SpringerLink
Log in

Estuarine circulation in the Taranto Seas

  • Integrated environmental characterization of the contaminated marine coastal area of Taranto, Ionian Sea (southern Italy) - the RITMARE Project
  • Published:
Environmental Science and Pollution Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The Taranto basin is a shallow water marine system in the South of Italy characterized by the presence of a lagoon environment together with a semi-enclosed bay connected to the Ionian Sea. This marine system experienced over the last few decades strong biochemical pollution and environmental degradation, and it is considered a hotspot study site for economic, ecological and scientific reasons. The aim of this study was to examine, on an annual temporal scale and with high spatial resolution, the main hydrodynamical processes and transport scales of the system by means of a 3D finite element numerical model application, adopting the most realistic forcing available. The model allowed us to assess the role played by baroclinic terms in the basin circulation, describing its estuarine nature. In particular, the main features of water circulation, salinity and temperature distribution, water renewal time and bottom stress were investigated. Our results allowed us to equate this system dynamic to that of a weakly stratified estuary, identifying the main driving sources of this mechanism. The vertical stratification over the whole year was proved to be stable, leading to a dual circulation flowing out on the surface, mainly through Porta Napoli channel, and inflowing on the bottom mainly through Navigabile channel. This process was responsible also for the renewal time faster on the bottom of the Mar Piccolo basin than the surface. Due to the great importance of the Taranto basin for what concerns sediment pollution, also the effect of currents in terms of bottom stress was investigated, leading to the conclusion that only in the inlets area the values of bottom stress can be high enough to cause erosion.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
EUR 32.99 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or Ebook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11
Fig. 12

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Amos C, Cloutier D, Cristante S, Cappucci S (2000) The Venice Lagoon study (F-ECTS) February, 1999. Open File Report. Tech. Rep. 3904, Geological Survey of Canada, S. Yorkshire, England

  • ARPA-Puglia (2014) Approfondimento tecnico-scientifico sulle interazioni tra il sistema ambientale ed i flussi di contaminanti da fonti primarie e secondarie. Elaborazione di un modello concettuale sito-specifico. Tech. rep., ARPA Puglia - in attuazione della Convenzione tra il Commissario Straordinario per gli interventi di bonifica, ambientalizzazione e riqualificazione di Taranto e l’Agenzia

  • Bellafiore D, Guarnieri A, Grilli F, Penna P, Bortoluzzi G, Giglio F, Pinardi N (2011) Study of the hydrodynamical processes in the Boka Kotorska Bay with a finite element model. Dyn Atmos Oceans

  • Bellafiore D, Umgiesser G (2008) 3D modeling of hydrodynamics processes of lagoon-open sea interaction. In: Navarro PG, Playan E (eds) Proceedings and monographs in Engineering, Water and Earth Sciences Numerical Modelling Of Hydrodynamics For Water Resources, pp 351–354

  • Bellafiore D, Umgiesser G (2010) Hydrodynamic coastal processes in the North Adriatic investigated with a 3D finite element model. Ocean Dyn 60(2, Sp. Iss. SI):255–273

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Belmonte G, Vaglio I, Rubino F, Alabiso G (2013) Zooplankton composition along the confinement gradient of the Taranto Sea System (Ionian Sea, South-eastern Italy). J Mar Syst 128:222–238

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bongiorni L, Fiorentino F, Auriemma R, Bernardi Aubry F, Camatti E, Camin F, Nasi F, Pansera M, Ziller L, Grall J (2015) Food web of a confined and anthropogenically affected coastal basin (the Mar Piccolo of Taranto) revealed by carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes analyses. Environ Sci Pollut Res this Issue

  • Burchard H, Petersen O (1999) Models of turbulence in the marine environmenta comparative study of two equation turbulence models. J Mar Syst 21:2953

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cardellicchio N, Annicchiarico C, Di Leo A, Giandomenico S, Spada L (2015) The Mar Piccolo of Taranto: an interesting marine ecosystem for the environmental problems studies. Environ Sci Pollut Res this Issue

  • Cardellicchio N, Buccolieri A, Di Leo A, Spada L (2006) Heavy metals in marine sediments from the Mar Piccolo of Taranto (Ionian Sea, Southern Italy). ANNALI DI CHIMICA 96(11–12):727–741

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Caroppo C, Giordano L, Rubino F, Palmieri N, Bellio G, Bisci A, Petrocelli A, Sclafani P, Hopkins T, Marsella E (2011) Sustainable management of the coastal environments in the framework of the SPICOSA Project: the study case of the Mar Piccolo in Taranto (Ionian,Mediterranean Sea). In Marine Research at CNR:928–942

  • Cassin D, Bellucci L, Pini R, Botter M, Giuliani S, Zonta R (2015) Assessment of contamination trend in Mar Piccolo (Taranto, Italy) by sediment cores analysis. Environ Sci Pollut Res this Issue

