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.
Category: Uncategorized
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).
Mass mortality of the wild mussel of the Conero
Researchers from the CNR IRBIM in Ancona have documented a drastic mass mortality event of the wild mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis) along the Conero Riviera.
The event follows the occurrence of prolonged marine heat waves, recorded by the buoys of the CNR IRBIM, with sea temperature peaks above 30 degrees Celsius and extensive mucilage phenomena.
The massive mortality of these mussels has caused deep concern among experts and the local population.
The CNR-IRBIM Marine Weather Observation Network, consisting of buoys and beacons in the Adriatic Sea, has made it possible to record the exceptionally high and prolonged water temperatures.
There is still no certain data on the extent of the phenomenon, but the event does not seem to be limited to the Ancona area alone and mass die-offs are reported in various areas of the Adriatic Sea, both in wild populations and farmed populations.
The disappearance of the mussel in the Monte Conero area represents a loss for the local gastronomy, with socio-economic and cultural implications, as mosciolo fishing is an integral part of local history and traditions.
At the same time, it also represents an alarming signal for the entire coastal ecosystem.
The mussel, in fact, plays a fundamental role in the purification of water and in the regulation of marine communities, and its disappearance could have significant repercussions on the biodiversity and functionality of coastal ecosystems.
The death of mussels in the Conero area is therefore a wake-up call that reminds us of the importance of protecting our marine environment, hence also the commitment of CNR IRBIM to support institutions and citizens to face the challenges posed by climate change and to ensure the sustainability of our marine resources.
The video, conceived by Ernesto Azzurro, Luca Bolognini and Gian Marco Luna, is available here.
PELASeam campaign on the CNR-Gaia Blu ship
On Monday, July 23, 2024, the “PELASeam” Pelagic Sea Mountain campaign began. The campaign is coordinated by Fabio Campanella together with Andrea Miccoli of the CNR-Institute for Biological Resources and Marine Biotechnology in Ancona. It will last about two weeks with the aim of exploring the pelagic productivity, biodiversity and ecological roles of two seamounts in the Tyrrhenian Sea, “Vercelli” and “Vavilov”. Numerous researchers from the various CNR IRBIM centres are involved in the campaign, namely: Martina Scanu, Daniel Li Veli, Federico Calí, Sara Bonanomi, Alessandra Campanelli, Giuseppe Caccamo, Rocco De Marco, Claudia Sacchetti, Gaspare Avanzati, Monica Panfili, Luca Bolognini, Deborah D’Angelo and Maria Chiara Catta. The campaign is the result of the collaboration with the CNR-ISMAR – Institute of Marine Sciences, CNR-ISP of Polar Sciences, the Polytechnic University of Marche, the University of Palermo and the OGS – National Institute of Oceanography and Experimental Geophysics, thanks also to the technical support of the University of Padua. In the vicinity of the two submerged mountains, water samples will be collected for the analysis of the chemical and physical component and biological samples will be collected through plankton net, to examine biodiversity at various levels of the marine food chain. On board the Gaia Blu, acoustic, optical and visual observations will be carried out to study the marine fauna and its interactions, and large volumes of water will be filtered on board for the study of the animal community present in the immediate vicinity of the mountains, through environmental DNA analysis. The information will contribute to a greater understanding of seamounts and their role in supporting marine biodiversity: this will also allow the development of strategies for the sustainable management of resources, all under the auspices of the NBFC-National Biodiversity Future Centre.
Sustainability and resilience of Italian fisheries in the changing Mediterranean
The Mediterranean Sea, characterized by unique biodiversity and a long fishing history, today faces a series of environmental and socio-economic pressures. Climate change is altering the distribution patterns of marine species, with significant impacts on their abundance and availability. Overfishing, coastal pollution and urbanisation of marine areas are additional threats that threaten the health of marine ecosystems and the sustainability of fisheries. Italy, which has one of the oldest fishing traditions in the Mediterranean, is at the heart of these changes, trying to balance the conservation of marine resources with the needs of fishing that is both economical and sustainable. IRBIM researchers have been engaged for years in the assessment of fisheries resources to ensure the long-term resilience of the sector and the sustainability of key species. During the 53rd SIBM congress held at the CNR headquarters in Rome, during the session dedicated to “Environmental Impacts”, Fabio Fiorentino (research manager at IRBIM CNR in Mazara del Vallo) presented a presentation on the topic “Sustainability and resilience of Italian fisheries in the changing Mediterranean”. Given the topic of interest and thanks to the permission of Dr. Fabio Fiorentino, the slides are published at the previous link to make them available to all IRBIM researchers and other interested parties.
In memory of Marino Vacchi
On 11 June, at the age of 74, Marino Vacchi passed away in Genoa. He was a fine ichthyologist, an accurate researcher, trained at the Genoese school of Italian marine biology.
