Proceedings of the Second Mediterranean Symposium on Marine
Proceedings of the Second Mediterranean Symposium on Marine
Proceedings of the Second Mediterranean Symposium on Marine
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PROCEEDINGS OF THE SECOND MEDITERRANEAN SYMPOSIUM ON MARINE VEGETATION (ATHENS, 12-13 DECEMBER 2003)<br />
150<br />
As established by <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> WFD (2000/60/EC) in order to ensure comparability between <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
values obtained by different m<strong>on</strong>itoring systems an ecological quality ratio (EQR) has to<br />
be calculated. These ratios represent <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> relati<strong>on</strong>ship between <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> values observed in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
study site and <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> values observed in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> reference sites.<br />
EQR =<br />
Relati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> observed values <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> biological parameters<br />
Reference values <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> biological parameters<br />
The reference sites have to be selected based <strong>on</strong> 1) <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir undisturbed or very minor<br />
disturbed state and 2) <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir similar physico-chemical and hydrogeomorphological<br />
c<strong>on</strong>diti<strong>on</strong>s with <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> valuated site. In our case, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> reference network for <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Catalan coast<br />
is formed by three different high status sites: 1) Façade maritime du Parc Naturel<br />
Régi<strong>on</strong>al de Corse, 2) Reserva dels Freus de Formentera i Eivissa and 3) Reserva del<br />
Nord de Menorca. These three reference sites were cartographied in 2001.<br />
The comparis<strong>on</strong> between <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Catalan coast and <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> reference sites has to be made sector<br />
by sector. First at all, it is important to assess which are <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> geomorphological factors that<br />
affect <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> presence/absence or dominance <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> different communities. A MDS analysis<br />
was performed in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> reference sites regarding all <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> different situati<strong>on</strong>s (e.g. 174 in our<br />
study) resulting from all <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> combinati<strong>on</strong>s <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> geomorphological variables c<strong>on</strong>sidered<br />
and <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> percentage <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> coast occupied by each community for each situati<strong>on</strong>.<br />
Results <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> this MDS analysis shows that “Coastline morphology” (Fig. 1) and<br />
“Natural\Artificial” (Fig. 2) are <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> most important parameters in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> determinati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
littoral benthic communities in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> reference sites. The combinati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>se parameters<br />
permits to define six different “geomorphological relevant situati<strong>on</strong>s” (table 2). The value<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> EQV has been calculated for every<strong>on</strong>e <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>se situati<strong>on</strong>s (table 2).<br />
Fig. 1 : MDS analysis: distributi<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> 174<br />
different situati<strong>on</strong>s resulting from all <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> available<br />
combinati<strong>on</strong>s <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> geomorphological variables<br />
c<strong>on</strong>sidered in reference sites according to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
percentage <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> coast occupied by each community<br />
for each situati<strong>on</strong>. Artificial and natural substrates<br />
are indicated with different symbols.<br />
Fig. 2 : MDS analysis: distributi<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> 174<br />
different situati<strong>on</strong>s resulting from all <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> available<br />
combinati<strong>on</strong>s <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> geomorphological variables<br />
c<strong>on</strong>sidered in reference sites according to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
percentage <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> coast occupied by each community<br />
for each situati<strong>on</strong>. Decimetric blocks, low coast and<br />
high coast are indicated with different symbols.