97
nearshore areas and offshore waters in most cases bordered near the
coast. After heavy rainfalls,influence of land runoff probably extended
further offshore but unfortunately no data are available for these rainy
periods.
III. Concluding remarks
The considerable spatial and temporal variability of phytoplankton
communities in the Gulfs of Naples and Salerno makes it difficult to
generalize these data for other coastal areas. This difficulty, a common
feature for the Hediterranean as a whole, is due to the complexity of
the basin, hydrological regimes and variability in anthropogenic inputs.
Although available information does not allow for the formulation of a
general model, a comparison can be made between the existing data and
those recorded for other Mediterranean areas. t'7i th the exclusion of the
Adriatic Sea (Gilmartin and Revelante, 1980), phytoplankton biomass and
production values for the Eastern ~ledi terranean are generally lower than
those recorded in our region. In fact, the Eastern Mediterranean is
considered an oligotrophic basin with low phytoplankton biomass and
production (Sournia, 1973; Becacos-Kontos, 1977) accompanied by low
zooplankton biomass (Scotto di Carlo and Ianora, 1983).
Our data for phytoplankton biomass and production generally fell
wi thin or slightly above the values recorded for the tvestern Medi terranean (see for instance Castellvl and Ballester, 1981; Estrada, 1981;
Kim, 1980; Magazzu, 1980). However those values measured in the vicinity of urban settlements were unusually high for the Mediterranean. In
particular, data reported for eutrophied (Benon et al., 1977) and upwelling areas (Jacques et al., 1973) for the North Western t·1editerranean
never reached the maxima observed during the summer blooms in the Gulf
of Naples nor in the Gulf of Salerno.
However, even when data of the Western Mediterranean fell within
the same range, the driving forces determining the structure and production of phytoplankton communities were so complex that any comparison appears at this time haphazardous.
nearshore areas and offshore waters in most cases bordered near the
coast. After heavy rainfalls,influence of land runoff probably extended
further offshore but unfortunately no data are available for these rainy
periods.
III. Concluding remarks
The considerable spatial and temporal variability of phytoplankton
communities in the Gulfs of Naples and Salerno makes it difficult to
generalize these data for other coastal areas. This difficulty, a common
feature for the Hediterranean as a whole, is due to the complexity of
the basin, hydrological regimes and variability in anthropogenic inputs.
Although available information does not allow for the formulation of a
general model, a comparison can be made between the existing data and
those recorded for other Mediterranean areas. t'7i th the exclusion of the
Adriatic Sea (Gilmartin and Revelante, 1980), phytoplankton biomass and
production values for the Eastern ~ledi terranean are generally lower than
those recorded in our region. In fact, the Eastern Mediterranean is
considered an oligotrophic basin with low phytoplankton biomass and
production (Sournia, 1973; Becacos-Kontos, 1977) accompanied by low
zooplankton biomass (Scotto di Carlo and Ianora, 1983).
Our data for phytoplankton biomass and production generally fell
wi thin or slightly above the values recorded for the tvestern Medi terranean (see for instance Castellvl and Ballester, 1981; Estrada, 1981;
Kim, 1980; Magazzu, 1980). However those values measured in the vicinity of urban settlements were unusually high for the Mediterranean. In
particular, data reported for eutrophied (Benon et al., 1977) and upwelling areas (Jacques et al., 1973) for the North Western t·1editerranean
never reached the maxima observed during the summer blooms in the Gulf
of Naples nor in the Gulf of Salerno.
However, even when data of the Western Mediterranean fell within
the same range, the driving forces determining the structure and production of phytoplankton communities were so complex that any comparison appears at this time haphazardous.