title: Effects of fish farm loading on sea grass Posidonia oceanica at Vrgada Island (Central Adriatic): a nitrogen stable isotope study.
abstract: Analyses of nitrogen stable isotopes in the marine sea grass Posidonia oceanica were used to investigate the influence of fish farming on the coastal ecosystem of Vrgada Island in the Murter Sea, Central Adriatic. The results show a statistically significant 15N enrichment (up to 4.7 per thousand at p < 0.005) in P. oceanica leaf and shoot tissues from fish cage sites with respect to the unaffected offshore reference site of Lumbarda Reef Flat (Kornati Islands). Heavy nitrogen enrichment was also detected in other benthic organisms analysed during this study and is attributed to the absorption and assimilation of 15N-enriched fish farm derived nitrogen waste.
authors.affiliation: Department of Geology, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Engineering, Askerceva 12, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Tadej
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Dolenec
authors.forename: Sonja
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lojen
authors.forename: Zivana
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Lambasa
authors.forename: Matej
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dolenec
mesh_terms: D035961:Alismatales / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D001492:Bass / Q000254:growth & development; D017523:Croatia; D017753:Ecosystem; D004777:Environment; D019083:Mediterranean Region; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000737:chemistry*; D009587:Nitrogen Isotopes / Q000737:chemistry*; D010473:Perciformes / Q000254:growth & development*; D021541:Sea Bream / Q000254:growth & development; D012623:Seawater
chemical_list: D009587:Nitrogen Isotopes; D009584:Nitrogen