Research Area: Ecology - Zoology
Coordinators: Agnese Marchini,
ERC sectors: LS8 Environmental Biology, Ecology and Evolution; PE10_8 Oceanography (physical, chemical, biological, geological); LS8_13 Marine biology and ecology
1. Bioacoustics - Study of Animal Acoustic Behavior
Study of acoustic communication, echolocation, and sound perception in animals. The laboratory primarily conducts field studies, but laboratory work is also possible to characterize acoustic emissions and correlate them with observed behaviors.
2. Ecoacoustics - Environmental Acoustic Monitoring
The connection between bioacoustics and ecology has led to the development of a new discipline, ecoacoustics, for the study of acoustic interactions between animal species and their environment. This includes the study of the impact of noise on animals, both in the air and in water, considering both physical disturbance and masking of sound signals used for communication and environmental perception. Ecoacoustics is also suitable for long-term environmental acoustic monitoring to characterize the soundscape of natural environments and assess changes induced by both local and global anthropogenic impacts, including climate change. Ongoing studies are conducted in collaboration with the management bodies of State Nature Reserves (Carabinieri Biodiversity Unit) and National Parks, with the aim of characterizing their soundscapes, acoustically documenting the presence of species, monitoring long-term changes, and producing educational materials.
3. Computational Bioacoustics - Methods and Tools for Bioacoustic Research
The laboratory designs and builds its own instruments, such as towable hydrophonic arrays, portable workstations for continuous georeferenced acoustic recording during navigation, portable workstations for environmental acoustic analysis, and prototypes of various acoustic detection systems. The research presented here requires the use of dedicated software and the development of specific applications for managing large amounts of acoustic data (Big Data). The laboratory has developed its own specialized analysis software for recording and reproducing sound events from infrasound to ultrasound with real-time spectrographic visualization. It has also developed its own R package for ecoacoustics studies and is collaborating with the University of Toulon on the development of a Python application library. Third-party software is also being tested for both signal analysis and automatic classification using AI techniques.
4. Acoustic Behavior of Marine Mammals
Cetaceans are an important component of marine environments and suffer from multiple human impacts, including underwater noise. Research focuses on characterizing cetacean acoustic emissions to facilitate acoustic-only species identification, studying the acoustic environment in which they live, and controlling the anthropogenic noise to which they are exposed.
5. Monitoring Marine Mammal Strandings
The National Database of Marine Mammal Strandings on the Italian Coast (site) was established in 2005. It was created and managed in collaboration with the Natural History Museum of Milan under a mandate from the Ministry of the Environment and the Ministry of Health. Freely accessible, it offers a variety of study opportunities.
6. Environmental Noise
Measurement of environmental noise at sea and in the air in different environments to define optimal acoustic comfort conditions for humans and animals, compared with noise pollution conditions in urban areas. Study of underwater noise generated by offshore construction, with CONISMA.
7. Distribution and Conservation of Marine Mammals
Study of the presence and distribution of marine mammals through acoustic detection of their social communication and echolocation signals. Application of tools and protocols from other research lines and integration of results. Definition of conservation strategies and guidelines.
Comando Unità Forestali Ambientali e Agroalimentari Carabinieri (CUFAA) Raggruppamento Carabinieri per la Biodiversità, Reparti di Follonica, di Pratovecchio e di Lucca; Marina Militare Italiana; Guardia Costiera; Ministero dell’Ambiente; ISPRA; CONISMA; Parco Nazionale delle Foreste Casentinesi e Monte Falterona; Parco Nazionale dell’Appennino Tosco-Emiliano; Tethys Research Institute; Museo di Storia Naturale di Milano; Museo di Storia Naturale di Parigi; Università di Padova; Università di Milano; Università di Roma Sapienza; Università di Pisa; Università di Tolone (Francia); INFN-LNS, Catania, progetto KM3NET; INGV – Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia - network EMSO; WWF Italia; ACCOBAMS; Maritime Research Center (CMRE) La Spezia; IBAC – International Bioacoustic Council; ISE – International Ecoacoustics Society; SPECTRA – strumenti di misura acustica; DODOTRONIC – strumenti di sensori acustici ultrasonici e registratori digitali; NAUTA – strumenti di monitoraggio ambientale; PCB PIEZOTRONICS – strumenti di misura acustica; HUAWEI – strumenti di monitoraggio ambientale; COLMAR – sviluppo idrofoni; Akvaplan.niva (Norvegia)
