Integrated Course: GEOLOGY and marine botany

Module ENVIRONMENTAL MARINE BOTANY

Acquisition of methodologies for the study of benthic marine flora and vegetation on hard and soft substrates, aiming at assessing and monitoring the health of marine coastal environment.

Lectures supported by power-point presentations (5 CFU=35 hours)  and observations both in nature and in laboratory (1CFU=12 hours). 

Should teaching be carried out in mixed mode or remotely, it may be necessary to introduce changes with respect to previous statements, in line with the programme planned and outlined in the syllabus.

Elements of benthic bionomics of the Mediterranean - Concept communities and identification criteria. Zonation of marine benthos. Littoral zone; mediolittoral; infralittoral; circalittoral. Macroflora marina of the Mediterranean sea: biogeographical origin and characteristics; alien species distribution; structure of the marine vegetation of hard and soft substrates. Characterisation and evaluation of a Posidonia oceanica meadows - Methods of sampling and preservation of samples - Study of the surveys and their grouping in the table - The benthic vegetation as indicator of environmental quality: indices synecological - assessment of the ecological status of waters [Framework Directive in the Field of Water (WFD 2000/60/EU)] according to the method CARLIT (Cartography of littoral and benthic communities uppersublittoral) using the biological element macroalgae. Risk factors for biodiversity: habitat destruction and fragmentation, pollution and alien species - national and international standards for the protection of macroalgae and seagrasses.

1 - MANUALE DI METODOLOGIE DI CAMPIONAMENTO E STUDIO DEL BENTHOS MARINO MEDITERRANEO. M.C. Gambi & M. Dappiano (Editori). Biologia Marina Mediterranea, vol. 10 (suppl.). 638 pp.. Genova 2003 (ISSN 1123-4245): 

1a - Capitolo 5 - M.C. Buia, M.C. Gambi, M. Dappiano. I sistemi a Fanerogame marine. Pagg. 145-198; 

1b - Capitolo 7 - M. Cormaci, G. Furnari, G. Giaccone.  Macrofitobenthos. Pagg. 263-262; 

1c - Capitolo 18 - C. Morri, D. Bellan-Santini, G. Giaccone, C.N. Bianchi. Principi di Bionomia: definizione dei popolamenti e uso dei descrittori tassonomici (Macrobenthos). Pagg. 605-634.

2 - Quaderni Habitat n. 19 - Praterie a fanerogame marine. Piante con fiori nel Mediterraneo. Ministero dell'Ambiente e della Tutela del Territorio e del Mare in collaborazione con il Museo Friulano di Storia Naturale.

3 - ISPRA, 2008 - Quaderno Metodologico sull’elemento biologico MACROALGHE e sul calcolo dello stato ecologico secondo la metodologia CARLIT.

4 - Scientific articles and slides