14 Italy - The Orbetello Lagoon
and the Tuscan Coast
V. BOMBELd and M. LENzr2
14.1 Introduction
In the past 20 years, the Tyrrhenian coast has suffered from increasing
human activities, leading to environmental changes including trophic
conditions.
Because of this development, serious environmental problems have
affected the Orbetello Lagoon, which is the largest brackish water basin
of the Italian west coast (Fig. 14.1). Hypertrophic conditions have had
severe consequences: during several months of the year, conditions under which shlphur occurs with development of reducing and toxic substances (H 2 S, CO, CH 2 0H, CH 4 ) are common, resulting in a drastic reduction of species numbers and fish kills. With the development of
muddy bottoms, murrains occurred.
In the last 15 years, these conditions have led to deep changes in the
structure of the benthic macrophyte communi\ties. In the past 4-5 years,
macro algal blooms have become important events, repeatedly resulting
in the developing anoxia and dystrophia after decomposition of the plant
material.
Risk of eutrophication is also possible on a wider scale in the open
coastal Thyrrenian Sea, as a result of offshore discharge of wastewaters
from the densely populated region, without tertiary treatment steps for
nutrient reduction.
1 KOBA Company (Biomass Provision and Conversion), via del BolIo 4, 20134 Milano,
Italy
2Laboratorio die Ecologia Lagunare e Acquacoltura via Leopardi 15, 58015 Orbetello
(Gr.), Italy
Ecological Studies, Vol. 123
Schramm/Nienhuis (eds) Marine Benthic Vegetation
© Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 1996
and the Tuscan Coast
V. BOMBELd and M. LENzr2
14.1 Introduction
In the past 20 years, the Tyrrhenian coast has suffered from increasing
human activities, leading to environmental changes including trophic
conditions.
Because of this development, serious environmental problems have
affected the Orbetello Lagoon, which is the largest brackish water basin
of the Italian west coast (Fig. 14.1). Hypertrophic conditions have had
severe consequences: during several months of the year, conditions under which shlphur occurs with development of reducing and toxic substances (H 2 S, CO, CH 2 0H, CH 4 ) are common, resulting in a drastic reduction of species numbers and fish kills. With the development of
muddy bottoms, murrains occurred.
In the last 15 years, these conditions have led to deep changes in the
structure of the benthic macrophyte communi\ties. In the past 4-5 years,
macro algal blooms have become important events, repeatedly resulting
in the developing anoxia and dystrophia after decomposition of the plant
material.
Risk of eutrophication is also possible on a wider scale in the open
coastal Thyrrenian Sea, as a result of offshore discharge of wastewaters
from the densely populated region, without tertiary treatment steps for
nutrient reduction.
1 KOBA Company (Biomass Provision and Conversion), via del BolIo 4, 20134 Milano,
Italy
2Laboratorio die Ecologia Lagunare e Acquacoltura via Leopardi 15, 58015 Orbetello
(Gr.), Italy
Ecological Studies, Vol. 123
Schramm/Nienhuis (eds) Marine Benthic Vegetation
© Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 1996