Silvestrini, Chiara (2024) Small-scale fishery as a driver of habitat loss. [Tesi di dottorato]

Documento PDF 37_CICLO_TESI_CHIARA_SILVESTRINI.pdf Visibile a [TBR] Amministratori dell'archivio Download (5MB) | Richiedi una copia

Abstract

Habitat fragmentation and loss are widely recognized as some of the most severe threats to biodiversity, decreasing the ecosystem resilience and the overall biological productivity. Loss rates are particularly alarming in coastal marine ecosystems, where human activities have been historically concentrated. In the frame of disturbance and exploitation, fishery represent one of the most impacting human activities, severely affecting the structure and function of marine ecosystems. While the impacts of industrial fisheries (large-scale fisheries, LSF) have been largely studied, the potential impact of artisanal fisheries (small-scale fisheries, SSF) on benthic habitats is more often presumed than assessed, with quantitative information still largely lacking. Quantify the artisanal fishing pressure and its effect on ecosystems, together with filling the knowledge gaps on distribution and ecological status of vulnerable habitats in space and time, is a key aspect to contribute in reversing trajectories of loss. Here, in Chapter 1 and 3, I combined data on the sessile benthic bycatch component with those on the fishing effort from three Mediterranean MPAs to quantitatively assess habitat loss driven by artisanal fishery, thus comparing the results across two of the most ecologically relevant habitats in the Mediterranean Sea (i.e. Posidonia beds and coralligenous), that also represent the most common artisanal fishing grounds. In Chapter 2, to assess protection effectiveness, spatial and temporal variations in the patterns of distribution and ecological status of Posidonia and coralligenous habitats have been analyzed across areas characterized by different protection measures. Finally, in Chapter 4, I presented a preliminary (ongoing) restoration effort consisted in the transplantation of bycatch specimens of Axinella cannabina within the no-take zone of Porto Cesareo MPA, aiming to assess the feasibility and effectiveness of various transplanting techniques. Preliminary results indicate a 100% survival rate for all transplanted specimens, regardless of the attachment method used. These outcome suggests that restoration using bycatch specimens might be a viable strategy to mitigate the damage caused by artisanal fishing, contributing to the growing body of knowledge on marine restoration practices, particularly for under-studied structuring species, such as A. cannabina, essential to vulnerable Mediterranean habitats.

Downloads

Actions (login required)

Modifica documento