Paolo Sartor

• Centre for Theoretical and Applied Ecology

Otolith biometry is a useful tool for the identification of population characteristics. Relationships between fish size and otolith measures in common pandora, Pagellus erythrinus (Linnaeus, 1758), were analyzed in the Ligurian Sea and northern Tyrrhenian Sea. The analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used to test the differences between male and fem...

Marine biodiversity monitoring in the Mediterranean’s increasingly threatened ecosystems is crucial for effective ecosystem conservation and management. Here, we leveraged the Mediterranean International Trawl Survey program (MEDITS) to implement eDNA sampling through the recently tested ‘metaprobe’ procedure and characterize fish assemblages in th...

In the Mediterranean Sea, the blackbellied angler, Lophius budegassa Spinola, 1807, represents a relevant fraction of the commercial by-catch of bottom trawling and small-scale fisheries that use passive gears (e.g., set nets, bottom longlines, etc.). Despite its importance, there are no comprehensive studies on the population dynamics of this spec...

Worldwide, states are gazetting new Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) to meet the international commitment of protecting 30% of the seas by 2030. Yet, protection benefits only come into effect when an MPA is implemented with activated regulations and actively managed through continuous monitoring and adaptive management. To assess if actively managed M...

The workshop to scope and preselect indicators for Descriptor 3 criterion 3 under MSFD Commission Decision (EU) 2017/848 (WKD3C3SCOPE) provided a platform for experts from the EU member states and relevant regional bodies to meet and support development and progress the assessment methodology, based on a request by the EC (DGENV). WKD3C3SCOPE is th...

The deep-sea can act as a sink for legacy contaminants such as organochlorines (OCs), causing damages in its inhabitants for their persistence and their prolonged effects in the organisms. HCB, DDT and its isomers, and 28 PCBs congeners were detected in muscle and embryonic tissues of three deep-sea chondrichthyes Chimaera monstrosa (n = 16), Dalat...

Sustainable management of living resources must reconcile biodiversity conservation and socioeconomic viability of human activities. In the case of fisheries, sustainable management design is made challenging by the complex spatiotemporal interactions between fish and fisheries. We develop a comprehensive metapopulation framework integrating data o...

Three specimens of Silver John dory, Zenopsis conchifer, (Lowe, 1852) were observed for the first time in the Ligurian Sea and northern Tyrrhenian Sea (western Mediterranean), one in 2020 and two in 2021. This is the fifth record (up to ten individuals) of Z. conchifer in the Mediterranean Sea, which occurred 11 years after the last observation in...

Cetaceans can be considered good natural samplers of biodiversity due to the different hunting strategies they adopt. In this study, the stomach contents of 28 Tursiops truncatus (15 females and 13 males), stranded along Tuscany coasts, NW Mediterranean, between 2008 and 2021, were analyzed. The prey items were identified at the lowest taxonomic le...

In the Mediterranean, experiments and technical measures aimed at improving the selectivity of bottom trawl nets mostly concern modifications to the codend. Grids have been tested in various areas, but have not been adopted for management purposes so far. The present study aims to evaluate whether the adoption of diamond meshes turned by 90° (T90 c...

Among the main measures adopted to reduce anthropogenic impacts on elasmobranch communities, understanding the ecology of deep-sea sharks is of paramount importance, especially for potentially vulnerable species highly represented in the bycatch composition of commercial fisheries such as the blackmouth catshark Galeus melastomus. In the present wo...

Lead Partner COISPA Tecnologia & Ricerca in Consortium with University of Alicante (UA), Consorzio per il Centro Interuniversitario di Biologia Marina ed Ecologia Applicata “G. Bacci” di Livorno (CIBM), NISEA Società cooperativa, Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (HCMR), Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries of Split (IOF), Institute of Oceanol...

The presence of plastic waste in the marine environment has driven the scientific community to make significant efforts to study and mitigate its possible effects. One of the critical aspects is to determine if and how an increase in ingestion events may occur as a result of the accumulation of plastic waste on the seabed. In this study, G. melasto...

The presence of plastic waste in the marine environment has driven the scientific community to make significant efforts to study and mitigate its possible effects. One of the critical aspects is to determine if and how an increase in ingestion events may occur as a result of the accumulation of plastic waste on the seabed. In this study, G. melasto...

