04.03.2026 - Messina
Activities for the MITICA project
Integrated Mussel Farming for Protection, Innovation, and Adaptation Capacity to Climate and Environmental Change
The activities for the MITICA project—Integrated Mussel Farming for Protection, Innovation, and Adaptation Capacity to Climate and Environmental Change—are ongoing between Lesina and Ancona. The project aims to safeguard mussel farming in Taranto, which is currently threatened by marine heatwaves and deoxygenation. Through scientific innovation and advanced monitoring, the project seeks solutions to increase the resilience of mussels to climate change while promoting environmental sustainability and the circular economy in the Mar Piccolo. IRBIM is actively involved in several research lines crucial to the project’s success. Here a summary of the key research actions:
Task 1, Action 1A (Thermal Resistance): Led by R. Carlucci (CONISMA) and A. Miccoli (CNR-IRBIM Ancona), this involves “Heat-Hardening” experiments to study the thermal resistance of mussels.
Task 1, Action 1B (Oxygen Stress): Led by A. Specchiulli (CNR-IRBIM Lesina), this focuses on in vitro experimentation regarding stress induced by oxygen deficiency. The goal is to analyze the effects of hypoxia on Mytilus galloprovincialis, specifically measuring biological responses through oxidative stress biomarkers. The team in Lesina (A. Specchiulli, T. Scirocco, P. Augello, P. Schiavone, C. Sacchetti, and A. D’Amore) prepared tanks for samples collected from Taranto’s Mar Piccolo. After an acclimatization period, the mussels were transported to the laboratory in Orbetello for hypoxic stress testing.
Task 1, Action 3 (Physiological State): Led by A. Spagnolo with Co-representative F. Donato (CNR-IRBIM Ancona), this evaluates the physiological and gonadal status of the animals. Seasonal biological analyses are conducted at the Lesina laboratories to understand how environmental factors influence growth and reproduction, providing essential data for sustainable management.
Task 2, Action 3 (Carbon Sinks): Led by A. Specchiulli with Co-representative T. Scirocco, this investigates the role of bivalves as natural “carbon sinks.” The team studies how climate change affects their calcification capacity and the specific percentage of carbonate ions stored in the shells of mussels under stress