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Geomorphologic, stratigraphic, faunistic, palynological and 14C analyses were carried out in the area of the mouth of the Garigliano River characterized by two strand plains that are referred to the Eutyrrhenian and the Holocene, rimming two depressed zones separated by the Garigliano River channel.\ud This study depicts the palaeoenvironmental evolution over the last 8200 years and the landscape context at the time of Minturnae Roman colony. Between 8200 and 7500 yr BP, a wet zone occurred in the northern zone, whereas in the southern part, a lagoon developed. During the final transgression stage and the beginning of the sea level still stand (7500–5500 yr BP), a freshwater marsh formed in the northern zone, and the width of the southern lagoon decreased. Between 5500 and 3000 yr BP, the coastal barrier changed into a delta cusp, a freshwater marsh also appeared in the southern part and the river wandered between the twin marshes. Because of local uplift, previously unknown in this area, part of the floor of the southern marsh emerged, and\ud after 4000 yr BP, both marshes became coastal ponds with prevailing clastic sedimentation. A progressive increment in anthropic forcing on the land took place after 3000 yr BP. The Marica sanctuary was built (7th century BC), and the Roman colony of Minturnae was developed beginning the 3rd century BC. The shallow depth of the ponds prevented their use as harbours, and saltwork plants can be ruled out based on the faunal and palynological data. The ongoing infilling of both ponds was never completed, and their reclamation is still in progress

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The 87Sr/86Sr isotope ratio has been widely used as a physical tool to date and correlate carbonate successions due to the long Sr residence time in comparison with the ocean mixing time. If this method works on oceanic successions, marginal basins may show different Sr isotope records in comparison with the coeval ocean one due to sea‐level variations, continental run‐off and restricted water exchanges. In this work, we present the 87Sr/86Sr isotope record of the upper Miocene carbonate ramp of the Lithothamnion Limestone (Majella Mountain, central Apennines), as an example of the onset of restricted water exchanges between a marginal basin and the ocean water masses. The overall latemost Tortonian–early Messinian Sr isotope record of the Lithothamnion Limestone fits below the global reference line. This deviation has been interpreted as due to the strong control that freshwater input and enhanced continental run‐off, linked to the migration of the Apennine accretionary wedge and foredeep system, have had on the central Adriatic water chemistry. These results imply that an accurate oceanographic and geodynamic framework along with diagenetic overprint investigation has to be taken into consideration prior to apply SIS on carbonate successions on marginal basins, even when facies analyses indicate fully marine conditions. This seems to be the case for the upper Miocene Central Mediterranean carbonate successions, but may have more general validity and be extended to other recent or past marginal basins.

The study of Burano paleo-lagoon—Wetland of International Value, has allowed us to better define and extend the reconstruction of the Holocene paleoenvironmental evolution of the paleo-lagoons previously studied, located on the Tyrrhenian coast in central Italy. The investigated area is located in Southern Tuscany near the Burano Lake. The area was investigated by means of field surveys, historical maps, 16 coring, sedimentological, palynological and microfaunal analyses (foraminifera and ostracods), combined with robust geochronological control provided by 52 datings (14C and OSL). The study allowed us to reconstruct the environmental and morphological evolution of the Burano paleo-lagoon during the last 8000 years and to hypothesize a Rise Sea Level (RSL) curve. In this context, 5 main evolutionary phases have been recognized. (1) before 7.5 ka BP in the southern-eastern part, an open lagoon developed; (2) ~6 ka BP a barrier-lagoon system develops throughout the entire area and the lagoon progressively changed from open to closed one; (3) ~5 ka BP the width of the lagoon increases and a lacustrine facies appears along the entire axis of the coastal basin; (4) ~4 ka BP the lacustrine facies shows a discontinuous distribution respect to the previous phase; (5) during the last 4 ka the lacustrine facies disappear and the lagoon turns into a wetland area.

1. As a result of their location at the boundary between marine and continental domains, marine caves are affected by wide spatial and seasonal environmental changes. Only recently have benthic foraminifera been recognized as reliable indicators for the ecological zonation of these environments.2. The present study is focused on two marine caves of the Orosei Gulf, Sardinia, Italy: Bue Marino and Bel Torrente. It investigates the spatial and seasonal variability of benthic foraminiferal assemblages relative to sediment grain size and water parameters (temperature, salinity, pH, and dissolved oxygen) collected during two campaigns in August 2014 and April 2015. The results from 2014 have been partially published.3. Based on a comparison of the results of the two campaigns, the considerable reduction of foraminiferal abundance in Bel Torrente was deduced to occur because of the strong freshwater flows occurring during the rainy season; in Bue Marino, the less severe water flow allowed the identification of both living and dead foraminifera, although strongly reduced in number. These identifications allowed benthic foraminifera to be used to define the ecological zonation. 4. Entrance, confluence, and transitional ecozones were identified in Bue Marino cave on the basis of species abundance. The second ecozone, not recognized in 2014, was correlated with plant debris at the confluence of the two cave branches. The other two ecozones, which are characterized by the faunal shift from hyaline-to agglutinated-prevalent assemblages, were attributed to the gradient of abiotic parameters detected from the outer to the inner portions of the cave. In both campaigns the same ecozones were recognized in terms of species composition, with exceptions being found to different extents as a result of seasonal variability. 5.As the distribution of foraminiferal ecozones is conditioned by a decreasing gradient of marine influence, long-term monitoring may be regarded as a promising tool for future studies on sea-level change. K E Y W O R D SBel Torrente cave, benthic foraminifera, Bue Marino cave, ecological zonation, marine caves,

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