For the first time, the size spectra of 28 chironomid genera/species are reported for the most common chironomid taxa in the deep subalpine Lake Maggiore (northwestern Italy). Species-specific length-mass regression models were developed to predict the dry masses of the larval stages of Cladotanytarsus sp., Cryptochironomus sp., Polypedilum bicrenatum, P. nubeculosum, and Stictochironomus pictulus. The predicted dry-mass values differed by less than 20% from the measured values, suggesting that these original equations will be important in chironomid production studies. Regressions at the subfamily level were also developed for case identification at the genus or species level, which is difficult to obtain. The chironomid weights were determined directly and a dry/wet-weight-conversion ratio was estimated. The results were consistent with previously reported results. The relationships between the dry masses and the body lengths were compared with published data for different types of lake all over the world. We found that regression models for other freshwater environments somehow differed from those in Lake Maggiore, albeit slightly. The combination of diversity-based and trait-based approaches improves our knowledge about chironomids and our understanding of the effects of global environmental changes on freshwater biota. This first collection of trait data on summer-autumn chironomid assemblages in a temperate subalpine lake is a valuable contribution to the European trait database. The taxonomic diversity and abundance of chironomids were uploaded for open access on the GBIF platform.

Lake Maggiore is a site of the Long-Term Ecosystem Research (LTER) network, belonging to the deep subalpine Lake District in Northern Italy. Studies on the physical, chemical, and biological features of the lake have been performed continuously since the 1980s. The lake recovered from eutrophication reaching the present oligotrophic condition. In the last decade, climate change represents the main driving factor for the long-term evolution of the lake, affecting its hydrodynamics, nutrient status, and biological communities. In 2020 a high-frequency monitoring (HFM) system was deployed, with the aim to integrate long-term monitoring based on discrete sampling and analysis. The system consists of a buoy equipped with sensors for limnological variables and algal pigments. The high-frequency monitoring program is part of a cross-border project between Italy and Switzerland focusing on lake quality monitoring as a critical input for successful lake management. In this paper we focus on Chlorophyll-a data, with the aim to test whether in-situ fluorescence measurements may provide a reliable estimate of lake phytoplankton biovolume and its seasonal dynamic. Sensor's performance was regularly tested comparing chlorophyll-a data taken by the in-situ fluorescent sensors (Cyclops7, Turner Design), data from laboratory fluorescence analysis (FluoroProbe, BBE Moldaenke), values obtained from chlorophyll-a analysis by UV-VIS spectrophotometry and data from phytoplankton microscopy analysis. We found a general good agreement between the Chlorophyll-a data obtained with the different methods, confirming the use of in-situ sensors as a reliable approach to measure algal pigments, especially to assess their variability in the short-term, but also to describe the seasonal pattern of phytoplankton biovolume. However, phytoplankton community composition played a substantial role in the performance of the different methods and in the reliability of in-situ data as a tool to assess algal biovolume. This study demonstrates that high-frequency monitoring (HFM), used in conjunction with discrete chemical and biological monitoring, represents an important advance and support in the long-term monitoring of freshwaters and is a useful tool to detect ecological changes. Regular checking and validation of the sensor readings through laboratory analyses are important to get trustworthy data.

We report the first occurrence record of the spiny-cheek crayfish Faxonius limosus in two North-western Italian lakes: Orta and Mergozzo. We also confirm the occurrence of the species in Lake Maggiore. Faxonius limosus is native to the east coast of the USA. Since the end of the 19th century, it was introduced to Europe, where it rapidly spread in Poland, Russia, France, and Germany. In 1991, it was recorded for the first time in Italy in Lake Iseo (Lombardy region; NW Italy), and soon it has spread in Northern and central Italy. Although Faxonius limosus is included in the list of European Union Concern, only two reports suggested the occurrence of this species in lakes Maggiore, Orta and Mergozzo, but these were never confirmed by experts. The aim of the present paper is to shed light on the distribution of F. limosus along the coasts of the three North-western Italian lakes. To this end, we used visual census and trapping to detect the occurrence of F. limosus, providing also georeferenced and environmental information of its habitat. We discovered 31 new occurrence localities (18 municipalities) for the species, scattered across the three lakes. These new findings highlight the urgency of implementing monitoring and management programs to prevent F. limosus spread and to mitigate its potential ecological impacts.

