Morphological and genetic investigations have led to the identification of Spiophanes adriaticus sp. nov. (Polychaeta: Spionidae) from the North Adriatic Sea (Central Mediterranean). A total of 81 specimens were recorded along the sublittoral zone between 8 and 27.5 m of depth. This species differs from other congeners by having: two pairs of black eyes, a cirriform occipital antenna, dorsal ciliated organs as thin bands usually extending to chaetigers 11–12, dorsal ciliated crests from chaetiger 14–17, undulate glandular opening on chaetigers 5–7, unhooded hooks from the 15th chaetiger and Y shaped tubes. A detailed description and illustrations are provided for the new species. Through DNA barcoding results and comparison of DNA sequences of the new species with those of other congeners available in the GenBank database, the validity of the new finding was confirmed. Spiophanes adriaticus sp. nov. represents the eighth species of Spiophanes recorded for the Mediterranean Sea. A key for the identification of Mediterranean Spiophanes species is also provided.

The first offshore liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal in Italy and the first gravity based structure (GBS) in the world for unloading, storing and re-gasifying liquefied natural gas, was authorized and realized. The Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA, formerly ICRAM) formulated and implemented a multidisciplinary monitoring plan at verifying possible impacts of the project on marine environment. Data from June 2006 to July 2012 on the soft-bottom macrozoobenthic assemblages around the LNG terminal are presented, with the aim of verifying possible disturbances on these assemblages associated with the LNG terminal, by comparing the structure of the benthic communities before and after installation of the terminal, and during its operation. Well-structured assemblages were observed for the entire period investigated, with all taxa normally represented both quantitatively and qualitatively. A temporary disturbance due to the construction of the LNG terminal was detected in the surrounding sediments, while the presence of the concrete structure did not show significant effects at the investigated distances.

The occurrence of the lumbrinerid polychaete Gallardoneris iberica along the North Adriatic coast is here reported for the first time. The specimens of G. iberica have been recently discovered and described from the Portuguese continental shelf. Specimens of G. iberica collected in the Adriatic Sea were compared with paratypes and some relevant morphological characters were revised, illustrated and discussed. The record of G. iberica here reported represents a new addition to the fauna of Italian marine waters extending hence the geographical distribution of the genus Gallardoneris to the Mediterranean Sea.