A Chemical Characterization of A Lagoon Ecosystem: The Sacca Di Goro (Po River Delta, Italy)

This work reports on the results of a preliminary estimate of the presence and distribution of common and rare elements in a typical estuarine environment of the Po River Delta. Different environmental compartments (sediment, water, macroalgae and benthic animals) were considered, and analysis conducted on samples taken at two different sites characterized by low and high hydrodynamic regime. Resulting evidence of differences between the matrices, especially in relation to their different nature and sampling site are given.     

Vertical Distribution and Inventories of 239,240Pu in Deep Sea Sediments of the Mediterranean Sea (Algerian Basin, Ionian Sea)

Deep-sea sediments collected in two areas of the Mediterranean Sea having different sedimentological characteristics have been analyzed to determine present concentrations and inventories of ^239,240Pu and to study the main mechanisms controlling them. Plutonium distribution in the deepest part of a submarine canyon (Taranto Valley, Ionian Sea) is compared to that obtained in an abyssal plain (north Algerian Plain). in the latter case, sedimentation is mainly due to the sinking of biogenic particles, while in the former lateral transport of terrigenous material along the slope of the canyon can significantly contribute to sediment accumulation on the bottom.

^239,240Pu surface concentration in the canyon ranged from 0.2 to 1 Bq kg^-1 (dry weight) and this was lower in the abyssal plain. in this area, plutonium was detectable only in the first 4 cm, while in the canyon it was present down to 11-15 cm. ^239,240Pu inventories are 3 Bq m^-2 in the plain and 45-60 Bq m^-2 in the canyon, indicating considerable input of terrigenous material towards the final part of the Taranto Valley.     

Pelagic-benthic coupling in a subtidal system of the North-Western Mediterranean

Suspended particulate matter, zooplankton, and macrobenthos dynamics were investigated in a shallow area of the Ligurian Sea (north-west Mediterranean) characterized by wide temporal variability over an annual cycle. As indicated by multivariate analyses, the seasonal dynamics can be summarized as follows: (1) a late winter-early spring phytoplankton bloom followed by high zooplankton and macrobenthos densities during the spring months; (2) low-quality particulate suspended matter in summer, and an increase in the importance of zooplankton taxa with a wide range of feeding strategies, a decrease in macrofaunal abundance, and an increase in deposit-feeders and predators; and (3) a second phytoplankton bloom in autumn, followed by an increase in copepod density and a low macrofaunal abundance. In conclusion, pelagic and benthic communities in the coastal area of the Ligurian Sea mainly seem to be controlled bottom-up. Our results suggest that the quality of the particulate organic matter may play an important role in determining the temporal changes of both plankton and benthic assemblages, while the direct influence of other environmental features (such as sediment grain size) is relevant only for some macrobenthic taxa (e.g. crustaceans).     

Gas and Organic Matter in Last Glacial and Holocenic Sediments of Venice Lagoon

Two drills (MBM1* and MBM2) provided at “Bocca di Malamocco” gave environmental and palaeo-environmental information on sedimentation for the last 50,000 years. the MBM2 supplies textural, gas and organic matter studies of sediment and principal ion content of pore water. Two main palaeo-environments, divided in six cycles, are recognized. Marine environment characterizes the sediment above 12.80 metres below sea level (mbsl) and continental environment dominates the sediments below.

The concentration/depth profiles of dissolved ammonia, phosphates and gases are related to the occurrence of a relatively high organic content in the sediment core. Carbon dioxide to methane ratio shows a constant value below 20 mbsl, while above that level only carbon dioxide was detected. A sulphate gradient in the transition zone between the marine to fresh water interval suggests a methane oxidation. These findings indicate that diffusive transport of methane from marine sediments to the atmosphere may be considered minimal. the sedimentary cycles are related to the oxygen isotopic stages. They suggest a variable hydraulic regime occurred during the last Glacial time in the palaeo-plain corresponding to the present Venice lagoon.     

清淤疏浚工程对七里海潟湖湿地水体交换的影响

七里海潟湖湿地受到人类活动的影响,湖盆淤积、湖面萎缩、水质恶化,其生态修复工程（一期）通过对湖盆进行清淤疏浚来改善潟湖生态环境.基于三重嵌套非结构网格建立七里海潟湖湿地水动力和物质输运数学模型,采用实测资料对模型的潮位、流速和流向进行验证,运用欧拉法计算潟湖整体滞留时间及其空间分布,分析工程对七里海潟湖水动力和水体交换的影响,结果表明：（1）工程对潮位的影响较小,工程后潮汐通道口门处涨落潮流量增大,涨落潮流速也随之增加;（2）工程后,潟湖纳潮量较工程前提升87%,滞留时间较工程前降低38%,水体交换能力自潮汐通道向潟湖内部逐渐减弱,工程对潟湖水体交换能力的改善主要集中在河道及潟湖中心水域;（3）工程前水体滞留时间的分布主要受到潟湖地貌影响,工程后水深增大,流场受地貌的影响变小,水体交换能力的分布主要受到潟湖流场影响.清淤疏浚工程有助于潟湖改善水体的交换能力和生态环境.     