We report a georeferenced dataset of a biological survey carried out in lakes and reservoirs in Piedmont and Sardinia regions (Italy), that includes fish fauna, macroinvertebrates, macrophytes, and phytoplankton. This survey was carried out to test the standardised protocols adopted with the National Decree 260/210 by the Italian Ministry of the Environment, Land and Sea for the assessment of the ecological status of lakes and the ecological potential of reservoirs for satisfying the requirements of the European Water Framework Directive (WFD) 2000/60/EC. Occurrence data have been uploaded to the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF).

We report a dataset of all known and published occurrence records of animals of the phylum Rotifera, including Bdelloidea, Monogononta, and Seisonacea (with the exclusion of Acanthocephala) for Africa and surrounding islands and archipelagos. The dataset includes 24,704 records of 914 taxa (subspecies: 38; species: 783; genus: 76; family: 17), gathered from 610 published papers. The published literature spans from 1854 to 2022, with the highest number of records in the decades 1990-1999 and 2010-2019. The African countries with the highest number of taxa are Nigeria, Algeria, South Africa, and Democratic Republic of the Congo, whereas no records are yet available for a dozen countries. The number of species known from each country can be explained mostly by sampling efforts, measured as the number of papers published for each country up to now. The dataset is available through the Open Science Framework (OSF) and in the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF).

A dataset of 227 oligochaetes and 373 chironomids occurrence records from the subalpine Lake Maggiore, a large and deep temperate lake in Northern-Western Italy and Switzerland was developed within the Interreg Italy-Switzerland 2014-2020 Parchi Verbano Ticino Project (ID:481668) funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). The lake belongs to the national (LTER-Italy), Eu-ropean (LTER-Europe) and International (ILTER) long-term ecological research networks. Data were collected during the summer-au-tumn period in 2019-2021. Chironomids (Insecta, Diptera) and oligochaetes (Annelida, Clitellata) were identified to genus/species gr./species level by the authors. All 600 occurrence records are georeferenced and organised in a standardised Darwin Core Archive format. These data gathered along the littoral of Lake Maggiore will contribute to the development of common implementation strategies for shared and sustainable water management level of the lake, with particular reference to the protected natural areas (sites belonging to Natura 2000 network in Italy and to the Emerald Network in Switzerland). The authors strongly believe in the great potential of open access occurrence records in biogeographical studies and ecological research in the context of global environmental changes. For that reason, the dataset has been uploaded to the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), an intergovernmental free and open access biodiversity data infrastructure.

We report a dataset of known and published occurrence records of Italian taxa from species (and subspecies) to family rank of the phylum Rotifera; we considered only Bdelloidea, Monogononta, and Seisonacea, and did not include Acanthocephala. The dataset includes 15,525 records (12,015 of which with georeferenced coordinates) of 584 valid species and subspecies names, gathered from 332 published papers. The published literature spans the period from 1838 to 2022, with the lowest number of papers published during the Second World War followed by an increasing number of papers, from 20 to more than 60 in each decade. The Italian regions with the highest number of records and species are Emilia-Romagna, Lombardy, and Piedmont, whereas no records are known for Molise. The number of species known from each region mostly mirrors sampling efforts, measured as the number of publications per region. The dataset is available through the Open Science Framework (OSF), and all the georeferenced occurrence data have been uploaded to the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF).

