ONE-BLUE carries out a new sampling campaign in the Ionian Sea

ONE-BLUE carries out a new sampling campaign in the Ionian Sea

  • The 5th sampling campaign of the project took place between May 26 and May 31
  • The University of Padova coordinated the expedition in collaboration with the Italian National Research Council.

ONE-BLUE held its 5th sampling campaign in the Ionian Sea between May 26 and May 31 of 2025. As for the sampling campaign in the North Adriatic Sea, the expedition was coordinated by the Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science of the University of Padova, in collaboration with the Water Research Institute of the Italian National Research Council, which is responsible for processing the collected samples.

The campaign focused its activities in the southern Italian seas, covering areas in the Gulf of Squillace and the Gulf of Taranto. In the first location, the sampling team was hosted by the Associazione MARE Calabria at “Museo della Pesca e del Mare” in Montepaone Lido (CZ). At the same time, the activities in the Gulf of Taranto were carried out with the support of Jonian Dolphin Conservation at Ketos – Centro Euromediterraneo del Mare e dei Cetacei.

For each basin, three sampling stations were selected: two nearshore stations and one offshore station. Water samples were collected at the surface and seabed at all locations using Niskin bottles. Additionally, sediment samples were collected at the nearshore stations using an Ekman dredge. Invertebrates and fish, which were supplied by local fishermen, were dissected and frozen in preparation for subsequent analysis.

Samples are currently being processed following the ONE-BLUE protocol. Water samples are being analyzed for microplastics and environmental biodiversity, as well as prepared using Solid Phase Extraction (SPE) techniques for chemical and ecotoxicological assessment. Sediment and biota samples are undergoing similar chemical and ecotoxicological analyses.

The results of this campaign will help establish a baseline for future environmental monitoring, inform policy decisions, and support conservation strategies at both national and Mediterranean scales. Moreover, the collaboration with local marine rescue and research centers such as the Associazione MARE Calabria and Jonian Dolphin Conservation has not only facilitated the field operations but also strengthened the project’s connection with the communities and institutions that are directly engaged in marine protection and biodiversity preservation.

This campaign represents a crucial step in expanding the ONE-BLUE monitoring network to the southern Italian seas, strengthening the project’s mission to assess the environmental status of Mediterranean marine ecosystems through harmonised methodologies. Operating in the Ionian Sea, this campaign provides valuable data on emerging contaminants, microplastics, and ecosystem biodiversity in two ecologically and economically important areas, such as the Gulf of Squillace and the Gulf of Taranto.