Articles | Volume 23, issue 7
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-23-2389-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-23-2389-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
13 Apr 2026
Research article |
| 13 Apr 2026
| 13 Apr 2026
River flooding reshapes sediments, contaminants and benthic microbial communities in a Mediterranean coastal system
Claudio Pellegrini
National Research Council (CNR), Institute of Marine Science (ISMAR), Bologna, Italy
Marco Basili
National Research Council (CNR), Institute for Marine Biological Resources and Biotechnology, Ancona, Italy
National Research Council (CNR), Institute of Marine Science (ISMAR), Bologna, Italy
Tommaso Tesi
National Research Council (CNR), Institute of Polar Sciences (ISP), Bologna, Italy
Emanuela Frapiccini
National Research Council (CNR), Institute for Marine Biological Resources and Biotechnology, Ancona, Italy
Grazia Marina Quero
National Research Council (CNR), Institute for Marine Biological Resources and Biotechnology, Ancona, Italy
National Biodiversity Future Center (NBFC), Palermo, Italy
Sarah Pizzini
National Research Council (CNR), Institute for Marine Biological Resources and Biotechnology, Ancona, Italy
Fano Marine Center (FMC), Fano, Italy
Department of Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics, Ca'Foscari University of Venice, Venezia, Italy
Roberta Zangrando
Department of Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics, Ca'Foscari University of Venice, Venezia, Italy
National Research Council (CNR), Institute of Polar Sciences (ISP), Venezia, Italy
Gian Marco Luna
National Research Council (CNR), Institute for Marine Biological Resources and Biotechnology, Ancona, Italy
National Biodiversity Future Center (NBFC), Palermo, Italy
Sara Catena
National Research Council (CNR), Institute of Marine Science (ISMAR), Bologna, Italy
Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences (BIGEA), University of Bologna (UNIBO), Bologna, Italy
Bruno Campo
Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences (BIGEA), University of Bologna (UNIBO), Bologna, Italy
Naomi Massaccesi
National Research Council (CNR), Institute for Marine Biological Resources and Biotechnology, Ancona, Italy
National Biodiversity Future Center (NBFC), Palermo, Italy
Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences (BIGEA), University of Bologna (UNIBO), Bologna, Italy
Fabio Trincardi
National Research Council (CNR), Institute of Marine Science (ISMAR), Bologna, Italy
Andrea Gallerani
National Research Council (CNR), Institute of Marine Science (ISMAR), Bologna, Italy
Jacopo Chiggiato
National Research Council (CNR), Institute of Marine Science (ISMAR), Venezia, Italy
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Short summary
The September 2022 flood in central Italy left a short-lived yet significant imprint offshore, with patchy sediment deposition, pollutant hotspots (Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs), Poly- and Perfluorinated alkyl substances (PFASs)) and shifts in benthic microbial communities. These findings reveal how extreme events, though transient, can reshape coastal systems, stressing the need for event-based monitoring and improved understanding of flood-driven sediment, contaminant, and ecosystem dynamics.
The September 2022 flood in central Italy left a short-lived yet significant imprint offshore,...
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