The episode of Linea Verde Italia made a stop in the Marche region, and in particular in the lively city of Ancona. Researchers from CNR-IRBIM and the Polytechnic University of Marche were also involved in the discovery of the wonders and activities of the area.
The shots at sea were led by colleagues who illustrated some activities carried out within the NBFC – National Biodiversity Future Centre , the research center dedicated to the in-depth study of marine biodiversity and the development of innovative strategies for its preservation, a crucial issue for the health of our planet. Here is the link to watch the episode again
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The disappearance of Gianna Fabi
With deep sorrow, the Institute for Biological Resources and Marine Biotechnology (CNR-IRBIM) announces the death of Gianna Fabi who has dedicated over 40 years of his career to marine research. In the words of the director: “Gianna was an esteemed colleague and a passionate researcher, whose scientific contribution has enriched not only our Institute, with particular reference to Ancona, but also the wider marine scientific community. She has always participated with dedication in the Working Group on Artificial Reefs; she has also contributed as an expert to prestigious working groups such as GFCM, CITES, EFARO and STECF and has built and conducted dozens and dozens of research projects”. Her death leaves a deep void in the scientific community, which will miss her strongly.
ICES/FAO Working Group on Fishing Technology and Fish Behaviour (WGFTFB25)
IRBIM CNR Mazara del Vallo is pleased to announce the next annual meeting of the ICES-FAO Working Group on Fisheries Technology and Fish Behavior (WGFTFB), which will be held in Mazara del Vallo, Italy, from Thursday 15 May to Tuesday 20 May. The working group is an excellent opportunity to discuss all aspects of fisheries technology and fish behaviour, including recent developments at Mediterranean level. Topics to be discussed will include:
- The use of indicators to describe and compare the performance of fishing gear (Indicators);
- Abandoned, lost or discarded fishing gear (ALDFG);
- Operational and technical constraints of fishing gear to support coexistence with offshore wind energy and open water aquaculture (Multiple Use).
Thematic sessions will include:
- Collection and standardization of the parameters of mobile fishing gear in contact with the bottom and their fuel consumption;
- Advances in sustainable fishing practices and their impact on marine ecosystems.
Registration for the meeting is open until April 11. For more information about the event and the topics that will be covered, please visit the official website of the meeting: https://wgftfb.org/annual-meeting/meeting-information/ . Abstract submission is now open! Submit your abstract here: https://wgftfb.org/annual-meeting/abstract-submission/ . We look forward to welcoming you to Mazara del Vallo.
IRBIM and YACademy Collaboration
The collaboration between CNR-IRBIM and YAC- Young Architects Competitions continues successfully. Following the support for the competition “Iron Island” to write the future of ancient oil platforms, the Advanced Training Course “Concept Design for Architecture” will be held in 2025 to encourage research in design by providing concrete themes and generating solutions for modern challenges. The course includes participation as lecturers by colleagues Gian Marco Luna and Pierluigi Penna from IRBIM in Ancona for the module “Climate Change and Environmental Challenges – Habitats in the Post-Anthropocene”. The goal is to offer a structured criterion with content from various disciplines to stimulate creativity and guide designers in generating original and successful architectural ideas with an innovative approach. As sea professionals, the colleagues will illustrate the changes in marine space caused by human interaction and the scientific questions that require, for example, the creation of low-impact infrastructures. Climate change entails increasingly pressing challenges that require innovative and sustainable solutions to mitigate the effects of global warming and build a more sustainable future, even for marine ecosystems. All these challenges must be addressed with multi-disciplinarity and the meeting of professionals from different sectors. For information and dissemination of the initiative, it is possible to consult the Yacademy website. It is possible to watch presentation videos of the past competition Iron Island; and the official presentation video of the course “Concept Design for Architecture”.
Final day of the Life+Delfi project
On Tuesday, December 11, in the magnificent setting of the Mole Vanvitelliana in Ancona, the final meeting of the project Life+ Delfi, an European project that addresses the issue of interactions between dolphins and fishing activities, developing sustainable management solutions and models for dolphin-fishing interactions, was held. The day was an opportunity to showcase the work of the Life Delfi team, make a final assessment, and most importantly, think about the future. Life Delfi has produced research, monitoring, and has also built a close collaboration with fishermen to promote sustainable fishing practices. The experimentation of solutions to keep dolphins away from fishing nets included the installation of acoustic and visual deterrents on fishing gear, the promotion of alternative fishing gear, and the development of dolphin observation activities. The project also invested heavily in raising awareness among fishermen and the public about the importance of dolphin conservation, generating a great deal of information. Coordinated by Alessandro Lucchetti, with Massimo Virgili, Andrea Petetta, Daniel Li Veli from CNR IRBIM, Life Delfi was built with numerous partners: the Marine Protected Areas of Egadi Islands, Torre del Cerrano, Punta Campanella, and Tavolara, Filicudi WildLife Conservation, Legambiente Onlus
University of Siena, Blue World Marine Research and Conservation Institute (Croatia), Marine Research Institute of Rovinj (Croatia), Marine Research Institute of Split (Croatia), Marine Research Institute of Dubrovnik (Croatia), National Association of Professional Fishermen (Italy), National Association of Sport Fishermen (Italy), National Association of Amateur Fishermen (Italy), and National Association of Amateur Fishermen (Croatia). On the LifeDelfi website, you can find numerous videos and documentary material produced over the 5 years of the project; the official recording of the final day is visible here.