A Comparative Study On the Levels of Trace Metals in Some Mediterranean and Red Sea Fishes

Samples of Mugil cephalus, Liza ramada, Siganus luridus, Siganus rivulatus, Epinephelus alexandrinus, Epinephelus areolatus, Epinephelus fasciatus, Epinephelus chlorostigma, Cephalopholis argus and Cephalopholis sonnerati were collected from the Mediterranean and Red Seas and their muscle and bone analyzed by AAS for some trace metals (Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb). the results showed that these metals accumulate in the bones to a greater extent than in the muscle. the highest accumulated element is cobalt (4.7-20.8 times), while the lowest is lead (1.1-2.5 times). the accumulation is more pronounced in Red Sea species than in Mediterranean species. the elevated levels of lead in Mugil cephalus (2.6-3.0 mg kg^-1) and Epinephelus alexandrinus (3.0-3.9 mg kg^-1) were attributed to the intake in food in the polluted environment of Alexandria coastal water. the relationship between body size and concentration of trace metals using a standard linear regression technique gives a significant positive correlation for cobalt, manganese, iron and lead in the muscle, as well as for lead in the bones of Mugil species from the Red Sea, while the Mediterranean species showed little correlation.

There is a tendency for increased concentrations of the essential metals manganese, iron and copper with increasing trophic level of the fish, while the opposite is true for the toxic metals chromium and lead. Our results indicate that there is no risk from toxic metal concentrations in muscle of fish from the Mediterranean and Red Seas consumed by man even in contaminated areas.     

Consensus Building and Sustainability: Some Lessons From an Adverse Local Experience in Greece

The paper focuses on the example of a local island community in Greece, to illustrate the difficulties of effective consensus building, in support of sustainable policies. In the first section the issue of sustainability and the importance of participation are discussed, before moving to a brief outline of the nature of participation and its sources since the 1960s. It follows an analysis of the epistemological framework of consensus building process which is considered as the most integrated and sophisticated version of participatory planning. This analysis serves as a background for judging the appropriateness of consensus building for the resolution of an environmental problem harassing a Greek island community. It is about the problem of water availability and management in the small Aegean island of Leros. The paper shows how illegal practices in the use of water, administrative fragmentation and confusion over knowledge of the problem and its solutions lead to divisions in the stakeholder groups and to obstacles in the way of participation. The intrinsic problems embedded in Greek (and probably not alone) society and political culture, which prevent collective action and participation, account in part for the anticipated risk of unwelcome, illegitimate outcomes of a potential consensus building process. Nevertheless, if communicative planning is to gain universal acceptance, it should first resolve some critical theoretical and practical shortcomings related to its normative, ethical and philosophical assumptions. Readers should send their comments on this paper to: BhaskarNath@aol.com within 3 months of publication of this issue.     

Seasonal Fluctuations in the Nutritional Value of Particulate Organic Matter in A Lagoon

Water samples were collected on a fortnightly basis in the lagoon of S. Gilla (Sardinia, Mediterranean Sea) in order to study seasonal nutritional fluctuations of particulate organic matter. the lagoon is characterized by high quantities of suspended matter throughout the year. Thermohaline conditions had no effect on particulate matter quantity and composition, but the quantity as well as quality of suspended particles was drastically affected by the wind, the major effecter of sediment resuspension. As a result of sediment resuspension, seston was always richer in inorganic fraction. However, throughout the year of investigation, most particulate organic carbon was quite appealing for filter feeding communities, although the best POM quality was available during phytoplankton blooming. the phytoplankton pool of suspended matter was just a small fraction of the bulk, accounting for only 13% on average of particulate organic carbon. in terms of energy available in the seston, the highest amount was stored in organic matter heterotrophic fraction, whilst the smallest was to be found in living phytoplankton.     

Ecological research for integrated coastal zone management: Introduction

Two Special Features on integrated coastal zone management, especially along the Mediterranean Sea, result from a MeDCOAST conference held in Hammamet (Tunisia). 20–25 October 2001. In this first Special Feature some papers are presented on ecological and biological research related to integrated coastal zone management. All over Europe coastal environments are threatened by human activities such as urbanization, industrial development, fisheries, aquaculture, recreation and tourism. Research has to be developed that can be applied to similar case studies in different countries. Methods of monitoring are necessary and baseline data have to be available in order to judge the significance of changes in the abjotic and biotic environment. Examples of studies included in this Special Feature are mainly from southern banks of the Mediterranean Sea but there is also an example from Estonia and one from the Canary Islands.     

Selection of Autochthonous Plant Species from SE Spain for Soil Lead Phytoremediation Purposes

Mining activity in SE of Spain, in the west Mediterranean coast, originated more than two millenniums ago. It has generated huge areas affected by heavy metals contamination, especially of lead, which is possibly one of the most important. Investigations related to the selection of autochthonous plant taxa from a typical Spanish Mediterranean area, useful for phytoextraction and phytostabilization purposes in these polluted areas are shown. Under these edaphoclimatic conditions 12 interesting species were considered, from them six taxa were chosen for further studies. Some plant species have been proposed either for phytoextraction or phytostabilization purposes. Recommendations for further research have been discussed.