The ninth International Symposium Monitoring of Mediterranean Coastal Areas: Problems and Measurements Techniques was organized by CNR-IBE in collaboration with Italian Society of Silviculture and Forest Ecology, and Natural History Museum of the Mediterranean and under the patronage of University of Florence, Accademia dei Lincei, Accademia dei Ge...

This study investigated the distribution of nematode larvae of Anisakidae and Raphidascarididae (genera Anisakis and Hysterothylacium ) in Trachurus trachurus (Linnaeus, 1758) in the Ligurian and central-northern Tyrrhenian Seas. The relationship between the number of parasites and the length and weight parameters of the fish was assessed, and the...

Among FAO's Major Fishing Areas, the Mediterranean and the Black Sea had the highest percentage (62.5%) of stocks fished at unsustainable levels, especially demersal stocks. Spatial-temporal restrictions of fishing activities are important measures used for the management of marine stocks. However, sometimes these regulations are not fully implemen...

ICES Working Group on Innovative Fishing Gear (WKING) seeks to prepare ICES advice on the progress that has been made, or impact arising from innovative gear within European waters. In order to prepare the report described in Article 31.1 of Regulation 2019/1241, the EU DG-MARE seeks ICES advice on the progress that has been made, or impact arising...

• The overexploitation of many marine resources and ecosystems calls for the development and implementation of measures to support their recovery and conservation. • The potential contributions to support fisheries and ecosystem recovery were assessed at the local level of the three multiple‐use marine protected areas (MPAs) of Cerbère‐Banyuls, Med...

The current alarming state of many coastal ecosystems and fisheries calls for the development of tools to support recovery of exploited stocks, ensure their sustainable exploitation and protect marine ecosystems. Multi-zone Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are often advocated to reconcile conservation and fisheries benefits. However, while there is a...

Many deep‐water fish populations, being K‐selected species, have little resilience to overexploitation and may be at serious risk of depletion as a consequence. Sea warming represents an additional threat. In this study, the condition, or health, of several populations of common ling (Molva molva), blue ling (Molva dypterygia) and Mediterranean or...

Small-scale fisheries represent one of the most important fishing sectors in Italy, comprising 60% of Italian fishing vessels, half the fishers and 16% of national landings. Despite their high social, economic and cultural value, they have been neglected by national and international policies, resulting in a poor outlook for the near future. In thi...

Many commercial species of the world are overexploited resulting in substantial reductions of biomass and ecological changes. Spatial-temporal restrictions of fishing activities are important measures used for the management of marine stocks. However, evidence of whether fishing bans benefit whole ecosystems is still scant. Here, we developed a foo...

Reducing the impact on vulnerable species through changes in fishing practices, such as the spatial or temporal avoidance of certain areas, is key to increase the ecological sustainability of fisheries. However, it is often hampered by the availability of sufficiently detailed data and robust indicators. Existing trawl surveys are a cost-effective...

The state of marine systems subject to natural or anthropogenic impacts can be generally summarized by suites of ecological indicators carefully selected to avoid redundancy. Length-based indicators capture the status of fish community structure, fulfilling the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) requirement for Descriptor 3 (status of comme...

Small‐scale driftnets (SSDs) have been historically used in the Mediterranean without major environmental concern. The introduction of large‐scale driftnets caused unwanted catches of protected species. Specific regulations were therefore issued in European waters, culminating in a proposed moratorium on SSDs. This study aimed to characterise the S...

This study evaluates the fishing pressure exerted by the most common recreational and professional, small-scale fishing practices on vulnerable target and bycatch species in coastal and offshore waters of the western Mediterranean. By combining multiple data sources, we assembled a unique dataset on catches at multiple sites in these areas by recre...

Few stock assessments of elasmobranchs have been conducted in the Mediterranean due to the lack of available detailed and precise information. In recent years, in the Mediterranean Sea a major concern on the status of this group does exist and consequently scientists and managers have paid a major attention on the collection of data of fisheries in...

There is currently very little information on the survival of discards of unwanted and unregulated catches of invertebrates after the stresses caused by capture. A great number of the unregulated invertebrate species form the basis of essential fish habitats for important fisheries resources such as hake, red mullet and cuttlefish. Thus, data on th...

This study aimed to test the effectiveness of a “guarding net”, a device placed at the bottom of a trammel net, for reducing unwanted catches in the caramote prawn trammel net fishery of the Ligurian Sea. This specialized and profitable fishery is affected by unwanted catches that generate high discard rates and damage to the nets, with environment...

