You are here
Venice Lagoon Project (SIOSED) NOV 2006
Venice Lagoon Project (SIOSED) November 2006
Development of faunal and biogeochemical pollution proxies in the Venice Lagoon, Italy (part of an interdisciplinary Scripps team of Co-PIs) Together with a team of Scripps Institution of Oceanography scientists and Italian scientists (Thetis), in November, 2006 we monitored on-going experiments and sampled seafloor sediments from the Venice Lagoon in order to better understand the ecological and biogeochemical impacts of contaminants within the sediments. One goal is to develop microfaunal and biogeochemical indicators of contaminants in order to monitor pollution impact and recovery. Samples were collected by Geologist Dr. Tony Rathburn and undergraduate geology majors Jared Kluesner (2005) and Ellen Brouillette (2006)
Venice Project Researchers from ISU: Dr. Tony Rathburn, Dr. Elena Perez, Jared Kluesner, Chandranath Basak, Ellen Brouillette, Cassie Gray, Jason Waggoner, Brian Wrightsman, and David Bohnert
Project Abstract:
SPATIAL AND TEMPORAL COMPARISONS OF LIVING BENTHIC FORAMINIFERA FROM THE VENICE LAGOON, ITALY
BROUILLETTE, Ellen R.¹, RATHBURN, Anthony E.¹, PÉREZ, M. Elena, ¹ KLUESNER, Jared W.¹, GRAY, Cassie J.¹, BASAK, Chandranath, ¹ GIESKES, Joris
(1) Geography, Geology, and Anthropology, Indiana State University, Science Building 159, Terre Haute, IN, 47809, Ellen Brouillette, Tony Rathburn, Jared Kluesner, (2) Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0218, Joris Gieskes
Examination of living (rose Bengal stained) foraminiferal assemblages from the Venice Lagoon revealed patterns that may be related to levels of sediment contamination. Ammonia sp., Haynesina sp., and Quinqueloculina sp. dominated assemblages at sites collected along transects in June, 2005 and 2006. Differences in the percentages of different taxa between sites may reflect changes in the availability of contaminants along the transect. Differences in aberrant morphologies between sites were not as pronounced as expected based on previous studies in other regions. This research is part of an ongoing, international study (SIOSED) to assess biological responses to sediment conditions in the Venice Lagoon. The "SIOSED" project is part of a comprehensive effort to support the integrated management of Venice Lagoon sediments and ecosystems promoted by the Venice Water Authority through its Concessionary, Consorzio Venezia Nuova.