  • Cerruti A (1948) Le sorgenti sottomarine (Citri) del Mar Grande e nel Mar Piccolo di Taranto. Annali Istituto Superiore Navale, Napoli 7:171–196

    Google Scholar 

  • Cibic T, Bongiorni L, Borfecchia F, Di Leo A, Franzo A, Giandomenico S, Karuza A, Micheli C, Rogelja M, Spada L, Del Negro P (2015) Ecosystem functioning approach applied to a large contaminated coastal site: the study case of the Mar Piccolo of Taranto (Ionian Sea). Environ Sci Pollut Res this Issue

  • Cucco A, Umgiesser G (2006) Modeling the Venice Lagoon residence time. Ecol Model 193(1–2):34–51

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cucco A, Umgiesser G, Ferrarin C, Perilli A, Canu DM, Solidoro C (2009) Eulerian and lagrangian transport time scales of a tidal active coastal basin. Ecol Model 220(7):913–922

  • De Angelis C, Della Valle R (1959) Il ciclo stagionale del plancton in rapporto alle condizioni fisico-chimica del Mar Piccolo e del Mar grande di Taranto. Bollettino Pesca e Piscicoltura Idrobiologica 14:21–44

    Google Scholar 

  • De Pascalis F, Ghezzo M, Alabiso G (2013) Correnti e T/S nei Mari di Taranto. Deliverable SP3-WP4-AZ5-UO01-D01 progetto bandiera RITMARE. Tech. rep., CNR-ISMAR Venice

  • De Serio F, Malcangio D, Mossa M (2007) Circulation in a southern italy coastal basin: modelling and field measurement. Cont Shelf Res 27:779–797

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Di Leo A, Annicchiarico C, Cardellicchio N, Giandomenico S, Conversano M, Castellano G, Basile F, Martinelli W, Scortichini G, Spada L (2015) Monitoring of PCDD/Fs and dioxin-like PCBs and seasonal variations in mussels from the Mar Grande and the Mar Piccolo of Taranto (Ionian Sea, Southern Italy). Environ Sci Pollut Res this Issue

  • Erturk A, Ambrose Jr R, Rashleigh B (2007) Case study: Dieldrin attack in Dalyan Lagoon. In: Gonenc IE, Koutitonsky VG, Rashleigh B, Ambrose Jr RB, Wolflin J (eds), pp 279–289

  • Ferrarin C, Razinkovas A, Gulbinskas S, Umgiesser G, Bliudziute L (2008) Hydraulic regime-based zonation scheme of the Curonian Lagoon. Hydrobiologia 611:133–146

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ferrarin C, Umgiesser G (2005) Hydrodynamic modeling of a coastal lagoon: The Cabras lagoon in Sardinia, Italy. Ecol Model 188(2–4):340–357

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ferrarin C, Bajo M, Bellafiore D, Cucco A, DePascalis F, Ghezzo M, Umgiesser G (2014) Toward homogenization of Mediterranean lagoons and their loss of hydrodiversity. Geophys Res Lett 41(16):5935–5941. doi:10.1002/2014GL060843

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ferrarin C, Cucco A, Umgiesser G, Bellafiore D, Amos CL (2010) Modelling fluxes of water and sediment between Venice Lagoon and the sea. Cont Shelf Res 30(8, Sp. Iss. SI):904–914

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Geuzaine C, Remacle JF (2009) Gmsh: a 3-d finite element mesh generator with built-in pre- and post-processing facilities. Int J Numer Meth Engng 79:13091331

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ghezzo M, De Pascalis F, Umgiesser G, Zemlys P, Sigovini M, Marcos C, Prez-Ruzafa A (2014) Connectivity in three european coastal lagoons. Estuaries and Coasts:1–18. doi:10.1007/s12237-014-9908-0

  • Ghezzo M, Guerzoni S, Cucco A, Umgiesser G (2010) Changes in Venice Lagoon dynamics due to construction of mobile barriers. Coast Eng 57(7):694–708

  • Guarnieri A, Pinardi N, Oddo P, Bortoluzzi G, Ravaioli M (2013) Impact of tides in a baroclinic circulation model of the adriatic sea. J Geophys Res Oceans 118(1):166–183. doi:10.1029/2012JC007921

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gulorget O, Perthuisot J (1992) Paralic ecosystems: biological organization and functioning. Vie et Milieu 42(2):215251

    Google Scholar 

  • ISPRA Working Group (2010) Elaborazione e valutazione dei risultati della caratterizzazione ai fini della individuazione degli opportuni interventi di messa in sicurezza e bonifica del sito di interesse nazionale di Taranto - Mar Grande II lotto e Mar Piccolo. Tech. Rep. CII-El-PU-TA, Mar Grande II Lotto e Mar Piccolo-01.06., ISPRA