The first results of the application of the integrated multidisciplinary protocol to study the effects of water level management on the Lake Maggiore littoral habitats and biocoenosis are presented. The "Parchi Verbano Ticino" project (2019-2021, ID: 481668) was the driving force to fine-tune the monitoring and management system of multidisciplinary information (chemistry, hydro-morphology, macro- and meio-fauna monitoring). The study reveals that water level fluctuations in Lake Maggiore, sometimes characterized bymeasurable changes in water levels, have remarkable effects on littoral habitats and on the structure and function of macro- and meio-faunal assemblages living there. Overall, this study provides insights into the potential impacts of Lake Maggiore water management strategy on freshwater littoral ecosystems during late spring-early summer, and emphasizes the need for a comprehensive understanding of the lake ecosystem dynamics. Thanks to the results achieved, publicly endorsed water management rules will be stated, for the late spring-early summer period, considering frequency and amplitude of water level fluctuations as crucial factors in management plans to mitigate their impacts. The endorsed rules turn out to be a negotiated compromise between the maintenance of ecosystem services and the protection of littoral life below water.

CUSIO2030, finanziato su bando COMPETITIVO "SIMBIOSI - Insieme alla Natura per il futuro del Pianeta" di Fondazione San Paolo, ha come obiettivo quello di incrementare lo stato di conservazione della fauna acquatica nel Lago d'Orta, mediante interventi di habitat restoration, restocking di specie ittiche di interesse comunitario, interventi di rimozione delle specie aliene, monitoraggio microplastiche nei tributari. IRSA CNR si occupa di tutti gli interventi sulla fauna e del monitoraggio ambientale, pre e post interventi. Budget Progetto: 540000 Euro Budget Unità operativa: 350000 Euro

Phycocyanin, a phycobiliprotein, is one of the few natural blue pigments available as food colourant, and it is largely used in food industry. We have devised an innovative two-step extraction process which allowed to obtain bright blue phycocyanin crude extracts with high purity grade P (within 2.5 and 3.5) directly from fresh biomass of Arthrospira platensis Gomont 1892 (commonly named Spirulina). We found out and for the first time exploited ammonium sulphate capability to minimize the release of water soluble phycobiliproteins in aqueous medium during ultrasound-assisted cell lysis/purification phase. The conventional sequence which is, extraction followed by purification, was reversed. The extraction phase was decoupled from biomass cell lysis. Cell lysis, accomplished by ultrasonication in ammonium sulphate solution, was merged with purification in a single step, before the pigment extraction/recovering phase. The process was entirely carried out in aqueous solutions. No downstream purification was required to obtain products suitable for the most common phycocyanin applications (i.e. foods, nutraceuticals). Production time, hours instead of days, was reduced to the advantage of the product quality. The process has the great advantages of (1) direct use of extracting solutions that cannot be used in the ordinary ultrasound-assisted extraction of phycocyanin (because of the extensive simultaneous extraction of contaminant molecules), (2) gain of high commercial value phycocyanin due to the elevated purity grade and (3) direct production of highly concentrated bright blue pigment crude extracts (up to about 5 mg mL) immediately in hand to the market. Graphical Abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.]

The World Register of Introduced Marine Species (WRiMS) records which marine species in the World Register of Marine species (WoRMS) have been introduced deliberately or accidentally by human activities to geographic areas outside their native range. It excludes species that colonised new locations naturally (so called 'range extensions'), even if in response to climate change. Temporal coverage: From 1758 on.

