Revista de Gestão Costeira Integrada
Volume 13, Número 1, Março 2013, Páginas 15-25

DOI: 10.5894/rgci365
* Submission: September 28, 2012; Evaluation: November 13, 2012; Reception of revised manuscript: November 23, 2012; Accepted: December 1, 2012; Available on-line: January 09, 2013

Indices to monitor coastal ecological quality of rocky shores based on seaweed communities: simplification for wide geographical use *

Índices para monitorização de qualidade ecológica de costas rochosas com base em comunidades de macroalgas: simplificação para utilização em
áreas geográficas alargadas

Francisco M. Wallenstein ^{@, 1, 2, 3}, Ana I. Neto ^{2, 3}, Rita F. Patarra ^{2, 3}, Afonso C. L. Prestes ^{2, 3}, Nuno V. Álvaro ^{2, 3}, Armindo S. Rodrigues ², Martin Wilkinson ¹

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@ - Corresponding author: fwallenstein@uac.pt
1 - School of Life Sciences and Centre for Marine Biodiversity & Biotechnology, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, EH14 4AS, Scotland
2 - CIRN & Departamento de Biologia, Universidade dos Açores, 9501-801 Ponta Delgada, Açores-Portugal
3 - CIIMAR, Rua dos Bragas, 4050-123 Porto, Portugal

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ABSTRACT
This study focuses on intertidal rocky shore seaweed community features used for the assessment of ecological quality of coastal water bodies for the Water Framework Directive (WFD). An alternative index to those developed in the British Isles, in northern Spain and in mainland Portugal is proposed. Results from the application of all indices to a dataset collected on Azorean shores are compared and the suitability of the features used in each index discussed. The features included in the proposed index were selected to allow its applicability throughout a large geographic area.

Keywords: Ecological quality; macroalgae; intertidal; index comparison; wide geographic use

RESUMO
Este estudo centra-se em características de comunidades de macroalgas do intertidal rochoso para avaliação da qualidade ecológica das massas de águas costeiras no âmbito da Diretiva-Quadro da Água (DQA). É proposto um índice alternativo aos desenvolvidos nas Ilhas Britânicas, no norte da Espanha e em Portugal continental, que resulta da comparação da aplicação de todos os índices a um conjunto de dados recolhidos em praias açorianas, discutindo-se a adequação dos parâmetros utilizados em cada índice. Os parâmetros incluídos no índice proposto foram selecionados de forma a permitir a sua aplicação numa área geográfica alargada.

Palavras-chave: Ecological quality; macroalgae; intertidal; index comparison; wide geographic use

 

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