title: 'The past is the future of the present': Learning from long-time series of marine monitoring.
abstract: Using a long-term (1995-2014) monitoring network, from 51 sampling stations in estuaries and coasts of the Basque Country (Bay of Biscay), the objective of this investigation was to assess the responsiveness of 83 variables in water (18), sediments (27), biota (26), phytoplankton (2), macroinvertebrates (5) and fishes (5) to different human pressures and management actions. We used a total of 3247 series of data to analyse trends of improvement and worsening in quality. In a high percentage of the cases, the management actions taken have resulted in positive effects in the environment, as shown by the trend analysis in this investigation. Overall, much more trends of improvement than of worsening have been observed; this is true for almost all the media and biological components studied, with the exception of phytoplankton; and it applies as well to almost all the stations and water bodies, with the exception of those corresponding to areas with water treatment pending of accomplishment. In estuaries with decreasing human pressures during the period, the percentage of series showing quality improvement was higher (approx. 30%) than those showing worsening of quality (12%). Moreover, in those water bodies showing an increase of pressure, variables which can be considered indicators of anthropogenic effects showed negative trends (quality worsening). On the other hand, some of the variables analysed were more affected by natural variability than by changes in pressures. That was the case of silicate, nitrate and suspended solids, which followed trends correlated to salinity, which, in turn, was related to the rainfall regime during the study period.
authors.affiliation: AZTI, Marine Research Division, Herrera Kaia Portualdea s/n, 20110 Pasaia, Spain. Electronic address: aborja@azti.es.
authors.forename: Ángel
authors.initials: Á
authors.lastname: Borja
authors.affiliation: AZTI, Marine Research Division, Herrera Kaia Portualdea s/n, 20110 Pasaia, Spain.
authors.forename: Guillem
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Chust
authors.affiliation: AZTI, Marine Research Division, Herrera Kaia Portualdea s/n, 20110 Pasaia, Spain.
authors.forename: José G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Rodríguez
authors.affiliation: AZTI, Marine Research Division, Herrera Kaia Portualdea s/n, 20110 Pasaia, Spain.
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bald
authors.affiliation: AZTI, Marine Research Division, Herrera Kaia Portualdea s/n, 20110 Pasaia, Spain.
authors.forename: Mª Jesús
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Belzunce-Segarra
authors.affiliation: AZTI, Marine Research Division, Herrera Kaia Portualdea s/n, 20110 Pasaia, Spain.
authors.forename: Javier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Franco
authors.affiliation: AZTI, Marine Research Division, Herrera Kaia Portualdea s/n, 20110 Pasaia, Spain.
authors.forename: Joxe Mikel
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Garmendia
authors.affiliation: AZTI, Marine Research Division, Herrera Kaia Portualdea s/n, 20110 Pasaia, Spain.
authors.forename: Joana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Larreta
authors.affiliation: AZTI, Marine Research Division, Herrera Kaia Portualdea s/n, 20110 Pasaia, Spain.
authors.forename: Iratxe
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Menchaca
authors.affiliation: AZTI, Marine Research Division, Herrera Kaia Portualdea s/n, 20110 Pasaia, Spain.
authors.forename: Iñigo
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Muxika
authors.affiliation: AZTI, Marine Research Division, Herrera Kaia Portualdea s/n, 20110 Pasaia, Spain.
authors.forename: Oihana
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Solaun
authors.affiliation: AZTI, Marine Research Division, Herrera Kaia Portualdea s/n, 20110 Pasaia, Spain.
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Revilla
authors.affiliation: AZTI, Marine Research Division, Herrera Kaia Portualdea s/n, 20110 Pasaia, Spain.
authors.forename: Ainhize
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Uriarte
authors.affiliation: AZTI, Marine Research Division, Herrera Kaia Portualdea s/n, 20110 Pasaia, Spain.
authors.forename: Victoriano
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Valencia
authors.affiliation: AZTI, Marine Research Division, Herrera Kaia Portualdea s/n, 20110 Pasaia, Spain.
authors.forename: Izaskun
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Zorita
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D059001:Aquatic Organisms / Q000737:chemistry*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D063366:Estuaries; D005399:Fishes / Q000378:metabolism; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000032:analysis; D007448:Invertebrates / Q000737:chemistry; D010839:Phytoplankton / Q000737:chemistry; D012623:Seawater / Q000032:analysis; D013030:Spain; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*; D060753:Water Quality
chemical_list: D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
keywords: Basque Country; Biological monitoring; Human pressures; Management actions; Phyisico-chemical monitoring