Preprint volume - SIBM

Pre-print Volume - Oral presentations
Topic 1: BIODIVERSITY AND CONSERVATION SCIENCE: CONTRIBUTING TO MANAGEMENT
L. RIBERO, F. ESPOSITO, R. MUSSAT SARTOR, N. NURRA, D. PESSANI
Laboratorio di Zoologia e Biologia Marina, Dipartimento di Biologia Animale e dell’Uomo, Università di Torino,
Via Accademia Albertina, 13 – 10123 Torino, Italia.
daniela.pessani@unito.it
ASPECTS OF BIODIVERSITY IN THE INFRALITTORAL
OF ENFOLA ISTMUS (ELBA ISLAND)
ASPETTI DI BIODIVERSITÀ NELL’INFRALITORALE
DELL’ISTMO DELL’ENFOLA (ISOLA D’ELBA)
Abstract – The northern and southern areas of the Enfola istmus (Elba Island) are analyzed to evaluate the
biodiversity and conservation status of sea environment. A high level of biodiversity is present, in particular
in southern coast, above all in regard to Gastropods and Polychaetes community. The study puts in
evidence in both the areas the presence of a wide, well preserved Posidonia oceanica meadow and
numerous specimens of Pinna nobilis, mainly juvenile in the southern area of the istmus.
Key-words: Gastropods, Polychaetes, Posidonia oceanica, Pinna nobilis, Elba Island.
Introduction – The only established SIC (Site of Community Importance) in the Elba
Island is the one named “Capanne Mountain and the Enfola Promontory”; it protects
only the land environment. Enfola Promontory is joined to island by an istmus (Fig. 1)
placed in N-S direction. At present, data relevant to the marine habitat of the
Promontory do not exist.
The aim of this research is to evaluate the health status of the marine environment in
northern and southern areas of the istmus through a preliminary description of the: 1)
benthonic community of mesolittoral and upper infralittoral hard bottom; 2) Posidonia
oceanica meadow growing on soft bottom in the two areas.
Fig. 1 – Site of the study: Elba Island and detail of Enfola istmus (source: Google Earth).
Area di studio: Isola d’Elba e dettaglio dell’istmo dell’Enfola (fonte: Google Earth).
Materials and methods – At first, data on biology, ecology, geomorphology and
vegetation were collected. Then four sampling stations were located in each area (N
and S): two on natural hard bottom (granitic and calcareus rocks) and two on artificial
hard bottom (mole and quay). The sample and its replicate were collected at the
maximum depth of 1 m, in spring (May) and autumn (September, 2008), by scraping of
41 st S.I.B.M. CONGRESS Rapallo (GE), 7-11 June 2010
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