Marino, under the guidance of Dino Levi, and together with Alvaro Abella, Patrizia Jereb, Sergio Ragonese and Franco Andaloro, has established at the CNR of Mazara del Vallo one of the founding nuclei of the biology of Italian fisheries, developing since 1985 the approaches based on experimental fishing campaigns, trawl surveys, and population dynamics to assess the state of demersal resources of Italian fisheries.
One of his first works in Mazara on the sexual maturity of the red shrimp Aristaeomorpha foliacea in the Strait of Sicily, written together with Dino Levi, but in which the scientific background gained in Genoa is recognizable, is still a useful reference for the subject in the Mediterranean. He participated in the first fishing campaigns in the Strait of Sicily since the spring of 1985, contributing to the establishment of the historical series on the distribution, abundance and demography of demersal resources among the most important in the Mediterranean. Another founding nucleus, more oriented towards pelagic resources and fishing technology, was that of Ancona. Both sites, merged into the Institute for Biological Resources and Marine Biotechnology (IRBIM), are currently the cornerstones of fisheries sciences in the Mediterranean.
The experience gained in Mazara del Vallo in this first phase of his professional career has provided Marino with an important opportunity to deepen the knowledge on elasmobranchs already gained since the time of his degree thesis on a small bathyal shark, Etmopterus spinax. Over time, Marino has become one of the leading experts on elasmobranchs in the Mediterranean. He was co-author of the Italian RedList of cartilaginous fishes, gave his fundamental contribution to the compilation of the checklist of chondroichthys of the Italian seas and contributed to the conservation actions of these fish vulnerable to fishing pressure under the aegis of the International Union for the Conservation of the Nature (IUCN).
After leaving the CNR, he worked at ICRAM, participating since the first expeditions in the National Research Program in Antarctica and actively participating in the study of the biology of Antarctic organisms, with particular reference to fish, also in collaboration with researchers from the Ancona office of CNR IRBIM. In recent years Marino has worked as a CNR associate at the Institute for the Study of Anthropic Impacts and Sustainability in the Marine Environment (IAS) in Genoa. Driven by a genuine naturalistic curiosity and a deep love for the sea, in addition to these important specific lines of research that have seen him as a protagonist, Marino collaborated with numerous researchers from different disciplines all related to marine biology and ecology, as evidenced by his vast scientific and popular production.
With his passing, we have lost a colleague capable of both accurate specialist investigations and multidisciplinary approaches to the dynamics of marine ecosystems.
Written by Pietro Rizzo, Fabrizio Serena, Sergio Vitale, Fabio Fiorentino
National Biodiversity Forum organized by the National Biodiversity Future Center (NBFC)
On 20, 21 and 22 May, the National Biodiversity Forum, organized by the National Biodiversity Future Center (NBFC), was held. Hosted by the University of Palermo, over 600 researchers from all over Italy discussed sensitive issues such as the restoration of degraded areas, nature conservation, the relationship between nature and well-being and the development of effective tools to prevent biodiversity loss. The ultimate goal of the NBFC is to conserve, restore, monitor and enhance Italian and Mediterranean biodiversity. During the two days, the plenary sessions welcomed the reports of expert Italian researchers on the following topics: The state of biodiversity in Italy, Threats to biodiversity, Invasive and endemic species, Biodiversity Restoration, Innovative technologies for biodiversity monitoring. This was followed by 5-minute presentations of a selection of posters. In addition, round tables were held in parallel sessions on Biodiversity Enhancement: Bioprospecting for Human Health and Biodiversity for Productive Activities; Research and innovation in biodiversity in NBFC; and technical tables on: Conservation, Citizen Citizen Science and Biodiversity Expert. In the final phase, prizes were awarded as “career recognition” for renowned scientists, the 15 best posters were awarded and awards were given also to 8 Spokes leaders including IRBIM Director Gian Marco Luna, leader of Spoke 2 together with his colleague Prof. Maria Chiara Chiantore. Also present at the event were the president of the CNR Maria Chiara Carrozza, IRBIM heads Luca Bolognini and Sergio Vitale and several IRBIM researchers from Mazara Del Vallo, Ancona and Messina. During the days, the Italian scientific community shared the most significant results of the latest research on the theme of biodiversity and in front of the more than 300 posters, rich exchanges of experiences and possible collaborations were held. Finally, on May 22nd, recognized worldwide as the “International Day for Biological Diversity“, the Biodiversity Gateway was presented, a gateway of access and connection dedicated to supporting the design of concrete international scientific and technological collaborations concerning the Mediterranean. Among the promoters of the Gateway – NBFC, in addition to the University of Palermo and Arpa, the CNR plays a fundamental role as coordinator of the project. You can watch the event on the NBFC channel and find the detailed program, information material and posters presented on the NBFC page dedicated to the National Biodiversity Forum 2024.
