Ecotoxicology

BLUES - Unveiling the hidden role in BLUE carbon Sink of lagoon angiosperm meadows and associated biostructuring biota

The long-term sequestration of atmospheric carbon in “blue carbon” ecosystems is an important strategy for climate change mitigation. Carbon stored in coastal and marine ecosystems, particularly in seagrass meadows, is captured by organisms and stored as biomass and sediments.
The BLUES project focuses on seagrass meadows in the Northern Adriatic to assess their current and potential capacity to capture and accumulate carbon dioxide in the form of organic and inorganic carbon.
The project will assess carbon sequestration in meadows composed of four different seagrass species and in the biostructuring biota closely associated with these meadows. This biota, made up of various animal and plant organisms, uses carbon dioxide to form shells and external structures and it depends both on the existence of the meadow and on the type of angiosperm that forms the meadows. Furthermore, since the carbon sequestration capacity of seagrass meadows can vary between different species and even within meadows of the same species in different lagoons, it is essential to obtain site-specific carbon storage values.
In order to develop a comprehensive understanding of aquatic seagrass meadows, the project aims to collect data concerning both their spatial extent and ecological condition as well as the ecosystem services related to carbon sequestration and storage. The extent will be determined using high-resolution multispectral imagery to produce multitemporal maps. The condition will be assessed by measuring state metrics and pressure metrics, related to both the water column and sediment, that influence the condition of the meadows. Carbon sequestration and storage will be assessed by quantifying the carbon stored in the plant biomass (leaves, rhizomes and roots) of aquatic seagrasses, in epiphytic organisms (animals and plants) and in sediments considering both organic (microalgae, macroalgae, associated biota and debris) and inorganic (carbonates) forms. 
The study sites will be four locations in the Venice Lagoon, characterized by meadows of Cymodocea nodosa, Zostera marina, Zostera noltei and Ruppia cirrhosa, and two locations in the Po Delta lagoons, characterized by meadows of Ruppia cirrhosa (one site with "natural" meadows and one site with meadows "restored" by the Life Transfer project). Aboveground and belowground plant biomass and sediment samples up to 30 cm depth, will be collected quarterly at each site. Whereas, the mobile epifauna within the meadow and the infauna present in the sediments, will be sampled twice a year in the same sites.

DuraSoft - Innovative technologies to improve the durability of traditional wooden structures in socio-ecologically sensitive environments

Over millennia, in the Italian lagoons and in the Slovenian highlands, fishing and agro-pastoral activities have produced unique house forms in which wood is dominant. They are associated with wooden service infrastructures such as fences, piers and moorings. In humid mountain and coastal environments the existence of these structures and their associated cultural heritage was made possible only by a constant maintenance which, nowadays, is no longer economically sustainable. Hence, to counter the massive and rapid degradation of wood, impacting preservatives and unsuitable materials have been used. The project therefore aims to test some innovative techniques and products, developed and produced by the partners, which increase the durability of traditional wood species, especially softwood. The wood treated in this way could be used in traditional buildings located in Socio-ecologically sensitive environments within the Alpine-maritime Adriatic area, making its use economically and environmentally sustainable. The environmental compatibility of these techniques will be assessed in the light of the most recent scientific knowledge and protocols developed by the partners and transferable to the entire program area.

Website: https://www.ita-slo.eu/it/durasoft

EMERGE - Evaluation, control and Mitigation of the EnviRonmental impacts of shippinG Emissions

The EMERGE project aims to comprehensively quantify and evaluate the effects of several potential emission reduction technologies for shipping in Europe and provide recommendations and guidance on the most suitable, effective and cost-beneficial options to significantly reduce marine pollution. This activity will include the collection of experimental data and the development of an integrated modelling framework to assess the combined impacts on the aquatic and atmospheric environments of air emissions and waste streams of ships equipped with several potential emission control technologies.

Website: https://emerge-h2020.eu/

NANORESTART - NANOmaterials for the REStoration of works of ART

NANORESTART is a H2020 project involving 26 international partners which aims to develop sustainable nanotechnologies for the conservation of modern and contemporary art. New nanotechnological formulations will be developed for the following operations: cleaning of plastic and pictorial surfaces, consolidation of canvases and pictorial layers, removal of unwanted materials and protection of works of art in museums and outdoor areas. These formulations will be tested, as part of the project, on numerous case studies.

Website: http://www.nanorestart.eu/