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This study estimated for the first time the total loads of plastic litter (macro- meso- and micro-plastics) in sediments of different habitat types from the Northern Adriatic Sea. Samples were collected in March 2016. The sampling sites were settled in shoreline, on the C. nodosa bottoms, Amphioxus sands, and Mäerl bed habitats. Microplastics items were present in all sampling site and ranging within 137-703 items/kg d.w. from Mäerl bed habitat to the shoreline. In C. nodosa bottoms 170 items/kg d.w. were found, while in Amphioxus sands were recorded on average 194 items/kg d.w. Due to the absence of statistical associations among litter levels and abundance of B. lanceolatum in the study area, this research present the needs to develop a new method and more research to for the evaluation of how much the interrelation between sensible habitats and microplastic exist.

Coastal ecosystems provide key services, but human activities and natural phenomena such as coastal erosion can strongly affect them. These changes can induce severe ecological and economic damages. This study aims to evaluate temporal changes in a protected area (Regional Park of Maremma, Southern Tuscany, Italy) in terms of both ecological and economical damage associated with ecosystem services loss observed over the period 2001–2014. Studies were performed using remote sensing as well as field verification for more critical habitat types. Results show an overall reduction of the habitat in flooded areas. During the study period total Ecosystem Services Values (ESV) decreased by more than 13% and the major contributor to that changes is loss of wetlands (net reduction of about 4.3 M US$/y), not directly beach erosion. Although this study proposes a first order approximation in terms of ESVs of considered biomes, these values are set to increase in the near future as knowledge and technologies improve. Therefore, wetlands management plans are crucial in this context, and could have much more significant effects on ecosystem efficiency and resources for future generations than beach erosion prevention.

During two surveys in 2015 and 2016, sediments samples were collected along the Ombrone river (Maremma Regional Park, province of Grosseto, Italy), in particular at its mouth and in the marine area in front of it, in order to quantify, identify and categorize plastic items (macro, meso and micro-plastics and colour, material etc.) and evaluate their potential sources. The Albegna and Osa rivers were identified as external areas of comparison. The results of the analysis showed different situations, especially as regards fluvial inputs, in addition to evidencing local provisions of plastic material derived from agricultural activities. The microplastics values per kg of sediment and the prevailing type of items found largely varied between the investigated sites (45–1069 items/kg dry sample).

This paper reports baseline levels of litter (macro, meso and microplastics) in sediments collected from different areas of the Croatian MPA of the Natural Park of Telaščica bay (Adriatic Sea, GSA n. 17). The distribution of total abundance according to size, for all analysed locations evidences that microplastics are the dominant fraction concerning item's numbers. In all analysed samples no macroplastics were found, while microplastics are 88.71% and mesoplastics are 11.29% of the total.

Il Museo di Storia Naturale della Maremma è attivo da alcuni anni nel campo della Citizen Science a livello toscano, nazionale e internazionale. Tra i soggetti fondatori della Associazione Europea di Citizen Science (ECSA), ha promosso incontri per una strategia nazionale di Citizen Science in Italia, ha partecipato attivamente alla stesura di linee guida nazionali sul tema e propone progetti di Citizen Science sul territorio toscano e delle regioni vicine. I BioBlitz sono una delle attività più note nell'ambito della Citizen Science ambientale. Nel maggio 2016 il Museo ha organizzato il proprio quarto BioBlitz presso la Zona di Protezione Speciale Lago dell'Accesa. In questa occasione sono stati raccolti dati attestanti la presenza di 784 entità tassonomiche diverse, di cui 678 sono state identificate a livello di specie e 18 a livello di sottospecie. Sono state individuate 19 specie aliene e 2 specie endemiche. Nell'area sono state rilevate 39 specie protette da leggi nazionali o internazionali e 13 specie a rischio estinzione. L'area si è confermata essere un importante hotspot per la biodiversità; futuri piani di utilizzo e valorizzazione dovranno essere sviluppati tenendo in debita considerazione la ricchezza e la fragilità in termini conservazionistici degli habitat prossimi al lago.

Il crescente interesse verso le emergenti crisi ambientali ha aumentato il livello di attenzione del pubblico e la disponibilità a prendere parte a progetti di scienza partecipata, comunemente definiti con il termine "Citizen Science". Questo fenomeno è riscontrabile a livello globale in molti contesti nazionali, con una prevalenza nei paesi anglofoni e maggiormente industrializzati. In campo naturalistico la crescente richiesta di coinvolgimento da parte del pubblico è stata declinata in molti modi diversi, con soluzioni mirate a fornire strumenti conoscitivi e partecipativi. Tra questi, uno dei più noti è il BioBlitz, un evento di 24 ore realizzato in uno specifico luogo, con lo scopo di elencare il maggior numero possibile di specie viventi. Nel presente lavoro si presentano i dati raccolti durante i primi due BioBlitz organizzati dal Museo di Sto- ria Naturale della Maremma nel 2013 e nel 2014. Entrambi sono stati realizzati nell'area dell'Oasi San Felice, in prossimità del tratto terminale del Fosso San Leopoldo. Durante i BioBlitz sono stati raccolti dati attestanti la presenza di 616 entità tassonomiche diverse, di cui 507 sono state identificate a livello di specie e 22 a livello di sottospecie. Le rimanenti sono riferibili a livelli tassonomici superiori. Sono state individuate 11 specie aliene, 1 specie endemica, 33 specie protette da leggi e/o direttive nazionali ed internazionali e 9 specie a rischio estinzione.

