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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).

Mazzola Mauro

Mazzola Mauro He mainly deals with two research topics: the physical and optical characterization of atmospheric particulate matter, also known as aerosol, and the estimate of the energy balance at the surface. As for the first topic, he uses techniques such as solar and lunar photometry for the estimation of the optical thickness of the aerosols in the atmosphere, the in-situ measurement of the scattering and absorption coefficients and the size distribution, through online optical. This last type of measurement is also carried out on profiles obtained by means of a tethered balloon. As for the energy balance, he uses an integrated approach between measurements and calculation codes for the radiative part, while the heat and mass balances are estimated by direct eddy covariance measurements. These activities take place mainly at the CNR infrastructures in Ny-Ålesund (Svalbard) and at the Korean base Jang Bogo in Antarctica, a country in which a close collaboration has been active for years.
He is author of about 100 publications including journal articles and contributions in scientific books.

Scopus - Author ID: 24367405100 ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8394-2292 Google Scholar

Meroni Simone

Meroni Simone Graduated in Environmental Science and Technology from the University of Bicocca in 2023. The thesis focused on characterizing the carbonaceous and mineral content of Light Absorbing Particles deposited on the snow surface of the Shallap Glacier (Peru), including a modeling study based on back-trajectory analysis. Currently a Ph.D. student in Polar Sciences at Ca' Foscari University since December 2023, in collaboration with the Institute of Polar Sciences in Milan and Venice. The research aims to study the impact of biomass burning emissions and dust uplift on the Arctic atmosphere by analyzing the composition and the optical and microphysical properties of aerosols, integrating this information with the study of their source areas.

Messina

Where we are
The building, in pure Art Nouveau style, is located on the Straits of Messina, in the shadow of the Montorsoli Lantern. Thanks to this position, it dominates the waters of the Straits and the Port. The building consists of a central body with three floors, which houses offices and studios, and two wings, with the laboratories. The ISP building in Messina is shared with the Institute for Biological Resources and Marine Biotechnologies (CNR-IRBIM) and there is also a park of about 10,000 square meters, where there is the main auditorium in a building that was originally the Royal National Shooting range.

How to find us
- By train: if you come from the peninsula, get off at the Villa San Giovanni rail station, then board the BlueJet fast ship heading towards Messina Porto Storico. Otherwise if you come from a Sicilian town, get off at Messina Centrale rail station. Once you arrive in Messina, call our office to arrange transfer by car to the Institute.
- By plane: Catania Fontanarossa is the closest airport. From the airport, take the SAIS-Autolinee bus to Messina Central Station. Once you arrive in Messina, call our office to arrange the transfer by car to the Institute.
- By car: the institute can be reached by car and there is on-site temporary parking available. If you come from the peninsula, once you reach Villa San Giovanni you can board the Caronte ship (runs every 40 minutes) and then, once in Messina, continue by car to the Institute. If, on the other hand, you come from a Sicilian town, take the A18 Messina-Catania, exit at Messina Centro and continue towards the institute following the directions here.

Contact

ISP Secondary office of Messina
Responsable
Dr. Maurizio Azzaro
E-mail: responsabile_me AT cnr.it
Spianata S. Raineri 86 - 98122 Messina (ME)
Phone:+39 090 601 5415
Fax: +39 090 669 007
MAP

Staff Secondary office of Messina

Responsable - AZZARO MAURIZIO - responsabile_me AT cnr.it
Phone:+39 090 601 5415

Contact as: name.surname AT cnr.it

AZZARO FILIPPO    -    Researcher - Phone:+39 090-6015419
AZZARO MAURIZIO    -    Senior Researcher - Phone:+39 090-6015415
CARUSO GABRIELLA    -    Senior Researcher - Phone:+39 090-6015423
COSENZA ALESSANDRO    -    Technical assistant - Phone:+39 090-6015439
CRISAFI FRANCESCA    -    Researcher
DI LEO GUGLIELMO    -    Technician
DECEMBRINI FRANCO    -    Researcher - Phone:+39 090-6015413
FILICIOTTO FRANCESCO    -    Researcher - Phone:+39 090-6015420
IAKIMOV MIKHAIL    -    Research Director
LA CONO VIOLETTA    -    Researcher
LA SPADA GINA    -    Researcher
LO GIUDICE ANGELINA    -    Senior Researcher - Phone:+39 090-6015414
MAIMONE GIOVANNA    -    Technical assistant - Phone:+39 090-6015423
PALADINI DE MENDOZA FRANCESCO    -    Researcher
PANSERA MARCO    -    Researcher
PAPALE MARIA    -    Researcher
PORCINO NUNZIATINA    -    Researcher
RAPPAZZO ALESSANDRO CIRO    -    Technician
SCIACCA VIRGINIA    -    Researcher
SMEDILE FRANCESCO    -    Researcher

