Mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) are the most important species for mollusc production in Italy. In recent years, both farmed and wild mussels have shown problems in terms of reduced meat yield and increased shell fragility, which negatively affect their quality and, consequently, their market value. Since farming techniques have not been substantially modified over time and the changes also affect wild populations, these impacts are inevitably caused by environmental phenomena that have occurred in recent years. ENDRIMUS will assess which environmental factors mainly influence the growth and quality of farmed and wild mussel populations along the Italian Adriatic coast along a latitudinal gradient. To this end, the physical and biochemical characteristics, as well as the biological variables of the water column, will be investigated, together with the abundance and composition of the phytoplankton community, which represent an important source of food for these filter feeders. Biological analyses related to growth and meat content and an in-depth study of the shell characteristics at macro, micro and nanoscale will be carried out on samples of farmed and wild mussels collected from different sites, in order to evaluate how this bivalve species is sensitive to changes in environmental conditions.
The project is funded by the European Union – NextGenerationEU.
Provide the Regional Administration and operators in the sector with technical-scientific information for a rational and sustainable management of clam fishing with hydraulic dredges.
To provide national and EU administrations, as well as regional-level fisheries management bodies such as the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) and the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tuna (ICCAT), with scientific data and appropriate tools to undertake programming interventions and adopt management measures in line with the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP).
Agreement aimed at collaboration for the joint installation of scientific instrumentation in the marine area in front of Senigallia (AN) for the development of research of common interest within the MORSE project.
The research activities of the Institute are carried out in the context of research, development and innovation projects, both national and international, based on regional funding programs (POR FEAMPA - Regional Operational Program of the European Maritime Affairs Fisheries Fund and Aquaculture and POR FESR - Regional Operational Program of the European Regional Development Fund) or ministerial (PRIN - Projects of relevant national interest, PNRA - National Research Program in Antarctica, PO FEAMPA - National Operational Program European Maritime Affairs Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund) , programs for European Territorial Cooperation (Interreg), direct funding programs of the European Commission (Horizon2020 and Horizon Europe, Life, JPI - Joint Programming Initiatives, ERA-NET Cofund) and thematic collaboration initiatives managed by international organizations such as, for example , the FAO - GFCM (General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean). The Institute also develops funded projects in the context of collaborations with private companies in the sectors of the blue economy as well as technology transfer and research results. Research projects, mainly of a collaborative nature, are developed through a wide network of partners that include major Italian and foreign research institutions and universities.