Paola la Valle

ISPRA, Cra 15, Post-Doc

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Benthic assemblage responses to different kinds of anthropogenic pressures: three study cases (Western Mediterranean Sea)

macrobenthic assemblage responses to three different anthropogenic pressures (sand extraction, pi... more macrobenthic assemblage responses to three different anthropogenic pressures (sand extraction, pipeline installation and organic enrichment due to fish-farm) were investigated by multivariate analysis and through the application of some ecological indices. The investigated indices give good ecological classification on high organic enriched substrata (fish farm) and partial or incorrect information on the benthic assemblage responses to physical pressure. The quali-quantitative study of macrobenthic communities structure, including the presence of opportunistic species, represents a good tool to assess the ecological status of the marine environment under anthropogenic pressures.

Environmental monitoring during beach nourishment using relict sands (central Tyrrhenian sea)

Ecosytems and Sustainable Development VI, 2007

This paper aims to underline the importance of monitoring studies during the execution of activit... more This paper aims to underline the importance of monitoring studies during the execution of activities, like beach nourishment using relict sands, that plan the use of innovative technology. In fact, environmental monitoring studies allow prompt intervention in the case of unexpected events or interference factors. Potential negative repercussions on the marine environment could not be estimated through characterization studies carried out ante operam. This paper reports the monitoring study carried out for beach nourishment along the South Latium coasts (Tyrrhenian sea). In this area Posidonia oceanica meadows are present. In this context, a detailed and updated cartography and the knowledge of the P. oceanica beds distribution (a "priority habitat" in the UE Habitats Directive) allowed prompt identification of potential effects on the seagrass caused by specific technical procedures of the beach nourishment, not well-known in the planning phase of the project.

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Relict sand dredging for beach nourishment in the central Tyrrhenian Sea (Italy): effects on benthic assemblages

Marine Ecology, 2009

The aim of this study is to analyse the effects in space and time of relict sanddredging activiti... more The aim of this study is to analyse the effects in space and time of relict sanddredging activities on macrobenthic assemblages, in an area situated offshore Montalto di Castro (central Tyrrhenian Sea, Italy), and to analyse the recolonisation processes of macrobenthos in the dredged areas. The area in question is characterised by relict sand deposits (Holocenic paleo-beaches), used for beach nourishment along the Latium coast. The effects of sand extraction on benthic assemblages were investigated before, during and after three dredging operations. The sites analysed are located within the dredged areas (inside stations) and in neighbouring, not dredged, areas (outside stations). The results showed that the impact of sand extraction was confined to the dredged stations and to the areas in proximity to the dredged areas. During dredging activities, the structure of benthic assemblages within the impacted stations was characterised by low species richness and diversity. Both the direct removal of sediment and the re-suspension and consequent deposition of fine sediment affected benthic assemblages of the impacted stations. A few months after the dredgings, a recolonisation process was still observed at all the impacted stations. A gradual recolonisation process was observed at those stations affected by only one dredging, whereas a different recolonisation was observed at those stations affected by two dredgings over time. This study suggests that differences of re-colonisation processes of benthic assemblages are related to the intensity of dredging operations in terms of dredging frequency.

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Application of biotic and taxonomic distinctness indices in assessing the Ecological Quality Status of two coastal lakes: Caprolace and Fogliano lakes (Central Italy)

Ecological Indicators, 2009

Marine biotic indices (AMBI, BENTIX) and the statistical tool M-AMBI (Multivariate AMBI) were app... more Marine biotic indices (AMBI, BENTIX) and the statistical tool M-AMBI (Multivariate AMBI) were applied as a comparative approach in assessing the Ecological Quality Status (EcoQS) of two Mediterranean coastal lakes (Caprolace and Fogliano lakes) situated in the Circeo National Park (Central Italy). The macrobenthic community was analysed using univariate indices (community structure), correspondence analysis (CA) and taxonomic distinctness indices (D + and L +). The community composition showed a dominance of lagoonal species in both coastal lakes, while in Caprolace lake marine taxa were also found. Diversity index (H 0) complies to ranges found in Mediterranean lagoons and taxonomic distinctness indices demonstrated that taxonomy structure is in accordance with natural variability ranges.

