Giuseppe Castaldelli

Behavioural plasticity is considered highly relevant for biological invasions. As daily behavioural rhythmicity is plastic in response to environmental factors, we suggest that it may also be worth considering in the context of invasion success. We explored, under laboratory conditions, the potential role of plasticity in the recent invasion of the Atlantic blue crab ( Callinectes sapidus , Rathbun, 1896) in the Mediterranean Sea, by studying its behavioural rhythmicity in the presence of the native Mediterranean green crab ( Carcinus aestuarii, Nardo, 1847). Daily activity recordings under standardised photoperiod conditions (12‐h light:12‐h dark) revealed that both species exhibit daily behavioural rhythmicity with a nocturnal activity pattern. Notably, when in the presence of an individual from the other species, the Atlantic blue crab rapidly shifted to a pronounced diurnal activity pattern. The Mediterranean green crab's behavioural rhythm was also affected by the presence of the Atlantic blue crab, though to a much lesser extent. This suggests greater plasticity and contextual modulation in the daily behavioural rhythm of the Atlantic blue crab in response to the presence of other species, at least in the studied populations. Furthermore, across all conditions, the invasive species in our system was consistently more active than the native species. Plasticity in behavioural rhythms may differ between invasive and native species, and future studies should investigate whether and how these differences influence their interactions.

The European eel is currently facing a critical risk of extinction. One of the contributing factors is that its catadromous migration is often obstructed by artificial barriers such as dams. Migrating juvenile eels display a strong rheotactic behaviour. Therefore, we hypothesized that inhibitory control, the ability to suppress motivated behaviour, in this case rheotaxis, could facilitate the search for alternative routes when encountering a barrier. Using a detour test and a test in which a shelter was blocked by a transparent barrier, we demonstrated that migrating eels exhibit some degree of inhibitory control, with evidence of individual differences in performance. Crucially, individual differences in these inhibitory control tests significantly predicted how eels behaved in a simulated river system with barriers. Individual eels may adopt distinct strategies to overcome migration barriers and these differences might be partly driven by variations in inhibitory control.

The Atlantic blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) is one of the most rapidly expanding invaders in the Mediterranean Sea, where it has established populations across all coastal and estuarine habitats. While its impacts in these environments are well documented, little is known about its occurrence and ecological role in inland waters. This study provides the first evidence of significant upstream migration of blue crabs along the Po River and nearby branches (Northern Italy), beyond typical coastal habitat distributions. Blue crab occurrences were based on 50 validated geo-referenced records collected between 2022 and 2025 through fishermen reports. Environmental variables and blue crab upstream distance were analyzed to explore possible drivers of this migration. The potential trophic interactions between blue crab and riverine fish species were also examined through a systematic literature review. The findings revealed that upstream dispersal reached distances of more than 160 km from the sea, primarily driven by adult males. No clear correlation was found between upstream distance reached by blue crab and water temperature, conductivity, dissolved oxygen, or river discharge, suggesting that ecological dynamics, rather than abiotic filtering, likely drive inland expansion. The literature review highlighted only a few documented trophic interactions in European freshwaters, although potential predation by invasive fish species and competition with native fauna may occur. These results underscore the urgent need for targeted monitoring and research to evaluate the ecological consequences of blue crab invasion in freshwater systems, particularly regarding its potential impacts on biodiversity, food web dynamics, and ecosystem functioning.

Sustainable agriculture is a key pillar of the transition to agri-food systems that ensure global food security and the preservation of resources and ecosystems. This study evaluates the environmental impacts of different soil management practices in an agricultural system producing energy crops (maize and sorghum), using a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) approach, comparing conventional tillage, minimum tillage and no-tillage agricultural practices. The results show no significant differences between conventional and minimum tillage in most impact categories, while no-tillage shows a significant reduction in environmental impact of almost 50%. The hotspot analysis shows that organic fertilisation, especially the application of digestate, is the main contributor to environmental impacts, particularly in the Climate Change and Eutrophication categories. The results highlight key methodological challenges in LCA, such as the allocation of impacts between digestate and biogas production, and the need to integrate biological and chemical soil processes. While conservation agriculture can improve soil health, its environmental benefits are not fully captured by LCA. This study highlights the need to integrate LCA methodologies with complementary analyses to better assess the sustainability of agricultural practices and support informed decision-making.

Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), a persistent per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS), remains a global toxicological concern due to its ubiquity, bioaccumulation potential, and toxicity even at low concentrations. This study aimed to elucidate the ultrastructural effects of PFOA on the gills of Cyprinus carpio, a species of high ecological and trophic relevance. Gill samples from fish experimentally exposed to two PFOA concentrations (200 ng L⁻¹ and 2 mg L⁻¹), one of which was environmentally relevant, were examined by transmission electron microscopy. The results revealed cytotoxic changes primarily affecting mitochondria-rich (chloride) cells and, to a lesser extent, epithelial and mucous cells. The main alterations included mitochondrial degeneration, Golgi and endoplasmic reticulum stress, and autophagic activation, indicating a coordinated impairment of the endomembrane system. These findings suggest that PFOA induces a bioenergetic and proteo-synthetic imbalance compromising cellular homeostasis. Both direct cytotoxic and indirect endocrine-mediated mechanisms may contribute to the observed lesions. The pronounced sensitivity of mitochondria-rich cells supports their use as generalist biomarkers of PFOA exposure and effect. Within a One Health framework, these cells may also serve as translational models for elucidating conserved subcellular mechanisms of PFAS-induced cytotoxicity across vertebrates, with implications for environmental and human health risk assessment.

