Spatial-temporal distribution of macrozooplankton in the Western Adriatic Sea in relation to mucilage events

2026/06/13 by Emanuela Fiori, Giuseppe Alfonso, Sara Ancona +13
Earth and Planetary Sciences · #Abundance (ecology) #Aquatic science #Marine Invertebrate Physiology and Ecology #Marine and coastal ecosystems #Mediterranean sea #Mucilage #Nutrient #Oceanographic and Atmospheric Processes #Relative species abundance #Spatial distribution

paper · doi:10.1093/plankt/fbag052

published in Journal of Plankton Research 48(4) (Oxford University Press)

openalex publication_date 2026/06/13 · openalex created_date 2026/07/28 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28

Abstract

Abstract The macrozooplankton in the Western coast of the Adriatic Sea is poorly studied, in particular in the central and southern parts of the basin. The goal of this research is to provide a large-scale spatial and temporal coverage of the macrozooplankton abundance and diversity. Macrozooplankton was monitored bimonthly in the whole Adriatic Sea from 2016 to 2024 with standardized monitoring activity, in order to have a more realistic and comparable dataset of spatial distribution and seasonal variability considering abundance and species diversity. Furthermore, abundance data were related with corresponding physical and chemical data (temperature, salinity, pH, dissolved oxygen, chlorophyll-a, inorganic nutrients) in order to give a clearer understanding of the environmental status and the ecological response. The presence of macrozooplankton organisms and changes in environmental conditions were studied during two mucilage events (July 2018 and 2024). Our results underlined a drastic decrease of gelatinous organisms in the presence of mucilage in the North West Adriatic (NWA) and Central West Adriatic. Changes in nutrient concentrations and N/P ratio (calculated as DIN/P-PO4) were also confirmed in NWA. In the present work, we documented the first recorded sighting (June 2025) of Drymonema dalmatinum (Scyphozoa) in the Western coast of the Adriatic Sea.

Citations

• The effect of Po river discharge on phytoplankton dynamics in the Northern Adriatic Sea
• Determination of δ13C and δ15N and trophic fractionation in jellyfish: implications for food web ecology
• Population development of the invader ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi , in the Black Sea and in other seas of the Mediterranean basin
• The influence of the Po River discharge on phytoplankton bloom dynamics along the coastline of Pesaro (Italy) in the Adriatic Sea
• Climate‐related increases in jellyfish frequency suggest a more gelatinous future for the North Sea
• Mass deposition of jellyfish in the deep Arabian Sea
• Trophic ecology of Mnemiopsis leidyi in the southern North Sea: a biomarker approach
• Jellyfish decomposition at the seafloor rapidly alters biogeochemical cycling and carbon flow through benthic food‐webs
• Natural diet and predation impacts ofPelagia noctilucaon fish eggs and larvae in the NW Mediterranean
• The importance of jellyfish–microbe interactions for biogeochemical cycles in the ocean

Related

• Mucus Aggregates in the Adriatic Sea: An Overview of Stages and Occurrences
• Monitoraggio integrato di un’area marino-costiera: la foce del Fiume Volturno (Mar Tirreno centrale)
• Unprecedented warming and salinization observed in the deep Adriatic
• A contribution to the inventory of marine amphipod species from Italian waters based on unpublished sources and FAIR principles
• A contribution to the inventory of marine amphipod species from Italian waters based on unpublished sources and FAIR principles