Infrastructures

Observation facilities

Polar and remote area research is supported not only by permanent stations but also by a series of observatories, that is, by permanent or semi-permanent infrastructures designed to allow for long-term, often automated, measurements.
Eight observatories report to the Institute of Polar Sciences, in various capacities: 6 in polar regions, of which 4 in the Arctic (Climate Change Tower, Gruvedabet and 2 Mooring: Kongfjorden and Storfjorden) and 2 in Antarctica (BSRN Station and Mooring del Ross Sea), and 2 in non-polar regions, of which 1 in the high altitude region (Col Margherita) and 1 in the Adriatic Sea (Mooring Southern Adriatic, MSA).

Research Stations

Most of the scientific activity of the researchers of the Institute of Polar Sciences makes use of three permanent scientific bases located in the polar areas: the Dirigible Italia Station (SDI) located at the Svalbard Archipelago, in the Arctic and the Mario Zucchelli (MZS) and Concordia stations in Antarctica, respectively in the Terranova Bay and at Dome C, on the Antarctic Plateau.
The Dirigible Italia Station is managed by the CNR through ISP. The Mario Zucchelli Station is managed by ENEA for PNRA, while the Concordia base, opened on the basis of a bilateral Italian-French agreement between PNRA (Italy) and IPEV (France), is managed jointly between ENEA and IPEV.

Environmental Microscopy Laboratory (MAMB)

Brief description
The experimental activities carried out at the MAMB laboratory in Messina are aimed at the ecological study of microorganisms by applying specific methods for the determination of the abundance and biomass of prokaryotes (Bacteria and Archaea) and phytoplankton, as well as for the morphometric and morphological description at the cellular level. The evaluation of these phenotypic characteristics provides a different approach to the analysis of the ecosystem structure and allows to evaluate the heterogeneity of natural populations. Variations in cell size, shape and morphology are considered sensitive indicators of trophic and climatic changes in ecosystems. The laboratory also carries out analyzes for the quantification of viable (Live / Dead) and respiring (CTC +) cells using specific microbial biomarkers. The laboratory activities are also in support of the EcoBiM and BiogeM Laboratories.

Matrices of interest
The matrices analyzed are mostly attributable to the hydrosphere (marine, river and lake waters, brines), soil, sediments, biofilm, cryosphere (permafrost, snow, sea and continental ice, intrapermafrost brines) and aquatic organisms.

Applied experimental approaches

- determination of biomass of prokaryotes by counting, and morphometric and morphological analysis of cells, using selective filters for DAPI (4 ', 6-diamidine-2-phenylindole);
- determination of cells with primary fluorescence using specific selective filters;
- quantification of cells endowed with respiratory activity (5-Cyano-2,3-ditolyl-tetrazolium chloride-CTC), using selective filters for rhodamine;
- quantification of viable cells with intact membranes (Live / Dead) using selective filters for fluorescein and rhodamine;
- identification of target bacterial cells by immunofluorescence techniques (fluoresceinated antibodies);
- estimation of the relative abundance of microbial phylogenetic groups using CARD-FISH (catalyzed reporter deposition-fluorescence in situ hybridization).

Instrumentation
- Zeiss AXIOPLAN 2 Imaging epifluorescence microscope equipped with AXIOCAMHR (Zeiss) digital video camera and AXIOVISION 3.1 software. Technical features: high pressure mercury vapor lamp (100 W); 100XPlan-Neofluar immersion objective; 10 X eyepieces, one of which has a squared reticle; interchangeable and appropriate optical filter sets for:

DAPI: G365 excitation, FT395 color divider and LP420 barrier filter;
Primary fluorescence: BP450-490 / FT510 / LP515;
Rhodamine: BP546 / 12; FT580; LP590;
Fluorescein: BP450-490; FT510; LP520.
For details: Sig. Giovanna Maimone – giovanna.maimone AT cnr.it

Chemistry of Hydrosphere Laboratory (HydroChem)

Brief description
The research activities carried out in the HydroChem laboratory in Messina are aimed at studying the marine (coastal and pelagic) and lake water bodies, providing technical-scientific support to the study of biogeochemical cycles and ecological processes also in relation to marine acidification, as well as studies of microbial biomass conducted in the MAMB Laboratory. In particular, analyses of oxygen, salinity, pH, nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) and particulate organic carbon are performed. As part of the environmental monitoring activity, several prototype nutrient analyzers were tested both on fixed platform and on boat, at pristine or anthropogenically polluted sites.

Matrices of interest
The analyzed matrices are mostly attributable to the hydrosphere (marine, river and lake waters, brines).

