Development and integrated ecological, chemical and biological approach to Evaluate the environmental impact of Mediterranean off shore gas platforms

The pressure for more energy demand is a strong driver for the construction of offshore oil and gas platforms. This also applies to the Adriatic Sea where, since 1960 several gas field were commissioned. The continuous expansion of the gas industry may potentially produce detrimental effects on marine communities, especially in such a peculiar semi-enclosed basin like the Adriatic sea which contains ecosystems that are subject to intensive anthropic pressures, like unsustainable fishing and inputs of environmental pollutants. To date, the environmental effects of gas platforms are poorly understood. Thus, a multidisciplinary approach based on chemical, biological and ecological investigations was performed to evaluate the ecological status as well as the water column and the sediments quality near a gas platforms.