Group of Marine Biology Station (NIB) researchers investigated the potential link between the microbial community dynamics and the environmental parameters in a semi-enclosed and highly dynamic coastal marine ecosystem (Gulf of Trieste, northern Adriatic Sea). Over the two consecutive years, the physical, chemical and biological parameters were sampled with high-temporal and vertical resolution. The statistical analysis of the time-series data was employed to attribute some of the changes observed in the bacterial community to specific environmental conditions. This study emphasizes the prediction power based on association networks that are fed with long-term measurements of microbial and environmental parameters. These interaction maps offer valuable insights into the response of marine ecosystem to climate- and anthropogenic-driven stressors.
COBISS.SI-ID: 3156559
Jellyfish play a key role in many pelagic ecosystems, especially in areas of extensive bloom events. In order to understand their role in pelagic food webs and in biogeochemical cycling, the energy stored and the trophic level occupied by jellyfish must be quantified. To this point, the common protocols applied for quantifying jellyfish biomass and analyzing its biochemical composition have been the same as for crustacean zooplankton, despite the difference in the body composition of the two groups. With the goal of establishing a uniform and reliable protocol for assessing jellyfish biomass, elemental, stable isotope and amino acid pool composition, we compared several methods commonly used in zooplankton ecology. Our results show that jellyfish dry mass varied with ambient salinity changes, thus giving a poor representation of jellyfish biomass. Furthermore, we demonstrated that during oven drying at 60°C the protein rich jellyfish tissue underwent significant changes: samples were depleted in elemental C and N and total amino acid composition and enriched in 15N, when compared to freeze dried samples. We therefore suggest that freeze drying should be selected over oven drying before isotope and total amino acid analysis is applied.
COBISS.SI-ID: 3185999
The climatic circulation of the Gulf of Trieste (northern Adriatic) was studied with a numerical model. In all seasons there is a general inflow into the Gulf of Trieste at its deeper part. In spring and summer, the cyclonic gyre is coupled with an anticyclonic gyre near the closed eastern part of the Gulf. A ‘dome’-like density profile across the Gulf in the inner part of the Gulf above the bottom appears with this circulation. In autumn there is a smaller anticyclonic gyre on its southern side. Near the sea-surface there is a diagonal outflow during winter, driven by the ‘bora’ wind. Citations without autocit. WoS: 9
COBISS.SI-ID: 2005327
Our study aimed to establish potential indicators of fish farming pollution on muddy substrate by means of meiofauna. Harpacticoid copepods and kinorhynchs, whose abundance decreased under the cages, were put forward as indicator taxa. However, harpacticoid copepods were sensitive to fish farm only, while kinorhynchs showed responsiveness to fish farm and to seasonal environmental conditions. The nMDS clearly showed a “cage community” and “control community”, therefore it is a good tool for impact assessment. Citations without autocit. WoS: 22
COBISS.SI-ID: 1972303
In this paper the results of a data base of more than 30 years of field observations on chlorophyll a concentrations combined with the last decade satellite data, are presented. Results demonstrate a global tendency towards chlorophyll a reduction, more marked in the eutrophic area under the influence of the Po River, but detectable also in the Gulf of Trieste. Results are consistent with recently evidenced decrease in concentrations in nutrient concentrations in the Northern Adriatic. results indicate the need to understand the underlying changes in the phytoplankton community. Citations without autocit. WoS: 43
COBISS.SI-ID: 2015055