PER24 Campaign – Pollutants’ Environmental Research 2024
The scientific campaign PER24 – Pollutants’ Environmental Research 2024 aboard the CNR research vessel Gaia Blu started from the port of Bari on October 12 and ended on October 28, 2024. The investigations were conducted within the Italian Exclusive Economic Zone of the Southern Adriatic Sea/Northern Ionian Sea, adopting a multidisciplinary approach. Studies on sediments and the water column, geophysical surveys, and geochemical analyses were carried out.
The objective of the PER24 campaign is to assess the extent of anthropogenic alterations in the Southern Adriatic Sea and the Strait of Otranto, with particular attention to the levels of contamination present and the pathways of various pollutants from coastal areas to their deep basins. Therefore, scientific activities have been conducted and are planned in various fields: determination of concentrations of historical pollutants (heavy metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, nonylphenols) and emerging pollutants (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, pharmaceuticals and personal care products, bisphenol A); analysis of carbon, nitrogen, and their stable isotopes; bathymetric surveys and geomorphological characterization of the seabed; oceanographic characterization of water masses and their circulation patterns; sedimentological investigations; characterization of the microbial community; taxonomic classification of benthic foraminifera communities. All data will be made available in Open Science according to FAIR principles upon processing or publication in scientific journals. IRBIM was able to count on the participation of Federico Spagnoli (Scientific Director of the campaign), Rocco De Marco (Mission Leader), Gaspare Avanzato, Alessandro Di Cola, Chiara Evangelista, Angela Freddi, and Sarah Pizzini, who carried out all activities on board together with other colleagues from various institutions. The campaign is indeed the result of collaboration with the staff of ISPRA from the Chioggia and Rome offices, with the University of Urbino “Carlo Bo”, the Polytechnic University of Marche, the University of Camerino, the CNR-ISP of Rome, Venice, and Bologna, the Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, and the Fano Marine Center. Here is the final report of the PER24-Pollutants’ Environmental Research 2024 campaign.
Sharper 2024, The European Researchers’ Night
On Friday 27 September 2024, Ancona was one of the Italian cities to light up with science during the SHARPER 2024 European Researchers’ Night.
Open-air laboratories, interactive experiments and meetings with researchers and experts involved citizens of all ages, demonstrating how scientific research is an integral part of our daily lives.
In particular, for the CNR-IRBIM from the Central stage, colleagues Andrea Miccoli and Fabio Campanella spoke about “Gaia Blu: the oceanographic ship of the National Research Counciland presented the activities of the PELASeam campaign.
For the occasion, the film of the campaign activities made by colleague Daniel Li Veli was screened.
In addition, on Radio Arancia in the “Researchers on Air” column, Andrea Petetta spoke on “Studying the impacts of recreational fishing at sea” and Martina Scanu on “the cultural value of the mussel”.
The square was also animated by various games: the “Who wants to be a marine biologist?” full of questions related to curiosities of marine organisms was conducted by Andrea Petetta, Martina Scanu, Greta Cerrone and Chiara Evangelista, while Enrico Cecapolli and Roberto Cacciamani led the game: “Don’t say fish if you don’t have it in the bag”.
Stands have been set up for: “Fishing for plastic waste: from pollutant to new resource” with Maria Chiara Catta and Ilaria Martino; the “Microscope with benthos” curated by Deborah D’Angelo and Adele Basho and the stand “Agrifish: Would you eat a trout fed with scraps?” curated by Monica Panfili; while the “Delphi” project was presented by Flavia Scocca.
Among the other colleagues of the IRBIM of Ancona who actively participated in the organization of the Researchers’ Night under the coordination of Monica Panfili, there are Maria Chiara Catta, Deborah D’Angelo, Federico Calì, Paolo Scarpini, Angela Freddi, Lorenzo Zacchetti and Enrico Armelloni.
The event has once again demonstrated the importance of creating a bridge between research and society, promoting the dissemination of scientific culture and stimulating new generations of researchers.
