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large contribution of cyanobacteria to phytoplankton biomass, should be re-assessed in Mediterranean regions, where, even under oligotrophic conditions, cyanobacteria are

This case study applied ecological multi-metric indices recommended by the European Commission (2008/915/EC) to two reservoirs of the Guadiana watershed, which have repeatedly developed cyanobacteria blooms in the summer, in association with high hydraulic retention. Values for the ecological potential measured by these indices ranged from Bad (> 9% contribution of cyanobacteria biovolumes) to Good (InGA) and Very Good (InGA and MedPTI). However, these indices do not provide insight on appropriate CHAB prevention and mitigation measures. Instead, long term monitoring of ecological data, was necessary to propose appropriate countermeasures. In fact, in these two reservoirs the only effective measure to prevent or mitigate CHABs was to reduce water residence time by

The long-term study of the Guadiana estuary revealed unforeseen impacts in the aquatic microbial ecology after completion of the large Alqueva dam, causing in particular the collapse of natural cyanobacteria populations in the upper estuary. The sharp decline in photosynthetic prokaryotes, as well as in the phytoplankton community, could be attributed to overall perturbations in estuarine circulation, rather than any single or combined environmental drivers. Thus, regulation of dam discharges to maintain ecological river flow is essential to maintain estuarine primary productivity, using such ecological tools as abundance and diversity of cyanobacteria as sensitive indicators of "good" estuarine water quality. However, national environmental agencies and water resource authorities have yet to apply adequate ecohydrological approaches to river flow and dam discharge management, while policymakers seemingly lack the political will to enforce ecological river

On the other hand, monitoring of Beliche and Odeleite freshwater reservoirs assessed the usefulness of different ecological indicators. Aquatic ecologists have long presented a plea (e.g. Margaleff, 1974; Reynolds, 2002) for a better understanding of phytoplankton composition and dynamics in ecological studies. Multi-metric phytoplankton indices, such as recommended by the European Commission (2008/915/EC), attempt to translate complex biological information into user-friendly ecological classifications. These EC metrics might be useful for water policy purposes, but do not seem to have any utility in CHABs management. Ecological tools should clearly indicate the need for prevention or mitigation measures for CHAB management, which multi-metric indices fail to do. Instead, adequate ecological tools should rely on long-term multi-variate studies, which address the

The Guadiana estuary study was funded by a series of projects 16/REGII/6/96 and 15/REGII/6/96 (INTERREGII program), EMERGE (ODIANA regional program), project nr.

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Iberia. *Marine Ecology Progress Series*, Vol. 228, (March 2002), pp. 35-45, ISSN 0171- 8630


**Ecosystem Technologies and Ecoremediation** 

Despite the access to safe drinking and sanitary water, which is a precondition for human health and well-being, water quality is still seriously threatened by point and non-point sources of pollution, originating mostly from urban and rural areas. Due to rapid development, the problems associated with urbanization do not delay to appear: water scarcity, food insecurity and pollution (Esrey, 2000). Most people in Europe do have access to drinking water of good quality, but on the other hand there are one billion people worldwide with limited or no access to uncontaminated water (Jenssen et al., 2004). Conventional sewer systems use considerable amounts of valuable drinking water for flushing and transporting toilet waste. In the processes, huge amounts of fresh water, up to 50,000 liters per year per person, are contaminated and deemed unfit for other purposes. A massive flow of nutrients, drained from rural and urban areas, mixes with fresh waters. These nutrients take the form of excreta and are usually disposed into deep lakes or pits, rivers, and coastal waters. The excreta are toxic for many forms of aquatic life (*e.g*. fish and coral reefs), they cause eutrophication, reduce biodiversity, affect human health and soil quality (Esrey, 2000). Accretion of excreta also causes accumulation and release of toxic substances like heavy metals and micro-pollutants. On the other hand, research findings show that the world's reserves of commercial phosphate will exhaust in fifty to hundred years and, as predicted, the production of phosphorus will reach its peak around 2030 (Cordell et al., 2009). It is obvious that wrong flow of nutrients causes the loss of soil fertility

However, agriculture is beside sewage still recognized as one of the major sources of nutrient loading and a significant factor in terms of ecological quality (Iital et al., 2008). According to OECD (2006) pollution from agriculture have been declining in recent years , diffuse pollution of ground and surface waters with excess nitrogen and phosphorus remains the most severe environmental problem of intensive agriculture (Herzog et al., 2008). Soluble reactive phosphorus originates from point sources (*e.g*. overflow from slurry tanks, farmyard cleaning) (Neal et al., 2008), meanwhile non-point sources of phosphorus are caused by soil erosion, agricultural runoff, and drainage where phosphorus is mainly

**1. Introduction** 

and unnecessary water pollution at the same time.

**for Water Protection, Treatment and Reuse** 

Tjaša Griessler Bulc1, Darja Istenič2 and Alenka Šajn-Slak3

*1University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Sanitary Engineering, Ljubljana, 2LIMNOS Company for Applied Ecology Ltd.* 

> *3CGS plus Ltd. Slovenia*

Young, A.J., Orset, S. & Tsavolos, A. (1996). Methods for carotenoids analysis. In: *Hanbook for Photosynthesis 1st edition*. Pessarakli, M. (Ed). Marcel Dekker, New York, USA **8**
