Search Results (153)

In response to the global imperative of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, the optimisation of renewable energy systems under regionally favourable conditions has become increasingly essential. Solar irradiance forecasting plays a pivotal role in enhancing energy planning, grid reliability, and long-term sustainability. However, in the context of Turkey, existing studies on solar radiation forecasting often rely on traditional statistical approaches and are limited to single-site analyses, with insufficient attention to regional diversity and deep learning-based modelling. To address this gap, the present study focuses on Turkey’s Mediterranean region, characterised by high solar potential and diverse climatic conditions and strategically relevant to national clean energy targets. Historical data from 2020 to 2023 were used to forecast solar irradiance patterns up to 2026. Five representative locations—Adana, Isparta, Fethiye, Ulukışla, and Yüreğir—were selected to capture spatial and temporal variability across inland, coastal, and high-altitude zones. Advanced deep learning models, including artificial neural networks (ANN), long short-term memory (LSTM), and bidirectional LSTM (BiLSTM), were developed and evaluated using standard performance metrics. Among these, BiLSTM achieved the highest accuracy, with a correlation coefficient of R = 0.95, RMSE = 0.22, and MAPE = 5.4% in Fethiye, followed by strong performance in Yüreğir (R = 0.90, RMSE = 0.12, MAPE = 7.2%). These results demonstrate BiLSTM’s superior capacity to model temporal dependencies and regional variability in solar radiation. The findings contribute to the development of location-specific forecasting frameworks and offer valuable insights for renewable energy planning and grid integration in solar-rich environments. Full article

Biomass burning processes affect many semi-rural areas in the Mediterranean, but there is a lack of long-term datasets focusing on their classification, obtained by monitoring carbonaceous particle concentrations and optical properties variations. To address this issue, a campaign to measure equivalent black carbon (eBC) and particle number size distributions (0.3–10 μm) was carried out from August 2019 to November 2020 at a coastal semi-rural site in the Basilicata region of Southern Italy. Long-term datasets were useful for aerosol characterization, helping to clearly identify traffic as a constant eBC source. For a shorter period, PM_2.5 mass concentrations were also measured, allowing the estimation of elemental and organic carbon (EC and OC), and chemical and SEM (scanning electron microscope) analysis of aerosols collected on filters. This multi-instrumental approach enabled the discrimination among different biomass burning (BB) processes, and the analysis of three case studies related to domestic heating, regional smoke plume transport, and a local smoldering process. The AAE (Ångström absorption exponent) daily pattern was characterized as having a peak late in the morning and mean hourly values that were always higher than 1.3. Full article

The Eastern Mediterranean region is experiencing accelerated climate warming, yet localized patterns remain poorly understood, particularly in areas with complex topography. This study examines long-term air temperature trends from 1992 to 2024 at two sites in Lebanon: Beirut Airport (urban–coastal) and Houch Al Oumaraa station in Zahlé (inland–valley). Using homogeneity testing, linear regression, and the Mann–Kendall trend test, we assess trends in minimum, maximum, and mean temperatures. The results show a strong and statistically significant warming trend in Beirut, with mean temperatures rising by +0.536 °C per decade and minimum temperatures showing the steepest increase (+0.575 °C/decade). In Zahlé, the warming trend is less pronounced, particularly for maximum temperatures (+0.369 °C/decade), while minimum temperatures increased by +0.528 °C/decade. Data from fixed stations and drone-based vertical profiling in Zahlé confirmed the presence of cold-air pooling and thermal inversions, which moderate air temperatures and may contribute to a subdued warming trend. The strongest inversion recorded in 2022 reached 6.7 °C between ground level and an altitude of 500 m. In contrast, the urban heat island (UHI) effect in Beirut and Zahlé appear to drive nighttime warming, particularly in summer and early autumn months. These findings highlight the roles of topography and urbanization in shaping local climate trends. Full article

