Search

An inventory of phytoplankton diversity in 12 Adriatic ports was performed with the port baseline survey. Particular emphasis was put on the detection of harmful aquatic organisms and pathogens (HAOP) because of their negative impact on ecosystem, human health, and the economy. Phytoplanktonic HAOP are identified as species, either native or non-indigenous (NIS), which can trigger harmful algal blooms (HAB). A list of 691 taxa was prepared, and among them 52 were classified as HAB and five as NIS. Records of toxigenic NIS (Pseudo-nitzschia multistriata, Ostreopsis species including O. cf. ovata) indicate that the intrusion of non-native invasive phytoplankton species has already occurred in some Adriatic ports. The seasonal occurrence and abundance of HAOP offers a solid baseline for a monitoring design in ports in order to prevent ballast water uptake and possible expansion of HAOP outside their native region.

The Italian Tsunami Alert Center based at the Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (CAT-INGV) has been monitoring the Mediterranean seismicity in the past 8 yr to get fast and reliable information for seismically induced tsunami warnings. CAT-INGV is a tsunami service provider in charge of monitoring the seismicity of the Mediterranean Sea and of alerting Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC)/UNESCO subscriber Member States and the Italian Department of Civil Protection of a potentially impending tsunami, in the framework of the Tsunami Warning and Mitigation System in the North-eastern Atlantic, the Mediterranean and connected seas (NEAMTWS). CAT-INGV started operating in 2013 and became operational in October 2016. Here, after describing the NEAMTWS in the framework of the global effort coordinated by IOC/UNESCO, we focus on the tsunami hazard in the Mediterranean Sea. We then describe CAT-INGV mandate, functioning, and operational procedures. Furthermore, the article discusses the lessons learned from past events occurring in the Mediterranean Sea, such as the Kos-Bodrum in 2017 (Mw 6.6) and the Samos-Izmir in 2020 (Mw 7.0) earthquakes, which generated moderately damaging tsunamis. Based on these lessons, we discuss some potential improvements for the CAT-INGV and the NEAMTWS, including better seismic and sea level instrumental coverage. We emphasize the need for tsunami risk awareness raising, better preparation, and full implementation of the tsunami warning “last-mile” to foster the creation of a more integrated, interoperable, and sustainable risk reduction framework. If we aim to be better prepared for the next tsunami, these important challenges should be prioritized in the agenda of the IOC/UNESCO Member States and the European Commission.

This work presents a practical case study of the Open Science principles applied to the valorization of a long-term marine dataset collected in the Northern Adriatic Sea, one of the Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) sites of the LTER-Italy network. The dataset covers a temporal range of 50 years (1965–2015), and it is composed of abiotic, and phyto- and zooplankton data, for a total of 21 parameters. The case study involved many actions, which will be described here, distinguishing between the ones affecting the whole research project workflow and those acting more specifically on the dataset. We evaluate strengths, weaknesses, and possible improvements for each action. The present study pointed out that, despite the initial and still some remaining mistrust, opening research projects is more than a best practice. It is (i) important because it improves research transparency (increasing researchers’ credibility, replicability of science, and products reuse), (ii) required by many international initiatives and regulations, and (iii) enriching because it encourages cooperation between scientists across different fields and laboratories.

