Search results for "transitional water"
showing 9 items of 9 documents
The fate of organic matter sources in coastal environments: a comparison of three Mediterranean lagoons
2008
Trophic processes in coastal lagoons are strongly influenced by freshwater inputs and water exchanges with the sea. In recent years, stable isotope analysis has become a widespread and reliable method for the examination of trophic structure over time and space, also in complex ecosystems such as coastal lagoons. Stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen were studied in primary producers and consumers to identify organic matter source pools from terrestrial, benthic and pelagic environments and to characterise the trophic structure in three Mediterranean coastal lagoons (Lake Fusaro, the Lake of Sabaudia and Stagnone di Marsala). The results highlighted the negligible importance of terrestrial…
Sediment features, macrozoobenthic assemblages and trophic relationships (δ13C and δ15N analysis) following a dystrophic event with anoxia and sulphi…
2007
Macrozoobenthic assemblages and stable carbon (delta C-13) and nitrogen (delta N-15) isotope values of various primary producers (macroalgae and angiosperms) and consumers (macroinvertebrate filter/suspension feeders, deposit feeders, detritivores/omnivores and carnivores and fishes) were studied in the Santa Giusta lagoon (Sardinia, Italy) before (spring) and after (autumn) a dystrophic event which occurred in the summer of 2004. A few days after the dystrophy, the physico-chemical characteristics of sediments and macrozoobenthic assemblages were also investigated. In the latter occasion, high total organic carbon (3.9%) and organic matter (15.9%) contents of surface sediments went togethe…
Spatial and temporal changes of suspended matter in relation to wind and vegetation cover in a mediterranean shallow coastal environment
1999
Seasonal and spatial changes in seston, (POC), particulate organic carbon, (PON) particulate organic nitrogen and chlorophyll-a concentrations were studied on a monthly basis in a Mediterranean shallow coastal area (Stagnone di Marsala, Western Sicily) in order to gather information on factors controlling particulate organic matter distribution and composition. Seston concentration and composition were connected to the main physicochemical and biological driving factors, such as temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, wind-speed and biomass of submerged vegetation. The Stagnone di Marsala is characterized by high temperatures with strong seasonality (range: 11-28°C), while values ranged fr…
An individual-based dataset of carbon and nitrogen isotopic data of Callinectes sapidus in invaded Mediterranean waters
2022
The characterisation of functional traits of non-indigenous and invasive species is crucial to assess their impact within invaded habitats. Successful biological invasions are often facilitated by the generalist diet of the invaders which can modify their trophic position and adapt to new ecosystems determining changes in their structure and functioning. Invasive crustaceans are an illustrative example of such mechanisms since their trophic habits can determine important ecological impacts on aquatic food webs. The Atlantic blue crab Callinectes sapidus is currently established and considered invasive in the Mediterranean Sea where it has been recorded for the first time between 1947 and 19…
The Stagnone of Marsala lagoon
2009
The Stagnone of Marsala is an oligotrophic lagoon situated on the western coast of Sicily. The area has been under study since the mid-nineteenth century. Research has focused on its physiographic, chemical-physical, biological, ecological features and, particularly, on submerged vegetation. Its main biotic component, a meadow of Posidonia oceanica, is distributed among peculiar reef formations inside and outside the lagoon, which are extremely interesting from an ecological and environmental point of view. The seagrass grows near to its thermal and salinity tolerance level in the inner lagoon, where it is partially replaced by Cymodocea nodosa and Caulerpa prolifera meadows. Algal assembla…
Trace metal contamination in a mediterranean coastal pond (Acquatina, Puglia)
2011
As the interface between land and sea, transitional areas are often negatively impacted by anthropic activities. This impact is the result of many processes, including direct input of pollutants which accumulate in both sediments and aquatic organisms. The aim of this paper is to identify trace metal (As, Cd, total Hg and Pb) contamination in the Acquatina pond (Apulia, Italy), using sediment and fish (A. boyeri, C. labrosus, D. annularis, D. dentex, D. sargus, D. vulgaris, E. encrasicholus, G. paganellus, L. ramada, M. surmuletus, S. salpa, S. solea) as descriptors. Sampling was carried out in three stations (South, Central and North) and four seasons (summer and autumn 2007, winter and sp…
Sicilian transitional waters: Current status and future development
2010
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…
Changes in the benthic algal flora and vegetation of a semi-enclosed Mediterranean coastal lagoon (Stagnone di Marsala, Western Sicily)
2014
È stato condotto uno studio sulla flora e vegetazione macroalgale dello Stagnone di Marsala (Trapani) con l’obiettivo di fornire una revisione dei dati riportati in letteratura ed esaminare i principali cambiamenti che si sono verificati nell’intera area negli ultimi tre decenni. La flora algale è risultata più povera rispetto al passato (94 taxa contro 108), mostrando un incremento delle Cloroficee e una riduzione delle Rodoficee e delle Feoficee. Solo 48 taxa sono stati riportati precedentemente, mentre 46 sono nuovi per lo Stagnone. Tra questi, è interessante sottolineare sia da un punto di vista floristico che ecologico, il ritrovamento per la prima volta dell’alga bruna Cystoseira comp…
Study of the Stability of Citrate Capped AgNPs in Several Environmental Water Matrices by Asymmetrical Flow Field Flow Fractionation
2021
Asymmetrical flow field-flow fractionation (AF4) coupled to UV-Vis and dynamic light scattering (DLS) detectors in series, was tested for stability studies of dispersions of citrate-capped silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) in several water matrices. The main goal is to provide knowledge to understand their possible behavior in the environment for short times since mixturing (up to 180 min). Ultrapure (UPW), bottled (BW1, BW2), tap (TW), transitional (TrW) and sea water (SW) matrices were assayed. Observations were compatible with the aggregation of AgNPs, a change in the plasmon band and a size growth with time were done. Fractograms showed different evolution fingerprints in the function of the…