Movement patterns analysis as a tool in Fully Protected Areas design: Influence of relocations on travelled distances of Palinurus elephas (Fabr. 1787) in Sardinian FPAs (central-western Mediterranean).

Effectiveness of restocking programs in Marine Fully Protected Areas' (FPAs) can be highly affected by the movement behavior of the species to protect. We analyzed the data of 744 Palinurus elephas specimens tagged, relocated inside 12 FPAs, established in the seas surrounding Sardinia (central-western Mediterranean), and then recaptured. The overall aims were to characterize the individuals' movements after the relocation and to discuss strengths and weaknesses of the current FPAs' design. Almost 80% of tagged individuals travelled progressively increasing distances, as a function of the release distance, up to a maximum value of 11,500 m. Then, for larger release distances, individuals' mobility appeared reduced and more chaotic. A similar trend was found analyzing the distances travelled with respect to the FPAs with the highest number of recaptured individuals and to the size. These results allow to establish a threshold limit of the release distance, to take into account when designing FPAs, as a useful tool to keep a portion of the individuals into FPAs' borders, in order to both preserve the species and guarantee a spillover of individuals in the commercial areas.

Reconciling the economic and biological fishery data gathered through the European Data Collection Framework: A new R-tool.

Fishing fleets and targeted stocks are the basis for the design of multiannual management plans at European or Mediterranean levels. Management Strategy Evaluation and bioeconomic modeling need data at a specific level of resolution in terms of time, area and type of fishing activity for analyzing measures for management procedures using simulations. Within the Data Collection Framework, data are to be aggregated at different levels, e.g.: fleet segment and métier, the former linked to the predominant gear and the size of the vessel and the latter to the activity itself. Fishing costs are collected by fleet segment, effort and landings by fleet segment and métier. Bioeconomic modeling for management purposes requires data at the same resolution. The aim of this paper is to describe a methodology, implemented in SECFISH R package, to disaggregate variable cost data from the fleet segment to the métier level. The presented tool allows to determine the correlation between the variable costs of a vessel and its activities to estimate costs at the activity level (e.g. métiers). The tool is applied to selected Italian fleet segments characterized by a variety of métiers and high dynamicity.

A holistic approach to the age validation of Mullus barbatus L., 1758 in the Southern Adriatic Sea (Central Mediterranean).

The growth of Mullus barbatus has been widely studied using different methods, but no previous study has focused on age validation. The uncertainty in estimating the age of the red mullet by otolith reading is linked to the number of false-growth increments laid down before the annulus. The capture of red mullets in the early life stage allowed us to estimate their size at the metamorphosis from the pelagic to the demersal phase. The comparison between the metamorphosis size and the back-calculated length of the first growth increment clarified the position of the false growth increment on the otolith. Moreover, the analyses of the otolith marginal increments in adult and juvenile specimens allowed us to define the deposition patterns of their annuli. The modal components of the length-frequency distribution analysis (LFDA) were identified in the winter survey (ELEFAN and Bhattacharya methods), and they did not show significant differences from the length back-calculation of the annuli. Moreover, no significant differences were found between the growth curves calculated by otolith reading (back-calculation and direct otolith reading) and the LFDA. The agreement between the length-frequency results and the otolith age estimation either corroborated or indirectly validated the growth pattern estimated in the otoliths of the red mullet, mainly when the direct validation methods (e.g. mark-recapture, captivity, radiochemical) were difficult to implement, like the case of this species. The comparison of the results of the present work to previous Mediterranean studies showed agreement with the slow growth pattern.

Large-Scale Spatio-Temporal Patterns of Mediterranean Cephalopod Diversity.

Species diversity is widely recognized as an important trait of ecosystems' functioning and resilience. Understanding the causes of diversity patterns and their interaction with the environmental conditions is essential in order to effectively assess and preserve existing diversity. While diversity patterns of most recurrent groups such as fish are commonly studied, other important taxa such as cephalopods have received less attention. In this work we present spatio-temporal trends of cephalopod diversity across the entire Mediterranean Sea during the last 19 years, analysing data from the annual bottom trawl survey MEDITS conducted by 5 different Mediterranean countries using standardized gears and sampling protocols. The influence of local and regional environmental variability in different Mediterranean regions is analysed applying generalized additive models, using species richness and the Shannon Wiener index as diversity descriptors. While the western basin showed a high diversity, our analyses do not support a steady eastward decrease of diversity as proposed in some previous studies. Instead, high Shannon diversity was also found in the Adriatic and Aegean Seas, and high species richness in the eastern Ionian Sea. Overall diversity did not show any consistent trend over the last two decades. Except in the Adriatic Sea, diversity showed a hump-shaped trend with depth in all regions, being highest between 200-400 m depth. Our results indicate that high Chlorophyll a concentrations and warmer temperatures seem to enhance species diversity, and the influence of these parameters is stronger for richness than for Shannon diversity.

The seascape of demersal fish nursery areas in the North Mediterranean Sea, a first step towards the implementation of spatial planning for trawl fisheries.

The identification of nursery grounds and other essential fish habitats of exploited stocks is a key requirement for the development of spatial conservation planning aimed at reducing the adverse impact of fishing on the exploited populations and ecosystems. The reduction in juvenile mortality is particularly relevant in the Mediterranean and is considered as one of the main prerequisites for the future sustainability of trawl fisheries. The distribution of nursery areas of 11 important commercial species of demersal fish and shellfish was analysed in the European Union Mediterranean waters using time series of bottom trawl survey data with the aim of identifying the most persistent recruitment areas. A high interspecific spatial overlap between nursery areas was mainly found along the shelf break of many different sectors of the Northern Mediterranean indicating a high potential for the implementation of conservation measures. Overlap of the nursery grounds with existing spatial fisheries management measures and trawl fisheries restricted areas was also investigated. Spatial analyses revealed considerable variation depending on species and associated habitat/depth preferences with increased protection seen in coastal nurseries and minimal protection seen for deeper nurseries (e.g. Parapenaeus longirostris 6%). This is partly attributed to existing environmental policy instruments (e.g. Habitats Directive and Mediterranean Regulation EC 1967/2006) aiming at minimising impacts on coastal priority habitats such as seagrass, coralligenous and maerl beds. The new knowledge on the distribution and persistence of demersal nurseries provided in this study can support the application of spatial conservation measures, such as the designation of no-take Marine Protected Areas in EU Mediterranean waters and their inclusion in a conservation network. The establishment of no-take zones will be consistent with the objectives of the Common Fisheries Policy applying the ecosystem approach to fisheries management and with the requirements of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive to maintain or achieve seafloor integrity and good environmental status.

Control of hepatitis A by universal vaccination of children and adolescents: an achieved goal or a deferred appointment?

Temporal trends of Hepatitis A cases and vaccination coverage data against Hepatitis A Virus have been investigated to analyse the impact of the universal routine vaccination strategy more than 10 years from its introduction in Puglia (region of Southern Italy). The basic reproductive number (R(0)) before vaccination introduction and the effective reproductive number (R(e)) after introduction have been calculated. A progressive decrease in incidence has been recorded in Puglia during last 10 years. Vaccination coverage is actually 64.8% (95% CI: 52.7-76.9%) for children aged 12-24 months and of 67.6% (95% CI: 58.4-76.8%) for 12-year-old adolescents. R(0) estimated in 1996 was 2.01; actually R(e) is 0.651. Theoretical age at infection is 31.82 years. Universal routine vaccination aimed at the control of direct transmission remains the milestone in the strategy for the containment of the disease in settings at an intermediate level of endemicity.