Mediterranean Coastal Lagoons: The Importance of Monitoring in Sediments the Biochemical Composition of Organic Matter

Monia Renzi, Francesca Provenza, Sara Pignattelli, Lucrezia Cilenti, Antonietta Specchiulli and Milva Pepi
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Monia Renzi: Bioscience Research Center, Via Aurelia Vecchia, 32, 58015 Orbetello (GR), Italy
Francesca Provenza: Bioscience Research Center, Via Aurelia Vecchia, 32, 58015 Orbetello (GR), Italy
Sara Pignattelli: Bioscience Research Center, Via Aurelia Vecchia, 32, 58015 Orbetello (GR), Italy
Lucrezia Cilenti: Department of Lesina (FG), National Research Council—Institute for Biological Resources and Marine Biotechnologies (IRBIM), Via Pola 4, 71010 Lesina, Italy
Antonietta Specchiulli: Department of Lesina (FG), National Research Council—Institute for Biological Resources and Marine Biotechnologies (IRBIM), Via Pola 4, 71010 Lesina, Italy
Milva Pepi: Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121 Napoli, Italy

IJERPH, 2019, vol. 16, issue 18, 1-20

Abstract: Transitional water ecosystems are targeted by the European Union (EU) Water Framework Directive (WFD, CE 2000/60) monitoring programs in coastal zones. Concerning sediments, activities performed for the WFD focus on a few variables concerning the biochemical composition of organic matter. Our research reports the effects of oxygen availability on the biochemical composition of organic matter in sediments to highlight levels of targeted variables in time and, according to the depth of sediment layer, both under oxygenated and anoxic conditions in a mesocosm study on sediment cores. Results provide evidence that tested factors of interest (i.e., disturbance type, oxygenic versus anoxic conditions; persistence time of disturbance, 0–14 days; penetration through sedimentary layers, 0–10 cm depth) are able to significantly affect the biochemical composition of organic matter in sediments. Large part of the variables considered in this study (total organic carbon (TOC), total phosphorous (TP), total sulphur (TS), Fe, carbohydrates (CHO), total proteins (PRT), biopolymeric carbon (BPC), chlorophyll-a (Chl- a ) are significantly affected and correlated to the oxygenation levels and could be good early indicators of important changes of environmental conditions. Monitoring activities performed under WFD guidelines and management strategies of Mediterranean coastal lagoon ecosystems shall include the biochemical composition of organic matter in sediment to provide an exhaustive picture of such dynamic ecosystems.

Keywords: decomposition; transitional water ecosystems; organic loads; mesocosm; monitoring programs (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
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