Nonlinear time series analysis of dissolved oxygen in the Orbetello Lagoon (Italy)

In this paper, a nonlinear time series analysis of data representing dissolved oxygen collected in the Lagoon of Orbetello (Grosseto, Italy) is performed. A first biological inspection of the data shows that the coastal area is highly eutrophic and subject to unexpected phenomena, like anoxic and distrophic crises. We use the recurrence plots and the recurrence quantification analysis to show that, even if the time series are short and strongly nonstationary, it is possible to characterize the oscillations of dissolved oxygen and the oxygen crises in terms of nonlinear dynamical systems. (C) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.