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A History of the Protestant Episcopal Church in America

... habe er nicht anders ge-wusst, als sie würden der Kirche dienen, und sei es von des Besten we... more

1262.1266.L.Nicoletti ICS2009

Eastonia rugosa (Helbling, 1799) (Bivalvia, Mactridae) occurring along the Latium coasts

The authors report the recovery of the Mactridae species Eastonia rugosa (Helbling, 1799) along t... more

ISPRA's experience in environmental studies related to relict sand dredging for beach nourishment

Environmental Impact after Sand Extraction for Beach Nourishment in an Area off Latium Coast (Tyrrhenian sea, Italy)

Some stretches of Latium coast subject to frequent erosion need repeated control actions to overc... more Some stretches of Latium coast subject to frequent erosion need repeated control actions to overcome the problem. Since 1999 “Regione Lazio” executed a beach nourishment program using “relict” marine sand located off Capo d’Anzio (Italy). ICRAM carried out a research to assess environmental impact of these activities by using different investigations before, during and after dredging. Side Scan Sonar and Multibeam investigations of sea bottom, sedimentological and biological studies and analyses on the water column were carried out during oceanographic surveys. One year later results showed changes in depth of the excavated area; grain size analyses indicate a textural variation but also a progressive recovery of the original characteristics. Changes in benthic community are clearly proportional to distance. There is no evidence of recovery even after one year. The whole study gave a methodological and scientific outline for future research on excavation activities for beach nourish...

Coastal Management and Environmental Guidelines Related to Coastal Defence Works

Coastal Management, 2016

The “one-out, all-out” principle entails the risk of imposing unnecessary restoration costs: A study case in two Mediterranean coastal lakes

Marine Pollution Bulletin, 2014

The Water Framework Directive uses the ''one-out, all-out'' principle in assessing water bodies (... more The Water Framework Directive uses the ''one-out, all-out'' principle in assessing water bodies (i.e., the worst status of the elements used in the assessment determines the final status of the water body). In this study, we assessed the ecological status of two coastal lakes in Italy. Indices for all biological quality elements used in transitional waters from the Italian legislation and other European countries were employed and compared. Based on our analyses, the two lakes require restoration, despite the lush harbor seagrass beds, articulated macrobenthic communities and rich fish fauna. The ''one-out, all-out'' principle tends to inflate Type I errors, i.e., concludes that a water body is below the ''good'' status even if the water body actually has a ''good'' status. This may cause additional restoration costs where they are not necessarily needed. The results from this study strongly support the need for alternative approaches to the ''one-out, all-out'' principle.

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Recolonization patterns of benthic assemblages after relict sand dredging in the central Tyrrhenian sea

Marine Ecology

Towards an evaluation of physical loss pressure in the Italian seas for the implementation of the marine strategy framework directive

Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom

All over the world marine waters are under increasing pressure from human activities affecting ma... more All over the world marine waters are under increasing pressure from human activities affecting marine ecosystems. Several EU Directives require assessment of the condition of marine environments; in particular the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) applies an ecosystem approach to the management of human activities. In this context, the mapping of pressures in a standardized and comparable way is a critical step to assess the spatial pattern, the temporal change and the ecological impacts of human pressures. Within the MSFD, one of the stressors directly affecting the seafloor is the Physical Loss (PL) pressure, representing the permanent or long-term alteration of marine habitats. The main purpose of this study was to propose a method to estimate the spatial extent of PL pressure in the framework of the Initial Assessment phase of the MSFD. Furthermore, considering that human activities PL-related cause the loss of benthic habitats, and that the Mediterranean sea is charact...

