Sensitivity of foraminiferal-based indices to evaluate the ecological quality status of marine coastal benthic systems: A case study of the Gulf of Manfredonia (southern Adriatic Sea)
- Resource Type
- Authors
- Fossile; Sabbatini; Spagnoli; Caridi; Dell'Anno; de Marco; Dinelli; Droghini; Tramontana; Negri
- Source
- Marine pollution bulletin. 163 (2021). doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2020.111933
info:cnr-pdr/source/autori:Fossile, E. and Sabbatini, A. and Spagnoli, F. and Caridi, F. and Dell'Anno, A. and de Marco, R. and Dinelli, E. and Droghini, E. and Tramontana, M. and Negri, A./titolo:Sensitivity of foraminiferal-based indices to evaluate the ecological quality status of marine coastal benthic systems: A case study of the Gulf of Manfredonia (southern Adriatic Sea)/doi:10.1016%2Fj.marpolbul.2020.111933/rivista:Marine pollution bulletin./anno:2021/pagina_da:/pagina_a:/intervallo_pagine:/volume:163
- Subject
- 0106 biological sciences
Mediterranean climate
Geologic Sediments
Foraminifera
010501 environmental sciences
Aquatic Science
Mediterranean
Oceanography
01 natural sciences
Metals, Heavy
Biomonitoring
Organic matter
Bathymetry
Transect
Ecosystem
0105 earth and related environmental sciences
chemistry.chemical_classification
Pollutant
biology
Ecology
010604 marine biology & hydrobiology
Foraminifera Biomonitoring Biotic indices Mediterranean Organic matter Heavy metals
biology.organism_classification
Pollution
Biotic indices
Heavy metals
Heavy metal
chemistry
Benthic zone
Biotic indice
Environmental science
Environmental Pollutants
Environmental Monitoring
- Language
- English
This paper aims to compare two foraminiferal based biotic indices generally used to evaluate the ecological quality status (EcoQS): the Foram-AMBI and the Foram Stress Index (FSI). For this purpose, we report the distribution and diversity of living foraminiferal assemblages and the environmental variables from a bathymetric transect in the Southern Adriatic Sea. The two indices agree well with the detected organic enrichment but indicate conflicting EcoQS as the Foram-AMBI detects good environmental conditions, whereas the FSI describes a poor-moderate quality. Many species not assigned (including soft-shelled foraminifera) are to blame for the different results. Also, both foraminiferal-based indices neglect the heavy metal increase encountered in the deepest stations. These findings suggest the need for a more in-depth analysis to improve the ecological status evaluation of marine benthic systems, including other descriptors as chemical pollutants in combination with biotic indices sensitive to organic matter enrichment. ? 2020 Elsevier Ltd