Transitional waters are subject to a high degree of variability in space and time. In this study, protist plankton communities of the Lagoon of Venice were compared among four sites characterised by different environmental conditions with a metabarcoding approach. High throughput sequencing (HTS) of the V4-18S rDNA fragment in 32 samples collected on four dates, from April 2016 to February 2017, produced 1,137,113 reads, which were grouped into 4,058 OTUs at 97% similarity. Bacillariophyta and Ciliophora were the most abundant groups in the entire dataset in terms of read number (27.6% and 16.6%, respectively), followed by Dinophyta (10.9%), Cryptophyceae (9.7%), and Syndiniales (6.1%). The contribution of protist groups markedly varied across the seasons, but spatial differences were also recorded in the lagoon. In April, a higher contribution of Bacillariophyta characterized St1 and 5 (68.0% and 61.1%), whereas Sts2 and 3 showed a higher percentage of Ciliophora (18.6 and 23.4%, respectively) and dinoflagellates (10.3 and 7.7%). In July, diatom blooms occurred at Sts1, 2 and 3, with some differences in the dominant species. At St2 Dinophyta reached the highest contribution of the whole sampling period in the area (30.6%), while St5 was quite distinct, with a low contribution of diatoms and a dominance of Ciliophora (34.0%) and Trebouxiophyceae (36.4%). All the stations in November were characterized by relatively high abundance of Ciliophora (21.4-51.9%). In February, diatom contribution was relevant only at St5 (29.3%), Teleaulax acuta peaked at St3 (ca. 36%), Syndiniales at St2 (38.8%) and Dictyochophyceae at St1 (24.2%). The α-diversity indexes (observed OTUs, Shannon and Pielou evenness) showed a high variability over space and time. Overall, diversity and community composition were rather similar between the intermediate and deeper Sts2 and 3 on all sampling dates whereas they at time differed between the landward and shallow Sts1 and 5. While the most marked differences occurred over the temporal scale, the depth of the station and the relatedness with the external marine coastal environment appear to play a major role in the spatial distribution of protist communities within the lagoon.

Dense waters (DW) formation in shelf areas and their cascading off the shelf break play a major role in ventilating deep waters, thus potentially affecting ecosystem functioning and biogeochemical cycles. However, whether DW flow across shelves may affect the composition and structure of plankton communities down to the seafloor and the particles transport over long distances has not been fully investigated. Following the 2012 north Adriatic Sea cold outbreak, DW masses were intercepted at ca. 460 km south the area of origin and compared to resident ones in term of plankton biomass partitioning (pico to micro size) and phytoplankton species composition. Results indicated a relatively higher contribution of heterotrophs in DW than in deep resident water masses, probably as result of DW-mediated advection of fresh organic matter available to consumers. DWs showed unusual high abundances of Skeletonema sp., a diatom that bloomed in the north Adriatic during DW formation. The Lagrangian numerical model set up on this diatom confirmed that DW flow could be an important mechanism for plankton/particles export to deep waters. We conclude that the predicted climate-induced variability in DW formation events could have the potential to affect the ecosystem functioning of the deeper part of the Mediterranean basin, even at significant distance from generation sites.

The ability of microalgae to preserve viable in coastal sediments as resting forms provides a reservoir of biodiversity and a useful tool to determine species spreadings. This study represents the first port baseline survey on dinoflagellate cysts, investigated in nine Adriatic ports during a cross border project. 40 dinoflagellate taxa were detected. The assemblages resulted in all ports dominated by Lingulodinium polyedra and Alexandrium minutum/affine/tamutum group. General separation to the western and eastern side of the Adriatic regarding cysts assemblage composition, partially abundance, was observed. Six taxa were detected as non-indigenous species for the Adriatic. Two taxa are included in the list of harmful aquatic organisms, indicating the potential threat of ballast waters in the Adriatic. Potential spreading of taxa by general circulation and ballast waters, intra- and extra-Adriatic was investigated. The entering in to force of the ballast waters management regulations should enhance prospects to minimize future harmful impacts.