In the Mediterranean Sea, Aristaeomorpha foliacea and Aristeus antennatus are the most important target species of deep-sea trawl fisheries. Previous studies performed in several areas of the Mediterranean highlighted the key role played by both environmental factors, such as temperature, and anthropogenic activities, such as fishing, in affecting...

Cephalopod assemblages at the scale of the entire Mediterranean Sea were analysed using information from 2 decades of standardized scientific bottom trawl surveys. Western and eastern assemblages (6 yr of data) were compared using a combined approach of multivariate ordination techniques and non-linear regressions. These methods enabled us to disti...

Task 3.1. Identifying, in consultation with the relevant end users in the region, the exact data to be collected The general objective of the Work Package 3 is to design a Regional Sampling Programme of Data Collection on Fisheries Impacts on the Ecosystem (RSP-DCFIE) for 2016. The Task 3.1 "Identifying, in consultation with the relevant end users...

Relationships between otolith major axis length (mm) and fish size (total length, cm) were described by means of linear regression analysis for six demersal fish species from the NW Mediterranean: blue whiting (Micromesistius poutassou), greater forkbeard (Phycis blennoides), red mullet (Mullus barbatus), poor cod (Trisopetus minutus capelanus), ho...

This note is aimed to identify and characterize the small-scale driftnet fisheries in Italy. During the investigations, performed in March-October 2013, 99 vessels belonging to eight fisheries were identified. The fisheries are very specialised: by-catch is often negligible, as well as the overall impact on the environment. The nets used were size...

Few formal stock assessments of elasmobranchs have been conducted in the Mediterranean. This because the information needed is not enough detailed and precise. In recent years, also in the Mediterranean Sea a major concern on the exploitation status of the stocks, belonging to this group, is increased and scientists and managers have paid a major a...

Few formal stock assessments of elasmobranchs have been conducted in the Mediterranean. This because the information needed is not enough detailed and precise. In recent years, also in the Mediterranean Sea a major concern on the exploitation status of the stocks, belonging to this group, is increased and scientists and managers have paid a major a...

The catch composition of the fishery targeted to juveniles of sardine, Sardina pilchardus (Walbaum, 1792), so called “bianchetto”, is analyzed. The “bianchetto” is the 90-96% of the total catch. The by-catch is represented by species of little or no commercial value.

Technical specifications, including attachments to and rigging, of trawl gears used in different Mediterranean fisheries (benthic, demersal and pelagic) with attention, in particular, to the maximum and minimum dimensions of headline, footrope, circumference or perimeter at various levels of the net (e.g. codend sensu-stricto, extension piece, bait...

The time series of elasmobranch catch rates off the Tuscany coasts (NW Mediterranean) were investigated by means of min/max auto-correlation factor analysis in order to estimate variations in population abundance and evaluate the influence of environmental and anthropogenic factors. The analyses highlighted a general decreasing trend in the catch r...

The time series of elasmobranch catch rates off the Tuscany coasts (NW Mediterranean) were investigated by means of min/max auto-correlation factor analysis in order to estimate variations in population abundance and evaluate the influence of environmental and anthropogenic factors. The analyses highlighted a general decreasing trend in the catch r...

A new capture of Kyphosus saltatrix in the eastern Ligurian Sea confirms the increasing presence of this species in the Mediterranean Sea. The family Kyphosidae comprises 42 species, 12 of them belonging to the genus Kyphosus Lacepède, 1801. In the Atlantic Ocean only two kyphosid species occur: the yellow sea chub, Kyphosus incisor (Cuvier, 1831),...

We conducted interviews of a representative sample of 106 retired fishers in Italy, Spain and Greece, asking specific questions about the trends they perceived in dolphin and shark abundances between 1940 and 1999 (in three 20 year periods) compared to the present abundance. The large marine fauna studied were not target species of the commercial f...

Temporal variation in the population abundance of the deep-water rose shrimp, Parapenaeus longirostris (Lucas, 1846) (Decapoda, Penaeidae), and the Norway lobster, Nephrops norvegicus (Linnaeus, 1758) (Decapoda, Nephropidae), in the Tyrrhenian Sea (NW Mediterranean), were evaluated using time-series data (1994–2008) from experimental trawl surveys...

The skates living in the Mediterranean Sea are distributed all around the basin with different patterns of biomass. The occurrence of the skates is strictly connected with the edaphic and biological characteristics of the sea bottom. Different patterns of overexploitation are present overall in the industrialised areas as the north west of the M...

