Long-term dynamics in nutrients, chlorophyll a and water quality parameters in the Lagoon of Venice

Abstract

Since 1997, CNR-ISMAR has been collecting monthly hydrochemical and phytoplankton data in the northern and central basins of the Lagoon of Venice. The data have been part of the International Long-Term Ecosystem Research (LTER) database since 2007, helping to fill a gap in lagoon environmental studies. Analysing our time series (1998-2017), we were able to observe a rise in water temperature due to climate trends, a reduction in trophic status mainly due to the lower input of inorganic dissolved nitrogen nutrients and an increase in transparency and dissolved oxygen related to the increased biomass of macrophytes (macroalgae and seagrasses). Finally, a reduction in phytoplankton biomass and an accompanying increase in seagrass and macroalgal cover were observed. Present and future studies will help to evaluate the ways in which the Lagoon of Venice ecosystem responds to anthropogenic pressures and global climate change.