Patella ferruginea is an endemic limpet of the Western Mediterranean Sea, presently considered the most threatened marine macroinvertebrate in the region and included in several international conservation directives. Its populations were widespread throughout the Western Mediterranean in the late Pleistocene (Tyrrhenian period), still largely distributed until the 19th century and presently confined into small populations in few restricted areas due to human harvesting for food and baits, construction of coastal infrastructures and the effects of seawater pollution. In particular, the species was reported as presently missing in the whole of the Italian continental coasts and measures are in progress to reintroduce the species through translocation and reproduction in controlled conditions along the Ligurian coasts (North-western Mediterranean).Recent surveys along the Ligurian coasts, performed to assess the most suitable sites for reintroduction, allowed the discovery of 32 specimens of this endemic limpet, considered disappeared in the area. These findings shed new light on the ability of natural dispersion of the species, the relevance of the measures set in place to restore the presently rarefied populations and provide hints for the selection and management of sites within the Natura 2000 Ecological network.
ProblemThe Water Framework Directive (WFD) 2000 ⁄ 60 ⁄ EC was adopted by the European Community in 2000, with the goal of maintaining and improving aquatic environments. The approach is innovative and for the first time the assessment of water quality is based on Ecological Status (ES), calculated for several key biological elements (macrophytes, phytoplankton, benthic invertebrates, fish). The WFD requires that member states achieve and maintain a good ES in all coastal, transitional, inland surface and ground waters by 2015.In marine coastal waters, the key biological elements are phytoplankton, benthic invertebrates, seagrasses and AbstractThe Water Framework Directive (WFD) 2000 ⁄ 60 ⁄ EC, adopted by the European Community in 2000 with the goal of maintaining and improving the aquatic environments, requires that member states achieve and maintain a good ecological status of all water bodies by 2015. In the marine context, the ecological status has to be quantified applying indexes based on appropriate key biological elements, which allow the categorization of water bodies into five Ecological Status (ES) classes. The CARLIT index is a cartographic monitoring tool enabling the Ecological Quality Ratio (EQR) to be calculated using macroalgae in coastal hard bottoms as a key biological element; at present it is being applied in Spain, France and Italy. To detect actual changes of water quality and, consequently, rely on the application of indexes for the assessment of the ecological status in the marine environment, it is necessary to evaluate their sensitivity to natural variability at different temporal and spatial scales. In this study we present a first quantification of natural (spatial and temporal) variability of EQR-CARLIT quality assessment in 2006 and 2007 along the Ligurian coast (North-Western Mediterranean, Italy). The EQR-CARLIT values recorded along the Ligurian coastline show that natural variability of EQR-CARLIT is low and that it does not affect the attribution of a given stretch of coast to a particular ES class, in agreement with the major human pressures acting in the area (urbanization, river load, sea-farming). A small-scale variability was detected, strengthening the use of cartography of the whole rocky shore, whenever possible, or, alternatively, the assessment of the ecological status for long stretches of coast, to encompass the small-scale variability due to local factors. Marine Ecology. ISSN 0173-9565 Marine Ecology 30 (2009) 505-513 ª
According to the Water Framework Directive, within 2015 European Union countries must reach and maintain the “good” Ecological Status (ES), quantified through indices based on key biological elements as indicators. Along the Ligurian shallow rocky coasts (NW Italy), a macroalgae based index (CARtography of LITtoral and upper-sublittoral benthic communities, CARLIT), calibrated according to national characteristics and management needs, has been applied by the Regional Environmental Agency over the last ten years. In 2015, at least a “good” ES was achieved in all Ligurian water bodies except one, located in the Eastern Ligurian coastline, characterized by the lack of the most sensitive species, Cystoseira amentacea var. stricta. A general ES improvement has been observed along the Ligurian coastline, also in comparison with other quality indices (macroinvertebrates and fecal bacteria), and in particular in the Genoa water body, as proved by a relevant increase of C. amentacea abundance, probably as a consequence of enhancement in wastewater treatments. In the present study, the reliability of the observed improvement of the ES over a decade has been assessed, teasing apart intra-seasonal and operator-related variability. These results support the reliability of monitoring procedures carried out though the CARLIT Index and highlight the need and the effectiveness of reduction measures for anthropogenic impacts in order to achieve the ES required by European directives.
Due to its remarkable sediment pollution caused by past industrial activities, the Mediterranean coastal area facing the town of Cogoleto (near Genoa) has been declared of "national interest". Seven sediment cores were analysed to provide information on history and trend of heavy metal inputs, with a particular focus on Cr. Grain-size compositions and 210 Pb chronologies account for a strong influence of terrigenous inputs near the coast and the mouth of the Lerone Creek (draining the industrial settlement), with sand contents and accumulation rates varying from 40.3% and 0.7 cm year −1 near shore to 2.5% and 0.1 cm year −1 offshore. Heavy metal concentrations are high, notably Cr and Ni, and to a lesser extent, Ag, Hg, Pb, Cu and Zn. Cr, that shows past values up to 3,642 µg g −1 , presents only minor recent decreases. In the area, it has both natural and anthropogenic sources and their relative contributions were distinguished on the basis of Cr/Ni ratios. These are 1-1.5 in soils and rocks of the Lerone Creek catchment area but reach very high values (up to 10) in marine sediments due to the anthropogenic contribution. The anthropogenic influence is higher near the creek mouth, gradually decreases offshore and is negligible at the most distal site (ca. 2.9 km from the coast).
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