UNIVERSITÀ DEGLI STUDI DELLA TUSCIA DI VITERBO DIPARTIMENTO DI SCIENZE ECOLOGICHE E BIOLOGICHE (DEB) CORSO DI DOTTORATO DI RICERCA IN ECOLOGIA E GESTIONE DELLE RISORSE BIOLOGICHE (XXIV CICLO) On the Ecology and Conservation of Marine Endangered Species, Pinna nobilis (Linnaeus, 1758) and Patella ferruginea (Gmelin, 1791), in the Marine Protected Area of Penisola del Sinis - Isola di Mal di Ventre (western Sardinia, Italy) DOTTORANDA STEFANIA COPPA COORDINATRICE PROF. ROBERTA CIMMARUTA TUTOR DOTT. PAOLO MAGNI UNIVERSITÀ DEGLI STUDI DELLA TUSCIA DI VITERBO DIPARTIMENTO DI SCIENZE ECOLOGICHE E BIOLOGICHE (DEB) CORSO DI DOTTORATO DI RICERCA IN ECOLOGIA E GESTIONE DELLE RISORSE BIOLOGICHE (XXIV CICLO) TITOLO DELLA TESI: On the Ecology and Conservation of Marine Endangered Species, Pinna nobilis (Linnaeus, 1758) and Patella ferruginea (Gmelin, 1791), in the Marine Protected Area of Penisola del Sinis - Isola di Mal di Ventre (western Sardinia, Italy) BIO/07 Coordinatrice: Prof. Roberta Cimmaruta Firma …………………….. Tutor: Dott. Paolo Magni Firma……………………… Dottoranda: Stefania Coppa Firma……………………….. To the strange world of Cabras… CONTENTS Abstract/Riassunto ..................................................................................................................... 9 General introduction ............................................................................................................... 17 Marine ecosystems health and Mediterranean Marine Protected Areas ...................... 17 Endangered species ............................................................................................................ 20 Pinna nobilis .................................................................................................................... 22 Patella ferruginea ............................................................................................................ 23 Study area ........................................................................................................................... 25 Objective of the thesis ........................................................................................................ 27 References ........................................................................................................................... 29 Chapter 1. - Density and distribution patterns of the endangered species Pinna nobilis within a Posidonia oceanica meadow in the Gulf of Oristano (Italy) ................................... 35 Abstract ............................................................................................................................... 36 Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 37 Materials and methods ....................................................................................................... 41 Study area ......................................................................................................................... 41 Study area characterization .............................................................................................. 41 Pinna nobilis population analysis .................................................................................... 42 Results ................................................................................................................................. 45 Study area features ........................................................................................................... 45 Pinna nobilis population .................................................................................................. 45 Discussion ............................................................................................................................ 48 References ........................................................................................................................... 54 Tables and figures .............................................................................................................. 59 Chapter 2. – The effect of hydrodynamics on shell orientation and population density of Pinna nobilis in the Gulf of Oristano (Sardinia, Italy).......................................................... 69 Abstract ............................................................................................................................... 70 Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 71 Materials and methods ....................................................................................................... 73 Study area ......................................................................................................................... 73 Numerical models ............................................................................................................ 73 The simulation set-up ....................................................................................................... 74 Fieldwork and data analysis ............................................................................................. 75 Results ................................................................................................................................. 78 Waves ............................................................................................................................... 78 Bottom currents ................................................................................................................ 78 Tracer analysis .................................................................................................................. 80 Pinna nobilis population and hydrodynamics .................................................................. 80 Discussion ............................................................................................................................ 83 References ........................................................................................................................... 87 Tables and figures .............................................................................................................. 96 Chapter 3. - Density and distribution of Patella ferruginea in a Marine Protected Area (western Sardinia, Italy): Constraint analysis for population conservation ....................... 105 Abstract ............................................................................................................................. 106 Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 107 Materials and methods ..................................................................................................... 110 Study area ....................................................................................................................... 110 Perimeters analysis ......................................................................................................... 111 Patella ferruginea population analysis .......................................................................... 111 Results ............................................................................................................................... 113 Study area features ......................................................................................................... 113 Patella ferruginea population ........................................................................................ 113 Discussion .......................................................................................................................... 115 References ......................................................................................................................... 119 Tables and figures ............................................................................................................ 126 General Discussion ................................................................................................................ 133 Which is the current health of the two species within the Sinis MPA? ....................... 133 Pinna nobilis .................................................................................................................. 133 Patella ferruginea .......................................................................................................... 133 Which are the main biotic or abiotic factors that can affect the populations success? ............................................................................................................................................ 134 Pinna nobilis .................................................................................................................. 134 Patella ferruginea .......................................................................................................... 135 Currently, can the Sinis MPA be considered an effective tool for their conservation? ............................................................................................................................................ 135 Pinna nobilis .................................................................................................................. 135 Patella ferruginea .......................................................................................................... 137 References ........................................................................................................................