Papers by Giuseppe Suaria
Nature Human Behaviour, 2025
Early-career researchers face many challenges. These include balancing work and personal life, ga... more Early-career researchers face many challenges. These include balancing work and personal life, gaining professional recognition, achieving long-term job security and managing mental health. For international early-career researchers, these challenges are compounded owing to the need to adapt to new cultural environments and overcome language barriers that hinder communication, as well as navigate local administrative procedures and complex immigration policies. Unfortunately, the ‘buddy’ systems that are currently used by many scientific institutions that are trying to address these problems seem insufficient. We propose that the incorporation of standardized ‘welcome guides’ and common language communication within institutions could offer more-effective support for international early-career researchers.
Science of The Total Environment, 2024
Anthropogenic litter, such as plastic, is investigated by the global scientific community from va... more Anthropogenic litter, such as plastic, is investigated by the global scientific community from various fields employing diverse techniques. The goal is to assess and finally mitigate the pollutants' impacts on the natural environment. Plastic litter can accumulate in different matrices of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, impacting both biota and ecosystem functioning. Detection and quantification of macroplastics, and other litter, can be realized by jointly using visual census and remote sensing techniques. The primary objective of this research was to identify the most effective approach for monitoring macroplastic litter in riverine and marine environments through a comprehensive survey based on the experiences of the scientific community. Researchers involved in plastic pollution evaluated four litter occurrence and flux investigation methods (visual census, drone-based surveys, satellite imagery, and GPS/GNSS trackers) through a questionnaire. Traditional visual census and drone deployment were deemed as the most popular approaches among the 46 surveyed researchers, while satellite imagery and GPS/GNSS trackers received lower scores due to limited field validation and short performance ranges, respectively. On a scale from 0 to 5, visual census and drone-based surveys obtained 3.5 and 2.0, respectively, whereas satellite imagery and alternative solutions received scores lower than 1.2. Visual and drone censuses were used in high, medium and low-income countries, while satellite census and GPS/GNSS trackers were mostly used in high-income countries. This work provides an overview of the advantages and drawbacks of litter investigation techniques, contributing i) to the global harmonization of macroplastic litter monitoring and ii) providing a starting point for researchers and water managers approaching this topic. This work supports the selection and design of reliable and cost-effective monitoring approaches to mitigate the ambiguity in macroplastic data collection, contributing to the global harmonization of macroplastic litter monitoring protocols.
Journal of Hazardous Materials, 2024
Paints, coatings and varnishes play a crucial role in various industries and daily applications, ... more Paints, coatings and varnishes play a crucial role in various industries and daily applications, providing essential material protection and enhancing aesthetic characteristics. However, they sometimes present environmental challenges such as corrosion, wear, and biofouling which lead to economic losses and ecological harm. Paint particles (PPs), including antifouling/anticorrosive paint particles (APPs), originate from marine, industrial, and architectural activities, primarily due to paint leakage, wear, and removal, thus significantly contributing to marine pollution. These particles are often misclassified as microplastics (MPs) because of their polymeric content, so the abundance of these materials is often underestimated. Standardized assessment methodologies are imperative to accurately differentiate and quantify them. Since PPs/APPs incorporate hazardous substances like metals, biocides, and additives that leach into the environment, further investigation into their potential impacts on organisms is of utmost importance to understand their complex composition and toxicity. While essential characterization techniques are needed, a holistic approach, focusing on sustainable paint formulations, is crucial for effective pollution mitigation. This review delves into the intricate structure of paint systems, elucidating the mechanisms governing the aging and formation of PPs/APPs, their prevalence and subsequent environmental and ecotoxicological repercussions. Additionally, it addresses challenges in sampling, processing, and characterizing PPs/APPs, advocating standardized approaches to mitigate their environmental threats, and proposing new perspectives for the future.
Marine pollution bulletin, Jun 1, 2024
Using seabirds as bioindicators of marine plastic pollution requires an understanding of how the ... more Using seabirds as bioindicators of marine plastic pollution requires an understanding of how the plastic retained in each species compares with that found in their environment. We show that brown skua Catharacta antarctica regurgitated pellets can be used to characterise plastics in four seabird taxa breeding in the central South Atlantic, even though skua pellets might underrepresent the smallest plastic items in their prey. Fregetta storm petrels ingested more thread-like plastics and white-faced storm petrels Pelagodroma marina more industrial pellets than broad-billed prions Pachyptila vittata and great shearwaters Ardenna gravis. Ingested plastic composition (type, colour and polymer) was similar to floating plastics in the region sampled with a 200 μm net, but storm petrels were better indicators of the size of plastics than prions and shearwaters. Given this information, plastics in skua pellets containing the remains of seabirds can be used to track long-term changes in floating marine plastics.