Instrumentation
The laboratory is equipped with basic instrumentation for environmental chemistry [spectrophotometer, spectrofluorimeter, luminometer, digital burette for oxygen titration, centrifuge, salinometer, automatic nutrient analyzers (ammonia, nitrites, nitrates and orthophosphates), extraction hoods, vacuum pumps, filtration septa, magnetic shaker, pHmeter].
For details: Dr. Filippo Azzaro – filippo.azzaro AT cnr.it

Acoustic Biodiversity and marine ecology Lab (BioSoundEcology Lab)

Short description
The experimental activities carried out at the BioSoundEcology Lab in Messina are focused on the analysis of biological underwater acoustic sources and the study of the ecological dynamics of marine vertebrates and invertebrates in polar habitats. In addition, the impacts of anthropogenic acoustic sources on the ecology, physiology and behaviour of marine organisms are assessed. In particular, through the study of the sounds generated by animals, the biological and ecological aspects are investigated. The analysis of the noise from human activities provides useful elements for understanding the effects on animals through the study of their behavioural and physiological responses.

Matrices of interest
The activities are mostly ascribable to marine habitats.

Study techniques
At the BioSoundEcology Lab, acoustic data acquisition in field/controlled environment and assessment of animal responses to environmental noise disturbance are carried out, in particular:
- Acoustic data analysis;
- Estimation of underwater noise and environmental acoustic components;
- Evaluation of ecological dynamics through the analysis of the vocalizations of marine animals;
-Analysis of the biochemical, physiological and behavioural responses of animals exposed to acoustic disturbance;
- Study of the acoustic ecology of marine mammals.

Instrumentation
The Lab is equipped with instrumentation for passive acoustic monitoring in the field (hydrophones and autonomous acoustic data acquisition systems) and for studies of the effects of noise on marine organisms in controlled environment (cameras, amplifier, acoustic transducer, software for acoustic and behavioral analysis).
For details: Dr. Francesco Filiciotto – francesco.filiciotto AT cnr.it

Microbial Biogeochemistry Laboratory (BiogeM)

Short description
The research activities carried out in the BiogeM laboratory at the Messina headquarters are aimed at studying the marine and terrestrial biological processes that modulate and influence the chemical characteristics of the polar environment and the related cycles of matter and energy, also in relation to climate change.
Particular attention is paid to the evaluation of the role of microorganisms in the global carbon cycle and in the biogeochemical cycles of nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus) of marine and lacustrine environments, through the study of both productive and degradative processes.
Among these, the activities involved in the decomposition of organic polymers, through microbial enzymatic activities, and the mineralization processes through microbial respiration.
The biogeochemical processes mediated by the microbial component are also being studied in the framework of the cryosphere, in order to understand the ecological significance of microbes in the permafrost, and their ability to maintain an active metabolism in extreme living conditions.
Together with the microbial processes linked to the biological pump and organic matter decomposition, a series of indirect biogeochemical parameters related to phytoplankton and bacterial biomass (Chlorophyll, ATP, lipopolysaccharides-LPS) are also determined.

Matrices of interest
The analyzed matrices are mostly ascribable to the hydrosphere (marine, river and lake waters, brines), soil, sediments, biofilm, cryosphere (permafrost, snow, sea and continental ice, intrapermafrost brines) and aquatic organisms.

Study techniques
At the BiogeM laboratory, measurements are carried out to determine the following parameters:
- Primary phytoplankton production;
- Microbial respiratory activity (consumed O₂; produced CO₂) (by ETS assay);
- Microbial enzymatic activities (leucin aminopeptidase, beta-glucosidase and alkaline phosphatase) (through fluorogenic substrates);
- Heterotrophic bacterial production;
- Content of total and size-fractionated (pico-, nano- and micro-phytoplanktonic) chlorophyll-a, pheopigments;
- microbial ATP in pico-, nano and microplankton fractions;
- Quantitative analysis of lipopolysaccharides (LPS) by the LAL chromogenic test.

Instrumentation
Spectrofluorimeter, Luminometer, Fluorometer, Spectrophotometer equipped with 96-well plate fluorescence reader, incubator, autoclave, balance, homogenizer, filtration systems, refrigerated centrifuge.
For information: Dr. Gabriella Caruso – gabriella.caruso AT cnr.it

Microbial Ecology and Biotechnology LAB (EcoBiM)

Brief description
Experimental activities carried out at the EcoBiM LAB in Messina are addressed to the ecology and biotechnology of microorganisms, particularly prokaryotes, inhabiting both marine and continental polar habitats. The diversity of microorganisms, their response to environmental stress conditions (deriving from natural or anthropogenic forcing, such as climate change and chemical contamination), the astrobiological implications of life in extreme environments, and their evolution and adaptation in polar environments are among the ecological aspects investigated. EcoBiM researchers are also interested in the evaluation of the metabolic capabilities and biotechnological potentialities of cold-adapted microorganisms, by searching for biomolecules exploitable in industrial applications and bacteria able to degrade organic pollutants at low temperatures.

Matrices of interest
The analyzed matrices are mostly attributable to the hydrosphere (marine, river and lake waters, brines) and cryosphere (permafrost, snow, sea-ice and continental ice, intrapermafrost brines), but soils and sediments are also considered. The study of the interactions between microorganisms and biotic (for example, pelagic and benthic organisms) and abiotic (such as microbial communities colonizing polymeric materials, indicated with the term plastisphere) is of particular interest.

