No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

The giant limpet Patella ferruginea is the most endangered endemic species in the Mediterranean Sea. It is at serious risk of extinction, especially along the coast of Corsica and Italy. The small population of P. ferruginea in the marine protected area (MPA) Penisola del Sinis ‐ Isola di Mal di Ventre (W Sardinia, Italy) is an isolated unit whose preservation is critical also from the perspective of conservation genetics. This study considered the impact of illegal harvesting on the conservation status of P. ferruginea in the MPA. Site accessibility (semi‐accessible and hardly accessible) and legal protection (Zone A, B, C) were considered in two field surveys conducted in the Mal di Ventre Island in 2011 and 2013. Furthermore, Zone A was monitored annually from 2009 to 2013 to assess population dynamics and extinction risk. In summer 2013 the total population size was estimated at 310 specimens (0.016±0.005 ind m‐1) with a significant decrease compared with 2011 (–52%), mainly due to poaching. Significantly higher density was found in the hardly accessible sites (0.039±0.007 ind m‐1 in 2013) and generally in Zone A (0.042±0.009 ind m‐1 in 2013). The size distribution showed a similar pattern, with larger sized individuals in those sites with maximum legal protection and a lower degree of accessibility. Juveniles (<25 mm) were almost absent and the mean individual growth rate (2.6±0.5 mm yr‐1) was lower in comparison with other Mediterranean populations. The population viability analysis predicted that, with current rates of harvesting, P. ferruginea may face local extinction within the next 10 years. Without a joint effort towards the protection of intertidal habitats by enforcement bodies, regulators, researchers and sea users, the MPA will not achieve its conservation objectives and P. ferruginea will disappear from Mal di Ventre Island. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

No abstract

Abstract:The abundance and distribution of microplastics (MP) were evaluated in six "clean" sites (Italian minor islands) and in two "polluted" areas (near the mouth of two major Italian rivers). Samples of MP, plankton and persistent organic pollutants (POPs) were collected using a manta trawl (MA) and a plankton net (WP2), both lined with a 333 µm mesh net. MP have been confirmed to be ubiquitous since they were found at each site, showing an average density of 0.3 ± 0.04 items/m 3 (values ranged from 0.641 to 0.119 ). When comparing the clean sites with the polluted ones, a significantly higher value of MP was found near the river mouths. The most common types of MP were synthetic filaments (50.24%), followed by fragments (30.39%), thin plastic films (16.98%) and spheres (2.39%). Infrared spectroscopy analysis highlighted that the most abundant polymers were polyethylene (PE-26%), polypropylene (PP-11%), polyethylene-terephthalate/polyester (PET/PEST-8%) and ethylene-vinyl-acetate (EVA-5%). Polychlorinated biphenyls and organochlorine pesticides were detected in all the samples with a high variability among sites and depths. This study adds to the existing information on the distribution of contaminants across the Mediterranean Sea, and is useful to policy makers who wish to implement effective measures to reduce MP pollution.

Temporal trends in the recovery of exploited species in marine protected areas (MPAs) are useful for a proper assessment of the efficacy of protection measures. The effects of protection on the fish assemblages of the sublittoral rocky reefs in the “Penisola del Sinis-Isola di Mal di Ventre” MPA (W. Sardinia, Italy) were evaluated using a multi-year series of data. Four surveys, conducted 7, 10, 13 and 15 years after the area was designated as an MPA and carried out in the period spanning June and July, were used to estimate the abundance and biomass of commercial species. The surveys were carried out in zones with decreasing levels of fishing restrictions within the MPA (zones A, B, C) and in unprotected zones (OUT1 and OUT2), and underwater video visual census techniques were used. Protected zones only occasionally showed higher levels of abundance or biomass, and the trajectories of those metrics were not consistent across the years. In addition, the zone with the highest level of protection (zone A) never presented levels of abundance and biomass higher than those in zones B and C. This study shows that even 15 years after designation, protection has had no appreciable effect in the MPA studied. It is argued that this is emblematic of several shortcomings in the planning, regulation and enforcement frameworks of the MPA.