Ricerc@Sapienza

Within the Marine Ecology and Biology Lab, this research team is focused on marine mammals’ ecology, behaviour, acoustics and conservation, as well as on noise in the marine environment, and the impact of noise on marine mammals.

Competencies of the Group of Marine Ecology and Biology 

The Laboratory of Ecology and Marine Biology is a facility pertaining to the Department of Environmental Biology that draws on the multidisciplinary expertise of Dr. Andrea Belluscio, Dr. Daniela Silvia Pace, Dr. Daniele Ventura, Dr. Edoardo Casoli and Prof. G.D. Ardizzone.

The Laboratory carries out both basic and applied/experimental research activities aimed at understanding the biological and ecological processes governing coastal marine ecosystems and their exploitation, and the impacts from anthropogenic activities and climate change.

The main technical and scientific expertise of the research group covers:

- the biology and ecology of benthos, with particular reference to the distribution and ecology of Posidonia oceanica seagrass beds and Coralligenous reefs,

- the biology and ecology of necton, with special reference to the distribution and ecology of fish and marine mammals,

- marine bioacoustics and soundscape ecology (including noise issues and its measurement in Marine Strategy, Descriptor D11);

- the mapping of marine habitats;

- the design, management and monitoring of marine protected areas;

- the conservation and management of marine biological resources;

- the assessment of the effects of anthropogenic disturbance and climate change on marine species and habitats.

Techniques

The Laboratory applies and offers modern techniques of environmental sampling, monitoring, analysis and restoration based on:

- aerial and underwater video-photography using fixed and mobile platforms,

- surveys using ROVs (Remotely Operated Vehicles) and APRs (Remotely Piloted Aircraft or drones),

- data integration and analysis in geographic information systems (GIS),

- PAM (Passive Acoustic Monitoring) acoustic surveys,

- predictive modeling.

Equipment and facilities available

The Marine Ecology and Biology Laboratory has 4 units of structured staff with specific professional qualifications (such as AIOSS Advanced European Scientific Diver and BOSIET Basic Offshore Safety Induction Training certificates).

The Laboratory also has nautical support means for conducting activities at sea and modern equipment for making measurements of biotic and abiotic parameters in the coastal marine environment:

- Sailboat model Benetau Oceanis 41.1 named DipBau, registered in the registry of minor vessels of the Port Authority of Rome (RM8277), equipped with a Volvo Penta 55 hp diesel engine and used both for data collection activities in the field and for field teaching activities with students enrolled in the Master's Degree Course in Ecobiology;

- ARA diving equipment complying with good practices for the safe conduct of diving activities according to ISPRA and Environmental Agencies requirements;

- FULL-HD and 4K/5K cameras (Canon EOS 5D mark IV, Canon EOS 7D, Sony α 7 III, Sony ILCE 6000, Sony RX100, GoPro 9) equipped with waterproof housings up to 80 m depth, fixed flash/light apparatus (INON Z 320) for photographic capture, 28-300 mm and 100-400 mm stabilized zoom, and high quality and detailed video;

- Micro-class Remotely Operated Underwater Vehicle (ROV) (Video Ray PRO 4 Plus BASE) for inspection and video acquisition up to 100 m depth;

- Video camera (HD-CVI Luna Pro) wire-tracked by boat for video transects over long distances;

- Electric underwater propulsion systems (DPV scooter, Suex X-joy 7) for underwater photogrammetric acquisition and orthophotomosaic generation over large areas of seafloor;

- Remotely piloted aircraft (APR) or drones DJI Phantom 4 Advanced, DJI Phantom 4 with multispectral camera, DJI Mavic 2 Pro with dual-frequency GNSS receiver (L1/L2) for RTK/PPK surveys for aerial photogrammetry;

- Software for professional photogrammetry (Metashape Pro V.1.7.2);

- Software based on automated image analysis processes (eCognition Developer);

- Single frequency GNSS RTK systems (Emlid Reach RS+) for geolocation acquisition with sub centimeter accuracy in RTK/PPK;

- Multi-parameter CTD, PAR, Chlorophyll α, Turbidity probe (Hydromarambient MAR-340) and data logger (HOBO onset) for monitoring physicochemical parameters along the water column;

- Colmar GP280 omnidirectional hydrophones, Nauta towed hydrophone with 2 pre-amplified sensors Aquarian Scientific technology, Quad Capture audio peripherals, Tascam DR-100 MK III recorder;

- Software for professional acoustic analysis (SeaPro 3.0, Raven Pro).