General Features of Phytoplankton Communities and Primary Production in the Gulf of Naples and Adjacent Waters

Abstract

The Gulf of Naples and that of. Salerno are adjacent coastal embayments with differing basin morphology which open onto the oligotrophic Tyrrhenian Sea (fig. 1). The Gulf of Salerno is open with full access to external waters and has an average depth (260 m)greater than the Gulf of Naples (170 m). The latter Gulf has a more diversified coastline and depth profile. Excluding the Sorrentine peninsula, these regions are characterized by a high anthropogenic load from urban, industrial and agricultural origins. This is particularly true for the Gulf of Naples which is one of the most densely populated areas of the world.