Diana Barra | Università degli Studi di Napoli "Federico II" (original) (raw)

Papers by Diana Barra

Marine Pollution Bulletin, 2016

The environmental status of the Falerno-Domitio littoral, a sector of the Italian south coast (Ca... more The environmental status of the Falerno-Domitio littoral, a sector of the Italian south coast (Campania region) locally affected by an extensive anthropic pressure and pollution, was assessed by a multi-disciplinary approach, consisting of geological vs. biological studies. Geochemical abundance of potentially hazardous trace metals in beach sands is mainly constrained by the nature of the source rocks. Geochemical data of marine sediment quality with regards to possible heavy metal pollution and the enrichment factors of selected potentially toxic metals show that Cr and V values are higher in marine samples than in natural sources, suggesting that they are, at least in part, of anthropic derivation. A relationship between meiobenthos and heavy metals (Cr, Co, and V) has been also observed, providing a valuable biological marker to human-deriving chemical pollution. Ecotoxicological analyses confirm a relationship between enrichment in selected metals and moderate toxicity of some sea-bottom sediments closer to the coastline.

The environmental status of the Falerno-Domitio littoral, a sector of the Italian south coast (Ca... more The environmental status of the Falerno-Domitio littoral, a sector of the Italian south coast (Campania region) locally affected by an extensive anthropic pressure and pollution, was assessed by a multi-disciplinary approach, consisting of geological vs. biological studies. Geochemical abundance of potentially hazardous trace metals in beach sands is mainly constrained by the nature of the source rocks. Geochemical data of marine sediment quality with regards to possible heavy metal pollution and the enrichment factors of selected potentially toxic metals show that Cr and V values are higher in marine samples than in natural sources, suggesting that they are, at least in part, of anthropic derivation. A relationship between meiobenthos and heavy metals (Cr, Co, and V) has been also observed, providing a valuable biological marker to human-deriving chemical pollution. Ecotoxicological analyses confirm a relationship between enrichment in selected metals and moderate toxicity of some sea-bottom sediments closer to the coastline.

Quaternary International, 2014

European Journal of Taxonomy, 2016

Marine Pollution Bulletin, 2016

A multidisciplinary survey was carried out on the quality of water and sediments of a coastal pro... more A multidisciplinary survey was carried out on the quality of water and sediments of a coastal protected marine area, embedded between the inputs from Bagnoli steel plant to the south and a sewage plant, Volturno River and Regi Lagni channel to the north. The study integrated chemical-sedimentological data with biological and ecotoxicological analyses to assess anthropogenic pressures and natural variability. Data reveal marked differences in anthropogenic pollution between southeastern and northwestern zone, with the north affected by both inorganic and organic flows and the south influenced by levels of As, Pb and Zn in the sediments above law limits, deriving from inputs of the Bagnoli brownfield site. Meiobenthic data revealed at south higher relative abundance of sensitive species to pollution and environmental stress to the south, i.e. Lobatula lobatula and Rosalina bradyi, whereas to the north relative abundance of stress tolerant Quinqueloculina lata, Quinqueloculina pygmaea and Cribroelphidium cuvilleri were determined.

Fuel and Energy Abstracts, 2000

Detailed micropalaeontological and petrochemical analyses of rock samples from two boreholes dril... more Detailed micropalaeontological and petrochemical analyses of rock samples from two boreholes drilled at the archaeological excavations of Herculaneum, ~7km west of the Somma–Vesuvius crater, allowed reconstruction of the Late Quaternary palaeoenvironmental evolution of the site. The data provide clear evidence for ground uplift movements involving the studied area. The Holocenic sedimentary sequence on which the archaeological remains of Herculaneum rest

Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research, 2009

Detailed stratigraphical, archaeological, micropalaeontological, archaeometrical and petrochemica... more Detailed stratigraphical, archaeological, micropalaeontological, archaeometrical and petrochemical analyses of samples from trenches and boreholes at insula of Casti Amanti, in Pompeii, allowed a faithful reconstruction of the recent environmental evolution of the site. The present data clearly indicate the alternation of both subaerial and shallow marine conditions during Holocene times. Taking into account the relative local sea level variations, a~30 m ground uplift event in the last 6 kyr (with an average vertical uplift rate of~5 mm/yr) was inferred for the first time.