1. SABIOD Italy, bioacoustic and ecoacoustic monitoring of the Nature Reserves in the Casentinesi Forests National Park, in collaboration with the Carabinieri Biodiversity Unit
2. SABIOD Italy, bioacoustic and ecoacoustic monitoring in the Casentinesi Forests National Park, in collaboration with the Carabinieri Biodiversity Unit
3. SABIOD Italy, bioacoustic and ecoacoustic monitoring in the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines National Park
4. SABIOD Italy, environmental noise monitoring in protected natural areas
5. Monitoring of the Monk Seal and the soundscape of the Montecristo Island Nature Reserve, with the Carabinieri Biodiversity Unit
6. Acoustic monitoring of the Adamello Glacier
7. Acoustic monitoring of the Orecchiella and Lamarossa Nature Reserves, in collaboration with the Carabinieri Biodiversity Unit, funded by SOFIDEL
8. Development of analysis algorithms in collaboration with the University Toulon (France)
9. BOMBYX, underwater signal analysis in collaboration with the University of Toulon (France)
10. Nature Guardian, bioacoustic surveillance and monitoring project with WWF and HUAWEI
11. BDS, National Database of Marine Mammal Strandings on the Italian Coast, under the auspices of the Ministry of the Environment, ACCOBAMS, and PELAGOS, in collaboration with the Coast Guard, the Civic Museum of Natural Sciences of Milan, and the University of Padua
12. Bioacoustic Characterization of the Mediterranean Sea, study of underwater noise and the acoustic presence of cetaceans
13. Med Sperm Whales, acoustic analysis of the presence and size of Mediterranean sperm whales, in collaboration with the Tethys Research Institute and the University of Toulon (France).
14. Monitoring underwater noise from offshore construction, with CONISMA
1. Bioacustica - Studio del comportamento acustico animale
Peña-Carrillo K.I., Lorenzi M.C., Brault M., Devienne P., Lachaud J.P.,Pavan G., Poteaux C., 2021. A new putative species in the Ectatomma ruidum complex (Formicidae: Ectatomminae) produces a species-specific distress call. Bioacoustics.
Romani F., Ramella Levis E., Posillico M., Opramolla G., Pavan G., 2021. Vocal repertoire of the eurasian griffon vulture (Gyps fulvus) in the central Apennines. Bioacoustics.
Buzzetti F., Brizio C., Pavan G., "Beyond the audible: wide band (0-125 kHz) field investigation on Italian Orthoptera (Insecta) songs." Biodiversity Journal, 2020, 11 (2): 443–496 doi.org/10.31396/Biodiv.Jour.2020.11.2.443.496
Polidori C., Pavan G., Ruffato G., D’Asís J., Josè Tormos J., 2013. Common features and species-specific differences in stridulatory organ and stridulation patterns of velvet ants (Hymenoptera: Mutillidae). ZOOLOGISCHER ANZEIGER 252(4): 457-468. Doi:10.1016/j.jcz.2013.01.003
Polidori C., Ruffato G., Borruso L., Settanni C., Pavan G., 2012. Stridulatory organ and distress call in males and females of a small velvet ant (Hymenoptera: Mutillidae). Bioacoustics. DOI:10.1080/09524622.2012.736241
2. Ecoacustica - Monitoraggio acustico ambientale
Farina A., Righini R, Fuller S., Li P., Pavan G., 2020. Acoustic Complexity Indices reveal the acoustic communities of the old-growth Mediterranean forest of Sasso Fratino Integral Natural Reserve (Central Italy). Ecol Ind 120: 106927. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2020.106927
Righini R., Pavan G., 2019 First assessment of the soundscape of the Integral Nature Reserve “Sasso Fratino” in the Central Apennine, Italy. Biodiversity Journal. DOI: 10.1080/14888386.2019.1696229
Pavan G., 2017. Fundamentals of Soundscape Conservation. In: “Ecoacoustics. The ecological role of sound” (Ed. Farina A. & Gage S.H.). Wiley: 235-258.
Pavan G., Favaretto A., Bovelacci B., Scaravelli D., Macchio S., Glotin H., 2015. Bioacoustics and Ecoacoustics Applied To Environmental Monitoring And Management. Rivista Italiana di Acustica, Vol. 39 (2015), N. 2, pp. 68-74.
3. Computational Bioacoustics - Metodi e strumenti per la ricerca bioacustica
Poupard M., Ferrari M., Schlüter J., Marxer R., Giraudet P., Barchasz V., Giès V., Pavan G., Glotin H., 2019. Real-time 3D passive acoustic tracking of cetacean by five non uniform aperture hydrophones mounted under autonomous surface vehicle. Proc. ICASSP 2019.