High environmental variability is a feature of transitional water ecosystems, which also affects temporal and spatial patterns of phytoplankton. The Lagoon of Venice is characterised by a wide range of environmental conditions, high phytoplankton species diversity and abundance variability. Here we focus on morphological traits and specifically, for the first time in transitional waters, on phytoplankton geometric shape. Our hypothesis is that despite high taxonomic diversity, the prevalent features of the lagoon (shallow, permanently nutrient-enriched, turbulent and light-attenuated) should select a small number of dominant morphological types and adaptive strategies. We tested the hypothesis on a 13-year (1998-2010) phytoplankton data series and related abiotic factors. Seven shapes were found to be dominant and widespread in space and time in the lagoon, with two adaptive strategies: high surface area-to-volume ratio (S/V) together with low greatest axial linear dimension (GALD), and low S/V together with high GALD. Certain morphological traits, which allow a high S/V (from 0.8 to >1), appear quite constant: (i) small size (GALD < 15 ?m), in particular in round-shaped organisms, and (ii) high GALD together with shape attenuation, within the same species or across a range of species. We observed that the lagoon regime selects for the coexistence of competing species with similar morphological traits.

The coexistence of phytoplankton and macrophytes in the Lagoon of Venice (Northern Adriatic Sea, Italy) was investigated using in situ data collected monthly as part of International Long Term Ecosystem Research (LTER), together with satellite imagery for the period 1998&ndash, 2017. The concentrations of chlorophyll a and hydrochemical parameters were measured in three areas of the lagoon, where the expansion of well-developed stands of submerged vegetation was observed by remote sensing. Our results suggest interaction between phytoplankton and macrophytes (macroalgae and seagrasses) in the last few years of the time series, evidenced by decreasing chlorophyll a concentrations in the vicinity of the macrophyte stands. The integration of LTER and remotely sensed data made it possible to evaluate the interaction of macrophytes and phytoplankton at the ecosystem scale for the first time in the Lagoon of Venice.

Long-term data series (1971&ndash, 2015) of physical and biogeochemical parameters were analyzed in order to assess trends and variability of oceanographic conditions in the northern Adriatic Sea (NAS), a mid-latitude shallow continental shelf strongly impacted by river discharges, human activities and climate changes. Interpolation maps and statistical models were applied to investigate seasonal and spatial variability, as well as decadal trends of temperature, salinity, chlorophyll-a and nutrients. This analysis shows that sea surface temperature increased by +0.36% year&minus, 1 over four decades. Annual mean flow of the Po River markedly changed due to the occurrence of periods of persistent drought, whereas the frequency of flow rates higher than 3000 m3 s&minus, 1 decreased between 2006 and 2015. Moreover, we observed a long-term decrease in surface phosphate concentrations in Po River water (&minus, 1.34% year&minus, 1) and in seawater (in summer &minus, 2.56% year&minus, 1) coupled, however, to a significant increase in nitrate concentration in seawater (+3.80% year&minus, 1) in almost all seasons. These changes indicate that the nutrient concentrations in the NAS have been largely modulated, in the last forty years, by the evolution of environmental management practices and of the runoff. This implies that further alteration of the marine environment must be expected as a consequence of the climate changes.

Since 1997, CNR-ISMAR has been collecting monthly hydrochemical and phytoplankton data in the northern and central basins of the Lagoon of Venice. The data have been part of the International Long-Term Ecosystem Research (LTER) database since 2007, helping to fill a gap in lagoon environmental studies. Analysing our time series (1998-2017), we were able to observe a rise in water temperature due to climate trends, a reduction in trophic status mainly due to the lower input of inorganic dissolved nitrogen nutrients and an increase in transparency and dissolved oxygen related to the increased biomass of macrophytes (macroalgae and seagrasses). Finally, a reduction in phytoplankton biomass and an accompanying increase in seagrass and macroalgal cover were observed. Present and future studies will help to evaluate the ways in which the Lagoon of Venice ecosystem responds to anthropogenic pressures and global climate change.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the microbial community along the Ligurian coast corresponding to two marine canyons. The study considered pico-, nano- and micro-planktonic fractions, their abundances and composition. Temperature and salinity profiles along the water column showed the same trend at all stations and no significant difference was found among stations of the canyons’ profiles and those of the adjacent slope. A similar trend for abundances and biomasses was observed at all stations: higher values were generally measured at surface and decreased with increasing depth; significant linear regression was highlighted in each of the three transects. Results of the distribution of all microbial heterotrophs from the surface down to 2500 m indicate that prey abundance was generally higher than the feeding threshold of predators; this evidence suggests that the interaction between different size classes is bottom-up regulated in the study area. The slight decrease of the ratio Heterotrophic Bacteria (HB) vs. Heterotrophic NanoFlagellates (HNF) and the weak increase of relative abundance of larger HNF size classes should be the sole evidence of the expected “canyon effect”, and can be ascribed to the major input at the bottom of the canyon of particulate organic matter (POC) that can be used by heterotrophic nanoflagellates directly as a food source. Our results highlighted that the main pattern regulating community composition is depth, and that, in the aphotic layer, the different water masses (WM) present along the column, play a pivotal role in shaping the planktonic assemblage.

