INBALANCE - INvertebrate-BActeriaL Associations as hotspots of benthic Nitrogen Cycling in Estuarine ecosystems

While traditionally, bacteria have been considered driving much of the Earth’s nitrogen (N) cycle, recent research shows that ecological interactions between meio-, macrofauna and bacteria are important in regulating N cycling in soft sediments. Thus, the INBALANCE Project aims to unveil the quantitative importance of ecological interactions between microorganisms and their benthic invertebrate hosts in regulating N cycling in shallow estuarine sediments. In particular, this project will investigate the identity and activity of bacteria associated with benthic invertebrate hosts, the most abundant functional group of meio- and macrofauna in estuarine systems, across the full range of possible interactions, from strict symbioses to casual associations.

Partners

Klaipeda University, Lithuania; Stockholm University, Sweden; Cawthron Institute, New Zealand; Università degli Studi di Parma, Italy; Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Italy.

Project Lifetime

2018 – 2021

SZN Role

Partner

SZN Principal Investigator

Ulisse Cardini

Project Coordinator

Mindaugas Zilius (Klaipeda University, Lithuania)

Funding Body

Research Council of Lithuania (LMT) under the European Social Funds (ESF) programme

ABBaCo - Restauro Ambientale e Balneabilità del SIN Bagnoli-Coroglio

Approccio ecosistemico alla pesca ed acquacoltura sostenibile

COCONET - Towards COast to COast NETworks of marine protected areas (from the shore to the high and deep sea), coupled with sea-based wind energy potential

DiaEdit

EMBRIC - European Marine Biological Research Infrastructure Cluster

HEATGRASS - Tolerance to HEAT stress induced by climate change in the seaGRASS Posidonia oceanica

RECCAM - Seagrass Meadows resilience to global warming: an analysis based on responses at ecophysiological, population and ecosystem levels

An holistic understanding of seagrass functioning and resilience to local-scale disturbances: from molecular to biogeographical scales

Summary

The physiological and ecological performance of ‘ecosystem engineers’ (e.g. seagrasses, kelps, corals) change from local to biogeographical scales, in response to contemporary and past processes. Understanding the resilience of ‘ecosystem engineers’ is particularly essential, because the type and number of human-induced disturbances has dramatically increased and global climate change is concurrently imposing high stress levels. The elements that contribute to the resilience of ‘ecosystem engineers’ are majorly unknown, and, therefore, represent a major challenge for modern ecology. The purpose of this proposal is to empirically assess whether genetic diversity, physiological versatility and ecological stability and resilience of an ‘ecosystem engineer’ (here, the seagrass Cymodocea nodosa) are connected from local to biogeographical scales. The implications of this proposal are relevant from a conservation perspective; if this study demonstrates that the resilience of species changes across the species’ distribution range, then conservation policies should be adapted to different regions according to the species capacity to overcome disturbances.

SZN role

Participant Institution involved in the genetic characterization of Cymodocea nodosa populations, and in the assessment of gene expression in controlled conditions.

Principal Investigator

Gabriele Procaccini

Project coordinator

Fernando Tuya Cortés (Universidad De Las Palmas De Gran Canaria)

Project lifetime

2016-2018

Funding Institution

Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad - Spain

Partners

Universidad De Las Palmas De Gran Canaria, Spain; Universidad De Las Islas Baleares, Spain; Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Italy

Restauro Ambientale e Balneabilità del SIN Bagnoli-Coroglio

Summary

Dismissed industrial activities are responsible for persistent environmental degradation, mainly due to long-term accumulation of xenobitic contaminants in the environment. Such a chronic form of pollution represents a major threat for human health, biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. Necessary environmental remediation practices should however be coupled to restoration plans aiming at revert the degradation trend and give back healthy areas able to provide valuable ecosystem goods and services. Albeit fully integrated into the EU Restoration Agenda, marine environmental restoration is a new challenging issue in ecology, with Italy coordinating MERCES, the first European project in this field. The environmental restoration of Bagnoli-Coroglio Bay is a unique challenge at European level. ABBACO will develop new approaches for the removal and remediation of contaminated sediments and restoration of marine habitats. Actions include: i) identifying the environmental benchmark of the area; ii) assessing its present health status, iii) studying the effects of contaminated sediments on biodiversity and ecosystem functioning (MSFD), iv) assessing the combined effects of multiple stress at a hierarchical level; (v) experimenting innovative methods of transplantation and restoration of key species and habitats, and new biotechnological instruments for the remediation of sediments (bioremediation, bioaugmentation) in degraded habitats. ABBACO will provide novel expertise and stimulate new initiatives within the Blue Economy Agenda. The project results will be achieved by the actions of 6 intermingled work packages (WPs): WP1 Historic overview of the environmental status; WP2 Assessment of contamination and multiple environmental impact; WP3 Effects on biodiversity and ecosystem functioning; WP4 Holistic approach to the study of multiple stress and risk reduction; WP5 Pilot studies of restoration and rehabilitation; WP6 Evaluating the effects of restoration and rehabilitation procedures; WP0 Project management

What we do

We are coordinator of the project and play a key role in each of the 6 project’s WPs.

Partners

1) Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Napoli; 2) Istituto Superiore di Sanità (ISS); 3) Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV); 4-5) Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR-ISAC, CNR IAMC); 6) Agenzia Nazionale per le Nuove Tecnologie, l'Energia e lo Sviluppo Economico Sostenibile (ENEA); 7) Università Politecnica delle Marche; 8-9) Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II (DiB, DICEA); 10) Università degli Studi della Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”; 11) Università degli Studi di Napoli “Parthenope; 12) Consorzio Nazionale Interuniversitario per le Scienze del Mare (CoNISMa)

Research Area

Multidisciplinary Science

Project Lifetime

8th March 2017 to 7th March 2020

SZN Role

Coordinator

Principal Investigators

Luigi Musco, Vincenzo Saggiomo

Co-Principal Investigator

Lucia Rizzo

SZN people involved

Researchers: Bertocci I (WP4 co-leader), Bottaro M, Cardini U, Carotenuto Y, Castellano I, Costantini M, Crocetta F, D'Ambra I, Ferrante M, Hochscheid S, Locascio A, Marin Guirao L, Munari M, Pepi M, Rastelli E, Ristoratore F, Sansone C, Stefanni S, Zupo V
Experienced Researchers: Brunet C, Buia MC, Casotti R, Gambi MC, Iudicone D, Mazzocchi MG, Montresor M, Procaccini G (WP5 leader), Romano G, Sordino P, Spagnuolo A, Tosti E (WP4 co-leader)
Senior Researchers: Palumbo A, Ribera D’Alcalà M, Santella L, Zingone A (WP3 co-leader)
Associate Researchers: Badalamenti F, Vicinanza D, Vega Fernàndez T (WP1 leader)
Technologists: Conversano F, Margiotta F (WP3 co-leader), Patti FP, Sarno D, Terlizzi F, Toscano A, Saggiomo M
Experienced Technologists: Cirino P
Technicians: Cannavacciuolo M, Di Capua I, Lanzotti G, Passarelli A, Zazo G
Post doc: Gallo A, Guglielmo S, Morroni L (many others to be involved soon)
PhD Students: Dell’Anno F

Funding Institution

MIUR - Fondo Integrativo Speciale per la Ricerca (determina CIPE - GU n.56 8.3.2017)
Contribution to SZN: €2,000,000 (MIUR contribution) plus €1,700,000 (SZN co-financing contribution)