title: Food web of a confined and anthropogenically affected coastal basin (the Mar Piccolo of Taranto) revealed by carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes analyses.
abstract: Carbon and nitrogen stable isotope analysis was used to examine the food web of the Mar Piccolo of Taranto, a coastal basin experiencing several anthropogenic impacts. Main food sources (algal detritus, seaweeds, particulate organic matter (POM) and sediment organic matter (SOM)) and benthic and pelagic consumers were collected during two contrasting seasons (June and April), at four sites distributed over two inlets, and characterized by different level of confinements, anthropogenic inputs and the presence of mussels farming. δ(13)C values of organic sources revealed an important contribution of POM to both planktonic and benthic pathways, as well as the influence of terrigenous inputs within both inlets, probably due to high seasonal land runoff. Although δ(13)C of both sources and consumers varied little between sampling sites and dates, δ(15)N spatial variability was higher and clearly reflected the organic enrichment in the second inlet as well as the uptake of anthropogenically derived material by benthic consumers. On the other hand, within the first inlet, the isotopic composition of consumers did not change in response to chemical contamination. However, the impact of polluted sediments near the Navy Arsenal in the first inlet was detectable at the level of the macrobenthic trophic structure, showing high dominance of motile, upper level consumers capable to face transient conditions and the reduction of the more resident deposit feeders. We therefore underline the great potential of matching stable isotope analysis with quantitative studies of community structure to assess the effects of multiple anthropogenic stressors.
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Scienze Marine - Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (ISMAR - CNR), Arsenale - Tesa 104, Castello 2737/F, 30122, Venezia, Italy. lucia.bongiorni@ve.ismar.cnr.it.
authors.forename: Lucia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bongiorni
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Scienze Marine - Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (ISMAR - CNR), Arsenale - Tesa 104, Castello 2737/F, 30122, Venezia, Italy.
authors.forename: Federica
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Fiorentino
authors.affiliation: OGS (Istituto Nazionale di Oceanografia e Geofisica Sperimentale di Oceanografia), Sezione Oceanografia, Via A. Piccard 54, 34151, Trieste, Italy.
authors.forename: Rocco
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Auriemma
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Scienze Marine - Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (ISMAR - CNR), Arsenale - Tesa 104, Castello 2737/F, 30122, Venezia, Italy.
authors.forename: Fabrizio Bernardi
authors.initials: FB
authors.lastname: Aubry
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Scienze Marine - Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (ISMAR - CNR), Arsenale - Tesa 104, Castello 2737/F, 30122, Venezia, Italy.
authors.forename: Elisa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Camatti
authors.affiliation: Piattaforma Isotopi Stabili e Tracciabilità, Dipartimento Qualità Alimentare e Nutrizione, Fondazione E. Mach - Istituto Agrario di San Michele all'Adige, Via Mach 1, 38010 San Michele all'Adige, Trento, Italy.
authors.forename: Federica
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Camin
authors.affiliation: OGS (Istituto Nazionale di Oceanografia e Geofisica Sperimentale di Oceanografia), Sezione Oceanografia, Via A. Piccard 54, 34151, Trieste, Italy.
authors.forename: Federica
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Nasi
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Scienze Marine - Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (ISMAR - CNR), Arsenale - Tesa 104, Castello 2737/F, 30122, Venezia, Italy.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pansera
authors.affiliation: Piattaforma Isotopi Stabili e Tracciabilità, Dipartimento Qualità Alimentare e Nutrizione, Fondazione E. Mach - Istituto Agrario di San Michele all'Adige, Via Mach 1, 38010 San Michele all'Adige, Trento, Italy.
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ziller
authors.affiliation: Observatoire, Séries Faune-Flore, UMS 3113 CNRS, Institut Universitaire Européen de la Mer, rue Dumont d'Urville, 29280, Plouzané, France.
authors.forename: Jacques
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Grall
mesh_terms: D059001:Aquatic Organisms / Q000502:physiology*; D002247:Carbon Isotopes / Q000032:analysis; D020387:Food Chain; D007558:Italy; D009587:Nitrogen Isotopes / Q000032:analysis; D012621:Seasons
chemical_list: D002247:Carbon Isotopes; D009587:Nitrogen Isotopes
keywords: Anthropogenic pressures; Feeding guilds; Food webs; Macrofauna; Stable isotopes; Zooplankton