Macrobenthic community status in highly polluted area: a case study from Bagnoli, Naples Bay, Italy

Sediments from 33 sampling stations were collected and analyzed to characterize the benthic community and the sedimentology of a shallow coast sector of Bagnoli, Naples Bay (Italy). Multibeam bathymetry was also used to properly fit the morphology of the environment with the spatial arrangementof the benthic community. For each station, a number of ecological indicators were computed and a hierarchical cluster analysis was carried out to identify groups of stations that were similar in terms of species composition. Results showed well-structured benthic communities and provided a first biocenothic map of the area, allowing a first step toward a better understanding of the true environmental state of Bagnoli coastal sector.