National Fisheries Data Collection Program
The National Fisheries Data Collection Program (PNRDA), of that IRBIM CNR is coordinator, provides for the collection and management of biological, environmental, technical and socio-economic data needed for fisheries management purposes. It is formulated under the relevant EU legislation, establishing a Community framework for the collection, management and use of data in the fisheries sector and support for scientific advice related to the Common Fisheries Policy (Data Collection Framework – Regulation (EU) 2017/1004). The acquisition and management of this data is funded by the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF). The fundamental purpose of this Programme is to provide national and european administrations, as well as regional fisheries management agencies such as the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean(GFCM)and the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tuna (ICCAT), with biological, environmental, technical and socio-economic data and appropriate tools to undertake actions and adopt management measures in line with the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP). The data to be collected cover a wide range of topics (biological, technical, environmental and socio-economic) and activities (professional, recreational, sport fishing and different types of fishing gear and methods). The work plan includes the procedures and methods to be used for the collection and analysis of data as well as for the estimation of their accuracy and precision. Protocols and methods for collecting and monitoring data are in accordance with quality standards established by international scientific institutions and regional fisheries management organisations.
For the year 2024, the start of the program was given through the Kick off meeting that took place at the Marconi Hall of the CNR headquarters. During the meeting, the activities planned for the year 2024 and some technical-administrative procedures of the Data Collection were presented; the structuring of the work in thematic Working Groups was also discussed. The meeting in Rome was attended by representatives of the CNR-IRBIM from the sites of Ancona, Messina and Mazara del Vallo, including the Director Gian Marco Luna and the coordinator of the PLNRDA Enrico Arneri, from the Ancona site. Present in the meeting room for the initial greetings were the President of the CNR Maria Chiara Carrozza, the Director of the Department of Earth System Sciences and Technologies for the Environment (CNR-Dsstta) Fabio Trincardi, and the Director of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forests (MASAF) Maria Vittoria Briscolini. Also present were several representatives of the program partners, such as AGER-Coldiretti, CIBM, Cnr-Ias, Cnr-Irea, Cnr-Irpps, COISPA, CONISMA, Federpesca, NISEA, Oceanis, Retemare and UNIMAR.
Symposium “Biodiversity Change in the Anthropocene: Research Priorities”
On 10 and 11 April 2024, the Symposium “Biodiversity Change in the Anthropocene: priorities in research” was held at the Fano Marine Center, a fruitful meeting between experts dealing with biodiversity in Italy, both in the terrestrial and aquatic fields. The keynote lecture by Grégoire Dubois, head of the Knowledge Centre for Biodiversity (KCBD), Joint Research Centre of the European Commission, Ispra (VA) introduced the theme of “Reverting biodiversity loss by 2030: all for one policy and one for all policies”. This was followed by 46 oral communications divided in three sessions: examples of change; predictions of change; tools, actions and change management. A specific session, the “PhD spot”, was dedicated to PhD students funded and co-funded by the National Research Council to allow even the youngest researchers to discuss the key issue of biodiversity change. The poster communications reached a total of 78 contributions, also articulated in the three sessions. With a view to the complete sharing of contents, the symposium web page contains: the detailed agenda, the recording of the event and all the oral scientific communications and from it it is also possible to consult the posters. The event was organized by the Biodiversity Working Group (WG) of the CNR and CNR-IRBIM of Ancona in collaboration with the Fano Marine Center, Lifewatch Italia and the National Biodiversity Future Center. In particular, the organizing committee was composed by the CNR-IRBIM members: Ernesto Azzurro, Sara Bonanomi, Pierluigi Strafella, Marina Chiappi, Fabrizio Moro, Paolo Scarpini, Rocco de Marco, Andrea Miccoli and Mattia Betti. The event received a remarkable interest, with a total of about 200 participants and well over 50 remote connections. Participants had the opportunity to discuss biodiversity changes, intervening with questions during oral communications and discussing in the poster session permanently open in the hall of the Fano Marine Centre. The symposium’s strategy also included, from the moment of registration, the collection of individual proposals to improve research activities on biodiversity changes; these proposals were then subjected to a real evaluation by all congress participants with real-time voting. The thematic tables were also used to elaborate the conclusions of the individual sessions and all these experiences of sharing and debate will flow into a list of concrete recommendations to prioritize biodiversity research. The organizers and participants of the symposium demonstrated a deep commitment to addressing the health of the Planet and protecting natural resources. For more information and updates, please consult the symposium page.Photo Courtesy by Fabrizio Lecce (CPM – Centro di Produzione Multimediale – Università del Salento and LifeWatching).