title: Long-term fluctuations in Cystoseira populations along the west Istrian Coast (Croatia) related to eutrophication patterns in the northern Adriatic Sea.
abstract: An exploration of historical data suggested that eutrophication patterns might drive long-term fluctuations in Cystoseira populations along the west Istrian Coast (northern Adriatic Sea, Croatia). The regimes of northern Italian rivers, which flow approximately 100km west of the study area, mainly modulate the eutrophication levels of the northern Adriatic Sea. A regression of Cystoseira populations from the 1970s through the 1990s corresponded to increased levels of eutrophication in the study area. During the late 1990s, the density of sea urchins, which are efficacious macroalgal predators, decreased, likely due to an intense formation of pelagic mucilage aggregates that resulted in mass mortality episodes of macrozoobenthic species. During the 2000-2013 period, an oligotrophication of the northern Adriatic formed the basis for the recovery of Cystoseira taxa, whose abundances from 2009 to 2013 were similar to those characterising the most flourishing Mediterranean Cystoseira assemblages.
authors.affiliation: Ruđer Bošković Institute, Center for Marine Research, G. Paliaga 5, 52210 Rovinj, Croatia. Electronic address: ivesa@cim.irb.hr.
authors.forename: Ljiljana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Iveša
authors.affiliation: Ruđer Bošković Institute, Center for Marine Research, G. Paliaga 5, 52210 Rovinj, Croatia.
authors.forename: Tamara
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Djakovac
authors.affiliation: Ruđer Bošković Institute, Center for Marine Research, G. Paliaga 5, 52210 Rovinj, Croatia.
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Devescovi
mesh_terms: D017523:Croatia; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005068:Eutrophication; D007558:Italy; D008522:Mediterranean Sea; D009659:North Sea; D000459:Phaeophyceae / Q000145:classification* / Q000254:growth & development; D011157:Population Dynamics; D045483:Rivers
keywords: Cystoseira; Eutrophication; Long-term changes; Northern Adriatic Sea; Pelagic mucilage; Sea urchins