This project aims to fulfill the following objectives
Project Activities - For the fulfillment of the objectives, there will be a series of project activities organized into 5 Workpackages (WPs).
Workpackage 1 (WP1): creation of 2D image analysis software for the determination of the bio-volumes and the cellular surfaces of algal genera in transitional and marine coastal environments
Workpackage 2 (WP2): Studies in the field and innovative strategies for the monitoring and conservation of transitional and marine-coastal environments
Workpackage 3 (WP3): Creation of the software for the determination of the non-taxonomic descriptors and for the evaluation of the state of health of aquatic ecosystems
Workpackage 4 (WP4): Training Course entitled “Methodological issues related to the use of morphometric descriptors of phytoplankton corporations in the evaluation of the state of health of transitional and marine-coastal ecosystems.
Workpackage 5 (WP5): Management of the project
The search for ecosystems of reference is thus a key point for the definition of any classification system. In this task, the project aims to analyse the characteristics of the phytoplankton corporations in transitional ecosystems of reference that are present in diverse Eco-Regions, in the search for common models of distribution that make it possible to define quality standards (i.e. optimal conditions) that can also be applied to the Mediterranean area and the North Atlantic, in which it is not possible to observe ecosystems of reference but for which the conditions of reference can be assumed to be similar to those of ecosystems with low human impact.
This activity will be developed by means of a series of pilot studies designed to analyse the characteristics of the size/abundance distributions among the phytoplankton corporations of marine-coastal and transitional environments present in eco-regions other than the Mediterranean; for each eco-region, “reference sites”, i.e. ecosystems in which the impact of human activity is low or absent, will be identified. Specifically, these studies will be carried out in lagoon ecosystems that may be considered of reference, and that is practically immune to significant human pressure, in the following Eco-Regions:
This activity is closely linked to the second task and aims to identify the general models of variation of the size-abundance distributions linked exclusively to the climatic variability, geomorphology and hydrodynamics of the sites under study. The experimental activity will be conducted in at least two types of transitional and marine-coastal ecosystem for each eco-region included in the project, with at least three ecosystems and three experimental stations per ecosystem in each type.
The ecosystems identified are classified in relation to their type, according to Roff and Taylor (2000). In accordance with this approach, the transitional ecosystems are classifiable into n° types, identified on the basis of the granulometry of the sediments and the presence and type of vegetation. For each ecosystem considered, a maximum of three categories of habitat are selected and in each of them a sampling point is specified. Since the project intends to provide a range of values of the descriptors on a spatial scale, a single sampling will be carried out. The water samples gathered will be analysed to determine the taxonomic parameters and non-taxonomic parameters.
The main objective of WP3 is the creation of a software programme for the quantification of the main taxonomic and non-taxonomic descriptors of the phytoplankton the classification of the state of health of the transitional and marine-coastal ecosystems. The software for the analysis of data and classification of the ecological status is conceived as an autonomous expansion of the image analysis system produced by WP1: an expansion, in that it will receive as input files the output files of the image analysis system, and autonomous in that the software for the analysis of data and classification will be broadly general in character and will also be usable with data relating to other biological ecosystem components such as zooplankton, macro-zoobenthos and ichthyic fauna, thus representing a highly qualified instrument for the classification of the ecological status of all aquatic ecosystems. The market for the software product may thus be generalized to all organisations that operate programmes for monitoring the state of health of aquatic ecosystems in Europe and North America, with possible expansion in the other ecological macro-regions.
The Workpackage entails the following tasks:
The project includes the activation of a training plan relevant to the scientific issues tackled in the project.
For this project the following training plan is proposed:
Title of the training plan: Methodological Aspects linked to the use of morphometric descriptors of phytoplankton corporations in the evaluation of the state of health of transitional and marine-coastal ecosystems.
Location of the training plan: Laboratory of Ecology, Department of Biological and Environmental Science and Technology, Centro Ecotekne, 73100 LECCE (Italy)
Duration of the training plan: 2 weeks + 1 week
Proposed Start Date: 7th month (2-week module) 33rd month (1-week module)
Description of the training plan: The training plan has the aim of training and increasing the knowledge of personnel who are already qualified for the identification and the classification of phytoplankton species and the use of programming tools. Specifically, the course will follow three parallel training programs.
The first is the “ecological” training program, intended for students with skills in the field of phytoplankton biology; it will be designed to improve knowledge of the descriptors of the ecological status of aquatic ecosystems, in order to apply the technological product to monitoring programmes;
The second is the "ICT" training program, intended for students with computer skills in the sectors of image analysis and parallel and distributed programming; it will aim at enhancing skills in the use of tools for analysing biometric data and the dimensional structures of phytoplankton; specifically it will look at themes relating to image analysis, tools for evolutionary computation (Genetic Algorithms and Neural Networks), Parallel Computing and Grid Computing, Data Mining and the application of these concepts to the analysis of the state of health of the ecosystems.
The third is the “PMI and software for the environment” training program, intended for potential stakeholders such as representative of national and international environmental protection agencies and administrations involved in the monitoring plans for the protection of transitional and coastal marine ecosystems. They could be the potential users for acquisition of software. The training program will aim to presentation of software for the environment and at their use in the monitoring plans.
The training plan related to the ecological and ICT training programs will be organised into 10 training modules, which will be taught in the course of the first two weeks of the training plan. Some of the modules are common to both programs, others are specific, plus one training module (PMI and Software for the Environment) which will be developed in the 33rd month of the project which will entail practical activities aimed at the application and the validation of ICT tools for the evaluation of the state of quality of the aquatic ecosystems.
The implementation of the training plan involves both theoretical lessons in the classroom and practical activities in biology or computing labs, for which there will also be e-learning activities. The common training, for the first two training programs plans, will be designed: • to develop issues related to ecological principles of monitoring the state of quality of aquatic transitional and marine coastal ecosystems and in particular the use of phytoplankton as an indicator of the ecological status of these environments; • to develop aspects related to the new methodological approaches to classifying the state of health of aquatic environments based on non-taxonomic descriptors (i.e. size-abundance distributions) of phytoplankton corporations. The “ecological” training program will have the following objectives:
The "ICT" training program will have the following objectives:
The course will be open to about 20 people resident in the EU.
The criteria for the selection of the participants are as follows:
The management of the project is designed to guarantee: (1) the coordination of the project activities, in terms of both scientific and administrative coordination, (2) the monitoring of the activities and the verification of the fulfilment of the objectives on time, (3) the correct functioning of the project in terms of execution of the tasks, coordination between partners and information flow, (4) the publication of the results, promotion of the products and planning of the project follow-up, and (5) the coordination of the relations between project group, institutions and interested parties.The project management activities are described in detail in the relevant section (2.6) of this project presentation module.
The professional figures involved: local personnel of RU1 and external consultant - Duration of activity: 36 month Start: 1 month