CRC Press eBooks, Mar 8, 2024
Textile microfibers are the most commonly reported type of anthropogenic particle found by microp... more Textile microfibers are the most commonly reported type of anthropogenic particle found by microplastic pollution surveys around the globe, often representing 80–90% of all particle counts. Significant concentrations of this emerging pollutant have been detected in most marine ecosystems surveyed to date, including sea ice, deep sea sediments, surface and subsurface waters, and coastal environments. Recent studies revealed the presence of microfibers in the digestive systems of numerous marine organisms, including seabirds, deep-sea crustaceans, and commercial fish species, as well as in both wet and dry atmospheric deposition samples. Ingestion of microfibers has been linked to negative health effects in marine invertebrates, but there is currently no evidence of harm to wild creatures exposed to environmentally relevant fiber concentrations. At the same time, we still have a very limited understanding of how they affect wild populations. Additionally, a wide range of chemicals, such as dyes, additives, and flame retardants, are employed in the manufacture of both natural and synthetic textiles, raising questions regarding the function of fibers as vectors of dangerous substances in the marine environment. This chapter aims to provide state-of-the-art information on the sources, transport, degradation, uptake, toxicity, and persistence of synthetic and natural fibers in the marine environment. Special consideration is given to sampling and analytical methods as well as to future areas for potential research.
Marine Ecology Progress Series, Dec 20, 2023
Flying fishes (Teleostei: Exocoetidae) and flying squids (Cephalopoda: Ommastrephidae) are key co... more Flying fishes (Teleostei: Exocoetidae) and flying squids (Cephalopoda: Ommastrephidae) are key components of tropical and subtropical epipelagic ecosystems, but information about their ecology, abundance and global distribution is still scant. Here we present some notes on the occurrence of flying fishes and flying squids in the Eastern Atlantic Ocean along a large-scale visual transect between 31°S and 53°N. The density of airborne specimens startled by the passage of the ship was used as a proxy of their abundance. The number of flying individuals was estimated using visual census, and individual densities were computed according to a fixed-width strip transect protocol. During the survey, 119 vessel-based transects were performed during March and April 2017, for a total surveyed length of 1540.8 km. Flying squids were observed only in a narrow latitudinal band between 17.5° and 26.1°S. Flying fish abundance, on the other hand, varied significantly along the ship’s route. Maximum densitities occurred between 3° and 15°S. Flying fish abundance markedly decreased around the equator and then increased again towards 8-10°N. No flying fishes were seen north of 19°N, with the only exception of 4 individuals sighted near the Strait of Gibraltar (35-36°N). No attempt was made to identify fishes or squids down to the genus or species level; however, the observed variations in size class distribution suggest a certain degree of habitat segregation between different species or life stages. Sea surface temperature was the best descriptive variable explaining the distribution of flying fishes in the area surveyed. Further work is needed to better understand the environmental factors governing the distribution of these important, but seldom surveyed, organisms.
Nature Communications, 2024
Worldwide, governments are implementing strategies to combat marine litter. However, their effect... more Worldwide, governments are implementing strategies to combat marine litter. However, their effectiveness is largely unknown because we lack tools to systematically monitor marine litter over broad spatio-temporal scales. Metre-sized aggregations of floating debris generated by sea-surface convergence lines have been reported as a reliable target for detection from satellites. Yet, the usefulness of such ephemeral, scattered aggregations as proxy for sustained, large-scale monitoring of marine litter remains an open question for a dedicated Earth-Observation mission. Here, we track this proxy over a series of 300,000 satellite images of the entire Mediterranean Sea. The proxy is mainly related to recent inputs from land-based litter sources. Despite the limitations of in-orbit technology, satellite detections are sufficient to map hot-spots and capture trends, providing an unprecedented source-to-sink view of the marine litter phenomenon. Torrential rains largely control marine litter inputs, while coastal boundary currents and wind-driven surface sweep arise as key drivers for its distribution over the ocean. Satellite-based monitoring proves to be a real game changer for marine litter research and management. Furthermore, the development of an ad-hoc sensor can lower the minimum detectable concentration by one order of magnitude, ensuring operational monitoring, at least for seasonal-to-interannual variability in the mesoscale.
