Nitrogen - 15 signals of anthropogenic nutrient loading in Anemonia sulcata as a possible indicator of human sewage impacts on marine coastal ecosystems: a case study of Pirovac Bay and the Murter Sea (Central Adriatic)

摘要

The results of the present research study indicate that the isotopic composition of nitrogen in the sea anemone Anemonia sulcata may be an excellent parameter for detecting and monitoring human sewage input into the marine coastal ecosystems of the Adriatic Sea if caution is used in selecting unpolluted reference sites. The ~(15)N signal of Anemonia sulcata tissue was significantly higher at more or less polluted sites of the semi-enclosed Pirovac Bay and in the coastal part of the Murter Sea (Central Adriatic)'than in the reference location. ~(15)N enrichment was as high as 7.7per thousand and is larger that would be expected from natural variation alone. Furthermore, the results also enabled us to create a map of δ ~(15)N values, which could be useful in monitoring the influence of human sewage impacts in marine coastal ecosystems.%Rezultati ove studije pokazuju da izotopni sastav dušika u morskoj anemoni Anemonia sulcata može biti izvrstan parametar za detekciju i praćenje unosa komunalnoga otpada u morske obalne ekosustave Jadranskoga mora, ako se pažljivo odaberu referentna nezagađena mjesta. Signal ~(15)N u tkivu Anemonia sulcata bio je značajno viši kod više ili manje zagađenih mjesta u poluzatvorenome Pirovačkome zaljevu i obalnome dijelu Murterskoga mora (središnji Jadran) nego na referentnim lokacijama. ~(15)N obogaćenje bilo je i do 7,7per thousand, što je veće nego očekivane prirodne varijacije. Rezultati su omogućili da se napravi mapa δ ~(15)N vrijednosti, koja bi se mogla rabiti za praćenje utjecaja komunalnoga otpada na morske obalne ekosustave.