Mapping of the Cymodocea nodosa (Ucria) Asch. meadows in the Kotor bay and data comparison over the last four decades
Authors/Creators
- 1. Institute of Marine Biology, University of Montenegro, 85330 Kotor, Montenegro
- 2. 2Forest and Nature Management Master student, Liege University, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech BIOSE, 5030 Gembloux, Belgium
Description
There is a huge discrepancy between different methods and periods of data collection for the seagrass Cymodocea nodosa. The aim of this work was to map the current distribution of the C. nodosa meadows in the Kotor Bay and evaluate changes over the last four decades. Seagrass C. nodosa was present in monospecific meadows or together with Zostera noltei along 22 % (7697 m) of the coastline. In total 118486 m2 of C. nodosa meadows were mapped, from 1 m depth up to 5 (6) m depth on sandy-muds and muddy bottoms. The percentage of the loss of the coastline where Cymodocea meadows were mapped by Stjepčević and Parenzan (1980) and where they are currently present, is of 20%. Considering the vertical distribution of meadows the loss accounts for 20-40 %. In our opinion, the reports by DFS (2012) and RAC SPA (2013) concerning the distribution of the Cymodocea meadows in the Kotor Bay should not be taken into account in further assessments because they are not accurate.