Mediterranean Coastal Site Research Articles

Palaeoenvironmental significance of charophyte gyrogonites from Laguna de Gallocanta (Aragón, Spain)

At a distance of about 170 km from the Mediterranean, the inland salt lake Laguna de Gallocanta (995 m a.s.l.) is an important stop-over for thousands of migratory water birds and represents an athallasic occurrence of Lamprothamnium papulosum (Wallr.) J. Groves and Chara galioides DC., which were recorded growing in the lake until 1990. These two charophyte species are typically also known from Mediterranean coastal brackish water sites. The material studied here consists of (i) gyrogonites collected from surface sediments in Laguna de Gallocanta and (ii) fossil gyrogonites recovered from the upper 35 cm of a 75 cm core obtained from the lake. Detailed morphological and biometrical analysis of L. papulosum is provided and compared with previous data from South France. The size and shape of the gyrogonites from Laguna de Gallocanta differ greatly from populations growing in coastal sites. These differences are considered to be an adaptive morphological response to the particular hydro-chemical conditions prevailing in Laguna de Gallocanta whose salinity is due to the outwash of sulphate-rich waters from the underground. The distribution and frequency changes of the charophyte species along the core profile allow inferring palaeoecological changes marked by lake-level lowering and increasing salinity.

Non-predatory mortality in Mediterranean coastal copepods

Mortality affects the dynamics of zooplankton populations with important effects on trophic interactions and biogeochemical fluxes in marine environments, but is still one of the processes least investigated in the field. In the present study, the non-predatory mortality in copepod assemblages and species was investigated by applying the neutral red staining method to identify and quantify copepod carcasses throughout an annual cycle in a Mediterranean coastal site (station LTER-MC in the inner Gulf of Naples). Carcasses accounted on average for 10.3% (±9.7%) of total copepod abundance and were most abundant in spring, summer and autumn. Carcasses were represented predominantly by copepodites (78.9 ± 22.0%) and occurred more frequently and abundantly in calanoids than in other copepod orders, with interspecific differences in their abundance and temporal patterns. Using carcass abundances from field data and decomposition times from laboratory observations, we estimated non-predatory mortality rates of key calanoids that are common and abundant in Mediterranean coastal waters. Non-predatory mortality rates averaged 0.13 day−1 in Paracalanus parvus, 0.07 day−1 in Clausocalanus spp., 0.06 day−1 in Temora stylifera and 0.04 day−1 in Acartia clausi. Non-predatory mortality rates in these populations were not correlated with temperature, salinity or chlorophyll a.

Comparison of meiofaunal diversity by combined morphological and molecular approaches in a shallow Mediterranean sediment

Fast, accurate and thorough assessments of meiofaunal communities are crucial requirements for ecological studies and routine monitoring of ecosystem status. This study scrutinizes the reliability of the molecular approach through a comparison of morphological and molecular inventories of meiofaunal diversity, with a special focus on nematodes. Sediment samples were collected from a reference coastal Mediterranean site. Metabarcoding analysis was performed using a nuclear marker (small subunit 18S ribosomal RNA) and compared to a morphological analysis performed on the same sample-cores. The results from morphological and molecular inventories differed but were complementary. The molecular analysis revealed a remarkable level of diversity (16 phyla) that exceeded the traditional morphological analysis (10 phyla), showing that meiofaunal diversity can greatly exceed current perceptions. The molecular method proved powerful in detecting the presence of soft-bodied predators, such as Platyhelminthes, possibly reflecting preservation bias in morphological approaches. Even if the molecular inventory identified 57.5% of the sampled diversity, surprisingly, it has not revealed the presence of some nematode genera identified through morphological assessment. While the technique is promising, some further developments are required. As the dominant genus Sabatieria was undetected by the molecular approach, despite being present in the Silva database, improving the knowledge of specific primers should be a priority. Additionally, with 77% of nematode OTUs remaining unassigned at genera level, remedy this lower efficiency requires further investigations to provide DNA-sequences of all morphologically identified species.

Spatiotemporal Dynamics of Total Viable Vibrio spp. in a NW Mediterranean Coastal Area.

