Citizen science as a tool for the environmental quality assessment of the Mediterranean coastal habitats

The growing need to assess the environmental status of the Mediterranean coastal marine habitats and the large availability of data collected by Reef Check Italia onlus (RCI) volunteers suggest the possibility to develop innovative and reliable indices that may support decision makers in applying conservation strategies. The aims of this study were to check the reliability of data collected by RCI volunteers, analyse the spatial and temporal distribution of RCI available data, resume the knowledge on the biology and ecology of the monitored species, and develop innovative indices to asses the ecological quality of Mediterranean subtidal rocky shores and coralligenous habitats. Subtidal rocky shores and coralligenous were chosen because these are the habitats more attractive for divers; therefore mlst data are referring to them, moreover subtidal rocky bottom are strongly affected by coastal urbanisation, land use, fishing and tourist activities, that increase pollution, turbidity and sedimentation. Non-indigenous species (NIS) have been recognized as a major threat to the integrity of Mediterranean native communities because of their proliferation, spread and impact on resident communities. Monitoring of NIS’ spreading dynamics at the basin spatial scale is difficult but urgent. According to a field test, the training provided by RCI appears adequate to obtain reliable data by volunteers. Based on data collected by RCI volunteers, three main categories of indices were developed: indices based on species diversity, indices on the occurrence non-indigenous species, and indices on species sensitive toward physical, chemical and biological disturbances. As case studies, indices were applied to stretches of coastline defined according to management criteria (province territories and marine protected areas). The assessments of ecological quality in the Tavolara Marine Protected Area using the species sensitivities index were consisten with those previously obtained with traditional methods.

An endogenous rate of time preference, the Penrose effect, and dynamic optimality of environmental quality.

In the present paper, the endogenous theory of time preference is extended to analyze those processes of capital accumulation and changes in environmental quality that are dynamically optimum with respect to the intertemporal preference ordering of the representative individual of the society in question. The analysis is carried out within the conceptual framework of the dynamic analysis of environmental quality, as has been developed by a number of economists for specific cases of the fisheries and forestry commons. The duality principles on intertemporal preference ordering and capital accumulation are extended to the situation where processes of capital accumulation are subject to the Penrose effect, which exhibit the marginal decrease in the effect of investment in private and social overhead capital upon the rate at which capital is accumulated. The dynamically optimum time-path of economic activities is characterized by the proportionality of two systems of imputed, or efficient, prices, one associated with the given intertemporal ordering and another associated with processes of accumulation of private and social overhead capital. It is particularly shown that the dynamically optimality of the processes of capital accumulation involving both private and social overhead capital is characterized by the conditions that are identical with those involving private capital, with the role of social overhead capital only indirectly exhibited.

Improving environmental quality through the use of local ordinances and regulations /

Cover tite: The use of existing and modified land use instruments to achieve environmental quality.

Self-regulation of environmental quality : impact analysis in California local government /

Mode of access: Internet.

Our air, our land, our water : environmental quality in the Great Lakes Basin /

"September 1988"--P. 3.

Reservoirs and waterways : identification and assessment of environmental quality problems and research program development /

"July 1978."

Tocks Island Lake development : a comprehensive evaluation of environmental quality : Delaware River Basin Tocks Island Lake, Pennsylvania, New York, Delaware Water Gap ... Kittatinny Mountain Project ... /

Cover title.

Profile of environmental quality.

Description based on: Sept. 1980.

Profile of environmental quality.

Description based on: Sept. 1980.

Profile of environmental quality.

Description based on: Sept. 1980.

Profile of environmental quality.

Description based on: Sept. 1980.

Nomination of Robert H. Harris [microform] : hearing before the Committee on Environment and Public Works, United States Senate, Ninety-sixth Congress, first session, on the nomination of Robert H. Harris to be a member of the Council on Environmental Quality, November 13, 1979.

Reuse of record except for individual research requires license from Congressional Information Service, Inc.

Advisory report on health effects of barium in water : ... prepared for the Illinois Institute for Environmental Quality /

Includes bibliographical references.