Dr. Alessandro Cau, PhD
Assistant Professor of Marine Ecology
University of Cagliari, Italy
PUBLICATIONS
Paper published in Environmental Pollution
October 09, 2021
New article just published in Environmental Pollution. We provide useful insights for prioritising future mitigation actions for the removal of the fraction of seafloor macro-litter already accumulated in the marine environment.
Paper Published in
Marine Pollution Bulletin
April 12, 2021
New perspectives on the 'Plastic benefits' paradox that might result in detrimental cascading effects for the precious
red coral Corallium rubrum!
Paper Publisherd in
Deep Sea Research I
July 12, 2021
Spatial distribution and habitat characterization of
Marine Animal Forests assemblages along nine submarine canyons of
Eastern Sardinia (central Mediterranean Sea)
Paper Published in
Environmental Research Letters (Open Access)
November 2, 2021
The seafloor covers some 70% of the Earth's surface and has been recognized as a major sink for marine litter. Still, litter on the seafloor is the least investigated fraction of marine litter, which is not surprising as most of it lies in the deep sea, i.e. the least explored ecosystem. Although marine litter is considered a major threat for the oceans, monitoring frameworks are still being set up. This paper reviews current knowledge and methods, identifies existing needs, and points to future developments that are required to address the estimation of seafloor macrolitter. It provides background knowledge and conveys the views and thoughts of scientific experts on seafloor marine litter offering a review of monitoring and ocean modeling techniques. Knowledge gaps that need to be tackled, data needs for modeling, and data comparability and harmonization are also discussed. In addition, it shows how research on seafloor macrolitter can inform international protection and conservation frameworks to prioritize efforts and measures against marine litter and its deleterious impacts.
Paper published in
Environmental Science & technology (Open Access)
March 18, 2020
Benthic Crustacean Digestion Can Modulate
the Environmental Fate of Microplastics in the Deep Sea
Paper Published in
Environmental Pollution
October 28, 2019
Microplastics in the crustaceans Nephrops norvegicus and Aristeus antennatus: Flagship species for deep-sea environments?