A cellular approach combining Direct Viable Counting and Fluorescent In Situ Hybridization using a one-step multiple-probe technique and Solid Phase Cytometry (DVC-FISH-SPC) was developed to monitor total viable vibrios and cover the detection of a large diversity of vibrios. FISH combined three probes in the same assay and targeted sequences located at different positions on the 16S rRNA of Vibrio and Aliivibrio members. We performed a 10-month in situ study to investigate the weekly dynamics of viable vibrios relative to culturable counts at two northwestern Mediterranean coastal sites, and identified the key physicochemical factors for their occurrence in water using a multivariate analysis. Total viable and culturable cell counts showed the same temporal pattern during the warmer season, whereas the ratios between both methods were inverted during the colder seasons (<15°C), indicating that some of the vibrio community had entered into a viable but non-culturable (VBNC) state. We confirmed that Seawater Surface Temperature explained 51–62% of the total variance in culturable counts, and also showed that the occurrence of viable vibrios is controlled by two variables, pheopigment (15%) and phosphate (12%) concentrations, suggesting that other unidentified factors play a role in maintaining viability.

Definition and application of expert knowledge on vegetation pattern, phenology, and seasonality for habitat mapping, as exemplified in a Mediterranean coastal site

Habitats are effective indicators of biodiversity. Remote sensing data and techniques are of great utility for their long-term monitoring. Habitat maps can be derived from land cover (LC) maps through rules obtained from expert knowledge and integrated with in situ data. Spatial (vegetation pattern) and temporal (phenology and water seasonality) relationships were explored and documented to infer reliable rules for LC (according to the Food and Agricultural Organization Land Cover Classification System (FAO-LCCS) taxonomy) to habitat (Annex I to the 92/43 EEC Directive and EUNIS) class translation. A coastal site in southern Italy was considered as study site for the definition and validation of such rules. Phenological data of the plant communities were collected on the basis of vegetation plots randomly distributed within the study site. Water seasonality was extracted from periodical observation of the water surface. Vegetation pattern was analyzed by means of vegetation survey along transects. The potentiality of rules, based on this specific expert knowledge, was tested in an experimental setting for habitat mapping. The overall accuracy of the habitat map was 75.1%. Such a result supports the usefulness of prior expert knowledge for habitat mapping from LCCS classes and disambiguation on one-to-many relations between LC/LU and habitat types.

Seasonal Variations of Total Gaseous Mercury at a French Coastal Mediterranean Site

The seasonal variation and spatial distribution of atmospheric particles at three islands in the Taiwan Strait were investigated. Atmospheric particles (PM10) were collected at three offshore islands (i.e., Kinmen islands, Matsu islands, and Penghu Islands) and two coastal regions (i.e., Xiamen and Fuzhou) in the years of 2008–2012. Field sampling results indicated that the average PM10 concentrations at the Kinmen islands were generally higher than other sampling sites, suggesting that a superimposition phenomenon was regularly observed during the air pollution episodes at Kinmen Islands and Xiamen region. PM10 samples were analyzed for their chemical composition, including water-soluble ions, metallic elements, and carbonaceous content. The most abundant water-soluble ionic species of PM10 were recognized as SO42–, NO3–, and NH4+, indicating that PM10 was mainly composed of secondary inorganic aerosols. Although natural crustal elements dominated the metallic content of PM10, the most abundant anthropogenic metals of PM10 were Zn and Pb. Enrichment factor calculations showed that Ni, Cr, and Zn were the enriched elements emitted mainly from anthropogenic sources. Moreover, the OC concentration of PM10 was always higher than that of EC at all sampling sites. High OC/EC ratios of PM10 were commonly observed at the sampling sites on the Matsu Islands, the Fuzhou region, and the Penghu Islands. Source apportionment results indicated that vehicular exhausts were the main source of PM10, and followed by industrial boilers, secondary aerosols, soil dusts, biomass burning, petrochemical plants, steel plants, oceanic spray, and cement plants at the island and coastal sampling sites in the Taiwan Strait. Highlights ► Investigation of 2 years of TGM at a French coastal Mediterranean site. ► Daily variations of TGM are observed, due to local industrial or urban activities. ► Seasonal variations are due to the dispersion of pollutants in the troposphere. ► High TGM concentrations are due to air masses coming from local or regional sources.

Biomarkers of general stress in mussels as common indicators for marine biomonitoring programmes in Europe: The ICON experience

This study investigated whether general stress biomarkers in mussels can be applied as common first-tier biomarkers in regional biomonitoring programmes in the North Sea (including Iceland) and western Mediterranean Sea. Stress on Stress (SoS) and lysosomal membrane stability (LMS) biomarkers were analysed in resident mussels (Mytilus sp.) from 8 coastal sites and in transplanted mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) from two Spanish Mediterranean coastal sites. The assessment of results, as input to pollution monitoring strategies, was performed jointly for LMS and SoS data from the two regions. Contaminant body burden of the mussels was compared with biomarker results. The results demonstrated that these two general and non-expensive stress biomarkers in mussel can be applied throughout European waters, providing a cost-effective and harmonised approach to screen contaminant-related biological effects within the framework of wide-scale pollution biomonitoring programmes, such as that proposed by the European Union, i.e. the Marine Strategy Framework Directive.

