Acronym MIRACLE
Category
Aquaculture
Title Mercury interdisciplinary research for appropriate clam farming in lagoonal environment Programme Nat. Programme (supported by ESIF)
Instrument (FP6)
Contact Type (FP7)
Strand (Interreg)
NA
Theme (FP7)
Activity Area (FP6)
Regional Area (Interreg)
Action (COST)
NA
Specific Programme (FP7)
NA
Funding source National-European Coordinator Stefano Covelli Coordinator email covelli@units.it
Coordinator institution
UNITS - University of Trieste (Italy)
Institutions involved
NA - Autorità di Bacino Friuli Venezia Giulia (Italy) ,
UNIVE - Ca' Foscari University of Venice (Italy) ,
ISPRA - Italian National Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (Italy) ,
JSI - Jožef Stefan Institute (Slovenia) ,
OGS - National Institute of Oceanography and Experimental Geophysics (Italy) ,
ARPA-FVG - Regional Agency for Environmental Protection of Friuli Venezia Giulia (Italy) ,
UMASS Lowell - University of Massachusetts Lowell (United States of America) ,
Start year 2008 End year 2009 Funding (€) € NA Website http://www.mercurilab.units.it/ Summary With regards to mercury (Hg) bioaccumulation, it's more important to consider its chemical speciation rather than concentration values measured in sediment particles. Besides, environmental conditions (i.e. temperature, amount and type of organic matter, redox conditions, bacterial activities, etc.) may (or not) help "production" and bioavailability of its most toxic methylated form. This key factor is not covered by the specific regulations about quality and contamination of marine sediments. Legal issues tend to fix limits, in a more simple approach, to metal concentrations, in order to control sediments in coastal marine areas and to standardize dredging and treatment operations of material which results, for instance, from periodical excavation within navigation channels. The key question giving birth to the "MIRACLE" Project (Mercury Interdisciplinary Research for Appropriate Clam farming in Lagoon Environment) is: where and under which environmental conditions Metil-Hg will be produced within lagoon sediments and then transferred to the trophic chain, especially to the bivalves Tapes Philippinarum?
Goals:
(1) To analyse and describe geochemistry of bottom sediments in those lagoon areas which could be open by local and national Authorities for clam farming. To distinguish, through speciation techniques, sites characterized by mercury compounds potentially available for methylation processes from those other sites where, on the contrary, Hg is found in chemical species less available for "its being recycled"; (2) To understand which environmental conditions support or inhibit Methyl-Hg formation (or destruction) and, consequently, render it available for the water column and biota; thus, the areas where clams are currently cultivated will be compared to natural and potentially "farming" areas; (3) To verify the real Hg bioaccumulation in Tapes Philippinarum in eventual "farming" areas and in those areas which are currently cultivated; (4) To assess Hg release into the water column due to physical resuspension of lagoon bottom sediments induced by natural or artificial events.
Keywords
Manila clam;
Toxic substances;
Impacts;
Mollusc;
Aquaculture management;
Shellfish;
Bivalve;
Clam;
Food safety;
Marine Region
74
Northern Adriatic (GSA 17)
1
Marine Region Map
