Marine plankton community and net primary production responding to island-trapped waves in a stratified oligotrophic ecosystem.

The oligotrophic Adriatic Sea is characterized during a typical summer by low productivity caused by strong water column stratification, which inhibits vertical mixing and nutrient supply to the euphotic zone. These conditions can be disrupted by transient physical forcing, which enhances nutrient fluxes and creates localized hotspots of relatively high net primary production. In this study, plankton abundance and diversity were investigated in relation to the physical forcing and nutrient concentrations in an area affected by island-trapped waves (ITWs) near Lastovo Island (Adriatic Sea).

An emergency situation for pen shells in the Mediterranean: The Adriatic Sea, one of the last Pinna nobilis shelters, is now affected by a mass mortality event.

We identified areas with high individual densities of the pen shell, Pinna nobilis, in two areas along the Croatian Adriatic coast. The surveys carried out in 2018 and 2019 showed population densities of approximately 9 to 13 individuals/100 m. However, in 2019 a mass mortality event (MME) causing 36% to 100% mortality of this bivalve species was observed in the surveyed Croatian bays.

Marine litter in sediments related to ecological features in impacted sites and marine protected areas (Croatia).

This study estimates levels of marine litter including plastics (macro-, meso- and microplastics) in sediments collected in shallow marine water from Croatia (Central Adriatic Sea). Selected sampling areas are characterized by different human pressure: Silba is highly stressed by tourism while Grebena is listed as marine protected area (MPA) of future institution. Obtained results on marine litter in sediments are correlated to ecological features recorded in each sampling site.

Plastic litter in sediments from the Croatian marine protected area of the natural park of Telaščica bay (Adriatic Sea).

This paper reports baseline levels of litter (macro, meso and microplastics) in sediments collected from different areas of the Croatian MPA of the Natural Park of Telaščica bay (Adriatic Sea, GSA n. 17). The distribution of total abundance according to size, for all analysed locations evidences that microplastics are the dominant fraction concerning item's numbers.

Plastic litter in sediments from a marine area likely to become protected (Aeolian Archipelago's islands, Tyrrhenian sea).

This research aims to define for the first time levels and patterns of different litter groups (macro, meso and microplastics) in sediments from a marine area designed for the institution of a new marine protected area (Aeolian Archipelago, Italy). Microplastics resulted the principal group and found in all samples analyzed, with shape and colours variable between different sampling sites. MPs levels measured in this study are similar to values recorded in harbour sites and lower than reported in Adriatic Sea, while macroplastics levels are notably lower than in harbor sites.