IRBIM Mazara del Vallo at the G7 agriculture and fisheries
On the occasion of the G7 Agriculture and Fisheries, held from 21 to 29 September 2024 in the evocative setting of Syracuse-Ortigia, colleagues from IRBIM Mazara del Vallo attended conferences and round tables with contributions of knowledge and ideas to make Italian fishing in the changing Mediterranean more sustainable and resilient.
The G7 in Syracuse, in line with the work carried out in previous G7 Agriculture ministerial meetings, focused on the resilience and sustainability of agriculture and fisheries through the following thematic priority areas: science and innovation for adaptation to climate change and the contribution of sustainable fisheries and aquaculture to food security.
In particular, the research carried out by researchers from IRBIM Mazara del Vallo and related during the G7 focused on current issues such as the management of invasive species such as blue crabgrass and thermophilic species such as worm, the development of recovery plans for threatened resources such as sea urchins, climate change and relationship with biological resources with a focus on the management issues of special fisheries by Fabio Fiorentino; of “Strategies for the evaluation of catches and reduction of the fraction discarded in trawling” and of the “latest assessments on the state of resources in the Strait of Sicily” for the optimization of fishing practices and safeguard biodiversity by Sergio Vitale while Germana Garofalo He spoke of “natural capital and assessment of cumulative impacts”.
These contributions demonstrate how cooperation between scientific research, technological innovation and management policies is essential for a sustainable future of fisheries and aquaculture in the Mediterranean.
The initiatives presented during the G7 in Syracuse represent a tangible example of how science can offer innovative solutions for the management of fish species and the protection of marine habitats, which are essential to face the challenges posed by climate change.
Moby Litter, workshop on plastic pollution in the oceans
On September 24th at the Aula Azzurra “Mario Giordano” of the Department of Life and Environmental Sciences (DISVA) of the Polytechnic University of Marche, the fifth edition of the annual workshop “Moby Litter“. The event, which focused on the persistent problem of plastic pollution in the oceans, offered an important platform for discussion between researchers, government bodies, civil society, innovative companies and educational institutions. The freediving champion Ilaria Molinari inaugurated the workshop with a touching speech entitled “Deep Plastic”, emphasizing the profound impact of this environmental problem. The Rector, Prof. Gian Luca Gregori, reiterated the strategic importance of “Moby Litter” for the University, underlining how the event stimulates an in-depth reflection on the causes, effects and possible solutions to plastic pollution, promoting a transdisciplinary approach.
This year, the workshop took an even broader approach, integrating scientific research with art and concrete action.
Among the speakers, Daniele Silvetti (Mayor of Ancona), Vincenzo Vitale (Maritime Director of the Marche and Commander of the Port Authority of Ancona) and many other representatives of academic and research institutions.
For the CNR-IRBIM , the director Gian Marco Luna opened with institutional greetings and his colleague Elisa Punzo of the Ancona office, held a presentation entitled: “Marine Litter, challenges and opportunities in the field of Blue Growth”.
The event, part of the SHARPER – European Researchers’ Night programme, funded by the European Commission, offered a unique opportunity to deepen knowledge on plastic pollution and to discuss possible mitigation strategies. At this link the poster of the event with the details of the interventions.
FARO Campaign – Fishing impacts on Isidella elongata vulnerable marine ecosystems
September 18, 2024. The oceanographic campaign FARO (Fishing impacts on Isidella elongata vulnerable marine ecosystems) on board the research ship “Gaia Blu” of the National Research Council has started. The campaign aimed at the protection and enhancement of deep marine ecosystems: its primary objective is the identification and mapping of the so-called “soft-bottom coral gardens”, valuable habitats characterized by the presence of the black coral Isidella elongata, a species classified as “critically threatened” by the IUCN.
Through the use of advanced underwater telemetry systems, researchers on board the ship will explore the seabed of the Strait of Sicily, collecting crucial data for understanding the biodiversity associated with these delicate ecosystems and for assessing the impact of human activities.
In particular, predictive models will be used to identify areas of potential presence of black coral and high-resolution bathymetric surveys will be carried out to obtain detailed images of the seabed.
The FARO campaign, coordinated by Giorgio Castellan of CNR-ISMAR, and Valentina Lauria of CNR IRBIM in Mazara del Vallo, sees the participation of a multidisciplinary team of experts from various Italian research institutes, including CNR-Ismar, the Anton Dohrn Zoological Station in Naples and the University of Bari. For CNR IRBIM also Vincent Georges was on board.
The planned activities are part of the context of European policies for the conservation of marine biodiversity, in line with the objectives of the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 and with the recent approval of the Nature Restoration Law.
The campaign is supported by the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), as part of the activities of the National Centre for Biodiversity (NBFC).