Coastal health assessment and diagnosis are important tools for decision-making and coastal management. In this paper, the concept of ecosystem health, which uses medical terminology to define the state of coastal health, was applied to examine and diagnose the state of the physical coastal systems of 120 coastal sites along the Moroccan Mediterranean coastline. Based on this assessment approach, five categories are defined: (1) “Good Health”, with two subdivisions: (1a) “Health Warning” and (1b) “Surface Wounds”; (2) “Minor Injury”; (3) “Major Injury”; (4) “On Life Support” and (5) “Deceased”. According to the results obtained, 38 sites (32%) were classified in the “Good Health” category, with 35 sites (29%) in the “Health Warning” and 11 (9%) in the “Surface Wounds” subdivisions; 14 sites (12%) in each of the “Minor Injury” and “Major Injury” categories; no sites (0%) in the “On Life Support” category; and 8 sites (7%) in the “Deceased” category. The considerable percentage of sites in the alert and lower categories highlights the level of degradation and ongoing loss of coastal ecosystems along the Moroccan Mediterranean coast due to the significant impact of anthropogenic processes and inadequate coastal management practices, highlighting the current degradation of its physical state and its capacity to function naturally, i.e., its ability to respond to various present and future environmental changes. The results and proposals presented in this paper offer important perspectives for the governance, preservation, and management of coastal systems and are very useful in limiting and preventing the degradation of coastal systems linked to natural processes and the development of future anthropogenic activities. In addition, they stress the importance of protecting sites classified as “healthy” and restoring those classified as “alert” or “unhealthy”, using sound management strategies based on reliable scientific data. Full article

The sustainable preservation of archeological heritage located in rural and coastal regions requires more than technical interventions; it necessitates the awareness and active participation of local communities. However, community involvement in heritage management in such areas remains limited. This study aims to analyze the levels of cultural heritage awareness, conservation tendencies, and tourism-related expectations among local residents and visitors in the Magarsus Archeological Area, located in the Karataş district on the eastern Mediterranean coast of Turkey. The study was conducted in three phases: a literature review, field observations, and a structured survey conducted between June and August 2022 with 510 participants (280 local residents and 230 domestic visitors from surrounding provinces). The data were analyzed using SPSS 25.0 through descriptive statistical methods, complemented by cross-tabulation and chi-square analysis to identify patterns across demographic variables. The survey results not only reflect general perceptions about heritage and tourism but also offer critical insights into how the rural and coastal character of the site shapes conservation attitudes and tourism behavior. The findings reveal nuanced perceptions, including strong symbolic appreciation for heritage and general openness to tourism, alongside concerns about cultural and environmental risks. While the local community prioritizes the potential for economic benefit, many participants also emphasized the importance of safeguarding local traditions, crafts, and culinary heritage. Nevertheless, concerns were expressed regarding the risks posed by uncontrolled tourism, including environmental degradation, erosion of cultural identity, and the commodification of heritage values. Based on these insights, the study introduces a governance approach built upon three interlinked pillars: community-based participation, environmental sustainability, and tourism practices aligned with cultural values. The proposed approach aims to support the inclusive and sustainable management of Magarsus and other rural and coastal archeological landscapes with similar characteristics. Full article

Juniperus turbinata is an endemic species of the Mediterranean region, recognized for its role in ecological balance. However, concerns have been raised regarding its state of conservation. The objective of this study is twofold: firstly, to assess the rate of degradation of this species in the eastern region of Morocco; and secondly, to monitor the rate of natural regeneration to determine whether this compensates for the rate of degradation. To this end, three populations of red juniper were studied: the littoral (Saidia), the semi-continental (Oued Elhimer) in Jerrada, and the continental (Ich and Abou Lkhel) in Figuig. The first study objective is based on the use of the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) based on satellite images from 1986, 2000, and 2022. The study’s second objective focuses on locating new regenerations of J. turbinata using the Global Positioning System (GPS). The results of this study are alarming, showing a significant loss in the area occupied by J. turbinata in the eastern region of three study sites between 1986 and 2022. The area of J. turbinata matorral decreased by 99.05%, 95.10%, and 89.32% in the coastal, semi-continental, and continental regions of Figuig province, respectively. Regarding the natural regeneration of J. turbinata plants, 121 regenerations were observed along the coast. In the semi-continental region, 27 regenerations were recorded. However, no regeneration was found at the Figuig site. The study reveals that, over the past four decades, the average annual decline J. turbinata in the three regions was 2.62%. Conversely, the average rate of regeneration was recorded as 0.03%. Projections indicate a precipitous decline in the distribution of J. turbinata, with probable extinction of the species in northeastern Morocco. Full article

