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Recent evolution of the physical–chemical characteristics of a Site of National Interest—the Mar Piccolo of Taranto (Ionian Sea)—and changes over the last 20 years

  • Integrated environmental characterization of the contaminated marine coastal area of Taranto, Ionian Sea (southern Italy) - the RITMARE Project
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Abstract

The Mar Piccolo of Taranto, classified as a ‘Site of National Interest’ (SIN), is a semi-enclosed basin divided into two inlets with lagoon features and sea influences, seriously affected by anthropic activities. In the framework of the RITMARE project, a study has been carried out to evaluate the functionality of this ecosystem. As part of this work, measurements of the water abiotic parameters were performed in order to assess the physical–chemical features of this area after the activation, in the last decade, of treatment plants for various urban and industrial dumping. Seawater intrusions and continental inputs, as well as several submarine freshwater springs, clearly affect physical–chemical characteristics of the water column in the two inlets. This finding suggests that small-scale patterns in water circulation have the potential to influence the chemical properties of the seawater. The comparison with a 20-year dataset reveals a drastic decrease in nutrient concentrations after the year 2000, validating the functionality of the treatment plants. The reduction of nutrient inputs into the basin (up to −90 % in the first inlet characterized by lower hydraulic residence time) has changed the biogeochemical characteristics of the Mar Piccolo from being relatively eutrophic to moderately oligotrophic.

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Acknowledgments

The activities described in this publication were funded by the Project Bandiera RITMARE - La Ricerca Italiana per il Mare coordinated by the National Research Council and funded by the Ministry for Education, University and Research within the National Research Programme 2011–2013. The authors are warmly grateful to Nicola Cardellicchio and the team of the IAMC institute, section of Taranto, for their logistical support and hospitality. We would like to thank Gianmarco Ingrosso for helping in statistical elaborations and the Servizio Protezione Civile of Puglia (http://www.protezionecivile.puglia.it/centro-funzionale) for rainfall data supply. Four anonymous reviewers are warmly acknowledged for their helpful suggestions, which improved the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Sezione Oceanografia, OGS (Istituto Nazionale di Oceanografia e Geofisica Sperimentale), Via A. Piccard 54, 34151, Trieste, Italy

    Martina Kralj, Cinzia De Vittor, Cinzia Comici, Federica Relitti, Rocco Auriemma & Paola Del Negro

  2. Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, Via L. Giorgieri 10, 34127, Trieste, Italy

    Federica Relitti

  3. Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Istituto Ambiente Marino Costiero (IAMC), Via Roma 3, 74123, Taranto, Italy

    Giorgio Alabiso

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  1. Martina Kralj
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  2. Cinzia De Vittor
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  3. Cinzia Comici
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  4. Federica Relitti
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  5. Rocco Auriemma
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  6. Giorgio Alabiso
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  7. Paola Del Negro
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Correspondence to Martina Kralj.

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Kralj, M., De Vittor, C., Comici, C. et al. Recent evolution of the physical–chemical characteristics of a Site of National Interest—the Mar Piccolo of Taranto (Ionian Sea)—and changes over the last 20 years. Environ Sci Pollut Res 23, 12675–12690 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-015-5198-8

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