One Year of Vertical Wind Profiles Measurements at a Mediterranean Coastal Site of South Italy

To exploit wind energy both onshore and offshore in coastal area the effect of the coastal discontinuity is important. The shape of the vertical wind profiles and the related c parameter of the Weibull distribution are impacted by the atmospheric internal boundary layers developing from the coast along the wind direction. Here, we present first results: one year of vertical wind speed and direction profiles, monitoring programme at a South Mediterranean coastal site with a wind Lidar ZephIr (ltd). Daily variation of wind speed and direction vertical profiles, vertical Weibull wind distribution c parameter and wind rose are here showed.

Response of rare, common and abundant bacterioplankton to anthropogenic perturbations in a Mediterranean coastal site.

Bacterioplankton communities are made up of a small set of abundant taxa and a large number of low-abundant organisms (i.e. 'rare biosphere'). Despite the critical role played by bacteria in marine ecosystems, it remains unknown how this large diversity of organisms are affected by human-induced perturbations, or what controls the responsiveness of rare compared to abundant bacteria. We studied the response of a Mediterranean bacterioplankton community to two anthropogenic perturbations (i.e. nutrient enrichment and/or acidification) in two mesocosm experiments (in winter and summer). Nutrient enrichment increased the relative abundance of some operational taxonomic units (OTUs), e.g. Polaribacter, Tenacibaculum, Rhodobacteraceae and caused a relative decrease in others (e.g. Croceibacter). Interestingly, a synergistic effect of acidification and nutrient enrichment was observed on specific OTUs (e.g. SAR86). We analyzed the OTUs that became abundant at the end of the experiments and whether they belonged to the rare (<0.1% of relative abundance), the common (0.1-1.0% of relative abundance) or the abundant (>1% relative abundance) fractions. Most of the abundant OTUs at the end of the experiments were abundant, or at least common, in the original community of both experiments, suggesting that ecosystem alterations do not necessarily call for rare members to grow.

Biogeography and Genetic Structure in Populations of a Widespread Lichen (Parmelina tiliacea, Parmeliaceae, Ascomycota).

The genetic diversity and population structure of the foliose lichenized fungus Parmelina tiliacea has been analyzed through its geographical range, including samples from Macaronesia (Canary Islands), the Mediterranean, and Eurosiberia. DNA sequences from the nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer, the mitochondrial large subunit ribosomal RNA gene, and the translation elongation factor 1-α were used as molecular markers. The haplotypes of the three markers and the molecular variance analyses of multilocus haplotypes showed the highest diversity in the Canary Islands, while restricted haplotypes occurred at high frequencies in Mediterranean coastal samples. The multilocus haplotypes formed three unevenly distributed clusters (clusters 1-3). In the Canary Islands all the haplotypes were present in a similar proportion, while the coastal Mediterranean sites had almost exclusively haplotypes of cluster 3; cluster 2 predominated in inland Mediterranean sites; and cluster 1 was more abundant in central and northern Europe (Eurosiberian area). The distribution of clusters is partially explained by climatic factors, and its interaction with local spatial structure, but much of the variation remains unexplained. The high frequency of individuals in the Canary Islands with haplotypes shared with other areas suggests that could be a refugium of genetic diversity, and the high frequency of individuals of the Mediterranean coastal sites with restricted haplotypes indicates that gene flow to contiguous areas may be restricted. This is significant for the selection of areas for conservation purposes, as those with most genetic variation may reflect historical factors and biological properties of the species.