Applied experimental approaches
For the microbiological characterization of extreme environments, similarly to the analytical procedures commonly applied for the study of temperate areas, we use both culture-dependent and -independent (i.e. biomolecular and biochemical) approaches, including:
- isolation and maintenance in pure culture of bacterial strains;
- phenotypic (physiological, biochemical and morphological characteristics) and genotypic (analysis of the 16S rRNA sequences and search for functional genes) characterization of cultivable bacteria;
- screening of bacteria for the production for useful biomolecules (including antibiotics, exopolysaccharides, biosurfactants);
- evaluation of the metabolic capacities of the microbial communities through miniaturized assays;
- characterization of the microbial communities by the hybridization in situ with oligonucleotide probes (CARD-FISH);
- extraction of environmental DNA and RNA for metagenomics and metatrascriptomics studies;
- preparation of microcosms enriched with organic and inorganic contaminants, and degradation tests.

Instrumentation
The EcoBiM LAB is equipped with basic instrumentation for environmental and applied microbiology (laminar flow cabinet, autoclave, incubators and thermostated baths, centrifuges, filtration systems, sonicators, spectrophotometers, fluorometers) and molecular biology equipment (thermocycler and equipment for electrophoresis).
For details: Dr. Angelina Lo Giudice - angelina.logiudice AT cnr.it

Other instrumentation available – Headquarters (Venice)

High Performance Liquid Chromatograph Agilent 1100 Series HPLC Systems

Brief description
The HPLC-MS/MS system allows to quantitatively determine polar organic compounds in several environmental and vegetable matrices and biota samples. It is commonly used to investigate specific markers of sources or environmental processes in samples collected in polar regions. It is used to determine levoglucosan, key tracer of biomass burning, in ice core samples to provide historical profiles of fire regimes in paleoclimatic studies. Several water soluble organic compounds (free and combined amino acids, phenolic compounds) are determined using HPLC-MS/MS in aerosol samples to define chemical composition of atmosphere in urban and polar samples. Polar pesticide or toxins are commonly determined with HPLC-MS/MS in fresh water, sea water, biota or vegetable samples.

Instrument
High Performance Liquid Chromatograph Agilent 1100 Series HPLC Systems (Waldbronn, Germany) with a binary pump, vacuum degasser, autosampler and thermostated column compartment coupled with an API 4000 Triple Quadrupole Mass Spectrometer (Applied Biosystem/MSD SCIEX, Concord, Ontario, Canada) using a TurboV source.
Contact person: Dr. Roberta Zangrando - roberta.zangrando AT cnr.it - CNR-ISP Venice Headquarters

Matrix and type of measurement
Analysis of discrete samples of several matrices: ice, snow, atmospheric aerosol, lacustrine water, fresh water, sea water, sediment, vegetable and biota samples. Analysis of polar organic compounds such as for example anhydrosugars, amino acids, phenolic compounds, organic acids.

Agilent 1100 series HPLC system coupled with API 4000, High Performance Liquid Chromatograph coupled with tandem mass spectrometer (HPLC-MS/MS). (IMAGE)

Liquid chromatograph UHPLC mod. Dionex Ultimate 3000 Dual Pump RS
Brief description
This instrument is the key system to perform semicontinuous analysis of organic compounds in ice core samples.

Instrument
Liquid chromatograph UHPLC mod. Dionex Ultimate 3000 Dual Pump RS (Thermo ScientificTM) with vacuum degasser, column thermostat.
Contact person: Dr. Elena Barbaro - elena.barbaro AT cnr.it - CNR-ISP Venice Headquarters

Matrix and type of measurement
Semicontinuos analysis of ice cores. This system is coupled with continuous flow analysis (CFA).

Dionex Ultimate 3000 Dual Pump RS Thermo Scientific, Liquid chromatograph UHPLC Dual Pump (IMAGE)

Mercur Plus - Analytik Jena AG, cold vapor atomic fluorescence spectroscopy (CV-AFS).
Brief description
Cold vapor atomic fluorescence spectroscopy (CV-AFS) is an analytical technique used for the quantification of mercury at trace/ultra-trace levels. This technique is mainly used on “clean” aqueous matrices (eg ice, snow, and water) from remote and uncontaminated areas.
The sensitivity of the instrument is fully harnessed by using official methods such as USEPA1631 version E or UNI-EN 15853: 2010. The Hg present in the matrix is oxidized to Hg²⁺ with BrCl solution and then reduced to elemental mercury(Hg⁰) con SnCl₂. The Hg⁰ is stripped from the aqueous matrix using an inert carrier gas (argon) and successively transported to gold traps for the pre-concentration by amalgam formation. Following thermal desorption at T between 450-500 °C, the Hg⁰ is desorbed from the gold traps and is transported into a quartz cell.
Light from a mercury vapor lamp passes through the quartz cell that contains the sample mercury in a flow of argon carrier gas and excites all the mercury atoms which then emit a characteristic fluorescence radiation at 253.7 nm. The amount of light emitted by the mercury atoms in the sample is proportional to the amount of mercury passing through the quartz cell. The CV-AFS of the CNR-ISP is located inside a dedicated clean room.

