Environmental quality characteristics of the Apulian transitional waters. Case study: lagoons of Lesina and Varano (Italy)

Transitional waters are internal water ecosystems of important naturalistic value and enjoy different forms of protection. They are often subject to the threat of pollution phenomena due to anthropic activities and therefore object of research for the choice of good control and management practices. This study deals with the environmental analysis, conducted with measurement campaigns and subsequent analysis of the data collected, of two lagoons in southern Italy, the Lesina lagoon and the Varano lagoon, which fall into the category of transitional waters sensu the Directive 2000/60/EC. The anthropic pressures and their impacts were evaluated in order to assess the environmental quality objectives stated by the Directive. The study shows as a result a non- critical state of the two lagoons, but certainly to keep under observation.