The systematics, the ecology and the paleoecology of the plicete forms of the genus Henryhowella ... more The systematics, the ecology and the paleoecology of the plicete forms of the genus Henryhowella Puri 1957 from the Miocene to Recent of the Mediterranean basin and Atlantic are investigated.

List and distribution of Italian ostracod species

The shallow marine new genus Gerdella (type species Elofsonella perpignanensis Carbonnel 1982) pe... more The shallow marine new genus Gerdella (type species Elofsonella perpignanensis Carbonnel 1982) pertaining to the family Hemicytheridae, subfamily Hemicytherinae, is described and illustrated from Recent sediments of Gabés (Tunisia). Two other species pertain to the proposed new genus: G. perfecta (Maybury & Whatley, 1986) fron the same sample and ?Mutilus sp. 1 Nascimento, 1988 from the Serravallian of Portugal.

The occurrence of the genus Tanzanicythere Ahmad, 1977, represented by T. levantina n. sp. here d... more The occurrence of the genus Tanzanicythere Ahmad, 1977, represented by T. levantina n. sp. here described and illustrated, is cited for the first time from the Mediterranean basin. The new species has been found in the Upper Tortonian sediments of Greece, from a shallow marine environments, not deeper than 30-40 m.

La classe Ostracoda comprende crostacei di piccole dimensioni, prevalentemente comprese tra 0.2 e... more La classe Ostracoda comprende crostacei di piccole dimensioni, prevalentemente comprese tra 0.2 e 30 mm di lunghezza, capaci di vivere in qualsiasi ambiente acquatico, dalle profondità oceaniche alle sorgenti idrotermali, ed eccezionalmente in ambienti continentali molto umidi. La maggior parte degli ostracodi sono bentonici ma un certo numero di specie trascorre nella colonna d'acqua l'intero ciclo vitale o soltanto una sua parte.

Bollettino della Societa Paleontologica Italiana

Upper Pleistocene fossiliferous sands located in the north-western area of the Island of Procida ... more Upper Pleistocene fossiliferous sands located in the north-western area of the Island of Procida at 2.5 m above sea level yield assemblages of benthic foraminifers and ostracods. The deposit occurs between the trachytic lava breccias of the Breccia Museo Formation, as a member of the Campanian Ignimbrite (~39.000 ka b.p.), and the pyroclastic deposits of Solchiaro (~ 22.000 ka b.p.). Detailed study of the assemblages has contributed in the reconstruction of the main morpho-evolutionary and palaeoenvironmental phases of this area in the Late Quaternary. The most abundant taxa are the foraminifers Ammonia beccarii and Elphidium crispum, and the ostracods Pontocythere turbida, Cytheridea neapolitana and Semicytherura incongruens. In spite of the ecological preferences of these species, commonly recorded in infralittoral waters, analysis of the entire assemblage indicates an infralittoral/circalittoral palaeoenvironment of 60-30 m below sea level (probably at about 40 m b.s.l.), a silty-sandy substrate and coastal detritic bottom biocoenoses. Preservation of calcareous microfossils is generally poor, probably due to dissolution caused by slightly acidic waters. A low pH palaeoenvironment may also explain the absence of miliolids as well as thin-shelled ostracods. These features are typical of waters affected by volcanic activity, such as carbon dioxide submarine vents. RIASSUNTO -[Foraminiferida e Ostracoda pleistocenici dall'Isola di Procida (Golfo di Napoli, Italia)] -Sul versante costiero nordoccidentale dell'Isola di Procida è presente un livello di sabbie fossilifere compreso tra la Formazione Breccia Museo, membro dell'Ignimbrite Campana (~39.000 ka b.p.) e i depositi piroclastici di Solchiaro (~ 22.000 ka b.

