Multi-use of the sea: A wide array of opportunities from site-specific cases across Europe.

The concept of multi-use of the sea has gained popularity in recent years as a result of ocean space (coastal areas and regions with relatively small sea space in particular) becoming increasingly crowded due to the development of the maritime economy. Competing claims for space can be a source of conflict, however this may also lead to mutual benefits for different users when sustainable combinations are sought. Despite increasing European-wide efforts, on-the-ground knowledge and practice of multi-use are still limited.

Exploring Multi-Use potentials in the Euro-Mediterranean sea space.

European seas are experiencing rapid development. The anthropogenic demand for marine resources and space exerts the need for novel concepts for sustainable resource exploitation and smart space allocation. Multi-Use (MU) is an emerging concept to overcome spatial claims and support Blue Growth, however its actual potentials and current status of implementation in different sea basins is to a large extent unexplored.

The sediments of the Venice Lagoon (Italy) evaluated in a screening risk assessment approach: part II--lagoon sediment quality compared to hot spots, regional, and international case studies.

The objective of this study was to carry out a critical comparison of data on the screening quality of surface sediments in Venice Lagoon (VL; main lagoon and its subbasins, Porto Marghera [PM], and Venice City Canals) and in other transitional and coastal ecosystems with various levels of human impact (urbanization and industrialization). To put VL in terms of reference and industrialized sites in the region, case studies were selected from the North Adriatic Region; to gain insight into how VL sediments compared to transitional areas throughout the world, case studies also were selected from a number of regions internationally. In order to compare regional levels of contamination, statistically processed sediment contaminant levels within a region (minimum, maximum, mean, and median), not individual sample values, are compared.

The sediments of the Venice Lagoon (Italy) evaluated in a screening risk assessment approach: part I--application of international sediment quality guidelines.

A number of studies carried out in recent years have shown the presence of a wide range of contaminants in the Venice Lagoon. It is important to have a good understanding of the ecological quality of Venice Lagoon sediments in order to 1) define and locate areas where a threat to the environment is present and therefore an intervention is needed (i.e.