  • Jia P, Li M (2012) Circulation dynamics and salt balance in a lagoonal estuary. J Geophys Res Oceans 117(C1):16. doi:10.1029/2011JC007124. c01003

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kjerfve B, Magill K (1989) Geographic and hydrodynamic characteristics of shallow coastal lagoons. Mar Geol 88(3–4):187–199

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • MacCready P, Geyer WR (2010) Advances in Estuarine Physics. ANNUAL REVIEW OF MARINE SCIENCE 2:35–58

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Parenzan P (1984) Il Mar Piccolo di Taranto

  • Pawlowicz R, Beardsley B, Lentz S (2002) Classical tidal harmonic analysis including error estimates in MATLAB using t_tide. Comput Geosci 28(8):929–937

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Scroccaro I, Matarrese R, Umgiesser G (2004a) Application of a finite element model to the Taranto Sea. Chem Ecol 20:205–224. supplement 1

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Scroccaro I, Matarrese R, Umgiesser G (2004b) Modelling the salinity in the Taranto Sea, Italy

  • Smagorinsky J (1963) General circulation experiments with the primitive equations. Monthly Weather Review 93(3):99

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Spizzico M, Tinelli R (1986) Hydrogeology of Galese spring, Mar Piccolo of Taranto (S.Italy). In: Proceedings 9th Salt Water Intrusion Meeting Delft, Water Management Group, Delft University of Technology, pp 85–97

  • Stefanon A, Cotecchia F (1969) Prime notizie sulle caratteristiche di efflusso e sulle modalità di investigazione delle sorgenti subacquee ai fini di una loro captazione. Quaderni de La Ricerca Scientifica, Istituto di Ricerca sulle Acque 58(Rapporto n. 2): 165–195

    Google Scholar 

  • Strusi A, Pastore M (1975) Osservazioni idrografiche nel Mar Grande e nel Mar Piccolo di Taranto. Campagna 1970-71. Oebalia 1:1–64

    Google Scholar 

  • Umgiesser G, Canu D, Cucco A, Solidoro C (2004) A finite element model for the Venice Lagoon. Development, set up, calibration and validation. Journal Of Marine Systems 51(1–4):123–145

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Umgiesser G, Ferrarin C, Cucco A, De Pascalis F, Bellafiore D, Ghezzo M, Bajo M (2014) Comparative hydrodynamics of 10 Mediterranean lagoons by means of numerical modeling. J Geophys Res Oceans 119(4):2212–2226

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Umgiesser G, Scroccaro I, Alabiso G (2007) Mass exchange mechanisms in the Taranto Sea. Transitional Waters Bulletin I(2):59–71

    Google Scholar 

  • Vatova A (1972) La produttività delle acque del Mar Grande e del Mar Piccolo di Taranto (1962-1969). Bollettino Pesca e Piscicoltura Idrobiologica XXVII:8–103

    Google Scholar 

  • Zuffianò L, Basso A, Casarano D, Dragone V, Limoni P, Santaloia F, Polemio M (2014) The coastal hydrogeological system of Mar Piccolo (Ionian Sea, Italy). In: SWIM 2014, 23rd Salt Water Intrusion Meeting. Leibniz-Institut fr Angewandte Geophysik, Hannover. http://hdl.handle.net/2122/9054

Download references

Acknowledgments

The activities described in this publication were funded by the Project Bandiera RITMARE - La Ricerca Italiana per il Mare coordinated by the National Research Council and funded by the Ministry for Education, University and Research within the National Research Programme 2011–2013.

The authors wish to thank Prof. Michele Mossa and Dr. Francesca De Serio (Department DICATECh, Polytechnic of Bari) for hel** in the input data retrieval and Dr. Georg Umgiesser and Dr. Christian Ferrarin (ISMAR-CNR) for the fruitful scientific discussion.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Marine Sciences-National Research Council (ISMAR-CNR), Venice, Italy

    Francesca De Pascalis, Antonio Petrizzo, Giuliano Lorenzetti, Giorgia Manfè & Luca Zaggia

  2. Institute of Marine Sciences-National Research Council (ISMAR-CNR), La Spezia, Italy

    Michol Ghezzo

  3. Institute for Coastal Marine Environment-National Research Council (IAMC-CNR), Taranto, Italy

    Giorgio Alabiso

Authors
  1. Francesca De Pascalis
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Antonio Petrizzo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Michol Ghezzo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Giuliano Lorenzetti
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Giorgia Manfè
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Giorgio Alabiso
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Luca Zaggia
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Francesca De Pascalis.

Additional information

Responsible Editor: Philippe Garrigues

Study carried out under the Italian Flagship Project RITMARE

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Pascalis, F.D., Petrizzo, A., Ghezzo, M. et al. Estuarine circulation in the Taranto Seas. Environ Sci Pollut Res 23, 12515–12534 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-015-5389-3

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-015-5389-3

Keywords

Search

Navigation