Monitoring of aquatic ecosystems has been historically accomplished by intensive campaigns of direct measurements (by probes and other boat instruments) and indirect extensive methods such as aero-photogrammetry and satellite detection. These measurements characterized the research in the last century, with significant but limited improvements within those technological boundaries. The newest advances in the field of smart devices and increased networking capabilities provided by emerging tools, such as the Internet of Things (IoT), offer increasing opportunities to provide accurate and precise measurements over larger areas. These perspectives also correspond to an increasing need to promptly respond to frequent catastrophic impacts produced by drilling stations and intense transportation activities of dangerous materials over ocean routes. The shape of coastal ecosystems continuously varies due to increasing anthropic activities and climatic changes, aside from touristic activities, industrial impacts, and conservation practices. Smart buoy networks (SBNs), autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), and multi-sensor microsystems (MSMs) such as smart cable water (SCW) are able to learn specific patterns of ecological conditions, along with electronic “noses”, permitting them to set innovative low-cost monitoring stations reacting in real time to the signals of marine environments by autonomously adapting their monitoring programs and eventually sending alarm messages to prompt human intervention. These opportunities, according to multimodal scenarios, are dramatically changing both the coastal monitoring operations and the investigations over large oceanic areas by yielding huge amounts of information and partially computing them in order to provide intelligent responses. However, the major effects of these tools on the management of marine environments are still to be realized, and they are likely to become evident in the next decade. In this review, we examined from an ecological perspective the most striking innovations applied by various research groups around the world and analyzed their advantages and limits to depict scenarios of monitoring activities made possible for the next decade.

Octopuses represent interesting model studies for different fields of scientific inquiry. The present study provides a bibliometric analysis on research trends in octopuses biological studies. The analysis was executed from January 1985 to December 2020 including scientific products reported in the Web of Science database. The period of study was split into two blocks (“earlier period” (EP): 1985−2010; “recent period” (RP): 2011−2020) to analyze the evolution of the research topics over time. All publications of interest were identified by using the following query: ((AK = octopus) OR (AB = octopus) OR (TI = octopus)). Data information was converted into an R-data frame using bibliometrix. Octopuses studies appeared in 360 different sources in EP, while they increased to 408 in RP. Sixty countries contributed to the octopuses studies in the EP, while they were 78 in the RP. The number of affiliations also increased between EP and RP, with 835 research centers involved in the EP and 1399 in the RP. In the EP 5 clusters (i.e., “growth and nutrition”, “pollution impact”, “morphology”, “neurobiology”, “biochemistry”) were represented in a thematic map, according to their centrality and density ranking. In the RP the analysis identified 4 clusters (i.e., “growth and nutrition”, “ecology”, “pollution impact”, “genes, behavior, and brain evolution”). The UK with Ireland, and the USA with Canada shared the highest number of publications in the EP, while in the RP, Spain and Portugal were the leading countries. The current data provide significant insight into the evolving trends in octopuses studies.

Paracentrotus lividus gonads, often referred to as “roe” or “uni” for gastronomical purposes, are among the most appreciated seafood delicacies in the Mediterranean area and worldwide. However, the increasing demand for human consumption has caused a growing pressure on its wild stocks, prompting the need to develop efficient aquaculture systems for its production. The set-up of effective feeds for various life stages and optimal procedures for breeding post-larvae and adult sea urchins still need to be improved. Here, for the first time, we aim at developing artificial feeds for the post-larvae of P. lividus because a critical step to improve our productive skills is post-larval growth. We tested various natural and prepared components to speed up the growth and enhance the survival rates of post-larvae, while taking into account the abiotic and biotic factors influencing the culture conditions in three replicate sets of tanks, characterized by different volumes. We tested formulated feeds and compared them with the effect of fresh foods in the frame of canonical culture practices. Our results indicated the efficiency of a feed composed of spirulina and Ulva rigida. Statistical analyses demonstrated the positive impact of this diet on the growth of post-larvae, behavior and survival rates. In addition, we demonstrated the efficacy of prepared feeds in the sea urchin aquaculture system, because they facilitated manipulation and control of the culture procedures for the satisfactory growth of P. lividus post-larvae.

The increase in the demand for Paracentrotus lividus roe, a food delicacy, causes increased pressure on its wild stocks. In this scenario, aquaculture facilities will mitigate the effects of anthropogenic pressures on the wild stocks of P. lividus. Consequently, experimental studies should be conducted to enhance techniques to improve efficient aquaculture practices for these animals. Here, we for the first time performed molecular investigations on cultured sea urchins. We aimed at understanding if maternal influences may significantly impact the life of future offspring, and how the culture conditions may impact the development and growth of cultured specimens. Our findings demonstrate that the outcomes of in vitro fertilization of P. lividus are influenced by maternal influences, but these effects are largely determined by culture conditions. In fact, twenty-three genes involved in the response to stress and skeletogenesis, whose expressions were measured by Real Time qPCR, were differently expressed in sea urchins cultured in two experimental conditions, and the results were largely modified in offspring deriving from two groups of females. The findings herein reported will be critical to develop protocols for the larval culture of the most common sea urchin, both for research and industrial production purposes for mass production.

Through this collection of papers, we have considered in depth the effects that humans have on invertebrate welfare in a variety of contexts

Over the past few decades, demand for sea urchin roe has risen, while wild sea urchin populations have declined. This trend has increased interest in aquaculture techniques and the development of formulated feeds to support ecological restoration and research. Here, we examined the effects of a high-protein formulated feed on gonad development in Paracentrotus lividus, compared to fresh feeds (maize and spinach), across three replicated tanks. We assessed gonad maturation, gamete viability, and larval development, and developed a new histopathological index applicable to both sexes. Formulated feed significantly enhanced gonad maturation, increased gamete production, and led to heavier gonads with higher gonadosomatic indices compared to fresh feeds, which were insufficient to promote maturation within four weeks. Notably, no histological alterations were observed in the gonads. Fertilization trials showed that embryos were produced, but none reached the pluteus stage, indicating decreased embryo viability. Although the formulated feed improved gonad development, it adversely affected water quality, increasing nutrient concentrations and lowering pH. Overall, these findings suggest that high-protein formulated feeds could potentially improve aquaculture production by enhancing gonad maturation and gamete output, but additional measures may be needed to support complete larval development.