Interactions between fishing and dolphins can be detrimental, since on one hand dolphins can be lethally entangled by nets and trawls, and on the other dolphins can predate fish caught by nets. For dolphins, this interaction can be dangerous as they can be wounded or accidentally killed; for fishers, the predation of their catch results in economic losses due to reduced quantity and/or quality of catches and damage to fishing gear. During July and November 2020, we surveyed the “dolphin–fisheries conflict” through compiling 209 fisher interviews from nine locations in Italy and Croatia. Fishers mentioned the common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) as the species primarily interacting with fishing, with the major issue being catch damage by predation. The interaction probability varied among gears and seasons, with some fishing activities (e.g., passive nets) more affected than others (e.g., bottom trawls), especially in terms of economic loss (1000–10,000 €/year on average). More than 70% of the fishers claimed that dolphin populations have increased over the last 10 years, in different degrees and based on different areas. Dolphin bycatch rates are generally low; however, 34.6% of respondents reported having captured at least one dolphin during their career. The fishers’ attitude towards acoustic deterrents (“pingers”) as a mitigation measure revealed that few of them were aware of these devices or were using them.

Between 2019 and 2021, 21 bottlenose dolphins were found stranded dead along the Ligurian Pelagos Sanctuary coast (Italy). For 11 animals, out of a total of 14 recovered, the cause of death was classified as natural, anthropic, or not determined based on gross and histological pathology and ancillary testing. Hexachlorobenzene (HCB), dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethanes (DDTs), and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were examined in their blubber, and results were discussed according to their toxicological properties. All specimens showed the following trend: PCBs > DDTs >> HCB, and the levels of cancerogenic, mutagenic, and teratogenic organochlorine compounds (T-OCs) were >50% of total OCs. Immunosuppressant organochlorine compound (IS-OC) levels in 10 out of 11 animals were above 50% of the total OCs. PCB levels always exceeded the threshold of 17 mg/kg lipid weight for PCB-induced adverse health effects. The results suggest that bottlenose dolphins living in the Pelagos Sanctuary undergo a high level of exposure to pathogens and OCs, betraying the designation of the Cetacean Sanctuary and, consequently, of a region created for their conservation. Immune dysfunction and infectious disease susceptibility appear to be highly connected with high levels of OC xenobiotics. These data are useful to understand health and mortality trends in cetacean populations, as well as for developing policies for cetacean conservation and management in this important protected area of the Mediterranean.

Marine coastal ecosystems are increasingly affected by habitat degradation and loss of structural complexity, with negative consequences for biodiversity, particularly in the Mediterranean Sea. In the Talamone coastal area (Northern Tyrrhenian Sea), additional local pressures include episodes of illegal bottom trawling; however, anti-trawling mitigation actions in the area have been implemented through the deployment of concrete blocks along the coast, whereas underwater artistic installations were conceived primarily to enhance habitat heterogeneity, support conservation outreach and promote community engagement. This study provides the first systematic scientific assessment of an art-based marine conservation initiative promoted by the association “Casa dei Pesci”, based on the deployment of underwater marble sculptures as nature-based artificial reef structures. Five marble statues were deployed in September 2024 in the Baia del Cannone and monitored over one year using standardized underwater visual census techniques to evaluate early biodiversity and community responses associated with the newly introduced hard substrates, considering benthic cover and diversity, fish abundance and assemblage composition, and biological colonization directly on the sculptures. The results show clear early colonization patterns, with the sculptures supporting diverse fish assemblages and increasing local habitat heterogeneity in a predominantly soft-bottom setting. This study provides baseline ecological data for future long-term monitoring and supports the evaluation of underwater marble artworks as complementary nature-based interventions. However, artificial reefs may also generate ecological trade-offs, and longer-term monitoring is required to assess both potential biodiversity benefits and unintended effects in Mediterranean coastal ecosystems.