Marine bioerosion of lapideous archaeological artifacts found in the Grotta Azzurra (Capri, Naples, Italy): Role of microbiota and boring Porifera

Perasso, Carlotta Sacco; Ricci, Sandra; Petriaggi, Barbara Davidde; Calcinai, Barbara

doi:10.1016/j.ibiod.2014.08.010

Cited by 7 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 35 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Endolithic cyanobacteria and their traces (i.e., holes, cavities and tunnels) (Figures 2B-D) were largely found in the submerged Archaeological Park of Baiae on statues, architectural and sculptural elements, mosaics and opus sectile pavements (Ricci, 2004;Ricci et al, 2009;Davidde et al, 2010;Ricci et al, 2013;Ricci et al, 2016a). This group was also observed on the marble statues of the decorative apparatus of the Grotta Azzurra of Capri (Sacco Perasso et al, 2015) and on several statues and stone artifacts recovered from the wreck of Antikythera (Davidde Petriaggi et al, 2017).…”

Section: Cyanobacteriamentioning

confidence: 86%

“…The ichnospecies was found in Lunense marble statues, in slabs of opus sectile floors (Cipollino, Penthelic, Paros, Docimio, Lunense, and Ancient Red Tenario marbles) collected from the site of Baiae (Ricci et al, 2009;Davidde et al, 2010;Ricci et al, 2013), and in limestone tesserae from Baiae (Ricci et al, 2016b). Its traces were also found in marble statues of the Grotta Azzurra, Capri (Sacco Perasso et al, 2015). Since Ichnoreticulina elegans is a key-ichnospecies for deep and dark habitats, its presence on the statues of the Grotta Azzura confirms the scarce lighting of the bottom of the cave in which artifacts were exposed Fascichnus grandis Radtke, 1991 is the ichnospecies of Acetabularia acetabulum (Linnaeus) P.C.…”

Section: Green Algaementioning

confidence: 96%

“…Biological studies carried out on some marble fragments and statues. Epilithic colonization and bioerosion phenomena caused by sciaphilous animal species typical of dark environments and deep marine habitats (La Russa et al, 2013;Ricci et al, 2013;Sacco Perasso et al, 2015;Calcinai et al, 2019).…”

Section: Bioeroders and Bioerosion Patterns Microborersmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

The Bioerosion of Submerged Archeological Artifacts in the Mediterranean Sea: An Overview

Perasso¹,

Antonelli²,

Calcinai³

et al. 2022

Front. Mar. Sci.

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Bioerosion is the destruction of hard substrates resulting from biological activity, and plays a relevant role in the ecological interactions and coastal dynamics processes. Several organisms have evolved structures and behaviors allowing them to perforate biotic and abiotic surfaces, transforming hard surfaces into particles, and contributing significantly to sediment production in the coastal and marine environment. Due to the large geographical diffusion of marine borers, bioerosion is relevant in many scientific and applied fields of interest. Most bioerosion studies have hitherto been conducted in tropical areas, where borers are a critical component of coral reef destruction. Comparatively, little information is available for the bioerosion of submerged archeological heritage. This review focuses on the bioerosion of archeological calcareous artifacts in the Mediterranean Sea, summarizing studies concerning the colonization of statues, shipwrecks, cargo, and the remains of submerged cities. The paper includes the first comprehensive listing of the archeological sites in the Mediterranean Sea where bioerosion has been assessed. The diversity of boring organisms affecting marine archeological remains and their boring patterns, the various types of bored materials, and the severity of the damage caused to heritage artifacts are also included. Both microborers (algae, fungi, and cyanobacteria) and macroborers (sponges, bivalves, polychaetes, sipunculids, and echinoids) are considered, and their roles in the structuring of endolithic assemblages are also covered. The experimental techniques currently employed to analyze bioerosion traces, helping to identify particular species and ichnospecies and their ecological dynamics, are also considered. Finally, a discussion of the current strategies proposed for the in situ protection and conservation of Underwater Cultural Heritage is provided.

show abstract

Section: Cyanobacteriamentioning

confidence: 86%

Section: Green Algaementioning

confidence: 96%

See 1 more Smart Citation

The Bioerosion of Submerged Archeological Artifacts in the Mediterranean Sea: An Overview

Perasso¹,

Antonelli²,

Calcinai³

et al. 2022

Front. Mar. Sci.