Pavan G., 2015. Bioacustica e Ecologia acustica. Cap. 18. Pag 803-828. In: Renato Spagnolo (a cura di), “ACUSTICA. Fondamenti e applicazioni”, UTET Università, Torino 2015, 1-1582.
Favali P., Chierici F., Marinaro G., Giovanetti G., Azzarone A., Beranzoli L., De Santis A., Embriaco D., Monna S., Lo Bue N., Sgroi T., Cianchini G., Badiali L., Qamili E., De Caro M.G., Falcone G., Montuori C., Frugoni F., Riccobene G., Sedita M., Barbagallo G., Cacopardo G., Calì C., Cocimano R., Coniglione R., Costa M., D’Amico A., Del Tevere F., Distefano C., Ferrera F., Valentina Giordano V., Massimo Imbesi M., Dario Lattuada D., Migneco E., Musumeci M., Orlando A., Papaleo R., Piattelli P., Raia G., Rovelli A., Sapienza P., Speziale F., Trovato A., Viola S., Ameli F., Bonori M., Capone A., Masullo R., Simeone F., Pignagnoli L., Zitellini N., Bruni F., Gasparoni F., and Pavan G., 2013. NEMO-SN1 Abyssal Cabled Observatory in the Western Ionian Sea. IEEE Journal of Oceanic Engineering 01/2013 38(2): 358 – 374.
Obrist M.K., Pavan G., Sueur J., Riede K., Llusia D. and Márquez R., 2010. Bioacoustic approaches in biodiversity inventories. In: Manual on Field Recording Techniques and Protocols for All Taxa Biodiversity Inventories, Abc Taxa, Vol. 8: 68-99. ISSN 1784-1283 (hard copy) ISSN 1784-1291 (on-line pdf) Available at: http://www.abctaxa.be/volumes/volume-8-manual-atbi/chapter-5/
Pavan G., Fossati C., Caltavuturo G., 2013. Marine Bioacoustics and Computational Bioacoustics at the University of Pavia (Italy). Pp 3-25 in “Detection Classification and Localization of Marine Mammals using passive acoustics. 2003-2013: 10 years of international research.”, Adam O., Samaran F. (editors), 2013. DIRAC NGO (Paris, France): 1-298. ISBN 978-2-7466-6118-9.
4. Comportamento acustico dei mammiferi marini
Pace D.S., Lanfredi C., Airoldi S., Giacomini G., Silvestri M., Pavan G. and Ardizzone D., 2021. Are Mediterranean sperm whale trumpets interaction calls in male-male context? Scientific Reports , 2021, 11:5867 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-84126-8
Caruso F., Alonge G., Bellia G., De Domenico E., Grammauta R., Larosa G., Mazzola S., Riccobene G., Pavan G., Papale E., Pellegrino C., Pulvirenti S., Sciacca V., Simeone F., Speziale F., Viola S. and Buscaino G., 2017. Long-Term Monitoring of Dolphin Biosonar Activity in Deep Pelagic Waters of the Mediterranean Sea. Scientific Reports, 7: 4321. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-04608-6
Caruso F., Sciacca V., Bellia G., De Domenico E., Larosa G., Papale E., Pellegrino C., Pulvirenti S., Riccobene G., Simeone F., Speziale F., Viola S. Pavan G., 2015. Size Distribution of Sperm Whales Acoustically Identified During Long Term Deep-Sea Monitoring in the Ionian Sea. PlosOne, e. 0144503, DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0144503
Sciacca V., Caruso F., Beranzoli L., Chierici F., De Domenico E., Embriaco D., Favali P, Giovanetti G., Larosa G., Marinaro G., Papale E., Pavan G., Pellegrino C., Pulvirenti S., Simeone F., Viola S., Riccobene G., 2015. Annual Acoustic Presence of Fin Whale (Balaenoptera physalus) Offshore Eastern Sicily, Central Mediterranean Sea. PlosOne, 10(11): e0141838. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0141838
5. Monitoraggio degli spiaggiamenti di mammiferi marini
Lo Brutto S., Calascibetta A., Pavan G., Buffa G., 2021. Cetacean strandings and museum collections: a focus on Sicily Island crossroads for Mediterranean species. Diversity 2021, 13, 104. https://doi.org/10.3390/d13030104
Podestà M., Pavan G., 2018. Risso's dolphin strandings in Italy: analysis of 31 years of data. Pagine 29 – 31 In: Lanfredi C., Remonato E. and Airoldi S. (Eds) 2018. Preliminary Report of the Mediterranean Grampus Project 2.0: Improving knowledge and conservation of the Mediterranean population of Risso's dolphins through effective partnerships. 50 pp. La Spezia, Italy, 7th April 2018.