Food security and environmental quality related to food production are global issues that need urgent solutions. Proteins are crucial for diets, and demand is growing for innovative and more environmentally sustainable sources of protein, like vegetables, microorganisms, and insects, and lab-grown food that can meet nutritional and environmental goals. This study analyzes a time series to assess the sustainability of different protein sources by evaluating their effects on emissions of greenhouse gases and the use of agricultural land while accounting for the carbon sink potential across the supply chain. The study also explores future trends in global protein sources, emphasizing shellfish as a key to achieving food security from both nutritional and environmental perspectives. By reviewing terrestrial livestock, farmed seafood, vegetal proteins, and alternative sources like insects and cultured cells, the study assesses sustainability, food security potential, and challenges from nutritional, environmental, and consumer viewpoints. We conclude that shellfish aquaculture, particularly oysters, mussels, clams, and scallops, has significant potential in enhancing food security, fostering sustainable protein consumption, reducing land use, and contributing to climate change mitigation by sequestering significant amounts of atmospheric carbon.

Motivation: Here, we make available a second version of the BioTIME database, which compiles records of abundance estimates for species in sample events of ecological assemblages through time. The updated version expands version 1.0 of the database by doubling the number of studies and includes substantial additional curation to the taxonomic accuracy of the records, as well as the metadata. Moreover, we now provide an R package (BioTIMEr) to facilitate use of the database.Main Types of Variables Included: The database is composed of one main data table containing the abundance records and 11 metadata tables. The data are organised in a hierarchy of scales where 11,989,233 records are nested in 1,603,067 sample events, from 553,253 sampling locations, which are nested in 708 studies. A study is defined as a sampling methodology applied to an assemblage for a minimum of 2 years.Spatial Location and Grain: Sampling locations in BioTIME are distributed across the planet, including marine, terrestrial and freshwater realms. Spatial grain size and extent vary across studies depending on sampling methodology. We recommend gridding of sampling locations into areas of consistent size.Time Period and Grain: The earliest time series in BioTIME start in 1874, and the most recent records are from 2023. Temporal grain and duration vary across studies. We recommend doing sample‐level rarefaction to ensure consistent sampling effort through time before calculating any diversity metric.Major Taxa and Level of Measurement: The database includes any eukaryotic taxa, with a combined total of 56,400 taxa.Software Format: csv and. SQL.

Denitrification is a permanent nitrogen removal pathway; thus, it is a desirable ecosystem function in water bodies receiving agricultural runoff. Knowledge of denitrification capacity in response to vegetation type and varying NO₃⁻ loads is essential for designing effectively constructed wetlands to control eutrophication. The aim of this study was to compare the nitrogen removal efficiency of two common wetland macrophytes, i.e., Phragmites australis and Typha latifolia in a NO₃⁻ enrichment experiment (50−800 µM). Measurements of NO₃⁻ consumption, and N₂ production were performed in vegetated and unvegetated mesocosms incubated in summer (26 °C) at biomass peak. Vegetated sediments demonstrated higher efficiency in converting NO₃⁻ to N₂ via denitrification (−2 h⁻¹) than bare sediments (300–3300 µmol N m⁻² h⁻¹). However, the denitrification stimulation effect from NO₃⁻ pulsing differed significantly between plant types. It can be hypothesized that P. australis played a more beneficial role than T. latifolia due to its greater submerged surface area, which facilitated enhanced opportunities for contact between NO₃⁻ and denitrifying bacteria. This ultimately resulted in an increased treatment performance. Understanding the interactions between plants and environmental drivers regulating denitrification is critical information for optimal wetland species selection. With an increasing global focus on sustainable water quality management, this research provides valuable insights into optimizing nature-based solutions.

Oyster farming plays a crucial role in sustainable food production due to its high nutritional value and relatively low environmental impact. However, in a scenario of increasing production, it is necessary to consider the issue of plastic use as a limitation to be addressed. A life cycle assessment (LCA) was conducted on oyster farming in La Spezia (Italy) as a case study, utilizing 1 kg of packaged oysters as the functional unit. Fossil-based plastics and wooden packaging were identified as the primary environmental concerns. To analyze potential strategies for reducing the environmental impact of oyster farming, alternative scenarios were considered wherein fossil-based materials were replaced with bio-based materials. Specifically, this study examined the substitution of the current packaging, consisting of a wooden box and a polypropylene (PP) film, with a fully recyclable PP net. Additionally, polylactic acid (PLA), polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), and bio-based polyethylene terephthalate (Bio-PET) were proposed as alternatives to virgin high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and PP for buoys, oyster bags, and boxes. Among the scenarios analyzed, the sole effective strategy to reduce the impact of plastics on the process is to replace them with PHA. In the other cases, the high energy consumption of their non-optimized production renders them disadvantageous options. However, the assessment must include the effects of degradation that traditional plastics can have in the marine environment, an aspect that potentially renders natural fibers more advantageous. The use of PP net packaging has demonstrated high efficacy in reducing impacts and provides a foundation for considering the need to combine sustainability and marketing with current legislation regarding food packaging.