The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, at present Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Forestry Policies, published a first report on the state of fisheries in Italian seas in 1931. Today, eighty years later, I am happy to present this publication, which tries to provide a complete overview of Italian marine fisheries and aquaculture, the latter be...

The faunistic composition and the spatial distribution of the cephalopod fauna were studied and compared in two areas of the north-western Mediterranean: the Catalan Sea (Spanish coast) and the northern Tyrrhenian Sea (Italian coast). In all, 46 species were collected in the Catalan Sea and 36 in the northern Tyrrhenian Sea. The bathymetric distrib...

The aim of the study was to define the commercial importance of cephalopods caught by trawlers from five Italian and Spanish Mediterranean ports. From summer 1995 to spring 1996, samples of the catches of trawlers were taken on board. The type of fishing activity was recorded and data were collected from at least three commercial hauls for each por...

a b s t r a c t The present study aimed to evaluate the variation over time of the abundance of the populations of five demersal species in the Tyrrhenian Sea (NW Mediterranean) analysing data obtained from trawl surveys and commercial landing monitoring. The influence of some environmental variables (sea surface temperature, wind speed, NAO index)...

a b s t r a c t The present study aimed to evaluate the variation over time of the abundance of the populations of five demersal species in the Tyrrhenian Sea (NW Mediterranean) analysing data obtained from trawl surveys and commercial landing monitoring. The influence of some environmental variables (sea surface temperature, wind speed, NAO index)...

A geostatistical approach was used to pinpoint the main nursery areas of demersal resources and define their persistence by means of direct estimation of fish densities. The European hake (Merluccius merluccius Linnaeus, 1758), one of the most important demersal resources inhabiting the whole Mediterranean from 30 metres (m) to almost 1000 m depth,...

Production (P) and production/biomass ratio (P/B) were estimated from 21 species of peracarid and eucarid crustaceans belonging to two different compartments (infauna: 10 species and suprabenthos: 11 species) using the Hynes size–frequency method. Calculations were based on 7 cruises performed between December 2002 and November 2003 in the continen...

Towing gears are known to produce several kinds of effects on benthic ecosystems. As small organisms and benthic species with faster growth rates and shorter life histories can withstand the fishing mortality and benefit from reduced competition or predation, trawl fishing can enhance their proliferation. Thus, trawl fishing can lead to biomass los...

Towing gears are known to produce several kinds of effects on benthic ecosystems. As small organisms and benthic species with faster growth rates and shorter life histories can withstand the fishing mortality and benefit from reduced competition or predation, trawl fishing can enhance their proliferation. Thus, trawl fishing can lead to biomass los...

We propose a 3-step methodological approach to identify and classify fish nurseries for fisheries management purposes. We applied our approach to juvenile European hake Merluccius merluccius in the central Mediterranean Sea. Time series of trawl-survey fish-density data were used to map juvenile hake distribution with Bayesian kriging, while geosta...

The European Community is expected to establish long-term management plans (LTMP) for relevant Mediterranean demersal and small pelagic fisherie s based on precautionary approach and adaptive management in taking measures designed to protect and conserve living aquatic resources, to provide for their sustainable exploitation and to minimise the imp...

Within the framework of ecosystem-based management, we focused on the use of seasonal closures as effective measures to minimise the degradation of benthic communities by trawling. These closures imply the complete cessation of trawling fleet activity and are commonly used in the Mediterranean to reduce the annual fishing effort, with the ultimate...

Hake recruitment has been examined in relation to environmental variables in two of the main reproductive areas of the central Mediterranean, the northern and central Tyrrhenian Sea. Seventeen years time series data from trawl surveys revealed high fluctuations in recruit abundance that could not be just explained by spawning biomass estimations. G...

The study was carried out in two fishing grounds on the Mediterranean continental shelf: one in the Adriatic Sea and one in the Catalan Sea. Samplings on board otter trawlers were performed from November 2002 to December 2003 in the Catalan Sea and from February 2003 to January 2004 in the Adriatic Sea. The Adriatic fishing ground was affected by h...

The study was carried out in two fishing grounds on the Mediterranean continental shelf: one in the Adriatic Sea and one in the Catalan Sea. Samplings on board otter trawlers were performed from November 2002 to December 2003 in the Catalan Sea and from February 2003 to January 2004 in the Adriatic Sea. The Adriatic fishing ground was affected by h...