Assessment and application of MODIS ocean and land algorithms for the characterization of aerosol properties over a Mediterranean coastal site

The aerosol optical depth (AOD) and Ångström exponent (α) obtained from MODIS Terra and Aqua over the coastal urban site of Burjassot (Spain) during the period 2002–2011 have been compared with retrievals from AERONET (AErosol RObotic NETwork) and ESR (European Skynet Radiometers) in order to investigate the performance of MODIS algorithms over land and ocean, respectively. The comparison of the MODIS aerosol products C051 over both land and ocean has been performed for a window size of 50km×50km centred on the monitoring site. The correlation coefficients obtained from the comparison of the AOD from MODIS with that from ground-based measurements are 0.85 and 0.87 over land for Terra and Aqua, respectively, and 0.90 over ocean for both satellites. For the comparison of α, the correlation coefficients are 0.25 and 0.30 over land and 0.73 and 0.66 over ocean for Terra and Aqua, respectively. Since our analysis shows that the MODIS algorithm over ocean characterizes better the aerosol parameters over the coastal urban site of Burjassot (Spain), this dataset has been used to perform a multi-year analysis of the aerosol properties in order to derive a local climatology over this site. The mean AOD at 550nm is 0.16, with percentiles 25 and 75 of 0.07 and 0.21. These results indicate a relatively clear atmosphere in the area in spite of local anthropogenic and remote dust sources.

Monitoring toxic Ostreopsis cf. ovata in recreational waters using a qPCR based assay

Ostreopsis sp. is a toxic marine benthic dinoflagellate that causes high biomass blooms, posing a threat to human health, marine biota and aquaculture activities, and negatively impacting coastal seawater quality. Species-specific identification and enumeration is fundamental because it can allow the implementation of all the necessary preventive measures to properly manage Ostreopsis spp. bloom events in recreational waters and aquaculture farms. The aim of this study was to apply a rapid and sensitive qPCR method to quantify Ostreopsis cf. ovata abundance in environmental samples collected from Mediterranean coastal sites and to develop site-specific environmental standard curves. Similar PCR efficiencies of plasmid and environmental standard curves allowed us to estimate the LSU rDNA copy number per cell. Moreover, we assessed the effectiveness of mitochondrial COI and cob genes as alternative molecular markers to ribosomal genes in qPCR assays for Ostreopsis spp. quantification.

Presenting SAPUSS: Solving Aerosol Problem by Using Synergistic Strategies in Barcelona, Spain

Abstract. This paper presents the summary of the key objectives, instrumentation and logistic details, goals, and initial scientific findings of the European Marie Curie Action SAPUSS project carried out in the western Mediterranean Basin (WMB) during September–October in autumn 2010. The key SAPUSS objective is to deduce aerosol source characteristics and to understand the atmospheric processes responsible for their generations and transformations – both horizontally and vertically in the Mediterranean urban environment. In order to achieve so, the unique approach of SAPUSS is the concurrent measurements of aerosols with multiple techniques occurring simultaneously in six monitoring sites around the city of Barcelona (NE Spain): a main road traffic site, two urban background sites, a regional background site and two urban tower sites (150 m and 545 m above sea level, 150 m and 80 m above ground, respectively). SAPUSS allows us to advance our knowledge sensibly of the atmospheric chemistry and physics of the urban Mediterranean environment. This is well achieved only because of both the three dimensional spatial scale and the high sampling time resolution used. During SAPUSS different meteorological regimes were encountered, including warm Saharan, cold Atlantic, wet European and stagnant regional ones. The different meteorology of such regimes is herein described. Additionally, we report the trends of the parameters regulated by air quality purposes (both gaseous and aerosol mass concentrations); and we also compare the six monitoring sites. High levels of traffic-related gaseous pollutants were measured at the urban ground level monitoring sites, whereas layers of tropospheric ozone were recorded at tower levels. Particularly, tower level night-time average ozone concentrations (80 ± 25 μg m−3) were up to double compared to ground level ones. The examination of the vertical profiles clearly shows the predominant influence of NOx on ozone concentrations, and a source of ozone aloft. Analysis of the particulate matter (PM) mass concentrations shows an enhancement of coarse particles (PM2.5–10) at the urban ground level (+64%, average 11.7 μg m−3) but of fine ones (PM1) at urban tower level (+28%, average 14.4 μg m−3). These results show complex dynamics of the size-resolved PM mass at both horizontal and vertical levels of the study area. Preliminary modelling findings reveal an underestimation of the fine accumulation aerosols. In summary, this paper lays the foundation of SAPUSS, an integrated study of relevance to many other similar urban Mediterranean coastal environment sites.

