Identification of Marine Biotechnology Value Chains with High Potential in the Northern Mediterranean Region.

Marine (blue) biotechnology is an emerging field enabling the valorization of new products and processes with massive potential for innovation and economic growth. In the Mediterranean region, this innovation potential is not exploited as well as in other European regions due to a lack of a clear identification of the different value chains and the high fragmentation of business innovation initiatives. As a result, several opportunities to create an innovative society are being missed. To address this problem, eight Northern Mediterranean countries (Croatia, France, Greece, Italy, Montenegro, Portugal, Slovenia and Spain) established five national blue biotechnology hubs to identify and address the bottlenecks that prevent the development of marine biotechnology in the region. Following a three-step approach (1. Analysis: setting the scene; 2. Transfer: identification of promising value chains; 3. Capitalization: community creation), we identified the three value chains that are most promising for the Northern Mediterranean region: algae production for added-value compounds, integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA) and valorization aquaculture/fisheries/processing by-products, unavoidable/unwanted catches and discards. The potential for the development and the technical and non-technical skills that are necessary to advance in this exciting field were identified through several stakeholder events which provided valuable insight and feedback that should be addressed for marine biotechnology in the Northern Mediterranean region to reach its full potential.

Do new cement-based mortars pose a significant threat to the aquatic environment?

Nowadays, the use of multi-functional mortars has increased significantly, with interesting applications in the sustainable construction. In the environment, the cement-based materials are subjected to leaching, so the assessment of potential adverse effects upon aquatic ecosystem is necessary. This study focuses on the evaluation of the ecotoxicological threat and of a new type of cement-based mortar (CPM-D) and its raw materials leachates. A screening risk assessment were performed by Hazard Quotient methods. The ecotoxicological effects were investigated by a test battery with bacteria, crustacean, and algae. Two different procedures, Toxicity test Battery Index (TBI) and Toxicity Classification System (TCS), to obtain a single value for toxicity rank were used. Raw materials showed the highest metal mobility and in particular, for Cu, Cd and V potential hazard was evidenced. Leachate toxicity assessment evidenced the highest effects linked to cement and glass while the mortar showed the lowest ecotoxicological risk. TBI procedure allows a finer classification of effect linked to materials with respect to TCS which is based on worst case approach. A safe by design approach taking into account the potential and the effective hazard of the raw materials and of their combinations could allow to achieve sustainable formulations for building materials.

Encapsulated in sediments: eDNA deciphers the ecosystem history of one of the most polluted European marine sites.

The Anthropocene is characterized by dramatic ecosystem changes driven by human activities. The impact of these activities can be assessed by different geochemical and paleontological proxies. However, each of these proxies provides only a fragmentary insight into the effects of anthropogenic impacts. It is highly challenging to reconstruct, with a holistic view, the state of the ecosystems from the preindustrial period to the present day, covering all biological components, from prokaryotes to multicellular eukaryotes. Here, we used sedimentary ancient DNA (sedaDNA) archives encompassing all trophic levels of biodiversity to reconstruct the two century-natural history in Bagnoli-Coroglio (Gulf of Pozzuoli, Tyrrhenian Sea), one of the most polluted marine-coastal sites in Europe. The site was characterized by seagrass meadows and high eukaryotic diversity until the beginning of the 20th century. Then, the ecosystem completely changed, with seagrasses and associated fauna as well as diverse groups of planktonic and benthic protists being replaced by low diversity biota dominated by dinophyceans and infaunal metazoan species. The sedaDNA analysis revealed a five-phase evolution of the area, where changes appear as the result of a multi-level cascade effect of impacts associated with industrial activities, urbanization, water circulation and land-use changes. The sedaDNA allowed to infer reference conditions that must be considered when restoration actions are to be implemented.

Heavy metal background levels and pollution temporal trend assessment within the marine sediments facing a brownfield area (Gulf of Pozzuoli, Southern Italy).

In this study, site-specific natural background levels (NBLs) were determined for 18 elements (Al, As, Be, Cd, Co, Cu, Cr, Fe, Hg, K, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Tl, U, V, and Zn) in two sediment cores collected offshore the Bagnoli-Coroglio brownfield site (Gulf of Pozzuoli, southern Italy) to accurately assess the degree of contamination and the historical trends in Heavy Metals (HMs) enrichment. This objective was pursued taking in account the high temporal and spatial variability of the geochemical properties of the area due to the local geothermal activity. Moreover, the temporal variation of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) was investigated.226Ra was used as an extraordinary marker to confirm 210Pb dating. It especially allowed defining the geochronological framework of the sediment core closer the brownfield up to around 1500, providing compelling support to correlate the investigated elements' occurrences with natural geogenic dynamic. Sediment samples were accurately dated and analyzed for chemical and particle size composition. The contamination factor (Cf) and the pollution load index (PLI) showed very high enrichment of Cd, Cu, Hg, Pb, and Zn. The contamination profiles of HMs and PAHs follow the same pattern in both sediment cores, increasing from deep to upper layers. The highest contamination levels for HMs and PAHs were observed between 10 and 30 cm, corresponding to the periods of most intense industrial activity. Decreasing trends of pollutants were observed in the surface layers (0-10 cm), probably affected by a natural attenuation process due to the cessation of industrial activities.

Gathering new knowledge from existing monitoring dataset of Campania marine coastal area (Southern Italy).

