1 research outputs found
A multivariate index based on the seagrass Posidonia oceanica (POMI) to assess ecological status of coastal waters under the Water Framework Directive (WFD)
9 páginas, 5 tablas, 3 figuras.We propose here a multivariate index based on structural and functional attributes of the Posidonia oceanica ecosystem (Posidonia
oceanica multivariate index: POMI) to assess the ecological status of coastal waters following WFD requirements. POMI is based on
the combination, through principal component analysis, of physiological, morphological, structural and community level seagrass
descriptors (or metrics), univocally related to environmental quality. Scores on the first axis are normalised to a 0–1 scale (EQR) using
reference and worst sites. The index was tested by sampling 22 seagrass beds in the Catalan coast (ca. 500 km, NW Mediterranean). The
results show a clustering of variables on both sides of the first axis of the PCA, indicating a common relation of all metrics with ecological
status. Moreover, the values (EQR) obtained reflect human pressure levels. The proposed index allows a practical and relatively simple
assessment of the ecological status of coastal waters, and contains a considerable amount of ecological information, which can be useful
for managing purposes.This study was performed at the request and with the
financial support of the Age`ncia Catalana de l’Aigua (Departament de Medi Ambient i Habitatge, Generalitat
de Catalunya), which strongly encouraged our work.Peer reviewe