Publication Date:
2017-04-04
Description:
This paper presents a long-term time series (1986–2005) of hydrological and biogeochemical data, both published and unpublished. Data were collected in the north-western area of the Adriatic Sea, at two stations that are considered hydrodynamically and trophically different. The time series have been statistically and graphically analysed on a monthly scale in order to study the annual climatologies, links between the concentrations of chlorophyll-a and the variability in the environment, trophic differences between the two areas and chlorophyll-a trends over time. Basically, the two areas have similar hydrological features, yet they present significant differences in the amount of nutrient inputs: these are in fact higher at the coastal site, which is characterized by a prevalence of surface blooms, while they are lower at the offshore station, which is mainly affected by blooms at intermediate depths. Nonetheless, throughout the whole water column, chlorophyll-a concentrations are only slightly different. Both areas are affected by riverine discharge, though chlorophyll-a concentrations are also driven strongly by the seasonal cycle at the station closer to the coast. Results show that the two stations are not trophically different, although some controlling factors, such as zooplankton grazing in one case and light attenuation in the other, may further regulate the growth of phytoplankton. In both cases no significant trends are detected in either the average chlorophyll-a values or in dispersion of the data, in contrast with significant trends in temperature and salinity.
Description:
Data from 1999 to date have been collected
in the framework of the EU programs INTERREG II and INTERREG III Italia-Slovenia. We thank the ISMAR colleagues for having taken part in most of the data collection and also for
critical contributions to the manuscript. L. Tedesco, M. Vichi and G. Socal acknowledge support from the Italian project VECTOR.
We are grateful to three anonymous referees for their critical comments, which helped us to improve the manuscript. R. King is
acknowledged for the language review of this paper and the Editor (E. Boss) for his continued support during the editorial process.
Description:
Published
Description:
673-687
Description:
3.7. Dinamica del clima e dell'oceano
Description:
JCR Journal
Description:
reserved
Keywords:
Adriatic Sea
;
biogeochemistry
;
time-series
;
climate variability
;
03. Hydrosphere::03.04. Chemical and biological::03.04.01. Biogeochemical cycles
;
03. Hydrosphere::03.04. Chemical and biological::03.04.03. Chemistry of waters
;
03. Hydrosphere::03.04. Chemical and biological::03.04.04. Ecosystems
Repository Name:
Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV)
Type:
article
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