Alessandro Cau

Underrated deep-water scleractinian species: an ecological study along the Italian coasts (Mediterranean Sea)

Abstract Scleractinians are key components of Mediterranean mesophotic and bathyal benthic ecosystems, comprising 30 species known to occur below 40 m. A large ROV dataset, including 625 dives, each corresponding to a distinct geographical site, conducted between 40 and 1825 m ac...

The Marine Biomonitor Mytilus galloprovincialis: A Study on Microplastics as a Vector for Heavy Metals Pollution in Sardinia (Italy)

The main objective of the present study was to assess the contamination level and nature of microplastics and their role as vectors of trace elements in Mediterranean mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis). A total of 39 samples were collected from four farming areas (1–4) located i...

Land–sea connectivity after megafire: Post-fire runoff-associated nutrient pulses and short-term responses in Mediterranean coastal ecosystems

Wildfires are becoming more frequent and severe, with Mediterranean regions emerging as global hotspots of megafire activity whose impacts extend from upland catchments to coastal waters. Although the terrestrial effects of fire are well established, the mechanisms by which mater...