Assessment of the ecological status of Sicilian coastal waters according to a macroalgae based index (CARLIT) Giancarlo Bellissimo ARPA, Agenzia Regionale per la Protezione dell'Ambiente della Sicilia, Italy Benedetto Sirchia ARPA, Agenzia Regionale per la Protezione dell'Ambiente della Sicilia, Italy Vincenzo Ruvolo ARPA, Agenzia Regionale per la Protezione dell'Ambiente della Sicilia, Italy This is a section of Eighth International Symposium “Monitoring of Mediterranean Coastal Areas. Problems and Measurement Techniques”(DOI: 10.36253/978-88-5518-147-1) by Donatella Carboni, Laura Bonora, Matteo De Vincenzi Firenze University Press Firenze 2020 https://doi.org/10.36253/978-88-5518-147-1.52

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In the frame of the European Water Framework Directive (WFD, 2000/60/EC), a macroalgae based index (CARLIT) was applied along the Sicilian coastal water bodies (WBs) in order to assess for the first time their ecological status and collect accurate information on the distribution and abundance of shallow-water communities, especially of those most sensitive. The ecological quality ratio values, sensu WFD, showed “high”/“good” levels in all WBs with lushy forests of Cystoseira amentacea except two with “moderate” level due to the presence of stress-tolerant species related to local factors.

 CARLIT Cystoseira Ecological status Macroalgae Sicilian coast Water Framework Directive

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