A new biondex, based on macrofouling biocoenosis of hard substrata, for the estimation of the environmental quality: application in the Lagoon of Venice.

We carried out the validation of the bioindex developed during the 2004-2005 campaign of sampling and collection of physico-chemical and biotic parameters related to the study of the environmental quality of two stations of the southern basin of the Venice Lagoon. This bioindex confirmed the good health of the examined stations. In addition, the data collected in this campaign are comparable with those of the preceding one, in spite of the aberrations of the meteorological parameters in the examined period, thus confirming that the bioindex is a good tool for environmental health evaluation.