Monitoring of a disposal site along the continental shelf of the central Thyrrhenian Sea (NW Mediterranean Sea)

In 1998 an experimental monitoring survey of a marine disposal site, after the dumping of 150,000 m(3) dredged sediments coming from the Fiumicino Harbour (Italy), was carried out. The monitoring survey was realised using a multidisciplinary approach that included indirect acoustic investigations, chemical-physical analyses, bioassays and bionomic study. Six month later the dumping operations the environmental impact assessment did not evidenced significant alterations of sediment quality. This suggests that the site could be utilised for further authorised dumping.