Instrument
Mercur Plus - Analytik Jena AG, cold vapor atomic fluorescence spectroscopy (CV-AFS).
Contact person: Dr. Massimiliano Vardè - massimiliano.varde AT cnr.it - CNR-ISP Venice Headquarters

Matrix and type of measurement
Aqueous matrices: atmospheric deposition, snow, ice, drinking water, mineral water, natural water, seawater. Mercury, as total mercury, or as dissolved, filtered and unfiltered after sample pre-treatment.

Mercur Plus - Analytik Jena AG, cold vapor atomic fluorescence spectroscopy (CV-AFS). (IMAGE)

Gas chromatograph coupled with mass spectrometer (GC-MS)

Brief description
The GC-MS system allows the quantification of volatile apolar compounds in environmental matrices. In the environmental field GC-MS finds main application in the determination of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) such as PCBs, PBDEs, PAHs, pesticides, in environmental matrices both in urban and remote areas such as polar areas. As well as it used in the determination of personal care products such as fragrances that have been observed not only in urban areas but also in Antarctica.
In the ISP-CNR there are 3 GC-MS systems. Among these, the system equipped with a cryogenic trap allows the preconcentration of volatile compounds (allowing the quantification of volatile compounds difficult to analyze in GC even at very low levels). There is also a GC-MS system equipped with a pyrolyser that allows the analysis of non-volatile materials such as plastic materials.

Instrument

• GC-MS 7890A-5975C (Agilent) /
• GC-MS GC7890A+MS5975C (Agilent) with cryogenic trap (MARKES Int)
• GC-MS GC6890+MS5973 (Agilent) with Pyrolysis system Pyroprobe 5000 Series
Contact person: Dr. Elena Argiriadis - elena.argiriadis AT cnr.it - CNR-ISP Venice Headquarters

Matrix and type of measurement
Analysis of discrete samples of several matrices: ice, snow, atmospheric aerosol, lacustrine water, fresh water, sea water, sediment, vegetable and biota samples. Compounds analyzed: Apolar volatile compounds such as PCBs, PBDEs, PAHs, pesticids, fragrances, sterols.

GC-MS 7890A-5975C Agilent (IMAGE)

Microscopy and Preparation Laboratory (MiP Lab)

Brief description
Microplastics are considered emerging pollutants and they are present in different environmental compartments (e.g. seawater, soil, atmosphere, etc.). In 2019 the European Chemical Agency has clearly defined microplastics and their sizes: “a material composed of solid polymer-containing particles, to which additives or other substances may have been added, with particle dimensions ranging from 1 nm to 5 mm and with fiber lengths ranging from 3 nm to 15 mm and length to diameter ratio of >3. ECHA has also firmly stated the need of polymer identification when analyzing microplastics. Microplastics can be primary and secondary, according to their sources; sources of primary microplastics are discharges from household washing machines, road dust, tire wear and cosmetics. Particles and fibers of plastics can be vector of other pollutants and pathogens. An accurate quantification and characterization of microplastics allow evaluating the environmental risk assessment and designing future actions of environmental management and recovery.

Instrument
Micro-FTIR Nicolet™ iN™10 Infrared Microscope Thermo Scientific, it couples optic microscopy with IR spectroscopy. Two different detectors are present: DTG (Deuturate Triglycine sulfate) detector enables room temperature analysis, and MCT (Mercury Cadmium Telluride ) detector works with liquid nitrogen and allows the analysis of samples down to 10 µm. Samples can be analyzed on transmittance mode, reflectance mode and ATR mode.

Matrix and type of measurement
Non-destructive analysis of microplastics in different environmental samples (seawater, sediments, soil, permafrost, aerosol, snow, raw and treated water, discharges from household washing machines, etc.) and in different biota (crustaceans, mollusks, fish, etc.). Micro-FTIR allows quantification and simultaneous polymer identification of plastic particles and fibers and of additives, plasticizers. and other synthetic and natural fibers. It can be employed for analysis of microplastics, but also for analysis of microfossils, artistic handiworks, etc.
Contact person: Dr. Fabiana Corami - fabiana.corami AT cnr.it - CNR-ISP Venice headquarters

Mass Spectroscopy Laboratory (SpeM)

Brief description

In the SpeM laboratory, at the Venice headquarters, the researchers carry out the chemical (trace elements) and isotopic (δD, δ¹³C, δ¹⁵N, δ¹⁸O) characterization of natural matrices and the determination of the total carbon and nitrogen content (in soils and sediments).

Trace elements are all those elements in the periodic table present in natural matrices with concentrations of less than 1 ppm (parts per million). The quantification of these elements allows, in addition to the chemical characterization of the samples examined, an evaluation of any contamination problems, including those arising from human activities. This allows us to study the exchanges that may take place between different compartments of the different ecosystems, and the origin of the elements, as well as allowing us to reconstruct temporal variations related to current and past climate changes.
Per Isotopes are atoms belonging to the same chemical element, therefore with the same atomic number but which differ by mass number (that is, they differ by the number of neutrons contained within the nucleus). Isotopes are therefore chemically equal but different from a physical point of view. They differ in nuclear stability and instability meaning that some can be radioactive. Among the most studied stable isotopes are oxygen, carbon, hydrogen and nitrogen. The study of stable isotope relative abundances between the various isotopes of an element, gives a measure of the ratio of one of the heavier isotopes to the lighter isotope (the most abundant in nature) of a given element. This ratio in nature is not constant but may vary as a result of chemical, physical and biological processes that can lead to an impoverishment or an enrichment of one isotope compared to the other in the various phases of a natural system: we speak of this as isotopic fractionation. Stable isotopes have fundamental applications for environmental and paleoenvironmental studies. For example, the measurement of δ¹⁸O in snow/ice cores allows a reconstruction of the temperature trends in the past.

