Filippo PICCARDI, BARAUSSE A., MAZZOLDI C.
Department of Biology, University of Padova, via U. Bassi 58/b, 35131 Padova, Italy
E-mail: filippo.piccardi@phd.unipd.it
MARINE INVASIVE SPECIES AND FISHERIS IN THE VENICE
LAGOON AND NORTHERN ADRIATIC SEA: a PhD project
Abstract
During the last decade, two main invasions have spread in the Venice Lagoon and Adriatic Sea:
the sea walnut, Mnemiopsis leidyi, and the Atlantic blue crab, Callinectes sapidus. Both species
originated from American coasts and invaded a great number of the Earth’s Seas. Nowadays
those two invaders arrived in the Venice Lagoon and in the northern Adriatic Sea, but their
socio-economic and ecological impacts have been scarcely studied, not only in lagoon waters
but also in the bordering northern Adriatic Sea. Here we present the structure and
methodologies of a project aiming to investigate the biology of M. leidyi and C. sapidus in these
waters, their impacts on the nektonic biodiversity of the study areas and the fisheries, as well as
to explore management solutions, with the final goal to develop with local fishers a
participatory strategy to mitigate the impacts of these invasive species.
Key-words: Invasive species, Mnemiopsis leidyi, Callinectes sapidus, fisheries, Venice Lagoon
Introduction
Invasive Alien Species (IAS) can have large ecological and socio-economic impacts: they
modify the local food webs and the diversity of the invaded ecosystems, and they can also
negatively affect human activities (Tsirintanis et al., 2022). During the last decade, two main
invasions have spread in the Venice Lagoon and Adriatic Sea: one carried out by the sea
walnut, Mnemiopsis leidyi, and the second one carried out by the Atlantic blue crab,
Callinectes sapidus. Both species are native to the American coasts, and, through ballast
waters, they have invaded a great number of the Earth’s Seas (Shiganova et al., 2019;
Mancinelli et al., 2021). In most of the invaded seas they have had great impacts on fisheries
and environments. The Venice Lagoon and northern Adriatic Sea are invaded by those two
animals. Lagoon artisanal fishers assert an impact of these species on their activities.
Specifically, they state a loss in captures and biomass of local fishery products caused by M.
leidyi (locally called “acqua grossa”) and a loss in the biomass of the local and commercially
important green crab, Carcinus aestuarii, caused by C. sapidus. They also express a
widespread concern that the artisanal fishery will be lost if nothing is done to mitigate the
impacts of these species. On the other hand, the blue crab is entering in the economy of the
fish markets of the Venice Lagoon. Here we outline the structure and methodologies used, in
the framework of a PhD project, to assess the impact of these invaders on local biodiversity
and ecosystem services, as well as to explore management solutions.
Objectives
The final objective of this project is to develop together with fishers, and so in a participatory
fashion, a shared strategy to mitigate the effects caused by M. leidyi and C. sapidus. Investigating
both species will provide us with a comprehensive picture of the Venice Lagoon and northern
Adriatic Sea conditions allowing to identify the most sustainable strategies to mitigate this urgent
problem for fisheries as well as biodiversity and ecosystems of these coastal ecosystems.
2nd Mediterranean Symposium on the Non-Indigenous Species (Genoa, Italy, 22-23 September 2022)
115
Department of Biology, University of Padova, via U. Bassi 58/b, 35131 Padova, Italy
E-mail: filippo.piccardi@phd.unipd.it
MARINE INVASIVE SPECIES AND FISHERIS IN THE VENICE
LAGOON AND NORTHERN ADRIATIC SEA: a PhD project
Abstract
During the last decade, two main invasions have spread in the Venice Lagoon and Adriatic Sea:
the sea walnut, Mnemiopsis leidyi, and the Atlantic blue crab, Callinectes sapidus. Both species
originated from American coasts and invaded a great number of the Earth’s Seas. Nowadays
those two invaders arrived in the Venice Lagoon and in the northern Adriatic Sea, but their
socio-economic and ecological impacts have been scarcely studied, not only in lagoon waters
but also in the bordering northern Adriatic Sea. Here we present the structure and
methodologies of a project aiming to investigate the biology of M. leidyi and C. sapidus in these
waters, their impacts on the nektonic biodiversity of the study areas and the fisheries, as well as
to explore management solutions, with the final goal to develop with local fishers a
participatory strategy to mitigate the impacts of these invasive species.
Key-words: Invasive species, Mnemiopsis leidyi, Callinectes sapidus, fisheries, Venice Lagoon
Introduction
Invasive Alien Species (IAS) can have large ecological and socio-economic impacts: they
modify the local food webs and the diversity of the invaded ecosystems, and they can also
negatively affect human activities (Tsirintanis et al., 2022). During the last decade, two main
invasions have spread in the Venice Lagoon and Adriatic Sea: one carried out by the sea
walnut, Mnemiopsis leidyi, and the second one carried out by the Atlantic blue crab,
Callinectes sapidus. Both species are native to the American coasts, and, through ballast
waters, they have invaded a great number of the Earth’s Seas (Shiganova et al., 2019;
Mancinelli et al., 2021). In most of the invaded seas they have had great impacts on fisheries
and environments. The Venice Lagoon and northern Adriatic Sea are invaded by those two
animals. Lagoon artisanal fishers assert an impact of these species on their activities.
Specifically, they state a loss in captures and biomass of local fishery products caused by M.
leidyi (locally called “acqua grossa”) and a loss in the biomass of the local and commercially
important green crab, Carcinus aestuarii, caused by C. sapidus. They also express a
widespread concern that the artisanal fishery will be lost if nothing is done to mitigate the
impacts of these species. On the other hand, the blue crab is entering in the economy of the
fish markets of the Venice Lagoon. Here we outline the structure and methodologies used, in
the framework of a PhD project, to assess the impact of these invaders on local biodiversity
and ecosystem services, as well as to explore management solutions.
Objectives
The final objective of this project is to develop together with fishers, and so in a participatory
fashion, a shared strategy to mitigate the effects caused by M. leidyi and C. sapidus. Investigating
both species will provide us with a comprehensive picture of the Venice Lagoon and northern
Adriatic Sea conditions allowing to identify the most sustainable strategies to mitigate this urgent
problem for fisheries as well as biodiversity and ecosystems of these coastal ecosystems.
2nd Mediterranean Symposium on the Non-Indigenous Species (Genoa, Italy, 22-23 September 2022)
115