Regions of freshwater influence are affected by a constant interplay of different environmental factors that rule their seasonal and interannual highly variable dynamics. Riverine freshwater discharges alter the buoyancy of the local water masses, generating dynamic fronts and increasing water column stratification and nutrient availability. In such a heterogeneous context the paradigms for biological-physical interactions driving biogeochemical dynamics in the open seas do not always apply. We present here data from 12 surveys spanning 12 years (from 2004 to 2016) in the Po River prodelta area, which is highly representative of the above-described complexity, as it conveys the second largest freshwater discharge to the Mediterranean Sea. In particular, we focused on the microbially-mediated organic matter processing by estimating the numerical abundances of non-pigmented (‘heterotrophic’) and photoautotrophic (Synechococcus) prokaryotes, heterotrophic production and the activity of the exoenzymes beta-glucosidase, alkaline phosphatase and leucine aminopeptidase. The abundance of Synechococcus and heterotrophic prokaryotes as well as microbial activities were positively correlated to temperature and chlorophyll a concentration. Concomitantly, each variable was negatively correlated to salinity. In high-temperature, high salinity and low chlorophyll a samples, the heterotrophic production was limited and deviated from the typical linearity of the Arrhenius' law, suggesting resource limitation rather than temperature control. A multivariate analysis performed to analyze the pattern of organic matter degradation/utilization highlighted 11 distinct clusters of functional diversity. Temperature, salinity and chlorophyll a concentration data alone were able to explain most of the functional cluster separation as evidenced by a regression tree analysis. For freshwater-influenced samples, salinity was the only variable affecting metabolic patterns, whereas in typically marine waters, at salinity ≥37, metabolic profiles were determined by specific combinations of all 3 parameters.

Hypoxia events frequently occurred in the bottom layer of the northern Adriatic Sea (NAd) from mid-summer to mid-autumn, when the water column is highly stratified, with highly variable spatial extent and duration. To determine the mechanisms of changes in hypoxia frequency and their relation to environmental conditions, 40 yr-long time series of dissolved oxygen and of parameters that describe freshwater influence, stratification processes, and circulation patterns were analysed. It was shown that seasonal hypoxic events in the open water areas coincided with the formation of cyclonic or anticyclonic circulation cells, whose stability was estimated by the appearance of the Istrian Coastal Counter Current (ICCC). The oxygenation of bottom waters during the period August–November of the last two decades has increased, whereas a decreasing trend was observed in surface waters. The frequency of hypoxic events at a larger scale in the NAd decreased since 1992, concurrently with reduced ICCC occurrences. However, the frequency of events in the western area, which is under a direct influence of Po River discharges, did not change significantly, although their intensity recently were lower than during the 1970s and 1980s.