Instrument

Element XR DeltaV Advantage Elemental Analyzer Flash2000HT

Element XR DeltaV Advantage Elemental Analyzer Flash2000HT

ICP-SFMS Element XR Thermo Scientific equipped with various sample introduction systems (Scott-type spray-chamber in PFA; cyclonic spray-chamber in glass or PFA, cooled by a Peltier system; APEX-ESI system equipped with heated cyclonic spray-chamber (both in glass and in PFA) and a cooling system for the reduction of interferences from oxides and doubly charged ions, resistant to hydrofluoric acid; ARIDUS-CETAC system equipped with heated spray-chamber in PFA and a heated membrane, for the reduction of oxides and doubly charged ions). The instrument is also equipped with an auto-sampler protected by a laminar flow hood that keeps the samples clean during the analysis sessions.
Contact person: Dr. Giulio Cozzi - giulio.cozzi AT cnr.it - CNR-ISP Venice headquarters

IRMS DeltaV Advantage Thermo Scientificequipped with: Gas-Bench (with autosampler), Elemental Analyzer Flash HT with double furnace, two autosamplers for solid samples and one autosampler for liquid samples and ConFloIV, and Gas chromatograph (GC Trace with auto-sampler).
Contact person: Dr. Clara Turetta - clara.turetta AT cnr.it - CNR-ISP Venice headquarters

EA Elemental Analyzer Flash2000HT Thermo Scientific with double furnace, two autosamplers for solid samples and one autosampler for liquid samples.
Contact person: Dr. Clara Turetta - clara.turetta AT cnr.it - CNR-ISP Venice headquarters

Matrix and type of measurement
ICP-SFMS: snow/ice, sea water, surface and groundwater, interstitial water. Determination of trace elements (at ppb to ppq level).

IRMS - Gas-Bench: water (snow/ice, sea water, surface and groundwater, interstitial water), carbonates (foraminifera, carbonates s.s.). δD, δ¹³C, δ¹⁸O measurements,
IRMS - EA: soils, sediments, biota. δ¹³C, δ¹⁵N measurements.

EA: soils, sediments, biota. Determination of total nitrogen (TN), total carbon (TC) and organic carbon (OC).

More...

Laboratories

Research activities are not only based on the observatories, there is a network of laboratories, located at the various branches of the Institute, which allow researchers to develop ISP research topics. In the laboratories, samples taken in polar areas are analysed. These samples, given the difficult environmental conditions in which we operate during the field campaigns, as well as the considerable logistical effort involved in their collection, are always precious and often unrepeatable. Therefore, the availability of equipment that allows the researcher to obtain the maximum possible information from each sample becomes fundamental so we can advance knowledge of these extreme environments.

The laboratories also perform services on behalf of third parties and in the context of contracts, agreements and research collaborations with companies, universities and national and international institutions. For more information, contact the representatives of the laboratories / instruments.

Third party service

The Institute can provide paid services, in compliance with the current Regulations for the Generation, Management and Enhancement of Intellectual Property on the results of CNR research, for services on behalf of third parties (Contractual research).

The laboratories of the Institute of Polar Sciences carry out chemical, chemical-physical, microbiological analyzes on various environmental matrices, issuing the relevant certificate or technical / scientific reports.

The analyzes are performed ONLY UPON REQUEST sent by email to the address of the Laboratory / Instrumentation Contact and in cc to the Director of the Institute (direttore.isp AT cnr.it) for the Venice headquarters and the secondary site of Padua or to Head of branches (responsabile_bo AT cnr.it; responsabile_me AT cnr.it; responsabile_rm AT cnr.it) for the secondary sites of Bologna, Messina and Rome, containing the name, address and signature of the Applicant. The analyzes to be carried out, the number of samples and everything else to be requested must be listed.

By the mere fact of submitting the request, the rules and consequent charges are understood to be known and accepted by the Applicant. After receiving the request, the Contact Person, having obtained the clearance from the Director / Head of the branches, will send a cost quotation and indicate an expected date of delivery of the results.

The samples to be analyzed must be sent, free of all charges, to the branches of the contact person according to the methods indicated in the quotation. The rates that will be communicated are net of VAT and include the execution of the analyzes and the sending of a form containing the related results. No interpretation and / or evaluation of the analysis results will be made by the laboratory involved.

