Sicilian transitional waters: Current status and future development
To appraise the current knowledge of Sicilian transitional waters (TWs), a review was undertaken of the information available on these ecosystems. In detail, a synthesis of the current status is reported, highlighting for each area the ecological features and status, historical data, conservation regime, environmental emergencies and anthropic pressures to which they are subject. The Sicilian TWs reviewed include coastal ponds and lakes, mires and areas with active and nonactive saltworks. Almost all of these ecosystems are affected by several protection regimes because of their high naturalistic value, although current knowledge is limited and fragmented. A few areas have received more att…
Assessment of the ecological status of transitional waters in Sicily (Italy): first characterisation and classification according to a multiparametric approach.
A 1-year cycle of observations was performed in four Sicilian transitional water systems (Oliveri-Tindari, Cape Peloro, Vendicari and Marsala) to characterise their ecological status. A panel of variables among which trophic and microbial (enzyme activities, abundance of hetetrophic bacteria and of bacterial pollution indicators) parameters, were selected. Particulate organic carbon (POC) and nitrogen (PON) and chlorophyll-. a (Chl-. a) contents defined the trophic state, while microbial hydrolysis rates and abundance gave insights on microbial community efficiency in organic matter transformation and on allochthonous inputs. To classify the trophic state of examined waters, the synthetic t…
Composition, distribution, and sources of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in sediments of the gulf of Milazzo (Mediterranean Sea, Italy)
This article describes the characterization of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) in sediments of Milazzo Gulf (Italy) located in front of an oil refinery and a power plant. The investigated area is characterized by urban and industrial activities. The sixteen PAHs identified by the USEPA, as requiring priority monitoring, and other non USEPA listed PAHs, namely perylene and some methyl derivatives, were investigated The total PAHs concentrations, expressed as ∑ 19 PAH ranges from 5.6–7402 μg/Kg d.w., with a mean value of 492 μg/Kg d.w. The concentrations of PAHs found in 64 out of 67 samples were lower than the effect range low (ERL = 2460 μg/Kg) concentration, while the remaining sam…