Assessment of the ecological status of Sicilian coastal waters according to a macroalgae based index (CARLIT)

In the frame of the European Water Framework Directive (WFD, 2000/60/EC), a macroalgae based index (CARLIT) was applied along the Sicilian coastal water bodies (WBs) in order to assess for the first time their ecological status and collect accurate information on the distribution and abundance of shallow-water communities, especially of those most sensitive. The ecological quality ratio values, sensu WFD, showed “high”/“good” levels in all WBs with lushy forests of Cystoseira amentacea except two with “moderate” level due to the presence of stress-tolerant species related to local factors.

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Water pollution by agriculture

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences ◽

10.1098/rstb.2007.2176 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 363 (1491) ◽

pp. 659-666 ◽

Cited By ~ 161

Author(s):

Brian Moss

Keyword(s):

Water Pollution ◽

Water Framework Directive ◽

Holistic Approach ◽

Water Bodies ◽

European Water Framework Directive ◽

Ecological Quality ◽

River Channels ◽

Freshwater Systems ◽

European Water ◽

Individual Effects

Agriculture disrupts all freshwater systems hugely from their pristine states. The former reductionist concept of pollution was of examining individual effects of particular substances on individual taxa or sub-communities in freshwater systems, an essentially ecotoxicological concept. It is now less useful than a more holistic approach that treats the impacts on the system as a whole and includes physical impacts such as drainage and physical modification of river channels and modification of the catchment as well as nutrient, particulate and biocide pollution. The European Water Framework Directive implicitly recognizes this in requiring restoration of water bodies to ‘good ecological quality’, which is defined as only slightly different from pristine state. The implications for the management of agriculture are far more profound than is currently widely realized.

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Monitoring of Posidonia oceanica meadows in the Sicilian coasts under the Water Framework Directive (WFD)

Proceedings e report - Eighth International Symposium “Monitoring of Mediterranean Coastal Areas. Problems and Measurement Techniques” ◽

10.36253/978-88-5518-147-1.51 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 510-518

Author(s):

Giancarlo Bellissimo ◽

Benedetto Sirchia ◽

Vincenzo Ruvolo

Keyword(s):

Surface Area ◽

Water Framework Directive ◽

Lower Limit ◽

Ecological Status ◽

Posidonia Oceanica ◽

Shoot Density ◽

Water Bodies ◽

Index Method ◽

Leaf Surface Area ◽

First Time

The present paper aims to assess for the first time the ecological status of the Sicilian water bodies using the PREI (Posidonia oceanica Rapid Easy Index) method according to the Water Framework Directive (WFD, 2000/60/EC) requirements. The PREI is based on five metrics: shoot density, shoot leaf surface area, E/L ratio, depth of lower limit, and type of this lower limit. Monitoring of the 29 P. oceanica meadows allowed to classify the 20 WBs of Sicilian coasts in the first two levels of status: 10 as “high” and 10 as “good” with the PREI values ranged between 0,551 and 1.

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