Natural radioactivity was measured and analyzed at the Nice Slope for over a month using radon daughters in order to trace groundwater movement from a coastal aquifer to a nearshore continental shelf. Such groundwater movement may have resulted in submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) and potentially sediment weakening and slope failure. The relationship among major hydrological parameters (precipitation, Var discharge, groundwater level, salinity and water origin) in the area is demonstrated in this study. Time series analyses also helped to detect tidal fluctuations in freshwater input, highlighting the crucial role SGD plays in the slope stability of the still failure-prone Nice Slope, parts of which collapsed in a tsunamigenic submarine landslide in 1979. Earlier deployments of the underwater mass spectrometer KATERINA showed that SGD is limited to the region of the 1979 landslide scar, suggesting that the spatially heterogenous lithologies do not support widespread groundwater charging. The calculated volumetric activities from groundwater tracing isotopes revealed peaks up to ca. 150 counts ²¹⁴Bi, which is similar to those measured at other prominent SGD sites along the Mediterranean shoreline. Therefore, this rare long-term radioisotope dataset is a valuable contribution to the collaborative research at the Nice Slope and may not remain restricted to the unconfined landslide scar but may charge permeable sub-bottom areas nearby. Hence, it has to be taken into account for further slope stability studies. Full article

This paper focuses on the challenges for the co-implementation of two European Union Directives, i.e., the Habitats Directive and the Water Framework Directive, for the management of Mediterranean coastal lagoons as protected areas. Many of these ecosystems are included in the Natura 2000 network, the largest network of protected areas in the world. Based on semi-structured interviews with 45 stakeholders from 41 institutions, the study identified five main types of perceived barriers: economic, political and socio-cultural, historical, administrative, and ecological. The study confirmed that the co-implementation of the Habitats Directive (HD) and the Water Framework Directive (WFD) in Mediterranean coastal lagoons generated multiple and interrelated barriers. Beyond their regulatory complexity, these EU directives confronted managers with deep operational challenges. First, mismatches between administrative and ecological boundaries weakened their ability to control key ecological processes such as nutrient flows. Second, the proliferation of indicators, often perceived as disconnected from local realities, reinforced the critique of a management by numbers approach. Finally, the widespread use of regulatory exemptions, while intended to adapt EU rules to local contexts, frequently fueled persistent mistrust among stakeholders, especially in historically degraded environments. These challenges were further exacerbated by a siloed organization of administrations, limiting coordination and adaptive management. Overall, these findings call for more integrated governance frameworks, a more critical and context-sensitive use of indicators, and greater transparency in derogation procedures. Full article

Mediterranean coastal heritage sites face escalating threats from climate change, including sea-level rise, coastal erosion, and extreme weather events. These risks endanger both the physical preservation of archeological sites and thei socio-economic significance/contribution. This review evaluates advanced tools such as Geographic Information Systems (GISs), remote sensing, and flood modeling for assessing vulnerabilities and supporting adaptive conservation strategies. Significant research disparities among Mediterranean regions are identified, underscoring the need for equitable and collaborative frameworks. The findings emphasize the integration of innovative technologies with sustainable practices to safeguard cultural heritage, ensuring resilience against climate-induced risks and contributing to long-term conservation goals. Full article

Increasing risks from sea-level rise and other climate impacts call for a focus on physical coastal attributes, emphasising the need for region-specific tools to address the vulnerability of different coastlines. This paper presents the development of a Physical Coastal Vulnerability Index (PCVI) for climate change impacts like sea-level rise, erosion, and storm surges, which is applied to the Croatian coast of the Istrian Peninsula. The methodology provides a detailed, site-specific vulnerability assessment focusing on physical parameters such as coastal aspect, slope, elevation, and coastal type. Eight different grid cell sizes were evaluated to map the coastline, demonstrating, as expected, that smaller cells (5 × 5 m) captured more detailed variability in vulnerability. Among seven evaluated calculation methods, the second root of the self-weighted arithmetic mean (M3) proved the most effective, emphasising high-risk regions by prioritising critical physical variables. The results show that the western Istrian coast is more vulnerable due to its morphological properties, with nearly 50% of highly vulnerable coastlines. This paper emphasises the importance of using high-resolution grids to avoid oversimplification of vulnerability assessment and recommends using PCVI as a basis for further socio-economic assessments. The proposed PCVI methodology offers a framework that can be adapted to assess the physical vulnerability of the eastern Adriatic coast and other similar coastal regions, particularly in the Mediterranean, enhancing its relevance for integrated coastal zone management and global climate change mitigation strategies. Full article

