Testing an integrated approach bioindicator for the Venetian Lagoon

With the final aim of develop a reliable biological indicator for the Venetian lagoon we test the methodologies previously elaborated and described. We analyse the hemocyanin phenotypic plasticity, the developmental instability, and the genetic variation among specimens of Carcinus aestuarii collected from three different localities during 2005. The results obtained by the application of both molecular markers evidence a significant difference between the lagoon sites and the sea site, while no evidence of any relationship was detected throw the analysis of developmental stability. The application of the integrated methodology is in progress, on the samples collected in spring 2006.