	Servizio erogato	Laboratorio	Sede ISP
1	Servizi Base per analisi microbiologiche	EcoBiM	Messina
2	Rivitalizzazione/isolamento di ceppi batterici	EcoBiM	Messina
3	Caratterizzazione ceppi microbici	EcoBiM	Messina
4	Analisi della comunità microbica mediante fingerprinting molecolare	MAMB	Messina
5	Analisi del genoma microbico	EcoBiM	Messina
6	Analisi metagenomiche	EcoBiM	Messina
7	Analisi del trascrittoma	EcoBiM	Messina
8	Determinazione della biomassa procariotica	MAMB	Messina
9	Quantificazione di cellule con attività respiratoria	MAMB	Messina
10	Quantificazione di cellule vitali con membrane integre	MAMB	Messina
11	Determinazione dell’attività respiratoria microbica	BiogeM	Messina
12	Tassi di attività enzimatica extracellulare microbica	BiogeM	Messina
13	Determinazione del contenuto in pigmenti clorofilliani	BiogeM	Messina
14	Analisi dei nutrienti, pH e O2	HydroChem	Messina
15	Sviluppo di metodi IC-MS		Venezia
16	Sviluppo di metodi LC-MS		Venezia
17	Interpretazione dei tracciati SPME/GC/MS		Padova
18	Analisi di Mercurio Totale		Venezia
19	Analisi di Carbonio totale (TC), Azoto totale (TN), Carbonio organico (OC)	SpeM	Venezia
20	Analisi elementare (a livello di ultra-tracce) di campioni ambientali	SpeM	Venezia
21	Analisi quantitativa ed identificazione di microplastiche	MiP	Venezia

Moorings South Adriatic

Ancoraggi strumentati Sud Adriatico - ULTIMO TITOLO Ancoraggio Strumentato Permanente Adriatico (ex) MSA AGGIORAMENTO 2023

Description of Southern Adriatic Sea Observing Site

The southern Adriatic is the deepest part of the Adriatic Sea with a maximum depth of 1200 m. In its western side, surface waters coming from the northern Adriatic spread southward along the Italian coast, whereas the surface Ionian waters flow along the eastern margin of the basin. Below the surface layer, the MLIW (Modified Levantine Intermediate Water), from the Eastern Mediterranean basin, enters the Adriatic Sea on the eastern side of the Otranto Strait, at 200-600 m depth.
The southern Adriatic is a site of dense water formation. The Adriatic Deep Water (AdDW) is generated through deep vertical convection, caused by surface heat losses following cold continental wind events occurring in late winter. Occasionally, the North Adriatic Deep Water (NAdDW), produced by surface heat loss and evaporation driven by Bora storms during winter in the Northern Adriatic Sea, contribute to the AdDW. The NAdDW constitutes the densest waters of the whole Easter Mediterranean, it flows mostly along the western shelf of the central Adriatic Sea as a bottom-arrested density current and arrives to the Gargano Peninsula after 2–4 months since it has been produced. Recently shorter arrival times (3-4 weeks) have been observed. Once it reaches the edge of the continental shelf it sinks toward the center of the Southern Adriatic along the slope in front of the Gargano promontory or through the Bari canyon, carrying dissolved oxygen, nutrients, particulate matter, and pollutants to deep benthic ecosystems.

With the aim to monitor the arrival and the path of the dense waters coming from the northern Adriatic shelf, an observational system has been positioned based on three mooring lines: BB, EE and FF. This observational system has been activated and financed since 2004 by various scientific projects (EU-EuroSTRATAFORM, EU-HERMIONE, PRIN-OBAMA, EU-Perseus, EU-CoCoNet, Italian Flagship Project Ritmare (SP5-WP5-AZ3) and Italian Marine Strategy. In addition, these oceanographic moorings are part of the Italian Fixed Point Observatory Network (IFON) and, are supported by Planning and Grant Office of the CNR.
Since 2021, sites BB and FF, have become part of the European Multidisciplinary Seafloor and water column Observatory European-Research Infrastructure Consortium (EMSO-ERIC) as Regional Facility in the southern Adriatic Sea consisting of moorings BB and FF and observational site E2M3A operated by OGS Trieste. EMSO-ERIC is a European "diffuse" research infrastructure for ocean observation (https://emso.eu/), which enables long-term and also real-time monitoring of ocean processes. It consists of a system of Regional Facilities located at strategic marine sites in the European seas, Northeast Atlantic, Mediterranean Sea and Black Sea. Each site is equipped with multidisciplinary sensors placed on the seafloor and along the water column to continuously measure physical and bio-geochemical parameters that enable understanding and description of marine ecosystems, the monitoring of climate change, and provide information related to natural hazards. Participation in the EMSO-ERIC consortium also includes measurement of vertical fluxes of particulate matter, via of No. 2 sediment traps, in the deep mooring of the E2-M3A observatory (operated by OGS Trieste) located in the center of the Southern Adriatic Pit.