Aerosol vertical stratification significantly influences the Earth’s radiative balance and particulate-matter-related air quality. Continuous vertically resolved observations remain scarce compared to surface-level and column-integrated measurements. This work presents and makes available a novel, long-term (2016–2022) aerosol dataset derived from continuous (24/7) vertical profile observations from three selected stations (Aosta, Rome, Messina) of the Italian Automated Lidar-Ceilometer (ALC) Network (ALICENET). Using original retrieval methodologies, we derive over 600,000 quality-assured profiles of aerosol properties at the 15 min temporal and 15 metre vertical resolutions. These properties include the particulate matter mass concentration (PM), aerosol extinction and optical depth (AOD), i.e., air quality legislated quantities or essential climate variables. Through original ALICENET algorithms, we also derive long-term aerosol vertical layering data, including the mixed aerosol layer (MAL) and elevated aerosol layers (EALs) heights. Based on this new dataset, we obtain an unprecedented, fine spatiotemporal characterisation of the aerosol vertical distributions in Italy across different geographical settings (Alpine, urban, and coastal) and temporal scales (from sub-hourly to seasonal). Our analysis reveals distinct aerosol daily and annual cycles within the mixed layer and above, reflecting the interplay between site-specific environmental conditions and atmospheric circulations in the Mediterranean region. In the lower troposphere, mixing processes efficiently dilute particles in the major urban area of Rome, while mesoscale circulations act either as removal mechanisms (reducing the PM by up to 35% in Rome) or transport pathways (increasing the loads by up to 50% in Aosta). The MAL exhibits pronounced diurnal variability, reaching maximum (summer) heights of >2 km in Rome, while remaining below 1.4 km and 1 km in the Alpine and coastal sites, respectively. The vertical build-up of the AOD shows marked latitudinal and seasonal variability, with 80% (30%) of the total AOD residing in the first 500 m in Aosta-winter (Messina-summer). The seasonal frequency of the EALs reached 40% of the time (Messina-summer), mainly in the 1.5–4.0 km altitude range. An average (wet) PM > 40 μg m⁻³ is associated with the EALs over Rome and Messina. Notably, 10–40% of the EAL-affected days were also associated with increased PM within the MAL, suggesting the entrainment of the EALs in the mixing layer and thus their impact on the surface air quality. We also integrated ALC observations with relevant, state-of-the-art model reanalysis datasets (ERA5 and CAMS) to support our understanding of the aerosol patterns, related sources, and transport dynamics. This further allowed measurement vs. model intercomparisons and relevant examination of discrepancies. A good agreement (within 10–35%) was found between the ALICENET MAL and the ERA5 boundary layer height. The CAMS PM₁₀ values at the surface level well matched relevant in situ observations, while a statistically significant negative bias of 5–15 μg m⁻³ in the first 2–3 km altitude was found with respect to the ALC PM profiles across all the sites and seasons. Full article

The increase in tourism economic benefits is the most common purpose along the Mediterranean coastal regions but, very often, conflicts of interest arise between short-term benefits and long-term conservation goals. This is particularly the case of Albania, a very popular emerging “Sun, Sea and Sand” (3S) destination characterized by massive fluxes of national/international visitors during the summer period. Among beach users’ preferences, global studies show that five parameters of greater importance stand out from the rest, i.e., safety, facilities, water quality, no litter, and scenery, and the latter is the main concern of this study. Albania is well known for its outstanding natural coastal beauty which was assessed at 40 sites by using the Coastal Scenic Evaluation System (CSES) method. Based on the evaluation of 26 physical/human parameters and using weighting matrix parameters and fuzzy logic mathematics, the technique enables one to obtain an Evaluation Index (D) that allows one to classify each investigated site into five scenic classes, from Class I (extremely attractive natural sites; D ≥ 0.85) to Class V (very unattractive developed urban/industrial sites; D < 0.00). Pragmatically, the higher the “D” value is, the better the site scenery is. After a long process of field testing along the whole Albanian coastline (ca. 523 km in length), selected sites were chosen in rural/remote environments (22), villages (6), and urban (4) and resort areas (8) to reflect the Albanian coastal typicity and characterize the scenic impact of human activities. Most sites belonged to Class III (14), Class IV (13), Class II (8), and Class I (1). Several sites could be upgraded to Class I or Class II with slight management efforts, e.g., by carrying out cleaning operations or by reducing intrusive beach facilities. Full article

