Silting Process and Loss of Posidonia oceanica Meadows in the Tyrrhenian Calabria Waters (Southern Italy)

In the Mediterranean Sea, there are two critical issues affecting marine benthic biocenosis:the sedimentation process and the increasing trend in marine biodiversity loss. These processes arevery marked along the western side of Calabria coastline where siltation is one of the main reasonsfor the regression of Posidonia beds in the regional coastal waters.This research aims to investigate the relationships between the geomorphological features of thedebris source areas, represented by fluvial basins, and the distribution of Posidonia meadows. So, ageomorphological study of the Tyrrhenian fluvial basins with area greater than 200 km2 and itscorrelation with the mapping of the meadows in the Calabria Tyrrhenian waters was carried out.Furthermore, in order to assess the increased level of burial in a Posidonia oceanica meadow and itshealth state over time, a program of Posidonia monitoring was undertaken between 2000 and 2010,in a test area located in the Marine Regional Park of Isca (Calabria, Southern Italy). The results ofthis survey highlighted that, at the beginning of the study period, for a silting rate of 4 - 5 cm/year,the meadow suffered a reduction of its photosynthetic ratio with a rate of mortality of 50%. In thefollowing years, the siltation rate reach 12 cm/year in 2010 and the meadow began to disappear.Therefore, the marine pollution by sedimentation represents a serious factor for the regression ofPosidonia oceanica meadows, enhancing the risk of a gradual loss in marine biodiversity.