Eastonia rugosa (Helbling, 1799) (Bivalvia, Mactridae) occurring along the Latium coasts

Basteria, 2007

An Environmental Monitoring Proposal Related to Relict Sand Dredgig for Beach nourishment in the Mediterranean Sea

Journal of Coastal Research

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Environmental Impact after Sand Extraction for Beach Nourishment in an Area off Latium Coast (Tyrrhenian sea, Italy)

Some stretches of Latium coast subject to frequent erosion need repeated control actions to overc... more Some stretches of Latium coast subject to frequent erosion need repeated control actions to overcome the problem. Since 1999 " Regione Lazio " executed a beach nourishment program using " relict " marine sand located off Capo d'Anzio (Italy). ICRAM carried out a research to assess environmental impact of these activities by using different investigations before, during and after dredging. Side Scan Sonar and Multibeam investigations of sea bottom, sedimentological and biological studies and analyses on the water column were carried out during oceanographic surveys. One year later results showed changes in depth of the excavated area; grain size analyses indicate a textural variation but also a progressive recovery of the original characteristics. Changes in benthic community are clearly proportional to distance. There is no evidence of recovery even after one year. The whole study gave a methodological and scientific outline for future research on excavation ...

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COASTAL DEFENCE WORKS: A PROPOSAL OF A MATRIX-SYSTEM TO SUPPORT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STUDIES

The Mediterranean coastal zone is characterized by landscapes of outstanding natural value and by... more The Mediterranean coastal zone is characterized by landscapes of outstanding natural value and by a large number of important habitats, especially in terms of biodiversity and functional complexity. Moreover, it is subject to environmental degradation processes due to both the concentration of conflicting interests and the vulnerability typical of these transitional environments. This vulnerability is increased by erosion problems, currently affecting about 15,100 km of European coastlines. In this framework, within the COASTGAP Project (MED Programme) " Coastal Governance and Adaptation Policies in the Mediterranean " , ISPRA published the "Guidelines for environmental studies related to the construction of coastal defense works". The Guidelines propose a matrix- Corresponding Author: paola.lavalle@isprambiente.it.

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GRAIN SIZE VARIATIONS OF SURFACE SEDIMENTS INDUCED BY DREDGING ACTIVITIES FOR BEACH NOURISHMENT

Beach nourishment using relict sands has become a well established technique for solving the prob... more Beach nourishment using relict sands has become a well established technique for solving the problem of coastal erosion and it is considered one of the main coastal management tools. Relict sand dredging provides a large amount of sandy materials, having a composition very similar to native beaches; however it may produce significant physical and biological effects on marine environments, especially in highly biodiverse environments and sensitive habitats such as the Mediterranean marine-coastal system. Within this framework, ISPRA has carried out different environmental monitoring studies related to relict sand dredging in order to assess the impact of dredging on the marine environment. These studies encompass direct and indirect investigations, such as seafloors morphology and bathymetry, surface sediments grain-size and chemistry, water column chemical-physical characteristics and particulate matter, and studies on the benthic and demersal fish communities. In this paper we pres...

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Assessing the impacts of coastal defense structures on habitat types and species of European interest (92/43/EC): a methodological approach

Journal of Coastal Research

Mediterranean coastal zones generally present high environmental value and high biodiversity, and... more Mediterranean coastal zones generally present high environmental value and high biodiversity, and are characterized by the presence of a large amount of protected environments and species of European interest. The Mediterranean coastal environments are extremely sensitive and vulnerable transitional zone and they are strongly influenced by human activities (industries, tourism, shipping, fisheries and aquaculture/agriculture activities etc.), which affect the natural evolution of this complex system. The available literature also reports that about 15,100 km of European coastline is undergoing retreat. Within this context, ISPRA has developed a specific methodology aimed at evaluating the potential impacts of coastal defense structures on protected habitat types and on the related flora and fauna species. This approach was developed and shared within the framework of the Component 5 of the COASTANCE Project entitled "Guidelines for Environmental Impacts Studies focused on coast...

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Linee guida per gli studi ambientali connessi alla realizzazione di opere di difesa costiera

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