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The need for ecological knowledge synthesis and availability, with an open science perspective, requires the application of good information management approaches, providing the capacity to discover, access, interpret, process and distribute data. Access to information both reliable and interoperable among different providers is essential to address key environmental challenges, most of them requiring analyses of long-term trends, identification of drivers and provision of options for mitigation and adaptation. To this purpose, a collective effort among producers of ecological data, information managers and users (in science, policy and business) is needed. Within this general and relevant context, that is driving many processes, initiatives and projects at the European and global level, practical examples of collaboration are needed.. In this work we present a case study, resulting from the cooperation between marine LTER (Long Term Ecological Research) ecologists working in one of the LTER-Italy sites (the Gulf of Venice), extended from the northern Adriatic areas to the south of the Po delta river, and the data manager group working in the national flagship project RITMARE. The process of data mining and harmonization concerned 50 years (1965-2015) of observations on pelagic abiotic factors and phytoplankton in the Gulf of Venice. The information on this database is made available, for discovery and access, by the suite software Get-It StarterKit , developed by CNR within the project RITMARE specifically for the marine community. The relevant results, opportunities and weaknesses of this cooperation as well as the main implications for the wider LTER and marine community are illustrated, together with some examples of the management of this long-term dataset developed within the RITMARE SP7.

This project systematically examines the bivalve dredging process and its physiological and ecological consequences. The literature on ecology and population dynamics of the target species, dredge design and fisheries and the environmental effects of dredging and selectivity of dredging is reviewed. A programme of experimental work, both laboratory and field studies is described in scallop and clam dredge fisheries in European waters; scallop species (UK, France) Pecten maximus, Aequipecten opercularis, clam species (Italy; N. Adriatic) Chamelea gallina, clam species (Portugal) Spisula solida, Donax trunculus, Callista chione. Selectivity measures and dredge design are examined for their consequences in terms of environmental effects. Studies included physical, chemical and biological effects both at individual and community level, and selectivity of dredging. These studies include the use of instrumentation and modelling to describe physical effects and behavioural observations, stress and damage indices, both acute and chronic, to describe environmental effects. In the discussion measurement of environmental effects and selectivity are discussed along with the environmental effects of selectivity parameters, dredge designs and responses to fishing effort. The results are discussed in the context of dredge fishery management.

Fast sedimentatio of fine grained riverborne suspended matter occurs in the prodelta zone of the Adige River mouthdue to deceleration of river flow and spreading into the low-energy environment in front of the river mouth. Process is probably associated with flocculation processin brackish water.