Marine Ecology

The research activities are focused on analysing ecosystem functioning with a particular emphasis on marine ecosystems, but also considering terrestrial environments, since recently we have started to look into soil biological quality assessment. The main research lines are:

  • Implementation of the Ecosystem Based Approach to the fisheries management, aiming to reduce the unsustainability related to the fishing activities. We identify management strategies for reducing fishing impacts through the co-creation approach, the engagement of both fishers and final consumers, and the use of labelling and certification.
  • Analysis of the nektonic community, both in lagoon and coastal areas, through the use of active acoustics method (scientific echosounders); assessment of the sea-lagoon exchanges in terms of biological material, and the effects of the possible reduction of connectivity as a result of the mobile barrier flood-defence system (MOSE) becoming operational at the lagoon inlets;
  • Ecosystem Services assessment, in aquatic and terrestrial environments, for describing and quantifying human society dependence on Nature. Particular attention is paid to the creation of scenarios to test the outcomes of different management choices.

The lab is also involved in research about the affiliation with Nature (according to the Biophilia concept by E.O. Wilson) and its possible applications within the context of outdoor education in primary schools.

Research group

Collaborators

  • Marco Anelli Monti
  • Alberto Caccin
  • Luigi Carlucci
  • Silvia Rova
  • Alice Stocco
  • Elisabetta Russo
  • Laura Basconi

Collaborations

Publications

  • TAM J.C., LINK J.S., ROSSBERG A.G., ROGERS S.I., LEVIN P.S., ROCHET5 M-J., BUNDY A., BELGRANO A., LIBRALATO S., TOMCZAK M., VAN DE WOLFSHAAR K., PRANOVI F., GOROKHOVA E., LARGE S.I., NIQUIL N., GREENSTREET S.P.R., DRUON J-N., LESUTIENE J., JOHANSEN M., PRECIADO I., PATRICIO J., PALIALEXIS A., TETT P., JOHANSEN G.O., HOULE J., RINDORF A., 2017. Towards ecosystem-based management: identifying operational food-web indicators for marine ecosystems. ICES Journal of Marine Science, 74: 2040-2052
  • ROVA S., MÜLLER F., MEIRE P., PRANOVI F., 2019. Sustainability perspectives and spatial patterns of multiple ecosystem services in the Venice lagoon: possible roles in the implementation of the EU Water Framework Directive. Ecological Indicators, 98: 556-567. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2018.11.045
  • PRANOVI F., LIBRALATO S., ZUCCHETTA M., ANELLI MONTI M., LINK J., 2020. Cumulative biomass curves describe past and present conditions of Large Marine Ecosystems. Global Change Biology, 26: 786-797. https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.14827
  • RUSSO E., ANELLI MONTI M., TONINATO G., SILVESTRI C., RAFFAETÀ A., PRANOVI F., 2021. Lockdown: how the COVID-19 pandemic affected the fishing activities in the Adriatic Sea (Western Mediterranean Sea). Frontiers in Marine Science, 8: 685808. https://doi:10.3389/fmars.2021.685808
  • ANELLI MONTI M., BRIGOLIN D., FRANZOI P., LIBRALATO S., PASTRES R., SOLIDORO C., ZUCCHETTA M., PRANOVI F., 2021. Ecosystem functioning and ecological status in the Venice lagoon, which relationships? Ecological Indicators, 133.

Equipment

  • Scientific Echosounder

Research projects

  • Valorisation of SMall-scale ARTisanal FISHery of the Adriatic coasts, in a context of sustainability (ADRISMARTFISH), Project Interreg Italia Croazia
  • ECOlogical observing System in the Adriatic Sea: oceanographic observations (ECOSS), Project Interreg Italia Croazia
  • Co-creating a decision support framework to ensure sustainable fish production in Europe under climate change (ClimeFish), Project Horizon 2020
  • Sostenibilità Integrata e Innovazione Sociale, Programma Operativo Regionale - Fondo Sociale Europeo 2014-2020 - Asse II Inclusione sociale – Strumenti di innovazione sociale – NS2 – Nuove Sfide Nuovi Servizi
  • Venezia 2021', Project CORILA
  • Valutazione dell’importanza degli scambi mare-laguna per il mantenimento degli stock ittici soggetti a sfruttamento commerciale (Exchange I e II), Project FEAMP

Last update: 14/02/2024