Italian Journal of Geosciences, 2014

Morphological, stratigraphical and paleoecological studies carried out along the Vendicio coastal... more Morphological, stratigraphical and paleoecological studies carried out along the Vendicio coastal plain (southern Latium) allowed us to reconstruct the paleoenvironmental evolution of the plain in relation to Holocene sea-level changes. On the basis of altitude, texture, microfossil and pollen content of sediments recovered in a 20 m borehole carried out on the backshore, three main transitional palaeoenvironments were recognised. Particularly, the 14 C dating of a peat layer at the boring base (-16 m a.s.l.), interbedded between sandy silt with organic matter and silty peat levels, gives an age of 7620 ±100 yr BP, equivalent to 8354-8524 cal yr BP. Over these deposits, sands with pebbles, sometimes alternated with silt and sandy silt levels, lay. Microfossil content, together with sediment features, confirms a transitional sequence from marsh (oligohaline) to lagoon (mesohaline-polyhaline), and finally to marine (littoral) environment, probably due to the last sea ingression related to the mid-Holocene Climatic Optimum peak (~6000 years BP). Pollen analysis reveals the existence of a deciduous forest association, rich in high-humidity demanding elements, by now not represented by a regional modern analogue. The present altitude of the dated peat level, correlated with the available eustatic curves, suggests that the Vendicio sedimentary succession probably has been affected by a slight subsidence phase during MIS 1. The occurrence of a slight subsidence may be also related to late Quaternary vertical displacement of adjacent coastal sectors, and fits in with recent morphological evolutionary models of other minor coastal plains of Latium.

The systematics and distribution of the genus Argilloecia Sars, 1866 has been studied in the Plio... more The systematics and distribution of the genus Argilloecia Sars, 1866 has been studied in the Pliocene - Early Pleistocene Section of M. San Nicola (Gela, Sicily). The genus is represented by 10 species, 7 of which are proposed as new, that is Argilloecia bensoni sp. nov., A. fatua sp. nov., A. gonzalezi sp. nov., A. pseudoreticulata sp. nov., A. spissa sp. nov., A. subtilis sp. nov., and A. trapezium sp. nov.

Anchistrocheles interrupta n. sp. is described and illustrated. The generic attribution is discus... more Anchistrocheles interrupta n. sp. is described and illustrated. The generic attribution is discussed with the comparison of the characters of the carapace with those of the closely related genera Bythocypris Brady, 1880, Zabythocypris Maddocks, 1969 and Pussella Danielopol, 1973. The new species shows a stratigraphic distribution restricted to the Plio-Pleistocene of the Mediterranean. In Atlantic its first occurrence is recorded in the Late Tortonian.

Marine Pollution Bulletin, 2016

The environmental status of the Falerno-Domitio littoral, a sector of the Italian south coast (Ca... more The environmental status of the Falerno-Domitio littoral, a sector of the Italian south coast (Campania region) locally affected by an extensive anthropic pressure and pollution, was assessed by a multi-disciplinary approach, consisting of geological vs. biological studies. Geochemical abundance of potentially hazardous trace metals in beach sands is mainly constrained by the nature of the source rocks. Geochemical data of marine sediment quality with regards to possible heavy metal pollution and the enrichment factors of selected potentially toxic metals show that Cr and V values are higher in marine samples than in natural sources, suggesting that they are, at least in part, of anthropic derivation. A relationship between meiobenthos and heavy metals (Cr, Co, and V) has been also observed, providing a valuable biological marker to human-deriving chemical pollution. Ecotoxicological analyses confirm a relationship between enrichment in selected metals and moderate toxicity of some sea-bottom sediments closer to the coastline.

The environmental status of the Falerno-Domitio littoral, a sector of the Italian south coast (Ca... more The environmental status of the Falerno-Domitio littoral, a sector of the Italian south coast (Campania region) locally affected by an extensive anthropic pressure and pollution, was assessed by a multi-disciplinary approach, consisting of geological vs. biological studies. Geochemical abundance of potentially hazardous trace metals in beach sands is mainly constrained by the nature of the source rocks. Geochemical data of marine sediment quality with regards to possible heavy metal pollution and the enrichment factors of selected potentially toxic metals show that Cr and V values are higher in marine samples than in natural sources, suggesting that they are, at least in part, of anthropic derivation. A relationship between meiobenthos and heavy metals (Cr, Co, and V) has been also observed, providing a valuable biological marker to human-deriving chemical pollution. Ecotoxicological analyses confirm a relationship between enrichment in selected metals and moderate toxicity of some sea-bottom sediments closer to the coastline.

