This two-year study is the first attempt to analyse the ecological effects of breakwater systems on soft-bottom assemblages along the North Tyrrhenian coast. Differently from previous studies focusing on infauna of on-shore and off-shore sides, we compared the assemblages inhabiting the surrounding soft-bottoms not directly protected by the breakwaters, defining our sampling stations at varying distances from the breakwaters and at constant distance from the coast. Data collected revealed that abundance, species richness and M-AMBI ecological quality differed between northern and southern sides, and were related to distance from structures. Multivariate analyses of relationships between assemblages and abiotic characteristics support this hypothesis. The extension of these effects, that resulted to be weak and limited to a restricted area, could be a consequence of coastal current on local hydrodynamics. This study provides novel and critical information for the management of the coastal defence infrastructure spreading along the western coast of Italy.

The effect of breakwaters on the structure of marine soft-bottom assemblages: A case study from a North-Western Mediterranean basin / Claudia Becchi; Irene Ortolani; Alexander Muir; Stefano Cannicci. - In: MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN. - ISSN 0025-326X. - STAMPA. - 87:(2014), pp. 131-139. [10.1016/j.marpolbul.2014.08.002]

The effect of breakwaters on the structure of marine soft-bottom assemblages: A case study from a North-Western Mediterranean basin

ORTOLANI, IRENE
;
CANNICCI, STEFANO
2014

Abstract

This two-year study is the first attempt to analyse the ecological effects of breakwater systems on soft-bottom assemblages along the North Tyrrhenian coast. Differently from previous studies focusing on infauna of on-shore and off-shore sides, we compared the assemblages inhabiting the surrounding soft-bottoms not directly protected by the breakwaters, defining our sampling stations at varying distances from the breakwaters and at constant distance from the coast. Data collected revealed that abundance, species richness and M-AMBI ecological quality differed between northern and southern sides, and were related to distance from structures. Multivariate analyses of relationships between assemblages and abiotic characteristics support this hypothesis. The extension of these effects, that resulted to be weak and limited to a restricted area, could be a consequence of coastal current on local hydrodynamics. This study provides novel and critical information for the management of the coastal defence infrastructure spreading along the western coast of Italy.
2014
87
131
139
Claudia Becchi; Irene Ortolani; Alexander Muir; Stefano Cannicci
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Utilizza questo identificatore per citare o creare un link a questa risorsa: https://hdl.handle.net/2158/895920
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