Benthic marine algae of the inlets of the Lagoon of Venice (Northern Adriatic Sea – Italy) concerning environmental conditions

Abstract

        A study of the benthic algal vegetation in the eulittoral and sublittoral zones was carried out on the hard substrata of the inlets of the Lagoon of Venice (Northern Adriatic). 59 Rhodophyceae, 22 Phaeophyceae and 28 Chlorophyceae were found, a small number in comparison with those of other Mediterranean inlet areas. Total covering of species, biomass and R/P confirm great differences between the shallow and deep algal communities in a change of depth of a few meters. The diversity index is lower than the mean values found in other parts of the Mediterranean.