Davide Carratù

I'm currently working on a project aimed at developing a larval dispersal and connectivity model of Ostrea edulis, for a future restoration of the species in the Adriatic Sea.

The European flat oyster (Ostrea edulis) plays a critical role in maintaining marine ecosystems health, providing essential services such as biodiversity support, water filtration, and shoreline stabilization. Historically abundant in the Adriatic Sea, populations have dramatically declined due to overfishing, habitat loss, and diseases. The restoration of O. edulis populations is a key conservation priority to enhance marine biodiversity and sustain aquaculture industries.

The aim of the project is to provide tools to assess the suitability and potential success of restoration sites, through the development and use of a Lagrangian Particle Tracking Model (LTRANS - Zlev) to simulate O.edulis larval dispersal and connectivity within this semi-enclosed sea, providing essential insights for targeted restoration efforts. The model focuses on seven predefined larval emission sites along the Adriatic coast, considering variables such as water temperature, food availability, current intensity, substrate suitability, and other biological factors influencing larval behavior. Each site includes various intervention units with different substrate types, such as limestone, bioclastic gabions, and others, to optimize settlement success of adult individuals. The particle tracking framework integrates key environmental parameters with biological data, such as pelagic larval duration (PLD), vertical migration, and settlement preferences. Temperature gradients and food availability are modeled as the primary driver of vertical movement, with light intensity, and substrate characteristics playing secondary roles. The model simulates the influence of hydrodynamic forces on larval advection and retention, helping to identify potential settlement hotspots and connectivity pathways between oyster beds. By incorporating vertical swimming velocities, thermocline presence, and diel migration patterns, the model will predict larval transport dynamics and survival rates over a 6-30 days pelagic phase.

The simulation outputs will inform the placement of restoration structures and the design of protected areas to enhance natural recruitment and larval connectivity.

This particle tracking model aims to offer a predictive tool for evaluating the effectiveness of oyster restoration strategies in the Adriatic Sea, aiding conservation planning under dynamic oceanographic conditions and climate change scenarios.

Tutor: D. Canu