Quaternary International, 2014

European Journal of Taxonomy, 2016

Marine Pollution Bulletin, 2016

A multidisciplinary survey was carried out on the quality of water and sediments of a coastal pro... more A multidisciplinary survey was carried out on the quality of water and sediments of a coastal protected marine area, embedded between the inputs from Bagnoli steel plant to the south and a sewage plant, Volturno River and Regi Lagni channel to the north. The study integrated chemical-sedimentological data with biological and ecotoxicological analyses to assess anthropogenic pressures and natural variability. Data reveal marked differences in anthropogenic pollution between southeastern and northwestern zone, with the north affected by both inorganic and organic flows and the south influenced by levels of As, Pb and Zn in the sediments above law limits, deriving from inputs of the Bagnoli brownfield site. Meiobenthic data revealed at south higher relative abundance of sensitive species to pollution and environmental stress to the south, i.e. Lobatula lobatula and Rosalina bradyi, whereas to the north relative abundance of stress tolerant Quinqueloculina lata, Quinqueloculina pygmaea and Cribroelphidium cuvilleri were determined.

Fuel and Energy Abstracts, 2000

Detailed micropalaeontological and petrochemical analyses of rock samples from two boreholes dril... more Detailed micropalaeontological and petrochemical analyses of rock samples from two boreholes drilled at the archaeological excavations of Herculaneum, ~7km west of the Somma–Vesuvius crater, allowed reconstruction of the Late Quaternary palaeoenvironmental evolution of the site. The data provide clear evidence for ground uplift movements involving the studied area. The Holocenic sedimentary sequence on which the archaeological remains of Herculaneum rest

Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research, 2009

Detailed stratigraphical, archaeological, micropalaeontological, archaeometrical and petrochemica... more Detailed stratigraphical, archaeological, micropalaeontological, archaeometrical and petrochemical analyses of samples from trenches and boreholes at insula of Casti Amanti, in Pompeii, allowed a faithful reconstruction of the recent environmental evolution of the site. The present data clearly indicate the alternation of both subaerial and shallow marine conditions during Holocene times. Taking into account the relative local sea level variations, a~30 m ground uplift event in the last 6 kyr (with an average vertical uplift rate of~5 mm/yr) was inferred for the first time.

The systematics, the ecology and the paleoecology of the plicete forms of the genus Henryhowella ... more The systematics, the ecology and the paleoecology of the plicete forms of the genus Henryhowella Puri 1957 from the Miocene to Recent of the Mediterranean basin and Atlantic are investigated.

List and distribution of Italian ostracod species

The shallow marine new genus Gerdella (type species Elofsonella perpignanensis Carbonnel 1982) pe... more The shallow marine new genus Gerdella (type species Elofsonella perpignanensis Carbonnel 1982) pertaining to the family Hemicytheridae, subfamily Hemicytherinae, is described and illustrated from Recent sediments of Gabés (Tunisia). Two other species pertain to the proposed new genus: G. perfecta (Maybury & Whatley, 1986) fron the same sample and ?Mutilus sp. 1 Nascimento, 1988 from the Serravallian of Portugal.

The occurrence of the genus Tanzanicythere Ahmad, 1977, represented by T. levantina n. sp. here d... more The occurrence of the genus Tanzanicythere Ahmad, 1977, represented by T. levantina n. sp. here described and illustrated, is cited for the first time from the Mediterranean basin. The new species has been found in the Upper Tortonian sediments of Greece, from a shallow marine environments, not deeper than 30-40 m.

La classe Ostracoda comprende crostacei di piccole dimensioni, prevalentemente comprese tra 0.2 e... more La classe Ostracoda comprende crostacei di piccole dimensioni, prevalentemente comprese tra 0.2 e 30 mm di lunghezza, capaci di vivere in qualsiasi ambiente acquatico, dalle profondità oceaniche alle sorgenti idrotermali, ed eccezionalmente in ambienti continentali molto umidi. La maggior parte degli ostracodi sono bentonici ma un certo numero di specie trascorre nella colonna d'acqua l'intero ciclo vitale o soltanto una sua parte.

