Mussel farming in Maliakos Gulf and quality indicators of the marine environment: Good benthic below poor pelagic ecological status

Panagiotis D Dimitriou; Ioannis Karakassis; Paraskevi Pitta; Tatiana Margo Tsagaraki; Eugenia T Apostolaki; Iordanis Magiopoulos; Nikolaos Nikolioudakis; Santi Diliberto; John A Theodorou; Ioannis Tzovenis; Ifigenia Kagalou; Paraskevi Beza; Manolis Tsapakis

doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2015.09.035

Mussel farming in Maliakos Gulf and quality indicators of the marine environment: Good benthic below poor pelagic ecological status

Mar Pollut Bull. 2015 Dec 30;101(2):784-93. doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2015.09.035. Epub 2015 Oct 21.

Affiliations

¹ Biology Department, University of Crete, Voutes University Campus, 71003 Heraklion, Crete, Greece.
² Institute of Oceanography, Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, P.O. Box 2214, 71003, Heraklion, Greece.
³ Biology Department, University of Crete, Voutes University Campus, 71003 Heraklion, Crete, Greece; Institute of Oceanography, Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, P.O. Box 2214, 71003, Heraklion, Greece.
⁴ Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture, Technological Educational Institution of Epirus, 46100 Igoumenitsa, Greece; Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture Technology, Technological Educational Institution of Western Greece, Nea Ktiria, 30200 Messolonghi, Greece.
⁵ Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture, Technological Educational Institution of Epirus, 46100 Igoumenitsa, Greece; Laboratory of Ecology and Systematics, Biology Department, University of Athens, Zografou University Campus, 15784 Athens, Greece.
⁶ Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture, Technological Educational Institution of Epirus, 46100 Igoumenitsa, Greece; Department of Civil Engineering, Polytechnic School, Democritus University of Thrace, 67100 Xanthi, Greece.
⁷ Laboratory of Ecology and Systematics, Biology Department, University of Athens, Zografou University Campus, 15784 Athens, Greece.
⁸ Institute of Oceanography, Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, P.O. Box 2214, 71003, Heraklion, Greece. Electronic address: tsapakis@hcmr.gr.

PMID: 26478459
DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2015.09.035

Abstract

Biological and geochemical variables in the water column and sediments were monitored along a transect of a mussel farm located in a transitional environment in Maliakos Gulf, a semi-enclosed gulf in eastern Mediterranean. Analyses of water, sediment and macrofauna samples were used to calculate ecological status indicators in the context of the European Water Framework Directive. The water column ecological status was "Poor" or "Bad" showing little change with distance from the farm, but the ecological status of the benthic communities was found to be "Good," although there were quantitative changes in macrofaunal indices with distance from the farm.

Keywords: Benthic habitats; Ecological indicators; Mussel farming; Transitional environment; Water column.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Animals
Aquaculture / methods*
Bivalvia*
Ecosystem
Environment*
Environmental Monitoring
Mediterranean Sea
Water Quality