Carbon and nitrogen stable isotope analysis was used to examine the food web of the Mar Piccolo of Taranto, a coastal basin experiencing several anthropogenic impacts. Main food sources (algal detritus, seaweeds, particulate organic matter (POM) and sediment organic matter (SOM)) and benthic and pelagic consumers were collected during two contrasting seasons (June and April), at four sites distributed over two inlets, and characterized by different level of confinements, anthropogenic inputs and the presence of mussels farming. ?13C values of organic sources revealed an important contribution of POM to both planktonic and benthic pathways, as well as the influence of terrigenous inputs within both inlets, probably due to high seasonal land runoff. Although ?13C of both sources and consumers varied little between sampling sites and dates, ?15N spatial variability was higher and clearly reflected the organic enrichment in the second inlet as well as the uptake of anthropogenically derived material by benthic consumers. On the other hand, within the first inlet, the isotopic composition of consumers did not change in response to chemical contamination. However, the impact of polluted sediments near the Navy Arsenal in the first inlet was detectable at the level of the macrobenthic trophic structure, showing high dominance of motile, upper level consumers capable to face transient conditions and the reduction of the more resident deposit feeders. We therefore underline the great potential of matching stable isotope analysis with quantitative studies of community structure to assess the effects of multiple anthropogenic stressors.

By analysing a ten-year series (1998-2007) of data on hydrochemical properties, phytoplankton abundance and species composition in the Venice Lagoon, we identified i) the average annual phytoplankton biomass cycle, mainly unimodal and fairly well tuned with the fluctuations in temperature and irradiance and (ii) the seasonal succession of the most important species, allowing us to construct a “phytoplankton calendar”. Phytoplankton biomass was significantly lower in the second half of the ten-year period (2003-2007) than in the first half (1998-2002). A través del análisis de propiedades hidroquímicas, abundancia fitoplanctónica y composición de especies, en series de diez años (1998-2007), en la laguna de Venecia, se han identificado: i) Un promedio anual del ciclo de la biomasa prevalentemente de forma unimodal y bien sintonizada con las fluctuaciones de temperatura e irradiación; ii) Una composición cualitativa del fitoplancton que nos ha permitido realizar un “calendario del fitoplancton”; iii) Un decrecimiento en los últimos 5 años (2003-2007), de la biomasa con respecto a los 5 primeros años (1998-2003).

In this work, we aim to describe the main features of the plankton communities analysed over 30 years of oceanographic cruises in the northern Adriatic Sea (NAS). We highlight the ecological complexity of the NAS by analysing the temporal variations of the abundance and species composition of the phytoplankton and mesozooplankton communities in different regions of the basin, which contain marked variations of abiotic and biotic parameters, both over time and space. A large interannual variability in the phytoplankton and mesozooplankton abundance was observed. For phytoplankton, the abundance exhibited an alternation of peaks and low values, primarily driven by the flooding or drought of the Po River. The mesozooplankton species composition changed significantly over past 20 years, primarily due to differences in the abundance of some of the copepod species. For both of the plankton communities, the results suggest that the phenological traits of the taxa, more than the spatial and temporal variations of the main abiotic parameters, drive the seasonal changes in the community composition.

In the marine environment, the persistence and abundance of Vibrio are related to a number of environmental parameters. The influence of the different environmental variables in determining the Vibrio occurrence could be different in the specific geographic areas around the world. Moreover, oceanographic parameters are generally interdependent and should not be considered separately when their influence on bacterial presence and concentration is tested. In this study, an integrated approach was used to identify key parameters determining the abundance of Vibrio spp in marine samples from the Venetian Lagoon in Italy, which is an important area for fish farming and tourism. Multivariate techniques have been adopted to analyze the dataset: using PCA, it was shown that a relatively high proportion of the total variance in this area was mainly due to two independent variables, namely salinity and temperature. Using cluster analysis, it was possible to categorize different groups with homogeneous features as regards space ("stations") and time ("seasons") distribution, as well as to quantify the values of environmental variables and the Vibrio abundances in each category. Furthermore, integrating key environmental factors and bacterial concentration values, it was possible to identify levels of salinity and sea surface temperature which were optimal for Vibrio concentration in water, plankton, and sediment samples. The identification of key environmental variables conditioning Vibrio occurrence should facilitate ocean monitoring, making it possible to predict unexpected variations in marine microflora which determine possible public health risks in coastal areas.

