Effect of Ecological Recovery on Macrophyte Dominance and Production in the Venice Lagoon

In the last decade, Venice Lagoon showed a significant environmental recovery that changed assemblages of macroalgal and aquatic angiosperm dominant species significantly increased primary production. The decreasing anthropogenic impacts, such as eutrophication clam harvesting, favored strong reduction Ulvaceae, replaced by with higher ecological value, recolonization angiosperms. Consequently, hypo-anoxic conditions, once frequently occurring in lagoon, have been considerably reduced angiosperms recolonized area, covering 94.8 km 2 comparison to 55.9 recorded 2003 (+70%). Cymodocea nodosa , Zostera marina noltei expanded 37.5%, 44.6%, 191%, respectively, increase biomass late spring 2018, standing crop approximately 372 ktonnes (+77%) net production 1189 FW (+67%). meantime, Ruppia cirrhosa which since 1980s had disappeared from lagoon areas subjected tidal expansion, but was still present some fishing valleys, bottoms northern meadows over 6 ; this accounted for 8.9 18.0 ktonnes, respectively. Based on surveys carried out 2021, conditions are improving, is increasing both biodiversity macroalgae