An integrated multidisciplinary protocol on monitoring, sampling, and laboratory procedures was developed and proposed as part of the Project "Parks Verbano Ticino" in the framework of the INTERREG V-A Italy-Switzerland 2014-2020 Cooperation Program. The project's overall goal is to evaluate the effects of water-level management (hydromorphological stress) on both macro- and meio-fauna along the shores of Lake Maggiore, a large and deep temperate lake in northwestern Italy. Because of their importance in the aquatic food web, determining how this stress affects macro- and meio-faunal assemblages is pivotal. The protocol developed thus includes the evaluation of hydro-morphological impacts via the Lake Habitat Survey method, which entails monitoring human-induced impacts and related infrastructures, followed by an in-depth evaluation of the ecological health of lake habitats via chemical analyses. The protocol then describes the sampling methods for shallow lake waters (i.e., <1.5 m depth) of deep lakes, but it also provides guidance on the best time to sample, how to select sampling sites, and how to allocate sample replicates along transects. A detailed step-by-step laboratory procedure for sample treatment was provided in order to assess the structure of macro- and meio-fauna assemblages, as well as morpho-functional traits (e.g., body shape and size, biomass estimate) in response to water-level management. For the first time, a set of morphological and functional characteristics of macro- and meio-faunal taxa are proposed for comparison. The protocol for standardized trait measurement is intended to be widely used. We also proposed chironomid species-specific length-mass regression models for biomass estimation, which is important for determining the growth rate and secondary production of these taxa in temperate zone lakes. Length-mass equations could shed light on the role of specific species in the flow of energy through aquatic ecosystems. The proposed protocol was evaluated by team members to ensure common utility, accuracy, and repeatability of the procedures towards a feasible application by researchers and stakeholders involved in water management of lakes with similar physical characteristics to use it. The protocol, which has been adapted or simply developed to meet the needs of the Italian context, could be successfully applied to other Alpine and Mediterranean temperate, deep lakes, reservoirs, and other glacial, volcanic, and morainic lakes, as well as to a broader European context.

The main goal of gelatinous plankton monitoring is to determine species composition, patterns of its distribution, biomass, abundance, and, using obtained data along with the other parameters, to identify their role in trophic webs and to assess their impact on the ecosystem functioning. The objectives of gelatinous plankton monitoring: o Identification of species composition, their abundance, biomass and spatial distribution; o Early registration of new non-native gelatinous macroplankton species introduction in the region; o Study of seasonal, , interannual and long-term variability in macrozooplankton abundance, biomass and species composition; o Study impact on the ecosystem state.

The impact of climate change on stratification and mixing patterns has important effects on nutrient availability and plankton dynamics in deep lakes. We demonstrate this in a long-term study of Lake Maggiore, a deep oligomictic lake located in the subalpine lake district in Northern Italy. Studies on physical, chemical and biological features of the lake have been performed continuously since the 1980s. The lake recovered from eutrophication in response to a reduction of catchment nutrient loads and reached a stable oligotrophic status by the end of the 1990s, with average total phosphorus concentrations in the water column around 10 mu g L-1. However, both reactive and total phosphorus have slightly increased since 2010, leading to a shift in the lake trophic state towards mesotrophy. The increase in phosphorus has been limited to the hypolimnetic layers, concentrations being fairly stable or decreasing in the epilimnion. Reactive silica also progressively increased in the hypolimnion, while nitrate and total nitrogen concentrations have steadily decreased in both deep and surface layers, especially in the summer period. These changes were assessed in relation to catchment loads, atmospheric deposition and climate-related variations in stratification and mixing patterns and in nutrient retention. Long-term changes in primary production, represented by chlorophyll levels, and biovolume of the main algal groups were also considered. During the eutrophication period and until the 1990s. in-lake phosphorus concentrations were tightly related to external loads; successively, phosphorus and its vertical distribution up the water column became more controlled by internal processes, in particular by stratification and mixing regime. An increase of thermal stability and a reduced frequency and intensity of deep mixing events has fostered oxygen depletion and phosphorus and silica accumulation in the hypolimnion. Another consequence of reduced deep mixing events has been a reduction in nutrient replenishment of the upper layers at spring mixing. External loads are still the main driver of change for nitrogen compounds: the decrease in the atmospheric load of nitrogen that occurred in the Lake Maggiore area over the last decade, as an effect of reduced nitrogen emissions, has caused decreasing concentration of inorganic nitrogen in the lake. However, the phytoplankton community changes observed might also play a role in nitrogen dynamics, particularly in the nitrate minima observed during summer in recent years.

reshwater ecosystems provide multiple ecosystem services, but their ecological integrity is often threatened by human-induced water level fluctuations. Lake Maggiore and its River Ticino outlet, a transnational area between Italy and Switzerland, is subject to different stakeholder conflicting needs, making its management complex since the '50s. The Italy-Switzerland Interreg Cooperation Parchi Verbano Ticino Project aimed at analysing the effects of water levels management on the hydro chemical conditions of the lake and on its biotic communities, in order to propose a sustainable water management strategy, which would reduce the conflicts of use and, at the same time, improve the biodiversity and the quality of this vast ecosystem.