The changes in the plankton biomass structure in relation to nutrient inputs were studied in the Gulf of Venice (Northern Adriatic Sea), an area characterized by a very marked trophic state variability. The investigation was carried out at two stations, in March, May and July 2005 and 2006, considering the whole water column. The size structure (from picoplankton to mesozooplankton) of both autotrophs and heterotrophs was analysed. Signals of diluted waters and nutrient inputs were more marked in 2005 than in 2006. In 2005, the total plankton biomass was almost double (87 ± 37 μg·C·l−1) that in 2006 (44 ± 26 μg·C·l−1). The variations were determined mainly by phytoplankton, with a 70% decrease, and a shift from a community dominated by microphytoplankton (49 ± 12%) in 2005 to one dominated by bacteria (43 ± 11%) in 2006 was observed. The relationship between the heterotrophic (H) and autotrophic (A) biomass indicated a rapid decline of the H/A ratio with increasing phytoplankton biomass. This study, although temporally limited, is consistent with the results reported for other marine environments and it seems to confirm the importance of nutrient inputs in structuring the biomass of plankton community.

The Po River runoff strongly affects the oceanographic and ecological characteristics of the Northern Adriatic Sea. Catalysed reported deposition - fluorescence in situ hybridization (CARD-FISH) analysis was employed to assess how the composition of the coastal bacterioplankton community is influenced by the river runoff in two different seasons (spring and autumn). Samples were collected from the water column along a coastal–offshore transect in the Northern Adriatic Sea at different depths. Four clone libraries were then constructed from coastal (0 m) and offshore waters (−65 m). Higher abundances of bacteria were recorded in coastal waters as compared with the offshore samples. This result was mainly due to the trophic state of the water column, and it was related to salinity. Particularly, Actinobacteria and Gammaproteobacteria were affected by the riverine inputs, whereas Bacteroidetes and Alphaproteobacteria showed only minor responses. This was particularly clear in the autumn sample, in which a clear difference between the coastal and the offshore samples was found due to a strong influence of the less saline river water with high nutrient concentrations. Analysis of 205 partial length 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated a high diversity with the dominance of Alphaproteobacteria, Bacteroidetes and Gammaproteobacteria mainly affiliated to coastal and marine bacterioplankton clades. Actinobacteria were also detected and, together with Gammaproteobacteria, strongly follow the freshwater intrusion. Overall, our results indicate that the seasonal difference in the Po River discharge greatly affects the bacterioplankton community. In spring we observed a smooth transition from coastal to open-sea conditions owing to the more superficial freshwater plume. In autumn the deeper freshwater intrusion in the coastal site and thermal stratification offshore resulted in a marked difference between the coastal and offshore microbial communities.

Spatial and temporal variations of phytoplankton community structure were studied in the Gulf of Venice (Northern Adriatic Sea) from February 1999 to December 2001 (INTERREG II, Italia-Slovenia project). Phytoplankton samples were collected, with a monthly frequency, at 11 stations in the basin. Abundance, biomass, and species composition were considered. Synthetic descriptors were used in order to evaluate the main succession pattern and to cluster communities that typify different hydrological conditions. A decreasing gradient of abundance and biomass was generally observed from west to east, passing from the land-influenced waters to offshore. The seasonal pattern and inter-annual variability of the main phytoplankton taxa are described and discussed in relation with the occurrence of a massive mucilage event and of a Po River flood.

