INVESTIGATIONS ON THE BASIC FUNCTIONING OF MEDITERRANEAN BENTHIC ECOSYSTEMS.

THIS JOINT PROJECT BETWEEN IN 4 LABORATORIES (UNIVERSITE LIBRE DE BRUXELLES (ULB),BELGIUM, UNIVERSITE DE MARSEILLE, FRANCE,UNIVERSITAT DE BARCELONA, SPAIN, ZOOLOGICAL STATION "A.DOHRN", ISCHIA,NAPLES, ITALY)IN 4 MEMBER STATES OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY, COORDINATED BY THE FREE UNIVERSITY OF BRUSSELS (ULB), IS INTENDED AS A NUCLEUS TO EXTEND THE COST PROJECT 647 "COASTAL BENTHIC ECOSYSTEMS" TO THE MEDITERRANEAN AREA (SO FAR LIMITED TO NORTH SEA AND ATLANTIC COAST).

THE POSIDONIA OCEANICA BEDS REPRESENT ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT MEDITERRANEAN BENTHIC ECOSYSTEMS. POSIDONIA ECOSYSTEMS ARE UNDERGOING AT PRESENT DRASTIC CHANGES OF UNCLEAR ORIGIN. THEY MAY BE ATTIBUTED TO POLLUTION OR TO MEDIUM-TERM NATURAL BIOLOGICAL CYCLES. THE AIM OF THE PROJECT IS TO START INVESTIGATIONS ON THE BASIC FUNCTIONING OF A POSIDONIA ECOSYSTEM IN THE ADRIATIC SEA. THE RESEARCH IS SUBDIVIDED INTO THE FOLLOWING PARTS :
- PRIMARY PRODUCTION OF THE POSIDONIA- EPIPHYTES COMPLEX.
- LEPIDOCHRONOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT OF THE PRIMARY PRODUCTION, AND PRODUCTION OF LITTER.
- CONSUMPTION OF PRIMARY PRODUCTION BY HERBIVORES.
- BIOLOGICAL AND ECOLOGICAL ROLE OF ECHINODERMS.
- ECOLOGICAL ROLE OF POLYCHAETES, MOLLUSCS AND CRUSTACEANS.
- ECOLOGICAL ROLE OF PREDATORY FISHES.

THE EXPECTED RESULTS WILL CONTRIBUTE NOT ONLY TO A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE STRUCTURE AND FUNCTIONING OF THE POSIDONIA ECOSYSTEMS BUT WILL ALSO PRESENT SCIENTIFIC GUIDANCE FOR EFFICIENT PROTECTION MEASURES OF THESE HABITATS.