Extracellular enzymatic activities in water and sediment: first evaluation in three sites designated for mariculture

Extracellular enzymatic activities (leucine aminopeptidase, b-glucosidase and phosphatase) and heterotrophic bacterial density were investigated both in water and sediment samples of three marine sites of the Mediterranean Sea, in order to point out any variations related to mariculture activity.The preliminary data obtained before the beginning of fish farming experiments showed significant variation patterns among the sites for all the parameters examined even in undisturbed conditions.