Taxonomic composition, biomass, primary production and growth rates of the phytoplankton community were studied in two stations in the NW Adriatic Sea on a seasonal basis, in areas characterized by differing hydrological and trophic conditions. The main differences between the two stations were quantitative rather than qualitative, most phytoplankton species being common to both stations. The effects of differing nutrient concentrations and plume spreading were evident. Biomass and primary production rates were significantly higher in the coastal station (S1), and the phytoplankton distribution in the water column was markedly stratified in S1 and more even in the offshore station (S3). However, chlorophyll a specific production, potential growth rate and production efficiencies were very similar in both stations, even when phosphorus concentrations were limiting. A discrepancy between potential and actual growth rate was observed: as a feature common to both stations, comparisons between potential and actual growth rates revealed that little carbon produced by phytoplankton accumulated as algal biomass; therefore, very high loss rates were estimated.

Although several considerations about fluxes and budgets of dissolved and particulate matter between the Venice Lagoon and the Adriatic Sea recently appeared in the scientific literature, no detailed study has been performed until now in such a coastal environment to give a reasonable exhaustive picture of the quantities exchanged from lagoon to sea. In this paper, preliminary results about the seasonal variability of some biogeochemical parameters (hydrology, dissolved nutrients and particulate matter) at the three Lagoon inlets (Lido, Malamocco and Chioggia), as well as preliminary calculations of fluxes and budgets at Lido, derived from 1 year of intensive field experiments, are reported and discussed.

Exchanges of phytoplankton between the Lagoon of Venice and the Adriatic Sea were studied from July 2001 to June 2002, and synoptic surveys were performed at the Lido, Malamocco and Chioggia inlets. The phytoplankton at the three inlets showed a very similar seasonal pattern. The highest phytoplankton abundances were observed in summer and the lowest in winter. Nanoflagellate and diatom abundances (mean values 58% and 38%, respectively) dominated, dinoflagellates and coccolithophorids accounting for the remaining 4%. The abundances and alternations of species at flood and ebb tide and at the three inlets were influenced by the seasonal phytoplankton cycle. For most of the year, phytoplankton abundances are higher at flood than at ebb tide, due to the presence of neritic species, whereas only in August–October and February are abundances higher at ebb tide, due to the presence of species which have previously been described as blooming in the Lagoon waters.

A comparison between recent data (1997–2002) and older data (1975–1980) related to the Venice lagoon is presented here. These data have been focused on plankton and dissolved nutrient distribution obtained within the framework of differing research projects. Investigations were carried out in the central and northern areas of the Lagoon of Venice. Comparing the two data sets, a general increase in orthosilicates and in dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) was observed. Conversely, phosphates showed a decrease in polyhaline waters (salinity between 18 and 30 PSU) because of the reduced amounts of phosphorous compounds in detergents, following Italian laws enforced in the 1980s. In the recent data set (1997–2002), phytoplankton abundance was higher than in the years 1975–1980 because of more frequent diatom blooms. The increased resuspension processes induced by dredging for molluscs probably favour a mobilisation of benthic epipsamic diatoms from sediments, resulting in a more pelagic life style. Regarding zooplankton, a decrease in the standing stock, more marked in winter, was revealed. These results indicate that the trophic conditions of the Lagoon of Venice are subjected to natural and anthropogenic temporal changes that can be understood only through the analysis of uninterrupted time series.

A Multimetric Phytoplankton Index (MPI) is proposed to support management policies for the assessment of transitional ecosystems and the implementation of the European Water Framework Directive. The MPI incorporates Hulburt's dominance index, bloom frequency and Menhinick's diversity index, calculated on the basis of phytoplankton species composition.Chlorophyll a concentrations were also included, to provide biomass data and to guarantee continuity and comparison with past evaluations. The MPI was calculated by averaging the ratios of the resulting values of each metric to those of a reference site characterised by low anthropogenic impact.The MPI was set up using data from over a 10-year period in several stations in Venice Lagoon (North-western Adriatic region), a highly valuable and heterogeneous transitional environment, subject to significant anthropogenic pressures. The dataset included physico-chemical data, nutrient and contaminant concentrations. Statistical analyses allowed us to gauge the MPI's responses to anthropogenic pressures and to verify its reliability. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd.