An appropriate water management strategy could contribute to solve problems of water availability both from a biodiversity and a socio-economic point of view. Further, water level manipulation (WLM) may well mitigate the adverse impact of extreme events on the distribution and ecology of macroinvertebrates. This is particularly true for chironomids, the largest family of aquatic insects dominating lakes, where their assemblages seemed to be influenced by amplified water level fluctuations. However, knowledge of how the distribution, diversity and size structure of chironomids change under different water level regimes is still fragmentary. Here, we report our preliminary results of the chironomid assemblage obtained from a study within the INTERREG Project "Parchi Verbano Ticino" aimed to understand the impact of water level fluctuations on the macroinvertebrate community structure in the littoral zone of Lake Maggiore, the second largest lake in Italy regulated from mid-March to mid-September through the Miorina Dam placed at the lake's outflow (River Ticino). Samples were collected in 2019 and 2020, from July to September, in three sampling sites following the north-south axis of the lake and characterised from different WLMs (high/low) and depths (deep/intermediate/shallow). Biometry, biomass and relative abundance of each detected chironomid species are presented here, and for the most common species, length-mass regression models were developed to predict the dry mass. Alterations in size structure and length-mass relationships for populations of the same species relative to different WLMs and depths are investigated as potential consequences of the impact of water level regulation in Lake Maggiore.

Lake Maggiore is a deep oligotrophic subalpine lake in Northern Italy which undergone an eutrophication phenomena from the 1960s to mid-1980s and a recovery process from mesotrophy that began in the early 1980s. But over the last decades, climate-driven events became more prominent that overlapping on the long-term oligotrophication pattern. However, recent studies have demonstrated that shifts in diatoms assemblages can be considered robust indicators both of climate and trophic changes. Here, we report the results of our study on variations in diatom community structure and diversity as possible response to hydrometeorological and chemical conditions in Lake Maggiore over the last 20 years. We used phytoplankton monthly and fortnightly data for the period 1999- 2019 collected within the framework of the research program of International Commission for the Protection of Swiss-Italian Waters (www.cipais.org). The results suggest clear shift in diatom assemblages species. Pennate diatoms such as Synedra spp. declined during the oligotrophication period but recently have increased as well as Fragilaria crotonensis that shows an increase in the relative abundances during the last years. In fact, recently F. crotonensis has always been accounted in the number of significant and dominant species as competes to form minimum 80% of the total community biovolume at least once per year. An important change is also the complete disappearance of Tabellaria flocculosa. Further analyses are performed to suggest the role of hydrodynamics and nutrient concentrations as driving factors for the observed shifts in diatom assemblages in Lake Maggiore.

Lake Maggiore is a deep oligotrophic subalpine lake in Northern Italy which underwent a stage of eutrophication from the 1960s to the mid 1980s. During the recent period, climate-driven events became more prominent, overlapping with the long-term oligotrophication pattern. Recent studies showed that shifts in diatoms assemblages indicate changes in climate and trophic changes. So herein, we used phytoplankton monthly and fortnightly data for the period 1999- 2019 collected within the research program funded by the International Commission for the Protection of Swiss-Italian Waters (CIPAIS). The taxa recorded were grouped in Functional Groups (FG) according to Reynolds and species were selected as those that contributed at least 5% of the mean phytoplankton biomass. We report the results of FG application of variations in diatom community structure and diversity as a possible response to long-term change in nutrient and climate conditions in Lake Maggiore over the last 20 years. Our results suggest that, beside the trophic status, climate warming can alter the structure of the diatom community, thus increasing awareness towards the functional properties of the species involved.