title: Impact evaluation of the industrial activities in the Bay of Bakar (Adriatic Sea, Croatia): recent benthic foraminifera and heavy metals.
abstract: The Bay of Bakar is one of the most heavily polluted bays at the Eastern Adriatic. Three major industrial companies potentially endanger the bay. The concentration of major, minor and trace elements in surface sediments from thirteen stations was discussed in relation to the sediment type and foraminiferal assemblages. The distribution of major elements in the bay is influenced by geological nature of surroundings. Heavy metal distribution depends on pollution sources and on amount of mud fraction: fine-grained sediments are enriched by them in comparison with coarse-grained ones. Different sediment quality criteria complicate the pollution assessment in the bay. Heavy metal concentrations generally fall into allowed depositional values for marine environments; only area in front of the coke plant and the City of Bakar harbor is heavily polluted. Stress-tolerant foraminiferal species dominate at stations with higher concentrations of heavy metals and coarse-grained sediments consist of larger number of epifaunal taxa.
authors.affiliation: Center for Marine Research Rovinj, Ruder Bosković Institute, Giordano Paliaga 5, 52 210 Rovinj, Croatia.
authors.forename: Adriana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Popadić
authors.forename: Jelena
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vidović
authors.forename: Vlasta
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Cosović
authors.forename: Davorin
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Medaković
authors.forename: Matej
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dolenec
authors.forename: Igor
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Felja
mesh_terms: D061006:Bays / Q000737:chemistry; D017523:Croatia; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D056908:Foraminifera / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000254:growth & development; D019015:Geologic Sediments; D007221:Industry; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000032:analysis*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*; D014877:Water Pollution, Chemical
chemical_list: D019216:Metals, Heavy; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
keywords: Adriatic Sea; Foraminifera; Major, minor and trace elements; Pollution; Sediment