title: Natural recovery and planned intervention in coastal wetlands: Venice Lagoon (northern Adriatic Sea, Italy) as a case study.
abstract: The goals of conservation and sustainable use of environmental ecosystems have increased the need for detailed knowledge of ecological evolution and responses to both anthropogenic pressures and recovery measures. The present study shows the effects of natural processes and planned intervention in terms of reducing nutrient inputs in a highly exploited coastal lagoon, describing its evolution over a 16-year period from the late 1980s (when eutrophication was at its peak) until 2003. Changes in nutrient and carbon concentrations in the top layer of sediments were investigated in parallel with macroalgal and seagrass biomass in the most anthropized basin of Venice Lagoon in four surveys conducted in accordance with the same protocols in 1987, 1993, 1998, and 2003. A pronounced reduction in trophic state (mainly total nitrogen, organic phosphorus, and organic carbon concentrations) and macroalgal biomass was recorded, together with the progressive expansion of seagrass meadows. General considerations are also made on the effects of Manila clam farming and the shift from illegal to managed clam farming.
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Sciences, Informatics & Statistics, Ca' Foscari University of Venice, Calle Larga Santa Marta 2137, 30123 Venice, Italy.
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-5185-9024
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Facca
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Sciences, Informatics & Statistics, Ca' Foscari University of Venice, Calle Larga Santa Marta 2137, 30123 Venice, Italy.
authors.forename: Sonia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ceoldo
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Sciences, Informatics & Statistics, Ca' Foscari University of Venice, Calle Larga Santa Marta 2137, 30123 Venice, Italy.
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Pellegrino
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Sciences, Informatics & Statistics, Ca' Foscari University of Venice, Calle Larga Santa Marta 2137, 30123 Venice, Italy.
authors.forename: Adriano
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-4685-5894
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sfriso
mesh_terms: D017756:Aquaculture / Q000379:methods; D018533:Biomass; D002244:Carbon / Q000032:analysis; D002947:Cities; D017753:Ecosystem; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D052918:Environmental Restoration and Remediation / Q000379:methods*; D005068:Eutrophication; D062305:Geographic Mapping; D049673:History, 20th Century; D049674:History, 21st Century; D007558:Italy; D058086:Microalgae / Q000502:physiology; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000032:analysis; D010758:Phosphorus / Q000032:analysis; D014876:Water Pollution / Q000266:history* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D053833:Wetlands
chemical_list: D010758:Phosphorus; D002244:Carbon; D009584:Nitrogen