Activities

The CNR-ISP in Messina takes an ecosystemic and multidisciplinary approach to microbiology and microbial ecology in polar environments, to improve the current understanding of the role of microbial communities in extreme environments, and aspects related to the development / use of automated technologies for sampling and measurement.
The main Research Themes are:
Climate change and anthropogenic perturbations. Identification of microbial indicators of environmental quality in response to natural or anthropogenic forcing. Microbial resistance to heavy metals and antibiotics. Responses of marine organisms to environmental stress conditions.
Microbial colonization of biotic / abiotic matrices. Associations and interactions between microorganisms and higher organisms, the plastisphere, origin of life, exobiology, evolution and adaptations in extreme environments.
Metabolic capacity and biotechnological potential of cold-adapted microorganisms. Bioprospecting of molecules with biotechnological applications (pharmaceuticals, cosmetic, etc.). Microbial bioremediation of pollutants, including highly persistent ones.
Technological development and use of automatic sampling and / or measuring instruments. Automatic sampling systems, for difficult access sites. Robotic devices and drones for remote data manipulation / acquisition. Acoustic data acquisition systems for the detection of abiotic / biotic sounds, measurement of environmental noise pollution levels and its effects on biological systems.

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

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

Milano

Where we are
The secondary office of Institute of Polar Sciences of Milan is located at the CNR Area della Ricerca 3 Milano-Bicocca, Via Cozzi 53 - 20126 Milano. Map

How to find us
- by train: Greco-Pirelli Station
- by car: From the Turin-Venice highway (A4), take the "Milano - viale Zara" exit, head towards the center of Milan, then go to viale Sarca, the first street parallel to the one you are traveling on the left side. Continuing along Viale Sarca in the same direction of travel you will meet the University of Milano-Bicocca on your left, after about a kilometer.
- by plane: Linate Airport, take the bus n. 73 (direction S. Babila M1) and get off at Precotto. Then take the tram n.7 and get off at Greco Pirelli. Malpensa Airport: take the Malpensa Express train. From Cadorna station take the M1 line (direction: Sesto 1° Maggio). Then take the tram n. 7 and get off at Greco Pirelli. Orio al Serio airport: take the bus toward Stazione Centrale, then take the bus n. 87.

Contact

ISP Secondary office of Milano
Responsible
Director PANIERI GIULIANA
E-mail: direttore.isp AT cnr.it
CNR Area della Ricerca 3 Bicocca Milano
Via Cozzi, 53 - 20126 Milano

Activities

The secondary office of the Institute of Polar Sciences of Milan is involved in these research activities of the Earth System Science and Environmental Technologies Department (DSSTTA) :
- Global Change
- Earth Observation
The Milan office of the Institute of Polar Sciences carries out research activities mainly in the fields of remote sensing and the study of atmospheric composition in remote environments.
As part of the Earth Observation, the group combines remote sensing and modelling in order to determine the impact of organic and inorganic particles on the optical and thermal properties of snow and ice.
Regarding the study of the atmospheric composition, the group focuses on the chemical and physical characterization of the atmospheric aerosol, with particular attention to the carbonaceous components (black carbon and organic aerosol) and their potential impact on the climate, including the aerosol-cloud interaction and the aerosol-cryosphere interaction.

Miserocchi Stefano

Miserocchi Stefano Degree in Geological Sciences in 1987 in Bologna. Researcher at the CNR Institute of Marine Sciences from 1994 to 2019, he has been involved in biogeochemical and sedimentological research in the marine and coastal environment.
Sedimentology, biogeochemistry and dynamics of marine sediments and particles. Main focus on flux and mass balance calculations for carbon, as well as biogenic and terrigenous constituents to understand origins, transport pathways and fates of particles on continental margins. Study of organic matter in the sediment and of nutrient fluxes at the water-sediment interface. His research interests currently are: (a) vertical fluxes of particles and lateral transportation of materials from the continental shelf to deep basins in Arctic and Mediterranean Sea; (b) Non-destructive core logging/scanning methods including XRF Core Scanning.
Participation at EC and Arctic projects (Snow, Arca, Defrost). PI or WP leader of projects funded by ONR and national projects. Participation in more than 75 oceanographic cruises between 1990 and 2019 (on which 20 as Chief Scientist) for a total of 525 days of shipboard experience.
Author and co-author on over 158 publications (+ 120 abstracts) included data and technical reports, of which 62 publications on Scopus, 1513 citations, H index = 23.

