Is the Kornati National Park still an acceptable reference area for environmental studies?

Ilenič, Anja (author), Lojen, Sonja (author), Župan, Ivan (author), Šarić, Tomislav (author), Šikić, Zoran (author), Vrhovnik, Petra (author), Dolenec, Matej (author)

The Kornati National Park (Croatia) is considered an environment with minimal anthropogenic input. The purpose of this study was to determine the isotopic characteristics of the sediment and muscle tissues of the banded dye-murex Hexaplex trunculus. We selected locations in the park according to their estimated risk of anthropogenic pollution (large, lower, and minimal). Isotopic analyses of the sedimentary organic carbon (δ$^{13}$C$_{org}$ values) showed that the sedimentary organic matter in locations with P. oceanica meadows (Piškera, Vrulje) was enriched in $^{13}$C compared to that of locations with the influx of terrestrial organic matter. The δ$^{13}$C and δ$^{15}$N values of the muscle tissues of H. trunuclus were the highest in the two locations with the highest possible anthropogenic impact (−14.47‰ and −15.66‰ for δ$^{13}$C$_{org}$, +8.87‰ and +10.4‰ for δ$^{15}$N). The high δ values may indicate the presence of the pigment indirubin (C$_{16}$H$_{10}$O$_2$N$_2$) and other derivatives that cause the purple coloration but are also elevated because of the discharge of untreated sewage from a nearby marina and village.

• Language: English
• Keywords: Kornati National Park, marine sediment, banded dye-murex Hexaplex trunculus, stable isotopes, carbon and nitrogen
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: NTF - Faculty of Natural Sciences and Engineering
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2018
• Number of pages: 12 str.
• Numbering: Vol. 8, iss. 11, art. 385
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-132083
• UDC: 55
• ISSN on article: 2076-3263
• DOI: 10.3390/geosciences8110385
• COBISS.SI-ID: 1431390
• Publication date in RUL: 12.10.2021

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Geosciences
• Shortened title: Geosciences
• Publisher: MDPI
• ISSN: 2076-3263
• COBISS.SI-ID: 519967769

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.
• Licensing start date: 01.11.2018