The impact of plankton communities over the northern Adriatic pelagic ecosystem

The research activity of ISMAR on plankton communities of the Northern Adriatic Sea is described here. The results derive from data that have been gathered in 40 years of oceanographic cruises. Spatial and temporal variations of abundance and species composition of phytoplankton and zooplankton communities have been studied in relation with meteorological forcings and hydrochemical conditions, e.g. water column structure, chlorophyll a concentrations and nutrient availability, with the aim of: i) highlighting the dominant scales of variability in biomass and species composition, ii) recognizing the possible relationships between environmental parameters, plankton biomass and specific changes, iii) identifying long-term signals of variability. The link between plankton communities and some environmental emergencies (mucilage events, discoloured waters, presence of potentially toxic algae) is also evaluated.