Marine Pollution Bulletin, 2024
Using seabirds as bioindicators of marine plastic pollution requires an understanding of how the ... more Using seabirds as bioindicators of marine plastic pollution requires an understanding of how the plastic retained in each species compares with that found in their environment. We show that brown skua Catharacta antarctica regurgitated pellets can be used to characterise plastics in four seabird taxa breeding in the central South Atlantic, even though skua pellets might underrepresent the smallest plastic items in their prey. Fregetta storm petrels ingested more thread-like plastics and white-faced storm petrels Pelagodroma marina more industrial pellets than broad-billed prions Pachyptila vittata and great shearwaters Ardenna gravis. Ingested plastic composition (type, colour and polymer) was similar to floating plastics in the region sampled with a 200 μm net, but storm petrels were better indicators of the size of plastics than prions and shearwaters. Given this information, plastics in skua pellets containing the remains of seabirds can be used to track long-term changes in floating marine plastics.
Mediterranean Marine Science, Feb 2, 2021
Coastal waters worldwide are widely contaminated with various-size plastics, whose presence in aq... more Coastal waters worldwide are widely contaminated with various-size plastics, whose presence in aquatic ecosystems has been shown to produce a wide range of economic and social impacts and harmful effects on marine ecosystems. While microplastics have been reported from many regions of the Mediterranean Sea, very few data exist regarding microplastics concentration in Algerian waters. In this study, we used a Manta trawl (330 µm) at six sampling stations in Bou-Ismail Bay, Algeria (South-West Mediterranean Sea) in order to provide novel information about the occurrence and composition of microplastics along the Algerian coast. Sampling was performed seasonally at six different sampling stations in 2018, providing additional information about the spatio-temporal variability of microplastics concentrations at the sea surface. Microplastics were found in all collected samples, with highly variable concentrations of 0.95, 0.88, 1.26, and 0.36 items/m 3 in Autumn, Winter, Spring and Summer, respectively, and an overall mean concentration of 0.86 ± 0.35 items/m 3. A classification based on the shape and appearance of microplastics indicated the predominance of fibers (32%), followed by fragments (27%), films (16%), foams (13%), and granules (12%). A qualitative microplastics analysis through Attenuated Total Reflectance Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) revealed that microplastics were mainly composed of polyethylene (68.2%), polypropylene (24.7%), polystyrene (4.1%) and other polymers (3%). These data provide an initial overview of the quantity, characteristics, and spatio-temporal distribution of floating microplastics in Bou-Ismail Bay (Algeria).
Marine Ecology Progress Series, 2023
Flying fishes (Teleostei: Exocoetidae) and flying squids (Cephalopoda: Ommastrephidae) are key co... more Flying fishes (Teleostei: Exocoetidae) and flying squids (Cephalopoda: Ommastrephidae) are key components of tropical and subtropical epipelagic ecosystems, but information about their ecology, abundance and global distribution is still scant. Here we present some notes on the occurrence of flying fishes and flying squids in the Eastern Atlantic Ocean along a large-scale visual transect between 31°S and 53°N. The density of airborne specimens startled by the passage of the ship was used as a proxy of their abundance. The number of flying individuals was estimated using visual census, and individual densities were computed according to a fixed-width strip transect protocol. During the survey, 119 vessel-based transects were performed during March and April 2017, for a total surveyed length of 1540.8 km. Flying squids were observed only in a narrow latitudinal band between 17.5° and 26.1°S. Flying fish abundance, on the other hand, varied significantly along the ship’s route. Maximum densitities occurred between 3° and 15°S. Flying fish abundance markedly decreased around the equator and then increased again towards 8-10°N. No flying fishes were seen north of 19°N, with the only exception of 4 individuals sighted near the Strait of Gibraltar (35-36°N). No attempt was made to identify fishes or squids down to the genus or species level; however, the observed variations in size class distribution suggest a certain degree of habitat segregation between different species or life stages. Sea surface temperature was the best descriptive variable explaining the distribution of flying fishes in the area surveyed. Further work is needed to better understand the environmental factors governing the distribution of these important, but seldom surveyed, organisms.