The prokaryotic community, both in terms of abundance and activity (exo-enzymatic hydrolysis of proteins, polysaccharides and phosphorylated molecules and leucine uptake), was investigated seasonally for a 3-year period (2004-2006) in the Gulf of Venice (northern Adriatic Sea). By focusing on spatial and temporal variability, the prokaryote dynamics showed significant variations on a horizontal and seasonal scale, but no substantial differences were observed among years. The basin-scale variability was mainly influenced by allochthonous inputs from the Po river and the Venice Lagoon, which were the main source of nutrients, acting as a 'bottom up' control on prokaryotes. On a seasonal scale, all the microbial parameters (except the polysaccharide degradation) showed significant variations following the temperature fluctuations. The annual rate of change was very low for all the chemical, physical and biological parameters and only the abundance and phosphatase activity of the prokaryotes differed significantly among years.

Diel sampling was performed during an early spring survey in the Northern Adriatic Sea at a coastal station off the Po River delta. Samples were taken every 6 h at spring tide maxima and minima in the sub-superficial layer, at the maximum fluorescence depth (similar to 3 m). Variations in microbial community structure and its processes were assessed by considering heterotrophic bacteria, picocyanobacteria, viruses, exoenzymatic activities, microphytoplankton, nanoplankton and bacterial/cyanobacterial Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis (DGGE) profiles. A considerable diatom bloom, mostly supported by Skeletonema marinoi was detected. All microbial parameters except viruses, showed a sinusoidal trend with a 12 h period; only picocyanobacteria expressed relative maxima during high tide, showing a phase in opposition to the other parameters. No substantial changes in DGGE band patterns were detected. Even though the results showed bacterialactivities to be influenced by the phytoplankton bloom, all microbial parameters' diel trends (except viruses) preferentially followed the tidal fluctuation rather than the light:dark cycle.

This paper reports on the main biogeochemical properties of the Northern Adriatic Sea in the period May 2003‐November 2006 within the framework of the European program INTERREG III Italy-Slovenia. Spatial and temporal distributions of water density, dissolved oxygen, nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorous and silicon) and chlorophyll a are presented. Multivariate methods such as fuzzy k-means, self-organising maps and cluster analysis were used to identify the different water masses and to characterise the temporal and spatial variability of the main biogeochemical features present in the area. The results confirm that the Po River outflows and the meteorological forcing factors are the main components triggering the alternation of stratification and mixing of the water column and that strongly affect the trophic state of the basin. In general, oligotrophic conditions dominate, and were more pronounced offshore, but mesotrophy occurred episodically in May 2004 and July 2005, when phytoplankton blooms were observed concomitant with vertical stability of the water column. A marked interannual variability was also observed, supporting the importance of maintaining long-term observations of the basin.

The size distribution of the phytoplankton community has been analyzed on a monthly basis in the Gulf of Venice (NW Adriatic Sea), with the aim to assess the seasonal variation of the contribution of autotrophic picoplankton (APP) to total phytoplankton. The investigation was carried out in two stations characterized by different influences of fluvial inputs. APP was mainly made up of Synechococcus, the larger fraction (Utermohl Fraction Phytoplankton, UFP: >2 µm as maximum linear dimension) of diatoms and nanoflagellates. The average APP abundance (46 × 10 3 cells ml ‐1 ) and biomass (8.1 µg C dm ‐3 ) indicate that APP was a persistent and significant component of the NW Adriatic phytoplankton. The highest APP abundance (up to 270 × 10 3 cells ml ‐1 ) and biomass (up to 49 µg C dm ‐3 ) were recorded from summer to autumn, UFP peaked from late winter to late spring. The mean APP contribution to total phytoplankton abundance and biomass was 98% and 31% respectively. The seasonal variation of total phytoplankton biomass was mainly driven by the UFP fraction; however, a seasonal shift in the relative importance of UFP and APP occurred from spring to summer.