Diversity and germination patterns of diatom resting stages at a coastal Mediterranean site

Many planktonic diatoms produce resting stages that survive in the sediment and allow species persistence over periods in which vegetative growth does not occur. With the aim of depicting the annual variability of diatom benthic stage production and understanding the rela- tionships between planktonic and benthic dynamics, we quantified diatoms in surface waters and their viable resting stages in surface sediments at the long-term ecological research station MareChiara (LTER-MC) in the Gulf of Naples (Mediterranean Sea) over 15 mo. A considerable fraction of the diatom species recorded in the water column was also obtained from germination in surface sediments, showing that the formation of resting stages is a widespread life strategy in coastal areas. The most abundant taxa recorded in the plankton were several species of the genera Chaetoceros, Skeletonema, Thalassiosira, Cyclotella, Pseudo-nitzschia and Bacteriastrum. Species of the latter 2 genera were never retrieved from the sediment. Peaks of viable resting stages were generally recorded in the same period as blooms of the individual species in the plankton. Repeated germination experiments with the same sediments demonstrated that some species are more resistant than others to prolonged darkness, while different daylength conditions did not produce a clear effect on germination patterns. This first time-series analysis of a coastal seed bank demonstrates that the assemblage of viable diatoms in the sediment varies over the year, reflecting the diatom dyna mics in the water column, but also species-specific characteristics in survival capability and likely the disturbance due to biotic and abiotic factors.

Analysis of the annual cycle of the precipitable water vapour over Spain from 10‐year homogenized series of GPS data

AbstractThis study reports the characteristics of precipitable water vapour (PWV) at ten sites over Spain from 10 yr of hourly data from ground‐based global positioning system (GPS) receivers. The PWV data series from the GPS sites was inhomogeneous owing to a change in calibration procedure for variations of the antenna phase centre in November 2006. Radiosonde data therefore were used to homogenize the GPS data series and to assess the quality of the GPS measurements. The annual average value of PWV ranges from 14.5 to 20.0 mm, with an average of 18.3 ± 1.9 mm for Spain as a whole. The highest values are registered at sites on the coast, especially on the Mediterranean coast, and lowest values were at inland sites. The PWV presents a clear annual cycle, with a minimum in winter and maximum at the end of the summer. However, the southwestern sites present a relative minimum in July. This minimum seems to be related with the presence of drier air masses in the atmospheric layers between 1 and 4 km altitude. The amplitude of the cycle ranges from 8.9 to 18.7 mm. The largest amplitudes are found at the Mediterranean coastal sites (approximately 15–19 mm) and the lowest found at inland sites (approximately 9–10 mm). A harmonic analysis of the annual cycle showed that the 12 month harmonic explains, on average, over 96% of the variance. The average annual regime of PWV followed the cycle of the temperature, except for the relative minimum of PWV in July at the southwestern sites.

Spectral irradiance dependence of sunlight effects on plankton dimethylsulfide production

We investigated the short‐term effects of variable solar irradiance and spectrum on the gross biological production of dimethylsulfide (DMS), a trace gas with potential climatic effects, in eight experiments performed at different times of the year in a northwest Mediterranean coastal site. Experimentally determined net community DMS production, DMS photolysis, and dark microbial DMS consumption rates were used to calculate gross community DMS production by budgeting. In addition, the composition of the bacterioplankton and phytoplankton communities in the initial samples, and the photoinhibition of bulk bacterial heterotrophic activity and phytoplankton photosynthetic efficiency were monitored. Our results show that: (1) gross DMS production is irradiance dependent, with a maximum short‐term stimulation factor of 2‐ to 6‐fold compared to dark incubations; (2) its spectral shape is variable but generally similar to that of phytoplankton photoinhibition or photodamage, with more effective stimulation at shorter ultraviolet wavelengths; and (3) stronger stimulation occurs when samples are overexposed with respect to their prior exposure. Remarkably, the photoresponse of gross DMS production was in most cases strong enough to (at least) compensate the photochemical DMS loss at the water subsurface. Such response would prevent DMS depletion in stratified and highly irradiated waters. Since the initial microbial communities were representative of meso‐ to oligotrophic conditions, our observations should apply to a wide variety of oceanic regimes.

Assessment of the mechanisms of detoxification of chemical compounds and antioxidant enzymes in the digestive gland of mussels, Mytilus galloprovincialis, from Mediterranean coastal sites

In this study the effects of the main marine pollutants (metals, PAHs, PCBs and DDTs) were assessed in native mussels from the Mediterranean coast of Spain. For this purpose several biomarkers such as benzo[a]pyrene hydroxylase (BPH), DT-diaphorase (DTD), glutathione S-transferase (GST), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidases (GPs), glutathione reductase (GR), metallothionein (MT) and lipid peroxidation (LPO) were measured in the digestive gland. Results showed increased LPO levels in mussels which accumulated high loads of organic compounds and arsenic in their tissues. BPH levels correlated to the concentrations of organic compounds in mussel tissues, though the range of BPH response was low in relation to the high gradient of accumulation of organic pollutants. Increased BPH levels, concomitant to low DTD and GST activities, were detected in mussels which presented high levels of organic pollutants in their tissues. This suggests that signs of LPO present in these organisms are related to the imbalance between phase I and phase II biotransformation processes. Furthermore, the increased levels of MT and CAT detected in mussels which showed high levels of Cd in their tissues appear to reflect a coordinated response which protects against the toxicity of this metal. The application of these biomarkers in environmental assessment is discussed.

