Cellular effects of toxins on marine organisms

Use of Mytilus galloprovincialis to monitor the impact of off-shore gas platforms on marine organisms

To monitor the impact of offshore platforms Bonaccia and Clara in the long term

Two platforms in the Adriatic sea off the coast of Marche region

Platform Clara

Introduction

I, Harini Vedhanarayanan a student of IMBRSea completed my professional practice at Marche Polytechnic University, Ancona Department of Science. I worked with the ecotoxicology lab. This research group focuses on learning about toxins and pollutants, and their effects on marine organisms.

The team is very driven and passionate about their work and consist of the following researchers.

  • Dr. Stephania Gorbi

  • Dr. Allesandro Nardi

  • Dr. Marica Mezzelani

  • Dr. Maria Luisa Giuliani

  • Dr. Maura Benedetti

And headed by Dr. Francesco Regoli

About the Project

The internship was part of a long term monitoring project UNIVPM in Collaboration with Istituto per le Risorse Biologiche e le Biotecnologie Marine (CNR IRBIM) in Ancona which studies the effect of offshore oil and gas platforms on Mytilus galloprovincialis. (code of project CNR-AN) Mussels from 2 offshore oil and gas platforms, Clara and Bonaccia, in the Adriatic Sea, were collected. The Mussels were collected from close to and far from each of the platforms anodes, as well as a control site in Senigallia, during two separate sampling periods- March and September of every year. I analysed 30 samples, 15 from each sampling period.

The Mussels were dissected for biomarker analysis and stored at -80ºC. I worked on the samples of September 2020 and March 2021.