Scopus - Author ID: 6602827994 Google Scholar

Mission

The mission of the ISP is to contribute to increasing the quality of Italian scientific and technological research in the polar regions, and to provide knowledge on global changes in support of Italian and European environmental policies by the development of new technologies and survey methodologies.

The Institute aims to be a reference point for:

- CNR polar research; as ISP has extensive links to universities as well as national and international public and private bodies. ISP offers multidisciplinary skills and technologies that are essential to studying and protecting the environment;

- scientific personnel, able to make qualified contributions to the National Antarctic Research Programme (PNRA), the Arctic Research Programme (PRA) and European Commission projects through the development of research and monitoring activities;

- interdisciplinary polar cooperation and research, including the development of meetings, publications, research opportunities and complementary activities, and interacting with society;

- the standardisation of measurements and preparation methods to improve the quality of results, and the development of coordinated measures aimed at common research plans and/or general common objectives;

- the training of the next generation of polar scientists.

Fulfilling our mission will allow us to improve our understanding of the climatic changes taking place in the Arctic and Antarctic environments and possible future developments at both polar and global levels. Our studies address research issues related to both the chemical/geochemical and physical aspects of the poles using a multidisciplinary approach to protect these vulnerable extreme environments. The repercussions of climate change on these dynamics are still largely unknown and will require integrated research using long term multidisciplinary methods to understand them fully.

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Montagna Paolo

Montagna Paolo Director of Research at CNR-ISP.
Laurea (M. Sc. equiv.) in Geology (1999), University of Padova. PhD (European Doctorate Label) in Earth Sciences (2005), University of Padova, in collaboration with the Australian National University.
His research mainly focuses on the development and application of geochemical proxies for paleoclimate reconstructions on a variety of timescale and aims to address some of the fundamental aspects of the biomineralization mechanisms in calcifying organisms (corals, molluscs, calcareous algae). This includes the analysis of minor and trace elements, as well as stable (¹¹B/¹⁰B) and radiogenic (¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd, ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr, ²³⁰Th/U) isotopes in biogenic carbonates.
He has acquired significant expertise in the geochemistry of biogenic carbonates, physical and chemical oceanography and deep-sea habitat mapping while working for extended periods at world leading institutions for geochemistry and paleoclimate related studies (Australian Institute of Marine Sciences, Australian National University, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement, Université Paris-Saclay and University of Western Australia). He has participated to 20 oceanographic cruises in the Mediterranean Sea, Atlantic, Indian Ocean, and the Ross Sea off Antarctica (some of them as chief or co-chief scientist), and several SCUBA diving expeditions in the Caribbean Sea, Red Sea, Indian and Pacific Ocean.
He has authored more than 90 peer-reviewed scientific papers, 4 book chapters, more than 120 abstracts and 20 invited talks, and he has served as a proposal reviewer for ERC Advanced Grant, NSF-USA, ANR-France, CNRS/INSU-France, NSERC-Canada, FONDECYT-Chile, DFG-Germany, ISF-Israel, Czech Science Foundation, EUROFLEET Plus, Swiss National Science Foundation Eccellenza Professional Fellowship, SCOR WG and Italian Programme for recruitment of young researcher as well as for 25 peer-reviewed scientific journals.

ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5598-2214 Google Scholar

Monzali Matteo

Monzali Matteo I am a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Milano-Bicocca in Milan, Italy.
My background includes a bachelor's degree in Physics and Astrophysics from the University of Florence, followed by a master's degree in Physics of the Earth System at the University of Bologna.
My research focuses on snow and ice multispectral remote sensing, where I investigate the physical properties of the snowpack and the radiative effects that dust and algae have on it. Beyond my primary research, I am interested in drones, instrumentation, and atmospheric dynamics.

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.

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

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

Ministero degli Affari Esteri e della Cooperazione Internazionale
L'Italia e l’Artico
L’Italia e l’Antartide

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