Casalone C., Mazzariol S., Pautasso A., Di Guardo G., Di Nocera F., Lucifora G., Ligios C., Franco A., Fichi G., Cocumelli C., Cersini A., Guercio A., Puleio R., Goria M., Podestà M., Marsili L., Pavan G., Pintore A., De Carlo E., Eleni C., Caracappa S., 2014. Cetacean strandings in Italy: an unusual mortality event along the Tyrrhenian Sea coast in 2013. Dis Aquat Org 109: 81-86.
Pavan G., Bernuzzi E., Cozzi B., Podestà M., 2013. La rete nazionale di monitoraggio degli spiaggiamenti di mammiferi marini. Atti 44 Congresso SIBM. Biol. Mar. Mediterr. (2013), 20: 262-263.
6. Rumore ambientale
Drira A., Bouzidi M., Maglio A., Pavan G., Salivas M., 2018. Modelling underwater sound fields from noise events contained in the ACCOBAMS impulsive noise register to address cumulative impact and acoustic pollution assessment. EEA Proceedings EuroNoise 2018, ISSN: 2226-5147: 2819-2824. http://euronoise2018.eu/docs/papers/465_Euronoise2018.pdf
Viola S., Grammauta R., Sciacca V., Bellia G., Beranzoli L., Buscaino G., Caruso F., Chierici F., Cuttone G., Embriaco D., Giovanetti G., Favali P., Pavan G., Pellegrino C., Pulvirenti S., Riccobene G., Simeone F., (2017). Continuous monitoring of noise levels in the Gulf of Catania (Western Ionian Sea). Study of correlation with ship traffic. Marine Pollution Bulletin (2017), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2017.05.040
Holst M., Smultea M.A., Koski W.R., Sayegh A.J., Pavan G., Beland J., Goldstein H.H., 2017. Cetacean Sightings and Acoustic Detections during a Seismic Survey off Pacific Central America, November–December 2004. Revista de Biología Tropical / International Journal of Tropical Biology and Conservation, 65(2). ISSN 2215-2075.
Sciacca V., Viola S., Pulvirenti S., Riccobene G., Caruso F., De Domenico E., Pavan G., 2016. Shipping noise and seismic airgun surveys in the Ionian Sea: Potential impact on Mediterranean fin whale. Proceedings of Meetings on Acoustics, 27 040010. [DOI: 10.1121/2.0000311]
Grammauta R., Viola S., Buscaino G., Caruso F., Chierici F., Embriaco D., Favali P., Giovanetti G., Larosa G., Pavan G., et al., 2015. Shipping noise evaluation from AIS data: A comparative study with longterm acoustic recordings from the EMSO-SN1 observatory in the Ionian Sea. Proceedings Underwater Acoustics Conference and Exhibition 2015, 21st to 26th June 2015 Platanias, Crete, Greece: 447-452.
7. Distribuzione e conservazione dei mammiferi marini
Pace D., Giacomini G., Campana I., Paraboschi M., Pellegrino G., Silvestri M., Alessi J., Angeletti D., Cafaro V., Pavan G., Ardizzone G., Arcangeli A., 2019. An integrated approach for cetacean knowledge and conservation in the central Mediterranean Sea using research and social media data sources. Aquatic Conserv: Mar Freshw Ecosyst. 2019 (29):1302–1323. DOI: 10.1002/aqc.3117
Pace D. S., Arcangeli A., Mussi B., Vivaldi C., Ledon C., Lagorio S., Giacomini G., Pavan G. and Ardizzone G., 2018. Habitat suitability modeling in different sperm whale social groups. Jour. Wild. Mgmt. DOI:10.1002/jwmg.21453
Fossati C, Mussi B, Tizzi R, Pavan G, Pace DS, 2017., Italy introduces pre and post operation monitoring phases for offshore seismic exploration activities. Marine Pollution Bulletin 120 (1-2): 376-378
Lanfredi C, Azzellino A, D’Amico A, Centurioni L, Rella MA, Pavan G, Podestà M, 2016. Key Oceanographic Characteristics of Cuvier’s Beaked Whale (Ziphius cavirostris) Habitat in the Gulf of Genoa (Ligurian Sea, NW Mediterranean). J Oceanogr Mar Res, 4: 145. DOI: 10.4172/jomr.1000145