Participation in EMSO-ERIC is also supported by the activities of the consortium's Italian Joint Research Unit (https://www.emsoitalia.it/). Finally, the BB mooring is part of the Network of Long-term Continuous Measurements of Mediterranean Deepwater Temperature and Salinity (CIESM Hydrochanges Program).
The location of the sites was chosen upon the integration of morpho-bathymetric observations that defined the areas in which the passage of dense waters was more likely with forecasts based on the modeling of the outflow of the North Adriatic dense waters. The BB mooring is located in the northern branch of the Bari canyon, the EE mooring is located in an erosional area west of Dauno seamount, at about 1200m depth, and the FF mooring is on the continental slope in front of the Gargano promontory. Oceanographic sensors are fixed at different heights in the deepest part of the water column (Mooring BB).
The facilities are located offshore and can only be reached by ship. The nearest main docking port is Bari. Site BB is about 20 nm from the port, site FF is about 40 nm, site EE is 45 nm and site E2M3A is about 60 nm.
The instruments are equipped with internal memory and power supply. Oceanographic data are downloaded in delayed mode during mooring maintenance, which occurs semi-annually or annually. During maintenance, the moorings are retrieved to perform data offloading, trap sample collection, battery replacement, and functionality verification prior to redeployment. Such servicing have been performed using several CNR research vessels (R/V Urania, R/V Minerva Uno, and N/O G. Dallaporta) or ships of opportunity as part of the experimental activities of the aforementioned projects.
People involved: Stefano Miserocchi (stefano.miserocchi AT cnr.it), Leonardo Langone e Patrizia Giordano.

Data

Approximately six months after the servicing, data are available in their final form, following manual quality control procedures, metadata and storage in ISP-BO's internal data center. The acquired timeseries are post-processed to remove spikes, checked for consistency, and filtered to remove the effect of the tide (low pass filter). Periodic calibration of the sensors and comparison with measurements made from ship is also performed.
The data obtained, accompanied by metadata according to the conventions OceanSITES v1.4, SeaDataNet_1.0, COARDS and CF-1.6 are available in a plurality of formats (ASCII, NetCDF 3, NetCDF 4) through the ERDDAP data server: https://bo.isp.cnr.it/erddap/index.html.
The data produced by the South Adriatic observative site will also be available to the scientific community through the Data Portal of the EMSO-ERIC infrastructure, which includes appropriate visualization and representation tools.
Data manager: Giulio Verazzo (giulio.verazzo AT isp.cnr.it)

Main scientific references

Paladini de Mendoza, F., Schroeder, K., Langone, L., Chiggiato, J., Borghini, M., Giordano, P., Verazzo, G., and Miserocchi, S.: Deep-water hydrodynamic observations of two moorings sites on the continental slope of the southern Adriatic Sea (Mediterranean Sea), Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 14, 5617–5635, DOI, 2022.

Paladini de Mendoza Francesco, Katrin Schroeder, Leonardo Langone, Jacopo Chiggiato, Mireno Borghini, Patrizia Giordano, Giulio Verazzo, & Stefano Miserocchi. (2022). Moored current and temperature measurements in the Southern Adriatic Sea at mooring site BB and FF, March 2012-June 2020 (1.1) [Data set]. Zenodo. zenodo.7311090

Miserocchi Stefano, Leonardo Langone, Patrizia Giordano, Vanessa Cardin, Ilaria Conese, Anna Sanchez-Vidal, Giulio Verazzo, & Francesco Paladini de Mendoza. (2022). Biogeochemical data of sinking particulate matter collected by sediment traps at E2M3A mooring (2013-2020) in the Southern Adriatic Sea [Data set]. Zenodo. zenodo.7473396

Paladini de Mendoza, Francesco, Schroeder, Katrin, Langone, Leonardo, Chiggiato, Jacopo, Borghini, Mireno, Giordano, Patrizia, & Miserocchi, Stefano. (2023). Moored echo and turbidity measurements in the Southern Adriatic Sea at mooring site BB and FF, March 2012-June 2020 [Data set]. Zenodo. zenodo.7586134

Paladini de Mendoza Francesco, Katrin Schroeder, Leonardo Langone, Stefano Miserocchi, Mireno Borghini, Patrizia Giordano, Alessandro Amorosi, Jacopo Chiggiato. 2022. Sediment Resuspension and transport processes during dense water cascading events along the continental margin of the southern Adriatic. Submitted to Marine Geology (under revision). Ref.: Ms. No. MARGO-D-22-00290

Langone, L., Conese, I.; Miserocchi, S.; Boldrin, A.; Bonaldo, D.; Carniel, S.; Chiggiato, J.; Turchetto, M.; Borghini, M.; Tesi, T. (2016) Dynamics of particles along the western margin of the Southern Adriatic: Processes involved in transferring particulate matter to the deep basin, Marine Geology,375,28-43. - DOI

Turchetto, M., Boldrin, A., Langone, L., Miserocchi, S. (2012) Physical and biogeochemical processes controlling particle fluxes variability and carbon export in the Southern Adriatic, Continental Shelf Research, 44, 72-82. - DOI

Turchetto M., A. Boldrin, L. Langone, S. Miserocchi, T. Tesi, F. Foglini (2007) Particle transport in the Bari Canyon (southern Adriatic Sea), Marine Geology Volume 246, Issues 2-4, EUROSTRATAFORM: Role and functioning of Canyons, Pages 231-247. - DOI

