We applied standard acoustic methods to record, analyze and compare anthropogenic and biological signals belonging to the soundscape of artificial marine habitats. The study was conducted on two tanks located at the Acquario di Genova (Italy), the “Red Sea” and the “Tropical Lagoon” tanks, which represent different living environments hosting a variety of species and background sounds. The use of seven eco-acoustic indices, whose time series spanned the entire period of study, allowed the characterization of the environments. We investigated the extent to which eco-acoustic indices might describe the soundscape in an artificial marine environment surrounded by a background of mechanical noise, overlapping the diurnal/nocturnal fish chorusing produced by soniferous species. Three specific types of sounds emerged: (1) mechanical ones produced by the life-support system of the tanks; (2) anthropic origin ones due to maintenance and introduction of food; and (3) temporal trends associated with day/night cycles, especially impacted by artificial lighting. We searched for selected spectral patterns that were correlated to the time series of the eco-acoustic indices. The observed activity was found to be consistent with the sound emission of three specific fish species hosted in the tanks. The power spectral density (PSD) confirmed the presence of correlated signals (at 95th and 99th percentiles) for the identified frequency intervals. We expect that this method could be useful for studying the behavior of aquatic animals without intruding into their habitats.

Urban squares remain underrepresented in conservation-oriented literature compared with parks, street trees and green infrastructure. This scoping review uses CS-derived categories as an analytical lens to examine how the literature on urban squares frames conservation targets, direct threats, contributing factors and conservation actions. Following PRISMA-ScR, we searched Scopus and Web of Science for English-language peer-reviewed articles (2014–2024). After screening, 69 studies were included. Full texts were coded into CS-derived components and synthesised through frequency distributions, a cross-case conceptual synthesis, and an exploratory clustering of recurrent CF-DT-CT configurations. The reviewed literature is strongly centred on human-centred outcomes, particularly health, air quality and water quality, while biodiversity-related targets remain comparatively underrepresented. The most frequently investigated direct threats are pollution-related and linked to natural system management and modification, whereas other pressures are addressed less consistently. Contributing factors are dominated by meteorological conditions and vegetation coverage and composition. Reported conservation actions emphasise monitoring technologies, regulatory policy and green infrastructure, while others receive limited attention. Together, these analytical steps help make recurrent pathways and underrepresented dimensions more explicit, providing a more transparent evidence base for context-sensitive urban planning and nature-based solutions.