Cambiamenti climatici ed ecosistemi marini: nuove minacce nel Mar Adriatico.

This work aims to describe the effects of climate change on marine ecosystems, by reporting two examples involving the Adriatic Sea. The first example concerns the occurrence of the dinoflagellate Vulcanodinium rugosum in the coastal waters of the province of Ferrara, and the simultaneous detection of pinnatoxins (PnTXs) in a sample of Manila clams reared in the same area. PnTXs are emerging marine biotoxins. V. rugosum has been shown to produce PnTX-G. The second example concerns the recent expansion in the Adriatic Sea of the blue crab (Callinectes sapidus), a crustacean native to the eastern American coast. This species is causing extensive damage to molluscs farming in the Po River Delta area. Exploitation of the blue crab as a food resource for humans could be a solution to contain its population. In this scenario, the potential public health hazards should be evaluated