title: Mussel farming in Maliakos Gulf and quality indicators of the marine environment: Good benthic below poor pelagic ecological status.
abstract: Biological and geochemical variables in the water column and sediments were monitored along a transect of a mussel farm located in a transitional environment in Maliakos Gulf, a semi-enclosed gulf in eastern Mediterranean. Analyses of water, sediment and macrofauna samples were used to calculate ecological status indicators in the context of the European Water Framework Directive. The water column ecological status was "Poor" or "Bad" showing little change with distance from the farm, but the ecological status of the benthic communities was found to be "Good," although there were quantitative changes in macrofaunal indices with distance from the farm.
authors.affiliation: Biology Department, University of Crete, Voutes University Campus, 71003 Heraklion, Crete, Greece.
authors.forename: Panagiotis D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Dimitriou
authors.affiliation: Biology Department, University of Crete, Voutes University Campus, 71003 Heraklion, Crete, Greece.
authors.forename: Ioannis
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Karakassis
authors.affiliation: Institute of Oceanography, Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, P.O. Box 2214, 71003, Heraklion, Greece.
authors.forename: Paraskevi
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pitta
authors.affiliation: Institute of Oceanography, Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, P.O. Box 2214, 71003, Heraklion, Greece.
authors.forename: Tatiana Margo
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Tsagaraki
authors.affiliation: Institute of Oceanography, Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, P.O. Box 2214, 71003, Heraklion, Greece.
authors.forename: Eugenia T
authors.initials: ET
authors.lastname: Apostolaki
authors.affiliation: Biology Department, University of Crete, Voutes University Campus, 71003 Heraklion, Crete, Greece; Institute of Oceanography, Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, P.O. Box 2214, 71003, Heraklion, Greece.
authors.forename: Iordanis
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Magiopoulos
authors.affiliation: Biology Department, University of Crete, Voutes University Campus, 71003 Heraklion, Crete, Greece.
authors.forename: Nikolaos
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nikolioudakis
authors.affiliation: Institute of Oceanography, Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, P.O. Box 2214, 71003, Heraklion, Greece.
authors.forename: Santi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Diliberto
authors.affiliation: Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture, Technological Educational Institution of Epirus, 46100 Igoumenitsa, Greece; Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture Technology, Technological Educational Institution of Western Greece, Nea Ktiria, 30200 Messolonghi, Greece.
authors.forename: John A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Theodorou
authors.affiliation: Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture, Technological Educational Institution of Epirus, 46100 Igoumenitsa, Greece; Laboratory of Ecology and Systematics, Biology Department, University of Athens, Zografou University Campus, 15784 Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Ioannis
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Tzovenis
authors.affiliation: Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture, Technological Educational Institution of Epirus, 46100 Igoumenitsa, Greece; Department of Civil Engineering, Polytechnic School, Democritus University of Thrace, 67100 Xanthi, Greece.
authors.forename: Ifigenia
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kagalou
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Ecology and Systematics, Biology Department, University of Athens, Zografou University Campus, 15784 Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Paraskevi
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Beza
authors.affiliation: Institute of Oceanography, Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, P.O. Box 2214, 71003, Heraklion, Greece. Electronic address: tsapakis@hcmr.gr.
authors.forename: Manolis
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tsapakis
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017756:Aquaculture / Q000379:methods*; D049872:Bivalvia; D017753:Ecosystem; D004777:Environment; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D008522:Mediterranean Sea; D060753:Water Quality
keywords: Benthic habitats; Ecological indicators; Mussel farming; Transitional environment; Water column