MDI

A permanent instrumented mooring has been installed in the inner part of Kongsfjorden (Svalbard Islands) at a depth of about 100 m with the aim of studying the intensity and composition of the flows of particles falling to the sea bottom, while monitoring the main physical properties of the water column. The mooring called Dirigibile Italia (MDI) was first installed in September 2010 and is serviced annually. The data acquired and stored by the various instruments are downloaded during maintenance, checked for QA/QC and uploaded to the Italian Article Data Center (IADC).
A 10-year time series of data for climate purposes is currently available.
MDI allows us to continuously monitor the variations of the thermohaline characteristics of:
a) surface water from glacier melting;
b) intermediate water that derives from the intrusion of Atlantic-type water;
c) bottom water produced locally during the winter.
Furthermore, through the collection of particulate matter, information is acquired on sedimentary processes and interactions between water and particulate matter with microzooplankton, glaciers and coastal runoff. The complex interplay between the processes that drive the input of native (marine) and alien (terrestrial) particles into Kongsfjorden has now been understood, some interpretations of possible future changes in particle flows for Arctic fjords in a warming scenario global can be suggested.

The oceanographic sensors on MDI are positioned along the mooring at different levels in the water column. The list of measured parameters includes:
- water temperature at 25, 36, 54, 62, 85 and 92 m
- speed and direction of currents at 37 and 93 m
- conductivity / salinity at 25 and 85 m
- turbidity and dissolved oxygen at 85 m
- total mass and particulate organic carbon flows at 83 m.
A hydrological survey is also performed every year, mainly during the summer, to obtain a seasonal picture of the spatial distribution of the different water masses in the fjord. For this purpose, a grid of about 15 stations is repeatedly measured for the main chemical-physical characteristics of the water masses: temperature, conductivity and turbidity.

MS1 and ID2

The water masses in the eastern Fram Strait are strongly influenced by the interaction between the Atlantic and Arctic waters, and by local atmospheric forcing. They clearly contribute to driving thermohaline circulation on a global scale. There is considerable variability in the system due to the different forcings (for example, atmospheric, internal, tidal, shelf dynamics) that play an important role, especially in the most superficial layer of the ocean. On the contrary, it is not entirely clear which processes are responsible for the inter-annual and seasonal variability of the deep flow in the western Spitsbergen offshore region.

To this end, in 2014 the oceanographic deep-sea mooring called MS1 was permanently installed, located southwest of Svalbard at about 1040 m depth (Lat. 76° 26.28'N Lon. 13° 56.91'E) in a joint effort between CNR and OGS. Long-term time series are essential for studying climate change, particularly in polar areas, which are extremely sensitive to global warming and sea / land ice melt. A twin mooring, called ID2, was placed 140 km north of anchor MS1 at approximately the same water depth in the years 2014-2016 and 2017-2018, in order to monitor spatial differences of in the properties and dynamics of the water along the Spitsbergen margin.

These undersea infrastructures represent the continuation of the experiment conducted in 2010-2011 as part of the EU-Hermione project with the launching of four moorings for one year along the Storfjorden continental slope to monitor the shelf-fjord exchanges and the platform dense water cascading events.

The MS1 and ID2 mooring are serviced annually by various research vessels (R/V Helmer Hansen, GO SARS, Polarstern, Alliance), and are supported by international collaborations and numerous projects/initiatives: EU-Eurofleets (PREPARED, BURSTER projects), the Italian PNRA program (DEFROST project). Since 2017, they are also supported by the IIM HIGH NORTH Italian Navy program managed by the Hydrographic Institute of the Navy (IIM) in collaboration with the Center for Maritime Research and Experimentation (CMRE-NATO).

Data from MS1 and ID2 were used to contribute to the first two issues of The State of Environmental Science in Svalbard - an annual report (SESS Report) published by SIOS (Svalbard Integrated Observing System) in 2018 and 2019 (SOA project). Mooring data are downloaded in delayed mode during mooring maintenance, checked for QA/QC and stored in the OGS NODC data center with connection to SeaDataNet. At present, the data on temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, turbidity and horizontal currents cover a time period from June 2014 to October 2019. Information on sedimentary processes and interactions with mesozooplankton, glaciers and coastal runoff are acquired by collecting the particulate that sinks along the water column using automatic sediment traps.

Oceanographic sensors are tied to different levels in the deepest part of the water column. The list of parameters measured in the MS1 anchoring in its most recent configuration (v2019) includes:
- water temperature at 894, 909, 984, 1009 and 1115 m
- speed and direction of currents at 909, 984 and 1015 m
- conductivity/salinity and dissolved oxygen at 1009 m
- total mass and particulate organic carbon fluxes at 1009 m.

The time series of temperature and salinity are checked by comparing them with the data of the CTD drops performed before and after maintenance of the mooring.
The main institutions involved are: CNR with CNR-ISP and CNR-ISMAR, OGS and IIM.

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Ministero dell'Universita e Ricerca
Programma Ricerche Artico
Programma Nazionale di Ricerca in Antartide

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L’Italia e l’Antartide

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