Monitoraggio degli effetti dell’estrazione di sabbie sulle comunità macrozoobentoniche di fondali pelitici (area A, Adriatico settentrionale) tramite un disegno beyond-BACI

In spring 2007, about 100,000 m3 of sand were dredged from the area A (Northern Adriatic Sea), in which relict sands are covered by a thin layer of fine sediment Taking into account the findings of a previous monitoring plan (2001-2004), the effects of sand extraction on macrozoobenthos were evaluated by means of a beyond-BACI design. The study included three sampling surveys before and three after the dredging. At each survey, seven locations were analyzed, one of which was placed within the dredging area. Data highlighted that the recolonization process at the dredged area started quickly and the complete recovery of the communities required about two years. The design adopted in the present study permitted to distinguish the “natural” from the “sand dredging induced” variability of the benthic communities, giving more robust results respect to those obtained from the 2001-2004 monitoring.