Marine Pollution Bulletin
Plastic and oil pollution are closely linked to our dependence on petroleum derivatives. Their ex... more Plastic and oil pollution are closely linked to our dependence on petroleum derivatives. Their excessive use and inefficiencies in their management, have led to negative impacts on marine ecosystems since their very introduction. Agglomerates of tar, plastic, paraffins, and other petrochemicals and oil derivatives with naturally occurring materials, are increasingly widespread in coastal environments, stalling as an iconic and readable sign of environmental degradation. Starting from a historical review of the available reports on the occurrence of similar aggregates dating back to 1971, we highlight how most of these observations are based on the morphological description of the petroleum residues with no chemical fingerprinting and are mainly related to materials stranded on the coastline, with few and unclear indications for the open sea. We discuss here a list of scientific questions and knowledge gaps, that need to be examined by future studies.
The handbook of environmental chemistry, 2021
Every year, vast quantities of plastic debris arrive at the ocean surface. Nevertheless, our unde... more Every year, vast quantities of plastic debris arrive at the ocean surface. Nevertheless, our understanding of plastic movements is largely incomplete and many of the processes involved with the horizontal and vertical displacement of plastics in the ocean are still basically unknown. In this chapter we review the dynamics associated with the transport of plastics and other pollutants at oceanic fronts. Fronts had been historically defined as simple barriers to exchange, but here we show that the role of these structures in influencing the transport of plastics is more complex. The tools used to investigate the occurrence of frontal structures at various spatial scales are reviewed in detail, with a particular focus on their potential applications to the study of plastic pollution. Three selected case studies are presented to better describe the role of fronts in favoring or preventing plastic exchanges: the large-scale Antarctic Circumpolar Current, a Mediterranean mesoscale front, and the submesoscale fronts in the Gulf of Mexico. Lastly, some aspects related to the vertical subduction of plastic particles at oceanic fronts are discussed as one of the most promising frontiers for future research. The accumulation of floating debris at the sea surface is mainly affected by the horizontal components of frontal dynamics. At the same time, vertical components can be relevant for the export of neutrally buoyant particles from the surface into the deep sea. Based on these evidences, we propose that submesoscale processes can provide a fast and efficient route of plastic transport within the mixed layer, while mesoscale instabilities and associated vertical velocities might be the dominant mechanism to penetrate the deeper ocean on slower but broader scales. We conclude that given the ubiquitous presence of fronts in the world’s ocean, their contribution to the global plastic cycle is probably not negligible and the role of these processes in vertically displacing neutrally buoyant microplastics should be investigated in more detail.
Plastic pollution in aquatic environments is a recognized environmental threat on a global scale ... more Plastic pollution in aquatic environments is a recognized environmental threat on a global scale and is fed by the linear economy model of “make-use-dispose,” which underpins both the fossil fuel and plastic industries. This chapter examines the issue of microplastic pollution in different freshwater environments: (i) rivers and tributaries, (ii) lakes, (iii) groundwater sources, (iv) glaciers and ice caps, and (v) deltas. Particular challenges, the geographical coverage of studies, and current knowledge gaps are highlighted for each freshwater category based on the currently available peer-reviewed literature. Sources and distribution of microplastics in freshwater bodies and associated repercussions to freshwater ecosystems and human health are also reviewed. A better understanding of microplastic interactions between human settlements and freshwater environments in different parts of the globe is required to better enact evidence-based mitigation measures that will be able to further limit the spread of microplastic pollution in the natural environment. Therefore, research on microplastic pollution in freshwater bodies around the world must be further supported to provide a reliable global database and compliant monitoring procedures. Additionally, further research can better inform policies and regulations around plastic use and emission into the environment at both the global and local scales.
