Laboratory of Benthic Ecology

Keywords: marine ecology, benthic invertebrate taxonomy, biomass, image analysis, bioconstruction, bioerosion, habitat mapping, marine environmental monitoring

At the Benthic Ecology laboratory, located at the Laboratories of Environmental Sciences “R. Sartori”, Via S. Alberto 163 in Ravenna, analyses of samples and data processing are carried out to support the benthic ecology studies in temperate and tropical marine coastal environments, to investigate the effects of anthropogenic disturbances and climate change on the functioning and biodiversity of these ecosystems, and to develop innovative approaches for their monitoring, conservation, and restoration.

The analysis of benthic macro- and meiobenthic organisms includes taxonomic identification, and size and biomass measurements. Quantification of colonization, bioconstruction and bioerosion processes are made in natural and artificial substrates samples. Bioturbation processes, organic matter content, and sediment granulometry are analysed in sediments.

Data acquisition and processing include chemical-physical parameters of water and seabed with multi-parametric probes, data loggers, single-beam and side-scan sonar, photographic and video samples taken underwater and under microscope, also in fluorescence. 2D and 3D image analyses are performed, including X-ray computed tomography (provided by other laboratories), database management, oceanographic data processing, habitat mapping and spatial analyses, and uni- and multivariate statistical analyses. The laboratory curates a collection of benthic macrofauna species, accompanied by photographs, and underwater photographic collections.

The laboratory consists of a main room (E1) dedicated to microscopy and sample analysis, a room dedicated to fine microscopy analysis, precision weight measurements (E7b), and several subsidiary rooms, shared with the other ecology laboratories, including data centre (E7a), air-conditioned spaces aquarium experiments (E3), a mechanical workshop for equipment preparation and maintenance (A6), warehouses with freezers (E6, R2), storage field materials (038), nautical and dive centre (52, 53, 54, 55).

The laboratory is fully equipped for marine experimental ecological studies, from the field (inflatable boat, DGPS, radar, side-scan sonar, ROV, scuba diving tanks and compressor, underwater cameras and lights, probes and data loggers), to equipped workshop (including 3D printers), digital microscopy lab, and computing (statistics, 2D/3D image analysis, cartography).

Laboratory and field equipment

In addition to consumables, glassware, and essential tools, the Benthic Ecology laboratory has:

1 washbasin under fume hood

8 Leica Wild M3B stereo microscopes

1 Leica Wild M8 photo stereomicroscope

1 Leitz Laborlux S photo microscope

1 Nikon SMZ 1500 photo stereomicroscope

1 Nikon Eclipse 50i photo microscope

2 microscope computerised c-mount cameras (Moticam 10 and 20 Mp - S20)

1 Kern 770 scale (± 0.00001 g computerized)

1 Kern EWJ scale

1 dry and wet sieving machine Giuliani IG / 3.EX WET with complete calibrated sieves series

1 Rotofix 32A centrifuge

1 Shimadzu UV-1700 spectrophotometer

2 vacuum filtration systems

2 drying ovens

1 muffle furnace

1 Smeg GW 3050 glasswasher

1 suction cabinet for chemical reagents

6 desktop computers

1 NAS file server (WD My Cloud EX4100)

2 graphic workstations (Windows, MacOS)

2 3D printers (Anycubic Kobra 2 Max, Bambu Lab H2C)

1 3D Scanner (Revopoint POP3)

1 laser diffraction particle size analyser Malvern Mastersizer 3000+ Pro (shared with geologists)

1 column drill (Bosh PBD 40)

Field equipment includes:

1 Arimar Scuba 470 inflatable boat + 40 HP engine, transportable with trailer

1 Lomac 450 inflatable boat + 25 HP outboard motor transportable with trailer

1 Marine 470 aluminium boat + 15 HP outboard motor transportable with trailer

1 outboard motor 5 HP

1 road trailer for equipment

1 Underwater Remotely Operated Vehicle (QySea Fifish E-go)

1 DIVING-PAM Underwater PAM Fluorometer

Star Oddi, Hobo, Lowell and PME data loggers (temperature, depth, salinity, oxygen, current, light)

Wildco box-corer

Wildco Ponar grab

medium Van Veen grab

small Van Veen grab

2 Garmin GPS

1 Lowrance navigation plotter with single-beam, side scan sonar, 3D scanner, radar

2 Sony and Canon underwater cameras with aluminium housing, strobes and lights

4 GoPro video cameras, with stereophotogrammetry configurations

1 Portable breathing air compressor units (Bauer Junior II)

15 scuba tanks

1 Divers Alert Network (DAN) oxygen emergency kit

2 Full-face mask and underwater communication systems

3 underwater air-lift samplers

4 dive computers (Scubapro, Divesystem)

Teaching, training, and research activities

The laboratory is mainly intended for research activities and hosts Italian and foreign PhD students and research fellows. The laboratory also allows students to carry out internships, bachelor and master theses, generally within ongoing research projects. A laboratory bench is intended for the specific needs of the Interdepartmental Centre for Industrial Research of Renewable Sources, Environment, Sea and Energy (CIRI - FRAME).