title: Environmental quality assessment of Grand Harbour (Valletta, Maltese Islands): a case study of a busy harbour in the Central Mediterranean Sea.
abstract: Contamination levels by plastic debris, trace elements and persistent organic pollutants were assessed and related to macrobenthic diversity within soft bottoms of Grand Harbour (Malta, Central Mediterranean). Sediment toxicity was evaluated by ecotoxicological method, deploying Bacteria (Vibrio fischeri), Echinodermata (Paracentrotus lividus) and Crustacea (Corophium orientale). Univariate analysis (Pearson's test) was used to test relationships between biodiversity indices, pollutants and grain size. A multivariate approach (PERMANOVA) was applied to investigate for any significant differences among sampling stations concerning plastic abundances and to test the relationship between infaunal abundances and pollutant concentrations (the BIOENV test). Significant differences in the plastic abundances were found between sampling stations. The lowest value for Shannon-Wiener biodiversity index was associated to the highest sediment pollution level. Multivariate analyses suggest that MBT and TBT were factors that most influenced macrozoobenthic abundance and biodiversity. The bivalve Corbula gibba and the introduced polychaete Monticellina dorsobranchialis were the most abundant found species.
authors.affiliation: ISPRA, Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, STS Palermo, Laboratory of Ichthyology and Marine Ecology, Milazzo, Messina, Italy. teresa.romeo@isprambiente.it.
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Romeo
authors.affiliation: ISPRA, Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, STS Palermo, Laboratory of Ichthyology and Marine Ecology, Milazzo, Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Michela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: D'Alessandro
authors.affiliation: ISPRA, Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, STS Palermo, Laboratory of Ichthyology and Marine Ecology, Milazzo, Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Valentina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Esposito
authors.affiliation: ISPRA, Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, STS Palermo, Laboratory of Ichthyology and Marine Ecology, Milazzo, Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Gianfranco
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Scotti
authors.affiliation: ISPRA, Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, Chioggia, Italy.
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Berto
authors.affiliation: ISPRA, Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, Chioggia, Italy.
authors.forename: Malgorzata
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Formalewicz
authors.affiliation: ISPRA, Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, Chioggia, Italy.
authors.forename: Seta
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Noventa
authors.affiliation: ISPRA, Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, Livorno, Italy.
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Giuliani
authors.affiliation: ISPRA, Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, Livorno, Italy.
authors.forename: Simona
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Macchia
authors.affiliation: ISPRA, Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, Livorno, Italy.
authors.forename: Davide
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sartori
authors.affiliation: ARPA, Regional Agency for Environmental Protection, UO Siracusa, Italy.
authors.forename: Angelo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mazzola
authors.affiliation: ISPRA, Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, STS Palermo, Laboratory of Ichthyology and Marine Ecology, Milazzo, Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Franco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Andaloro
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Messina, Viale Stagno d'Alcontres, 31, Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Salvatore
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Giacobbe
authors.affiliation: Physical Oceanography Unit, University of Malta, Msida, Malta, Italy.
authors.forename: Alan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Deidun
authors.affiliation: Bioscience Research Center, Via Aurelia Vecchia, 32, Orbetello, Grosseto, Italy.
authors.forename: Monia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Renzi
mesh_terms: D048908:Aliivibrio fischeri; D033304:Amphipoda; D000818:Animals; D044822:Biodiversity; D054750:Ecotoxicology; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D019015:Geologic Sediments; D062312:Islands; D008522:Mediterranean Sea; D047328:Paracentrotus; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
keywords: Anthropogenic impact; Central Mediterranean Sea; Harbour sediment; Microplastics; Multivariate statistics; Non-indigenous species