Marine litter

 

  • Development and application of monitoring protocols for marine litter in the environment and biota as part of the implementation of the European Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD)
  • Study of the effects associated with the ingestion of marine litter and associated contaminants in marine invertebrates and vertebrates through correlation between contamination levels, presence of waste, and specific molecular responses
  • Study of the impacts of marine litter on fish resources and fisheries
  • Study and application of potential mitigation actions to address the issue of marine litter in Mediterranean areas

Bioindicator

organisms

for ecotoxicological

monitoring

  • Bioindicators for assessing the quality of marine and terrestrial environments subjected to anthropogenic pressures
  • Mesocosms for evaluating ecotoxicological responses at the molecular level in model organisms exposed to pollutant compounds

Study

and conservation

of species at risk

  • Development of in vitro diagnostic methodologies for assessing the effects of pollutant compounds on at-risk species and subsequent field transfer
  • Application of non-invasive techniques for determining the health status of marine mammals, marine turtles, elasmobranchs, and seabirds exposed to multiple stresses
  • Study of anthropogenic pressures on at-risk species present in marine protected areas and in remote areas with low anthropogenic impact, and definition of possible mitigation measure
  • Development of molecular endpoints to assess the health status of at-risk species through innovative gene expression analysis techniques

Emerging

Contaminants

  • Development of methodologies for determining the levels and effects on organisms of emerging contaminants, particularly additives from plastic materials
  • Development of molecular endpoints for determining the ecotoxicological impacts of emerging contaminants in both model organisms and natural populations