Environmental quality evaluation of ligurian sea coastal waters

In the framework of SAReF Project, carried out in the Ligurian Sea in 1996, water samples were collected in 108 stations distributed to form a series of transepts from coast to open sea, offshore Genoa, Savona and Imperia. Dissolved nutrients, chlorophyll-a, phaeopigments, particulate organic carbon and nitrogen and carbohydrates were determined in water samples. Data, together to physical parameters were analysed by means of multivariate analysis (PCA), to get a quantitative evaluation of their distribution in the examined areas. Moreover, C/N, N/P, Chlorophyll-a/phaeopigments, Chlorophyll-a/(NP)1/2 and proteins/carbohydrates ratios were used to classify the areas on the basis of these water quality indices. Taken together, the results of the application of PCA and water quality indices allowed us to differentiate the investigated areas.