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research), Mar 23, 2021
This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation ... more This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 101000825 (NAUTILOS). This output reflects only the author's view and the European Union cannot be held responsible for any use that may be made of the information contained therein. Document Control Information Settings Value Deliverable Title A review and prospectus of the mandate for marine environmental monitoring systems: technology challenges and opportunities
Soft robotics, Dec 1, 2021
The ocean and human activities related to the sea are under increasing pressure due to climate ch... more The ocean and human activities related to the sea are under increasing pressure due to climate change, widespread pollution, and growth of the offshore energy sector. Data, in under-sampled regions of the ocean and in the offshore patches where the industrial expansion is taking place, are fundamental to manage successfully a sustainable development and to mitigate climate change. Existing technology cannot cope with the vast and harsh environments that need monitoring and sampling the most. The limiting factors are, among others, the spatial scales of the physical domain, the high pressure, and the strong hydrodynamic perturbations, which require vehicles with a combination of persistent autonomy, augmented efficiency, extreme robustness, and advanced control. In light of the most recent developments in soft robotics technologies, we propose that the use of soft robots may aid in addressing the challenges posed by abyssal and wave-dominated environments. Nevertheless, soft robots also allow for fast and low-cost manufacturing, presenting a new potential problem: marine pollution from ubiquitous soft sampling devices. In this study, the technological and scientific gaps are widely discussed, as they represent the driving factors for the development of soft robotics. Offshore industry supports increasing energy demand and the employment of robots on marine assets is growing. Such expansion needs to be sustained by the knowledge of the oceanic environment, where large remote areas are yet to be explored and adequately sampled. We offer our perspective on the development of sustainable soft systems, indicating the characteristics of the existing soft robots that promote underwater maneuverability, locomotion, and sampling. This perspective encourages an interdisciplinary approach to the design of aquatic soft robots and invites a discussion about the industrial and oceanographic needs that call for their application.
Nature Reviews Earth & Environment, Mar 16, 2023
Remote Sensing, Nov 26, 2022
This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative... more This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY
Mediterranean Marine Science, Feb 2, 2021
Coastal waters worldwide are widely contaminated with various-size plastics, whose presence in aq... more Coastal waters worldwide are widely contaminated with various-size plastics, whose presence in aquatic ecosystems has been shown to produce a wide range of economic and social impacts and harmful effects on marine ecosystems. While microplastics have been reported from many regions of the Mediterranean Sea, very few data exist regarding microplastics concentration in Algerian waters. In this study, we used a Manta trawl (330 µm) at six sampling stations in Bou-Ismail Bay, Algeria (South-West Mediterranean Sea) in order to provide novel information about the occurrence and composition of microplastics along the Algerian coast. Sampling was performed seasonally at six different sampling stations in 2018, providing additional information about the spatio-temporal variability of microplastics concentrations at the sea surface. Microplastics were found in all collected samples, with highly variable concentrations of 0.95, 0.88, 1.26, and 0.36 items/m 3 in Autumn, Winter, Spring and Summer, respectively, and an overall mean concentration of 0.86 ± 0.35 items/m 3. A classification based on the shape and appearance of microplastics indicated the predominance of fibers (32%), followed by fragments (27%), films (16%), foams (13%), and granules (12%). A qualitative microplastics analysis through Attenuated Total Reflectance Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) revealed that microplastics were mainly composed of polyethylene (68.2%), polypropylene (24.7%), polystyrene (4.1%) and other polymers (3%). These data provide an initial overview of the quantity, characteristics, and spatio-temporal distribution of floating microplastics in Bou-Ismail Bay (Algeria).
Ices Journal of Marine Science, Oct 1, 2022
The worldwide disruption caused by the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically impact... more The worldwide disruption caused by the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically impacted the activities of marine scientists working towards the goals of the UN Ocean Decade. As in other disciplines, marine early-career researchers (ECRs) are essential contributors to the development of novel and innovative science. Based on a survey of 322 of our peers, we show that the pandemic negatively impacted marine ECRs in ways that further exacerbate existing structural challenges such as social isolation, job insecurity, and short-term contracts, competitive funding, and work pressure. Furthermore, we find that the success and wellbeing of marine ECRs depends heavily on networking opportunities, gaining practical experience, collecting data, and producing publications, all of which were disrupted by the pandemic. Our analysis shows that those in the earliest stages of their careers feel most vulnerable to long-term career disadvantage as a result of the pandemic. This paper contributes to the empirical body of work about the impacts of the pandemic on marine science and offers recommendations on how marine ECRs should be supported to achieve the UN Ocean Decade's goal of producing "the science we need for the ocean we want" .
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Papers by Giuseppe Suaria