Evaluating the ecological niche of Magallana gigas in the Venice Lagoon: an integrative approach

Coastal lagoons are among the most productive and vulnerable ecosystems on Earth, where human presence has interacted for centuries with unique biodiversity. The Venice Lagoon is one of the most outstanding examples: a dynamic, complex environment, heavily shaped by human activity and struggling with climate change. A fundamental component of this marine ecosystem, but usually underrated, is the benthos community that plays a key role in maintaining ecological functions, through their physiological and metabolic activity. Among them, the Japanese oyster Magallana gigas, introduced for aquaculture purposes, has spread widely throughout urban canals and lagoon natural habitat. Colonization of artificial surfaces, such as bridges and walls, raises important management questions: is it a threat to this coupled human-natural system, or an ecological resource to be protected? Can it be controlled, or even utilized to support new forms of sustainable aquaculture? This thesis aims to build a habitat suitability model for Magallana gigas in the Venice Lagoon, with the objective of better understanding the species’ ecological niche and providing tools for environmental management and the planning of future interventions. An additional objective was to develop a monitoring protocol for the species based on the use of remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) and machine learning techniques.