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The most frequent species, belonging to the Family Clionaidae, are: Cliona celata Grant, Cliona viridis Schmidt, Cliona janitrix Topsent, and Dotona cf. pulchella mediterranea Uriz & Rosell (Ricci et al, 2008b;Sacco Perasso et al, 2015). Beside these endolithic taxa, insinuating sponges have been identified; they do not bore the substratum but only occupy cavities previously excavated by boring sponges.…”

Section: Biodeterioration: Bioerosionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Aspects of Biodeterioration of Lapideous Submerged Artefacts: 3d Methodologies Application

Ricci

Antonelli

Perasso

2015

Int. Arch. Photogramm. Remote Sens. Spatial Inf. Sci.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

ABSTRACT:Submerged stone archaeological artefacts are bioeroded by endolithic microbiota (cyanobacteria, algae and fungi) and macroborers (Porifera, Bivalvia and Sipuncula). Optical microscope and SEM observations permit to analyse the bioerosion traces and to identify bioeroders. Data obtained with these techniques cannot be used to estimate volumes of material bioeroded. This aspect require the need to collect three-dimensional, close-range data from artefact. In this work we illustrate two 3D imaging techniques used to study bioerosion phenomena of underwater Cultural Heritage. In particular Digital Video Microscope permit the elaboration of 3D images, which are widely employed for close-range acquisitions. Underwater Laser Scanner documents the in situ degradation of submerged artefacts. This research aims to sensitize specialist figures in the study 3D offering a starting point for future collaborations that could lead to interesting results.

show abstract

“…Some of them focus on ships sunk less than 100 years ago (Costa, 2016;Meyer et al, 2017), whereas others focus on archeological remains and the epilithic bioencrustations of ships' cargos (e.g., the marble statues from Antikythera, Greece, and the bronze statue of Satyrus of Mazara del Vallo, Sicily, Italy) (Ricci and Bartolini, 2005;Davidde et al, 2017;Ricci et al, 2019). Studies in the last decade have reported on the biodeterioration of underwater remains on stone and organic materials, in particular epilithic and endolithic assemblages and their role in the biodeterioration of archeological submerged artifacts (Ricci et al, 2013(Ricci et al, , 2015(Ricci et al, , 2016aAntonelli et al, 2015;Sacco Perasso et al, 2015;Calcinai et al, 2019;Casoli et al, 2019a;Gravina et al, 2019).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

First Report on the Benthic Invertebrate Community Associated With a Bronze Naval Ram From the First Punic War: A Proxy of Marine Biodiversity

et al. 2021

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Historical traces of organisms on the seafloor, such as shells and tubes, constitute the ecological memory of ancient benthic assemblages and serve as an important resource for understanding the assembly of modern communities. Archeological shipwrecks are particularly interesting submerged substrata for both their archeological and biological implications. For the first time, we studied the species composition and life-history traits of dominant organisms in the benthic assemblage on a bronze Carthaginian naval ram, which sank more than two thousand years ago in the Southern Tyrrhenian Sea. By comparing the species composition of the ram assemblage with those of the surrounding habitats, we inferred possible colonization patterns for the ram and discussed the informative role of the shipwreck as a proxy of marine biodiversity. The ram assemblage was rich in species, including both sessile (bryozoans, serpulid polychaetes, and few bivalves) and motile (gastropods) species. Sexual reproduction with free-spawning fertilization and long-duration larvae characterized most species. The long submersion time of the ram, together with the reproductive strategies, growth forms, and motility of the dominant species were key factors shaping the community of the ram. The ram itself offers an archeological artifact of inestimable value, but our analysis revealed it to be an effective collector of fauna from the surrounding seabed. The ram community hosted species from a range of nearby natural habitats (mostly coralligenous, detritic bottoms, and zoosteracean meadows) and thus served as a proxy for marine biodiversity on the surrounding seabed. We conclude that the presence of many species on the ram that commonly occur in adjacent habitats of great environmental value was informative and highlight the important marine biodiversity in the area of the Aegadian archipelago.

show abstract

Marine bioerosion of lapideous archaeological artifacts found in the Grotta Azzurra (Capri, Naples, Italy): Role of microbiota and boring Porifera

Cited by 7 publications

References 35 publications

The Bioerosion of Submerged Archeological Artifacts in the Mediterranean Sea: An Overview

The Bioerosion of Submerged Archeological Artifacts in the Mediterranean Sea: An Overview

Aspects of Biodeterioration of Lapideous Submerged Artefacts: 3d Methodologies Application

First Report on the Benthic Invertebrate Community Associated With a Bronze Naval Ram From the First Punic War: A Proxy of Marine Biodiversity

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About