Benthic communities and environmental parameters in three Mediterranean ports (Sardinia, Crete, Tunisia)

Eva Chatzinikolaou; Christos Arvanitidis

doi:10.15468/xrlqx4

Benthic communities and environmental parameters in three Mediterranean ports (Sardinia, Crete, Tunisia)

Citation

Chatzinikolaou E., Arvanitidis C. (2017). Benthic communities and environmental parameters in three Mediterranean ports (Sardinia, Crete, Tunisia). https://doi.org/10.15468/xrlqx4 accessed via GBIF.org on 2024-10-05.

Description

Three seasonal sampling campaigns (winter, summer before touristic period, summer after touristic period) were implemented during 2012 in three Mediterranean touristic ports: Cagliari (Sardinia, Italy), Heraklion (Crete, Greece) and El Kantaoui (Tunisia). Three to five stations were sampled per port, which were part of different port sectors (leisure, fishing, passenger, cargo, shipyard). Three water and three sediment replicate samples were collected per station for analysis of nutrients, pigments and hydrocarbons. One replicate was analysed for physical parameters, heavy metals and granulometry. Five sediment replicates were collected for analysis of benthic biodiversity. Benthic organisms were sorted to the main taxonomic groups (e.g. .Annelida, Mollusca, Arthropoda, Echinodermata) and identified to species level.

Sampling Description

Study Extent

Ports of Cagliari-Sardinia, Heraklion-Crete, El Kantaoui-Tunisia

Sampling

Physical properties of water samples (water temperature, salinity, oxygen, pH) were measured on board with a 3420 WTW multi-meter. Turbidity was measured using a Secchi disk. Redox potential of sediment samples was measured with a SenTix ORP 900 WTW electrode. Sediment temperature was measured using a digital sediment thermometer. Water samples (5L) were collected using plastic containers from the sea surface and analysed for nutrients, pigments, hydrocarbons and heavy metals. Sediment samples were collected using a custom-made hand-operated box corer (13.5 x 13.5 x 16 cm) equipped with a modular expandable handle. For benthos box corer samples were sieved using a 0.5 mm sieve and then fixed and preserved in 5% formaldehyde buffered with seawater. For nutrients, pigments, hydrocarbons, heavy metals and granulometry sediment subsamples were collected using small plastic cores (diameter 4.4 cm).

Method steps

1)Five replicates per station for benthos. 2)Three replicates per station for water and sediment samples: nutrients, pigments, hydrocarbons. 3)One replicate per station for water and sediment samples: physical parameters, heavy metals, granulometry. 4)Water samples were collected from the seawater surface (depth 0-1 m).

Additional info

marine, harvested by iOBIS. Publications: 1)Chatzinikolaou, E., Arvanitidis, C. (2016) Status, values and present threats in Heraklion harbour (Crete, Greece). Regional Studies in Marine Science. 8: 252-258. 2)Chatzinikolaou et al (2017, under review) Benthic biodiversity in three Mediterranean touristic ports. The Science of the Total Environment.

Taxonomic Coverages

Macrobenthos

Annelida
rank: phylum
Mollusca
rank: phylum
Arthropoda
rank: phylum
Echinodermata
rank: phylum
Nematoda
rank: phylum
Sipuncula
rank: phylum
Nemertea
rank: phylum
Cnidaria
rank: phylum

Geographic Coverages

Cagliari: 5 stations (C1,C2,C3,C4,C5). Heraklion: 4 stations(H1,H3,H4,H5). El Kantaoui: 3 stations(E1,E2,E3). The values given below are maximum station depth. At the same time, this is sampling depth for all sediment samples and benthos. C1 = 7.8m, C2 = 4.5m, C3 = 8.3m, C4 = 13.5m, C5 = 11.4m. H1 = 3.7m, H3 = 19.5m, H4 = 10.5m, H5 = 19.0m. E1 = 2.5m, E2 = 4.0m, E3 = 3.2m.

Bibliographic Citations

-

Contacts

Eva Chatzinikolaou
originator
position: Post Doc Researcher
Hellenic Centre for Marine Research - Institute of Marine Biology, Biotechnology and Aquaculture
71003
Telephone: 00302810337741
email: evachatz@hcmr.gr

Christos Arvanitidis
originator
position: Director of Research
Hellenic Centre for Marine Research - Institute of Marine Biology, Biotechnology and Aquaculture
71003
Telephone: 00302810337748
email: arvanitidis@hcmr.gr

Eva Chatzinikolaou
metadata author
position: Post Doc Researcher
Hellenic Centre for Marine Research - Institute of Marine Biology, Biotechnology and Aquaculture
71003
Telephone: 00302810337741
email: evachatz@hcmr.gr

Thanos Dailianis
administrative point of contact
position: Postdoc Researcher
Hellenic Centre for Marine Research - Institute of Marine Biology, Biotechnology and Aquaculture

Manolis Mandalakis
administrative point of contact
position: Postdoc Researcher
Hellenic Centre for Marine Research - Institute of Marine Biology, Biotechnology and Aquaculture

Alessandra Carucci
administrative point of contact
position: professor
University of Cagliari,Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Architecture

Felicita Scapini
administrative point of contact
position: Professor
Department of Biology, University of Florence
via Romana 17, 50125 Firenze, Italy
Firenze
50125
IT

Claudia Rossano
administrative point of contact
position: Postdoc Researcher
Department of Biology, University of Florence
via Romana 17, 50125 Firenze, Italy
Firenze
IT

Simone Gambineri
administrative point of contact
position: PhD
Department of Biology, University of Florence
via Romana 17, 50125 Firenze, Italy
Firenze
IT

Giovanna Cappai
administrative point of contact
position: Associate Professor
University of Cagliari,Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Architecture

Panagiotis Damianidis
administrative point of contact
position: Postdoc Researcher
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Faculty of Science, School of Biology - Department Zoology

Wanda Plaitis
administrative point of contact
position: Research Technician
Hellenic Centre for Marine Research - Institute of Marine Biology, Biotechnology and Aquaculture

Stamatina Nikolopoulou
custodian steward
position: Research Technician
Hellenic Centre for Marine Research - Institute of Marine Biology, Biotechnology and Aquaculture

Dimitra Mavraki
custodian steward
position: Research Technician
Hellenic Centre for Marine Research - Institute of Marine Biology, Biotechnology and Aquaculture

Eva Chatzinikolaou
administrative point of contact
position: Post Doc Researcher
Hellenic Centre for Marine Research - Institute of Marine Biology, Biotechnology and Aquaculture
71003
Telephone: 00302810337741
email: evachatz@hcmr.gr