Resting stages of plankton in recent North Adriatic sediments

Plankton-derived resting stages were found in 26 sediment cores collected in the North Adriatic Sea; 46 morphotypes were identified, 38 were attributed to taxa ac- cording to their morphology and, in some hatching cases, also according to the morph- ology of the derived active forms. Six species of Dinophyta were recorded for the first time from the North Adriatic Sea. Each morphotype was described in detail. Twenty-nine resting stages were Dinophyta; one was a Chrysophyta; two were Tintinni- na; and six were metazoans. At every site Dinophyta cysts were more abundant than Metazoa cysts. Cyst bank densities were variable, with empty forms generally more abundant than full ones; cyst concentrations were highest at the mouth of the Po River delta.