Sun Tracking Mechanism Effects on Flat Plate Photovoltaic System Performances for Different Step Time and Main Parameters Affecting the Obtained Gains: Case of North Africa and Mediterranean Site

This work is performed to investigate the effect of using different types of sun tracking mechanisms on the flat plate photovoltaic system performances and the main parameters affecting the amount of their output electrical energy as well as those affecting their gains compared to the traditional fixed photovoltaic systems. The evaluation of different systems has been performed on the basis of hourly measured data over a complete one year obtained from Bouzareah location (Mediterranean coastal site). Considering all sky states, the monthly and yearly produced electrical energy by each one of the considered systems as well as the electrical gain of the photovoltaic panel mounted on different sun tracker systems were evaluated. From these latter, it appears that the highest gains obtained are those related to the two axes sun tracker system, which decrease gradually, from the inclined to the vertical rotating axis if the same optimum slope scheme is considered and from seasonal to the yearly optimum slope if the same rotating axis scheme is considered. So, from the obtained results, appears that if also, all sky states conditions were considered, compared to the single axis sun tracking systems, the gain obtained by the two-axis sun tracking system is relatively low and don’t exceed three percent for some cases. On the other hand, is also observed that the quantity of electrical energy produced by the different systems follows a seasonal variation and mainly related to the sun tracker mechanism under consideration, the choice of the panel slope, the availability amount of solar irradiation amount mainly the normal direct component, the day length and from the seasonal variation of the weather conditions.

Identification of various laccases induced by anthracene and contribution to its degradation in a Mediterranean coastal pine litter

Mediterranean coastal ecosystems are known to be highly subject to natural and anthropic environmental stress. In this study, we examine the effects of anthracene as a common pollutant on the total microbial communities from a Pinus halepensis litter of a typical Mediterranean coastal site (Les Calanques, Marseille). The main objective was to identify the microbial factors leading the resilience of this ecosystem. Two questions were addressed: (i) how lignin-degrading enzymes (Laccase, Lignin–peroxidase and Mn–peroxidase) are affected by the presence of this molecule, (ii) whether the indigenous consortia are involved in its degradation in mesocosms under favorable incubation conditions (25 °C, 60% WHC) and after different time intervals (1 and 3 month(s)). We found a strong increase in laccase production in the presence of anthracene after 3 months, together with anthracene degradation (28% ± 5). Moreover 9,10-anthraquinone is detected as the product of anthracene oxidation after 3 months. However neither lignin–peroxidase activity nor Mn–peroxidase activity is detected. Laccase proteins directly extracted from litter were sequenced via Nano-LC–MS/MS and reveal twelve different peptide sequences induced by the presence of anthracene in the mesocoms. Our study confirms the major detoxification role of this enzymatic system and highlights the high degradation potential of fungal species inhabiting P. halepensis litter, a factor in the resilience of Mediterranean ecosystems.

Atmospheric concentrations, occurrence and deposition of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in a Mediterranean coastal site (Etang de Thau, France)

Atmospheric concentrations and deposition fluxes of PCDD/F and PCB have been evaluated over a 1-year period in a Mediterranean coastal lagoon (Etang de Thau, France). Indicative PBDE air concentrations in the hot season are also reported in this work. ∑2,3,7,8-PCDD/Fs and ∑18PCBs (gas + particulate) air concentrations ranged from 67 to 1700 fg m −3 and from 13 to 95 pg m −3, respectively whereas ∑8PBDEs (gas + particulate) summer time levels varied from 158 to 230 pg m −3. The PCDD/F and PCB atmospheric occurrence over Thau lagoon and subsequent inputs to the surface waters are determined by an assemble of factors, being the seasonality of atmospheric concentration, the air mass origin and meteorological conditions important drivers. Total (wet + dry) ∑2,3,7,8-PCDD/Fs and ∑18PCBs deposition fluxes to Thau Lagoon waters are 117 and 715 pg m −2 d −1, respectively.