Bollettino della Societa Paleontologica Italiana

Upper Pleistocene fossiliferous sands located in the north-western area of the Island of Procida ... more Upper Pleistocene fossiliferous sands located in the north-western area of the Island of Procida at 2.5 m above sea level yield assemblages of benthic foraminifers and ostracods. The deposit occurs between the trachytic lava breccias of the Breccia Museo Formation, as a member of the Campanian Ignimbrite (~39.000 ka b.p.), and the pyroclastic deposits of Solchiaro (~ 22.000 ka b.p.). Detailed study of the assemblages has contributed in the reconstruction of the main morpho-evolutionary and palaeoenvironmental phases of this area in the Late Quaternary. The most abundant taxa are the foraminifers Ammonia beccarii and Elphidium crispum, and the ostracods Pontocythere turbida, Cytheridea neapolitana and Semicytherura incongruens. In spite of the ecological preferences of these species, commonly recorded in infralittoral waters, analysis of the entire assemblage indicates an infralittoral/circalittoral palaeoenvironment of 60-30 m below sea level (probably at about 40 m b.s.l.), a silty-sandy substrate and coastal detritic bottom biocoenoses. Preservation of calcareous microfossils is generally poor, probably due to dissolution caused by slightly acidic waters. A low pH palaeoenvironment may also explain the absence of miliolids as well as thin-shelled ostracods. These features are typical of waters affected by volcanic activity, such as carbon dioxide submarine vents. RIASSUNTO -[Foraminiferida e Ostracoda pleistocenici dall'Isola di Procida (Golfo di Napoli, Italia)] -Sul versante costiero nordoccidentale dell'Isola di Procida è presente un livello di sabbie fossilifere compreso tra la Formazione Breccia Museo, membro dell'Ignimbrite Campana (~39.000 ka b.p.) e i depositi piroclastici di Solchiaro (~ 22.000 ka b.

Italian Journal of Geosciences, 2014

Morphological, stratigraphical and paleoecological studies carried out along the Vendicio coastal... more Morphological, stratigraphical and paleoecological studies carried out along the Vendicio coastal plain (southern Latium) allowed us to reconstruct the paleoenvironmental evolution of the plain in relation to Holocene sea-level changes. On the basis of altitude, texture, microfossil and pollen content of sediments recovered in a 20 m borehole carried out on the backshore, three main transitional palaeoenvironments were recognised. Particularly, the 14 C dating of a peat layer at the boring base (-16 m a.s.l.), interbedded between sandy silt with organic matter and silty peat levels, gives an age of 7620 ±100 yr BP, equivalent to 8354-8524 cal yr BP. Over these deposits, sands with pebbles, sometimes alternated with silt and sandy silt levels, lay. Microfossil content, together with sediment features, confirms a transitional sequence from marsh (oligohaline) to lagoon (mesohaline-polyhaline), and finally to marine (littoral) environment, probably due to the last sea ingression related to the mid-Holocene Climatic Optimum peak (~6000 years BP). Pollen analysis reveals the existence of a deciduous forest association, rich in high-humidity demanding elements, by now not represented by a regional modern analogue. The present altitude of the dated peat level, correlated with the available eustatic curves, suggests that the Vendicio sedimentary succession probably has been affected by a slight subsidence phase during MIS 1. The occurrence of a slight subsidence may be also related to late Quaternary vertical displacement of adjacent coastal sectors, and fits in with recent morphological evolutionary models of other minor coastal plains of Latium.

The systematics and distribution of the genus Argilloecia Sars, 1866 has been studied in the Plio... more The systematics and distribution of the genus Argilloecia Sars, 1866 has been studied in the Pliocene - Early Pleistocene Section of M. San Nicola (Gela, Sicily). The genus is represented by 10 species, 7 of which are proposed as new, that is Argilloecia bensoni sp. nov., A. fatua sp. nov., A. gonzalezi sp. nov., A. pseudoreticulata sp. nov., A. spissa sp. nov., A. subtilis sp. nov., and A. trapezium sp. nov.

Anchistrocheles interrupta n. sp. is described and illustrated. The generic attribution is discus... more Anchistrocheles interrupta n. sp. is described and illustrated. The generic attribution is discussed with the comparison of the characters of the carapace with those of the closely related genera Bythocypris Brady, 1880, Zabythocypris Maddocks, 1969 and Pussella Danielopol, 1973. The new species shows a stratigraphic distribution restricted to the Plio-Pleistocene of the Mediterranean. In Atlantic its first occurrence is recorded in the Late Tortonian.