of modern agriculture. A sustainable alternative to the use of agrochemicals is the use of microorganisms naturally capable of enhancing plant growth and protecting crops from pests known as Plant-Growth-Promoting Bacteria (PGPB).

Water quality integrated system: A strategic approach to improve bathing water management.

In the Adriatic Sea, massive rainfall events are causing flooding of rivers and streams, with severe consequences on the environment. The consequent bacterial contamination of bathing water poses public health risks besides damaging tourism and the economy. This study was conducted in the framework of WATERCARE, an EU Interreg Italy-Croatia Project, which aims at reducing the impact of microbial contamination on Adriatic bathing water due to heavy rainfall events drained in the local sewage network and; enhancing the quality of local waters; and providing support for the decision-making processes regarding the management of bathing water in line with EU regulations.

Capturing the rapidly evolving study of adaptation.

Research on the genomics of adaptation is rapidly changing. In the last few decades, progress in this area has been driven by methodological advances, not only in the way increasingly large amounts of molecular data are generated (e.g.

Preliminary results on the occurrence and anatomical distribution of microplastics in wild populations of Nephrops norvegicus from the Adriatic Sea.

This study reports the shapes, dimensional classes, types and counts of microplastics (MPs) found in 23 individuals of N. norvegicus collected from two wild populations of the Adriatic Sea (Mediterranean basin). The focus was on three different anatomical compartments (gut, hepatopancreas and tail), which were analysed separately.