In this study we propose, a multi-step strategy of selection and characterization of long-term dataset of contaminant concentrations in different environmental matrices (i.e., water and sediment). Starting from a high quality and homogeneous dataset of chemical parameters, a selection of a usable refined dataset followed by statistical characterization and hazard assessment was performed. The database of chemical contamination data from monitoring activities in the coastal marine water area of the Campania Region (Italy) produced by the Regional Agency for Environmental Protection of Campania (ARPAC) between 2013 and 2019 was utilized. Descriptive and multivariate statistics were applied to the extracted data subset to describe spatial variability and to investigate the relationships between matrices and contaminants. In addition, the impact on the sediment matrix was considered using the contamination factor (Cf), the sediment quality guidelines (SQG), and the probability of exceedance (PoE) of given thresholds for metals and organic compounds. The results highlighted the main anthropogenic pressures between the Gulf of Pozzuoli and the Gulf of Napoli, and the potential hazard posed in particular by metals (i.e., Pb, C, and Hg), TBT, and PAHs. A wide range of As concentration along the Campania coastline and Ni occurrence in the southern part of the region, mainly attributable to geogenic origin, was also evidenced. This approach allows extracting new knowledge from large dataset systematically collected by ARPAC monitoring activity, to support possible actions of contamination control and mitigation.

Heavy metal content and potential ecological risk assessment of sediments from Khnifiss Lagoon National Park (Morocco).

Coastal lagoons are important but sensitive environments, being transitional zones between land and sea. The Khnifiss lagoon is the most important desert wetland in Morocco, but little data have been produced concerning heavy metal geochemistry and enrichments in the sediments. Therefore, 26 surface sediments (15 intertidal and 11 subtidal) and 2 sediment cores were collected in 2016 and analyzed for a selection of heavy metals. The data were processed to assess the degree of contamination and the corresponding potential ecological risk, using several accumulation/enrichment indices, and the singular and multi-metal risk indices. Mean concentrations in the bottom layers of the two cores, dating from a pre-industrial age according to geochronological analysis, were used as the local geochemical background. The resulting values were on the whole lower than those reported for other areas of the northeastern coast of Morocco. Multivariate statistics were also applied to better understand relationships among variables (metals and other geochemical parameters) and to reveal similarities among sample groups. The results showed that, although the lagoon is not yet affected by significant anthropogenic influences, small enrichments can be recognized, especially for Ni and Cd. The cause may be related to the proximity to the main national highway, the vehicles and machinery used in the saltworks located in the area, and the small harbors used principally for fishing. In addition, industrial emissions from the Atlantic coast of Morocco and adjacent countries can be reasonably attributed as additional contributors to the enrichments. In terms of potential ecological risk, Cd shows the greatest impact compared to the other metals investigated.

Risk assessment of selected priority pollutants coming from boating activities.

In this work, we evaluated the risk posed to aquatic organisms in the coastal waters of Albania and Apulia (Italy) by two priority pollutants (PPs), Irgarol 1051 and Diuron, used as biocides in antifouling paints on boat hulls. With this aim, we carried out an extensive 3-year monitoring in ports and marinas along the coasts of both countries, which showed a widespread occurrence of both PPs, with Irgarol 1051 concentrations usually being lower than the Diuron ones. The measured concentrations were compared with regulatory Environmental Quality Standards (EQS) (Directive 2008/105/EC) and used to perform a probabilistic Ecological Risk Assessment (ERA), for a thorough evaluation of the potential adverse effects upon marine ecosystem. Irgarol 1051 amounts above the Annual Average Concentration (AA-EQS, 2.5 ng/L) were often detected in Apulia and, less frequently, in Albania. Moreover, in Apulia, sometimes the Maximum Allowable Concentrations (MAC-EQS, 16 ng/L) was exceeded. In Apulia, where levels exceeded MAC/AA-EQS, ERA found not negligible probabilities of exceeding the toxicity level (6-18 %). A less critical situation was observed for Diuron whose levels were always below the MAC-EQS (1800 ng/L) in both countries and, in Albania, also below the AA-EQS (200 ng/L). On the other hand, in Apulia, this limit was exceeded in some locations. Correspondingly, ERA determined a not negligible risk in these sites (probability of exceedance 4-7 %).

First evaluation of the threat posed by antifouling biocides in the Southern Adriatic Sea.

The CARISMA project (characterization and ecological risk analysis of antifouling biocides in the Southern Adriatic Sea) aims to appraise the quality of the Southern Adriatic Sea between Italy (Apulia region) and Albania and, in particular, the impact due to the use of biocidal antifouling coatings. Under this project, a preliminary survey at the main hot spots of contamination (e.g. ports and marinas) was conducted at the end of the nautical season in 2012. Chemical seawater analyses were complemented with ecotoxicological assays and the results were analyzed by principal component analysis (PCA). As expected, PCA splits the Albanian and Italian ports, according to the different degrees of contamination indicated for the two countries by the experimental data, highlighting the most critical situation in one port of Apulia. In addition, in order to assess the potential adverse ecological effects posed by antifouling agents (i.e. tributyltin (TBT)-irgarol-diuron) on non-target marine organisms, hazard quotients (HQ) were calculated. The results showed a low risk posed by irgarol and diuron whereas the probability of adverse effects was high in the case of TBT.