First record of the protected species Pinna nobilis (Linnaeus, 1758) in the Aquatina Lagoon (NATURA 2000 site IT9150003, South-East Italian coastline)

Abstract

Information on the presence of Pinnanobilis (Linnaeus, 1758) in the Mediterranean Sea is largely reported in literature because it is an endemic and, at the same time, endangered species. Besides, this record contributes to enlarge the spatial distribution of this species in the South-East Italian coastline (Adriatic Sea). P.nobilis is a protected species under the EU Habitats Directive (1992). In particular, P.nobilis has been recorded for the first time in the Aquatina Lagoon, a transitional water ecosystem included in the NATURA 2000 site “Aquatina di Frigole” (IT9150003). Therefore, this finding underlines the role of transitional water ecosystems as “nursery habitats” for P.nobilis as well as the relevance of conservation actions introduced by the EU with the NATURA 2000 network for preserving the biodiversity.

Gap Analysis for DNA Barcode Reference Libraries for Aquatic Macroinvertebrate Species in the Apulia Region (Southeast of Italy)

“…Furthermore, the lagoon hosts different species of crustaceans and mollusks. Among these, the endemic Mediterranean bivalve Pinna nobilis is included in Annex IV of The Habitats Directive and is listed as an endangered species in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List [29,30].…”

Current limitations and future prospects of detection and biomonitoring of NIS in the Mediterranean Sea through environmental DNA

“…The Mediterranean Sea represents one of the most important biodiversity hotspots in the world (Myers et al 2000;Coll et al 2010;Lejeusne et al 2010;Marrocco et al 2019), accounting for more than 17,000 reported marine species (Coll et al 2010). However, the number of Non-Indigenous Species (NIS) and their impact on native species is steadily increasing (Villèle and Verlaque 1995;Streftaris and Zenetos 2006;Marrocco et al 2018; Bariche et al 2020). Therefore, the Mediterranean Scientific Community highlights the importance of early warnings and monitoring the presence and distribution of NIS (Katsanevakis et al 2016;Darling et al 2017;Tsiamis et al 2020).…”

A Thermal Analysis-Based Approach to Identify Different Waste Macroplastics in Beach Litter: The Case Study of Aquatina di Frigole NATURA 2000 Site (IT9150003, Italy)

“…In particular, the impact of marine plastic and microplastic litter stored in the Aquatina di Frigole beach can affect both vertebrate and invertebrate species with a high ecological value in terms of conservation and ecological monitoring [46]. Among these, recently, a juvenile specimen of Monachus monachus stopped on the beach [47], a population of Pinna nobilis has been observed [28,29], and the presence of polychaetes was also recorded [12,30].…”

“…Furthermore, the lagoon hosts different species of crustaceans, molluscs, and macrophytes [25][26][27]. Among these, the endemic Mediterranean bivalve Pinna nobilis is included in Annex IV of the Habitats Directive and is listed as an endangered species in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List [28][29][30]. In addition, the variety of environments and habitats in the entire protected area support numerous nesting and migratory birds of community importance such as pairs of ardeidae Ardea cinerea, Ardea alba, Egretta garzetta and flocks of Phalacrocorax carbo.…”