Social-Ecological Systems (SESs) are systems with close linkage between nature and societies. Coastal lagoons are SESs crucial for the ecosystem services (ESs) provided, especially in the Mediterranean Basin, facing threats from anthropogenic activities and climate change. Management strategies focusing solely on ecological elements’ improvement have not yielded the desired outcomes, as they often neglect the needs and perspectives of stakeholders. Participatory approaches promote engagement and awareness to develop sustainable and effective management strategies. Aiming to contribute to the preservation and sustainable management of the Nestos Delta coastal lagoons, a Natura 2000 site in Greece, this study explores the application of intuitionistic fuzzy sets (IFS) to capture the inherent uncertainty in stakeholder opinions against complex environmental challenges. Through this participatory approach, stakeholder perspectives were assessed and quantified to rank management alternatives. Ecological health and economic values were prioritized, endorsing the adoption of natural and soft interventions; conflicts and a knowledge gap regarding non-provisioning ESs were revealed, highlighting the necessity of inclusive consultation processes. This approach offers the potential to facilitate consensus-building and enhance the legitimacy of coastal lagoon management decisions. Full article

Plastics are a major environmental concern, not only because of their uncontrolled dispersion in the environment, but also because of their release of chemical additives, such as phthalates (PAEs), particularly in water bodies. Key land–water interfaces, such as coastal zones, has always represented a complex and dynamic nexus for plastic pollution, as they are sites often densely populated, with major pollution sources. The Mediterranean basin, for example, is known to be a global hotspot of plastic waste, with a microplastic concentration approximately four times greater than the North Pacific Ocean. However, differently from the overviewed issue of plastic litter and microplastics, the occurrence, distribution, and impact of PAEs on the abiotic and biotic compartment of marine ecosystems of the Mediterranean area have still not been reviewed. Hence, this review provides an introductory section on the plastic pollution issue and its close relationship, not only with microplastics, but also with the leaching of toxic PAEs. To follow, the most relevant analytical approaches for reliably assessing PAEs in abiotic and biotic marine matrices are discussed. The analysis of the main anthropogenic sources of PAEs, their occurrence and spatiotemporal trends in the Mediterranean Sea is conducted. Finally, the potential correlation between PAE pollution and the abundance of microplastics are critically examined to evaluate their effectiveness as tracers of microplastic pollution. Full article

Understanding the origins of invasive species is necessary to manage them and predict their potential for spreading. The mussel genus Mytilus forms an important component of coastal ecosystems in the northern and southern hemispheres. M. galloprovincialis is an important invasive species globally, first appearing on the South African coast in the 1970s. Studies using nuclear and mitochondrial DNA indicated that the invasion probably originated from the north-east Atlantic. We used fifty-five polymorphic SNPs to genotype mussels from sites across the coast of South Africa with reference samples from the Mediterranean, the Atlantic, and New Zealand to test for possible introgression of the northern and southern taxa. Low levels of genetic differentiation were confirmed, and all samples grouped with reference samples of the Atlantic form of M. galloprovincialis, supporting previous studies. The SNP genotyping, however, allowed the detection of some individuals with genotypes typical of the Mediterranean, indicating that introduced populations in South Africa do not have a uniform origin. The initial population introduced to South Africa may have been genetically heterogenous from the start, coming from a region influenced by both the Atlantic and Mediterranean. Alternatively, multiple introductions may have taken place, originating from different regions, specifically North Africa, southern Europe, and the Mediterranean, building up the final heterogeneity. Full article