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Natural variability and reference conditions: setting type-specific classification boundaries for lagoon macroinvertebrates in the Mediterranean and Black Seas

  • WATER BODIES IN EUROPE
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Abstract

The ecological status classification of aquatic ecosystems using biological indices requires a number of steps, including the description and standardisation of the indices’ natural variability. Here, we address this point with reference to selected Mediterranean and Black Sea lagoons, using benthic macroinvertebrates in order to: (i) explore the drivers and extent of the indices’ natural variability; (ii) evaluate lagoon type-specific reference conditions and related classification boundaries; (iii) test the classification strength of the derived boundaries; and, (iv) propose recommendations for optimising ecological status classification. The considered indices showed large variation between and within the reference lagoons on both spatial and temporal scales. Among the tested descriptors of the proposed lagoon typologies, surface area, confinement and water salinity were found to be significant sources of index variability. Type-specific reference conditions and classification boundaries were then defined, improving the accuracy of ecological status assessment. At the lagoon level, classification strength increased up to 100 % in reference (least disturbed) lagoons and up to 83 % in an independent validation set of highly disturbed sites. Nevertheless, a certain degree of uncertainty was still found to affect classification at the study site level. Recommendations concerning the application of the various approaches to type-specific reference conditions and classification boundaries are given.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Joxe Mikel Garmendia, José Germán Rodríguez (both from AZTI-Tecnalia, Spain) and Antoaneta Trayanova (from IO-BAS, Bulgaria) for providing data and supporting computation of multimetric indices, and ARPA Puglia for their permission to use regional monitoring data to support WISER activities. The original data were collected thanks to the TWReferenceNet project and Regional Monitoring of transitional waters in Puglia. This article was supported by the following projects: INTERREG IIIB CADSES TWReferenceNet, MIUR PRIN08 and WISER (Water bodies in Europe: Integrative Systems to assess Ecological status and Recovery), funded by the European Union under the 7th Framework Programme, Theme 6 (Environment including Climate Change) (Contract No. 226273), www.wiser.eu.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Technologies, University of Salento, 73100, Lecce, Italy

    Alberto Basset & Ilaria Rosati

  2. Marine Research Division, AZTI-Tecnalia, Herrera Kaia, Portualdea s/n, 20110, Pasaia, Spain

    Angel Borja & Iñigo Muxika

  3. DSS University of Rome La Sapienza, P.le Aldo Moro 5, 00185, Rome, Italy

    Giovanna Jona-Lasinio

  4. IMAR—Institute of Marine Research, Marine and Environmental Research Centre, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Largo Marquês de Pombal, 3004-517, Coimbra, Portugal

    João Carlos Marques, João Magalhães Neto & Heliana Teixeira

  5. Institute of Estuarine & Coastal Studies, University of Hull, Cottingham Road, Hull, HU6 7RX, UK

    Michael Elliott & Krysia Mazik

  6. ARPA Puglia – Puglia Regional Environmental Protection Agency, Corso Trieste 27, 70100, Bari, Italy

    Enrico Barbone

  7. Institute of Oceanography, HCMR, 47km Athinon-Souniou, 1903, Anavyssos, Greece

    Sofia Reizopoulou

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  1. Alberto Basset
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  2. Enrico Barbone
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  3. Angel Borja
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  4. Michael Elliott
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  5. Giovanna Jona-Lasinio
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  6. João Carlos Marques
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  7. Krysia Mazik
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  8. Iñigo Muxika
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  9. João Magalhães Neto
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  10. Sofia Reizopoulou
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  11. Ilaria Rosati
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  12. Heliana Teixeira
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Correspondence to Alberto Basset.

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Guest editors: C. K. Feld, A. Borja, L. Carvalho & D. Hering / Water bodies in Europe: integrative systems to assess ecological status and recovery

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Basset, A., Barbone, E., Borja, A. et al. Natural variability and reference conditions: setting type-specific classification boundaries for lagoon macroinvertebrates in the Mediterranean and Black Seas. Hydrobiologia 704, 325–345 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-012-1273-z

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