A new methodology based on littoral community cartography dominated by macroalgae for the implementation of the European Water Framework Directive
Abstract
Macroalgae is a biological key element for the assessment of the ecological status in coastal waters in the frame of the European Water Framework Directive (WFD, 2000/60/EC). Here we propose a methodology for monitoring water quality based on the cartography of littoral and upper-sublittoral rocky-shore communities (CARLIT, in short). With the use of spatial databases, GIS, and available information about the value of rocky-shore communities as indicators of water quality, it is possible to obtain an environmental quality index representative of the ecological status of rocky coasts. This index, which completely fulfils the requirements of the WFD, is expressed as a ratio between the observed values in the sector of shore that is being assessed and the expected value in a reference condition zone with the same substrate and coastal morphology (Ecological Quality Ratio, EQR). The application of this index to the coast of Catalonia (North-Western Mediterranean) is presented.
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Effects of ocean acidification on macroalgal communities
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- Authors
- Ballesteros, E., Torras, X., Pinedo, S., García, M., Mangialajo, L., & de Torres, M.
- Affiliations
- Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (ES)
- Corresponding author
- Ballesteros, Enric
- Venue
- Marine Pollution Bulletin
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2007-01
- Volume
- 55
- Issue
- 1-6
- Pages
- 172-180
- ISSN
- 0025-326X (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2133965370
- Cited by
- 327
- References
- 40
- Citations by year
- 2026: 7 · 2025: 12 · 2024: 15 · 2023: 17 · 2022: 20 · 2021: 14 · 2020: 25 · 2019: 14 · 2018: 20 · 2017: 23 · 2016: 24 · 2015: 16 · 2014: 27 · 2013: 16 · 2012: 10
- FWCI
- 8.97
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Marine Pollution Bulletin (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- DIGITAL.CSIC (Spanish National Research Council (CSIC)) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Generalitat de Catalunya
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Oceanography › Marine and coastal plant biology
- Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Oceanography › Marine Biology and Ecology Research
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law › Coastal and Marine Management
- Keywords
- seaweed, littoral communities, rocky shores, ecological status assessment, Water Framework Directive, water quality monitoring, environmental quality index, ecological quality ratio, reference conditions, coastal waters, Catalan coast
- MeSH terms
- Environmental Monitoring, Geography, International Cooperation, Mediterranean Sea, Population Density, Reference Standards, Spain, Databases, Factual, Geographic Information Systems, Eukaryota
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