Species composition, distribution, and spatio-temporal dynamics of hyperbenthic Mysidae Ha-worth, 1825 (Peracarida, Mysida) were studied on the continental shelf of the northern Adriatic Sea. A total of seven species was collected: Anchialina agilis, Erythrops elegans, Haplostylus lobatus, Leptomysis gracilis, Mysidopsis angusta, Mysidopsis gibbosa...

The impact of the gillnet fishery on Merluccius merluccius (European hake) was investigated in the northern Tyrrhenian Sea, western Mediterranean. Four mesh sizes were tested: 53, 62.5, 70 and 82 mm. Horse mackerel (Trachurus trachurus), hake and tub gurnard (Chelidonichthys lucerna) dominated the catches, from a minimum of 89% (82 mm mesh) to a ma...

The impact of the gillnet fishery on Merluccius merluccius (European hake) was investigated in the northern Tyrrhenian Sea, western Mediterranean. Four mesh sizes were tested: 53, 62.5, 70 and 82 mm. Horse mackerel (Trachurus trachurus), hake and tub gumard (Chelidonichthys lucerna) dominated the catches, from a minimum of 89% (82 mm mesh) to a max...

Individuals of P. edwardsii were collected on soft bottoms from 300 to 450 m depth through experimental traps and samplings on commercial trawlers from December 2003 to April 2006. A total of 4919 specimens (2385 females, 1451 males and 1083 undetermined) was analysed. Sex was macroscopically determined: adult and subadult males show the masculine...

The present note describes the most north-west-ward record in the Mediterranean Sea of the bluespotted cornetfish, Fistularia commersonii Rüppell, 1835, and a further finding of the blunthead puffer fish, Sphoeroides pachygaster (Müller & Troschel, 1848). Morphometric and meristic characters of the two specimens collected are provided. The bluespot...

The aim of the present study is to investigate the demographic structure and to identify some aspects of the biology of an exploited population of Medorippe lanata (Brachyura: Dorippidae) in the eastern Ligurian Sea, western Mediterranean. 1364 specimens (639 males and 725 females) of M. lanata were collected on a monthly basis from January to Dece...

Catch composition and damage incurred to the populations of three crabs (Liocarcinus depurator, Medorippe lanata and Goneplax rhomboides), discarded by the “rapido” trawl fishery of Viareggio (eastern Ligurian Sea), was investigated. Data were collected on a monthly basis (January–December 2001) through embarks on board of a commercial fishing vess...

Shark and ray populations appear to be extremely vulnerable to flshing pressure. In this paper, we inves- tigated the dynamics of elasmobranch populations of the upper Tyrrhenian Sea over more than a century by analyzing data from commercial landings of flsh traps, literature records and scientiflc trawl surveys. These data were integrated using ge...

Fisheries of Squilla mantis are found in the Mediterranean mostly in the vicinity of major river mouths. The life cycle of this species is well known: the spawning period is concentrated from winter to spring and planktonic larvae are found in summer, with the settlement of post-larvae occurring from the end of summer to mid-autumn. Recruitment to...

In the southern Tuscan Archipelago the vertical distribution of the galatheid decapod crustacean Munida intermedia, obtained from experimental trawl surveys, ranged from 90 to at least 700 m depth. However, the species was more abundant between 200 and 450 m depth, where until to 300 individuals/h were captured. A total of 1456 individuals (754 mal...

The composition of the catch of the deep sea trawl fleet of Porto Santo Stefano (northern Tyrrhenian Sea, western Mediterranean) was analysed. In the period 1995–99 observations were carried out on board commercial vessels, collecting data for about 500 trawling hours. Nephrops norvegicus, Parapenaeus longirostris and large specimens of Merluccius...

Exploitation patterns of the cuttlefish Sepia officinalis in the Mediterranean Sea were studied by investigating the fishing activity in three ports located in the Catalan (Spain), Ligurian (Italy) and Thracian (Greece) Seas. Monthly collection of data on commercial landings, fishing effort and demographic structure of the catches of S. officinalis...

A four-year time series (1994-1997) of groundfish trawl surveys performed within the European Union Project "MEDITS" (Mediterranean International Trawl Surveys), was analyzed to identify and describe the fish assemblages along the continental shelf and slope of Tuscany and Latium (Italy), in the north-western Mediterranean. Cluster analysis was use...