Il presente lavoro riporta i risultati del BioBlitz organizzato dal Museo di Storia Naturale della Maremma nel maggio 2015 all'interno del Sito di Importanza Regionale "Torrente Trasubbie". Questa attività rientra nell'ambito degli eventi di coinvolgimento del pubblico nella raccolta di dati scientifici che il Museo organizza su base regolare. Durante il BioBlitz 2015 sono stati raccolti dati attestanti la presenza di 652 entità tassonomiche diverse, di cui 562 sono state identificate a livello di specie e 32 a livello di sottospecie. Le rimanenti sono state identificate a livelli tassonomici superiori. Sono state individuate 13 specie aliene e 4 specie endemiche. Nell'area sono state rilevate inoltre 53 specie protette da leggi internazionali o nazionali e 17 specie a rischio estinzione. Il SIR Trasubbie è un'area estremamente interessante sotto il profilo naturalistico, ma estremamente vulnerabile per la sua elevata dinamicità legata al regime torrentizio dell'omonimo corso d'acqua e suscettibile ai cambiamenti di uso del suolo delle aree circostanti. I dati raccolti confermano l'elevata importanza di questa porzione di territorio a livello sia di habitat, sia di singole specie. I dati rilevati in collaborazione con i cittadini partecipanti assumono un valore ancora maggiore, in quanto parte delle attività svolte dalla comunità

Sunscreens can induce ecotoxicological effects and may cause significant impacts in the aquatic ecosystem. In spite of that, ecotoxicological responses of key marine species to sunscreens are scarcely studied in Mediterranean ecosystems, and literature data are lacking. Furthermore, changes in water salinity induced by global warming could significantly affect the ecotoxicological responses of marine species exposed to sunscreens. This research focuses on the evaluation of ecotoxicological responses of Phaeodactylum tricornutum (algae), Corophium orientalis (macroinvertebrate), and Paracentrotus lividus (echinoderms) exposed to sunscreens, which include both chemical- and physical-based. This study, also, analyzes the changes in ecotoxicological responses of the tested species linked to increase in salinity. Results showed that salinity stress significantly increases the toxicity of sunscreens on the tested marine species. Physical-based sunscreens resulted in more toxicity at higher salinity than chemical-based ones toward C. orientalis and P. tricornutum. This study evidenced that risk classifications of sunscreens recorded under standard salinity conditions could be significantly different from that recorded in the natural environment under salinity stress. The collection of a complete dataset on the ecotoxicological effects of sunscreens on marine species tested under salinity stress could be useful to correctly weigh risks for the marine environment under possible future ecological changing scenarios following the global changing driver.

This study focuses on plastic distribution levels (shape, size, colour, type) in sediments from the coastal area of Cecina (Tuscany, Italy). Samples are collected in three sampling stations along six transect settled randomly along the shoreline and along the final tract of the Cecina river. Recorded plastic size ranges within 62.51–13,462 μm (average values 1591 ± 837 μm). Microplastics ( Fiber > Granule in each of the tested sampling site. Plastic litter levels recorded in study evidence low pollution compared to the existing literature supporting the occurrence of good environmental levels in Cecina coastline for the “Marine litter” descriptor.

This study estimated the total loads of plastic litter (macro-meso- and micro-plastics) in sediments from a wide stretch of marine and coastal environment of Tyrrhenian Sea. The prevailing category of debris was microplastic. The results obtained, in terms of average amount of microplastic per kilogram of dry sediment, are in agreement with data reported by various Authors internationally. The study area resulted to be uniform for plastic items levels. Particularly evident was the influence of a flood, occurred in November 2012 in Talamone, on sediments collected at the harbour of this locality: in this area, a difference in levels and quality of plastic debris, attributable to periods before and after the flood, was observed in sediments. In addition to focusing on the effect of this phenomenon, this study gives an important overview, for what concerns the presence of plastic litter, of a significant naturalistic area.

This research aims to define for the first time levels and patterns of different litter groups (macro, meso and microplastics) in sediments from a marine area designed for the institution of a new marine protected area (Aeolian Archipelago, Italy). Microplastics resulted the principal group and found in all samples analyzed, with shape and colours variable between different sampling sites. MPs levels measured in this study are similar to values recorded in harbour sites and lower than reported in Adriatic Sea, while macroplastics levels are notably lower than in harbor sites. Sediment grain-size and island extent resulted not significant in determining levels and distribution of plastic debris among islands. In the future, following the establishment of the MPA in the study area, these basic data will be useful to check for potential protective effects on the levels and distribution of plastic debris.