engleski

Trophic state of Boka Kotorska Bay (south-eastern Adriatic Sea)

Boka Kotorska bay is a unique coastal ecosystem in the south-eastern Adriatic Sea that has been recently under the increasing influence of human activities. In this paper, we investigated the temporal distribution of biological and environmental parameters and the trophic state of the Bay. Sampling was conducted weekly from March 2008 to February 2009 in the inner part of the Bay (Kotor Bay). The phytoplankton biomass ranged between < 1 to > 4 µg l-1 chlorophyll a (Chl a), reaching maximum values in the late winter and spring period. On the basis of Chl a and nutrient concentrations, the study area can be defined oligo-mesotrophic. Two indicators of the trophic state, trophic index - TRIX and the pigment ratio - Fp were calculated from the available physiochemical and biological data. The TRIX value ranged from 3.02 to 5.58 (average 4.11 + 0.66) while the Fp ratio varied between 0.05 and 0.33 (average 0.17 + 0.08). These results indicate a system that is in a good trophic state, where natural eutrophication still dominates over eutrophication of an anthropogenic origin.

nutrients; chlorophyll a; eutrophication; TRIX; Fp; Adriatic Sea

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