A peer-reviewed open-access journal Nature ConservationSuccessions 34: 217–246 of phytobenthos (2019) species in a Mediterranean transitional water system... 217 doi: 10.3897/natureconservation.34.30055 RESEARCH ARTICLE http://natureconservation.pensoft.net Launched to accelerate biodiversity conservation Successions of phytobenthos species in a Mediterranean transitional water system: the importance of long term observations Antonella Petrocelli1, Ester Cecere1, Fernando Rubino1 1 Water Research Institute (IRSA) – CNR, via Roma 3, 74123 Taranto, Italy Corresponding author: Antonella Petrocelli (
[email protected]) Academic editor: A. Lugliè | Received 25 September 2018 | Accepted 28 February 2019 | Published 3 May 2019 http://zoobank.org/5D4206FB-8C06-49C8-9549-F08497EAA296 Citation: Petrocelli A, Cecere E, Rubino F (2019) Successions of phytobenthos species in a Mediterranean transitional water system: the importance of long term observations. In: Mazzocchi MG, Capotondi L, Freppaz M, Lugliè A, Campanaro A (Eds) Italian Long-Term Ecological Research for understanding ecosystem diversity and functioning. Case studies from aquatic, terrestrial and transitional domains. Nature Conservation 34: 217–246. https://doi.org/10.3897/ natureconservation.34.30055 Abstract The availability of quantitative long term datasets on the phytobenthic assemblages of the Mar Piccolo of Taranto (southern Italy, Mediterranean Sea), a lagoon like semi-enclosed coastal basin included in the Italian LTER network, enabled careful analysis of changes occurring in the structure of the community over about thirty years. The total number of taxa differed over the years. Thirteen non-indigenous species in total were found, their number varied over the years, reaching its highest value in 2017. The dominant taxa differed over the years.