Abstract
The first offshore liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal in Italy and the first gravity based structure (GBS) in the world for unloading, storing and re-gasifying liquefied natural gas, was authorized and realized. The Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA, formerly ICRAM) formulated and implemented a multidisciplinary monitoring plan at verifying possible impacts of the project on marine environment. Data from June 2006 to July 2012 on the soft-bottom macrozoobenthic assemblages around the LNG terminal are presented, with the aim of verifying possible disturbances on these assemblages associated with the LNG terminal, by comparing the structure of the benthic communities before and after installation of the terminal, and during its operation. Well-structured assemblages were observed for the entire period investigated, with all taxa normally represented both quantitatively and qualitatively. A temporary disturbance due to the construction of the LNG terminal was detected in the surrounding sediments, while the presence of the concrete structure did not show significant effects at the investigated distances.
Publisher
Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Reference40 articles.
1. Monitoring of environmental impact resulting from offshore oil and gas installations in the Adriatic sea: preliminary evaluation;Cicero;Annali di Chimica, Journal of Analytical Environmental and Cultural Heritage Chemistry,2003
2. A comprehensive analysis of the effects of offshore oil and gas exploration and production on the benthic communities of the Norwegian continental shelf
3. Studio della macrofauna attorno alle piattaforme off-shore in Adriatico Centrale – study of the macrofauna sorrounding off-shore platforms in the Central Adriatic sea;Trabucco;Biologia Marina Mediterranea,2008
4. A Marine Biotic Index to Establish the Ecological Quality of Soft-Bottom Benthos Within European Estuarine and Coastal Environments