Page 2 - DeidunSchembri2006

356 A. D EIDUN, P.J. SCHEMBRI

beach assemblages is also shown by those of the surf zone. Finally, it compared
qualitatively the surf zone assemblages of the Maltese beaches studied with those
of other centrai Mediterranean islands.

Materials and methods

Shallow water fauna} assemblages were sampled using standardised nocturnal
towing of a 0.5 mm-mesh net of mouth area 0.1 m2 through the water column to
cover an area of seabed ca 25m2. Each haul was made parallel to the shore in water
less than l metre deep and lasted for 20 minutes. These hauls were designed to col-
lect upper infralittoral infauna that emerged to swim in the water column at night.

Beaches sampled were on the centrai Mediterranean islands of Malta (Golden
Bay, White Tower Bay), Gozo (Ramla and Xatt 1-Ahmar), Lampedusa (Conigli
Beach), Sicily (Pozzallo) and Favignana (Porto and Lido Burrone). Beaches on
Malta and Gozo were sampled from autumn 2001 to summer 2003, whilst the
other beaches were sampled in either spring 2002 (Conigli Beach) or spring 2003
(the rest). Since data from the non-Maltese beaches were not seasonal, these were
not included in the statistica] analyses and were used only for qualitative compa-
risons with data from the Maltese beaches.

Tab. l - Physical parameters measured on the different beaches sampled. Maltese beaches were
sampled seasonally in 2002 and 2003 while ali the other beaches were sampled in
spring 2003 except Conigli beach, which was sampled in spring 2002.
Key: A= Autumn; W= Winter; Sp = Spring; Su= Summer.

Parametri fisici misurati sulle spiagge campionate. Le spiagge ma/tesi sono state campionate sta-
gionalmente nel 2002 e nel 2003 mentre le altre spiagge sono state campionante nella primavera
del 2003, tranne la spiaggia dei Conigli, campionata nella primavera del 2002.
A=autunno; W=inverno, Sp=primavera, Su=estate.

BEACHJYEAR or PHYSICAL PARAMETER
SEASON
Beach occupancy by Exposure Mean seawater POM Median sediment % organic content
Golden Bay/2002 humans (lnd/100m 2) value content (x l 0·2mg ]·1) grain size (phi) (X] 0·2)
Golden Bay/2003
White Tower Bay/2002 1.23 6.80 A w Sp Su A w Sp Su A w Sp Su
White Tower Bay/2003 Not measured
Ramla/2002 5.7 6.19 1.3 1.1 1.7 0.9 1.7 1.5 1.5 1.6 14 7.7 6.6 12.0
Ramla/2003 Not measured 1.7 1.6 1.5 1.6 15.0 8.3 6.9 12.5
Xatt 1-Ahmar/2002 0.24 8.72 8.8 l.O 1.5 1.2 1.1 0.9 0.8 1.3 3.9 9.8 11.5 4.7
Xatt 1-Ahmar/2003 Not measured 1. 1 1.0 0.8 1.3 4.1 10.5 11.9 4.5
Conigli/spring 2002 6.7 2.2 1 1.2 2.3 2.5 4.3 2.4 1.9 1.7 2.0 6.3 6.9 7.0 6.5
Lido Burrone/spring 2003 Not measured 2.5 2.3 2.1 2.0 6.7 7.5 85 6.8
Porto/spring 2003 Not measured 5.64 l.O 1.9 1.4 1.2 1.5 1.0 1. 1 1.2 8.5 14.5 15.8 9.2
Pozzallo/spring 2003 Not measured 5.60 1.6 1.0 1.1 1.2 9.1 l 5.5 16.5 9.9
1.57 6.2 3.7 1.4 0.7 2.3 7 .2
Not measured 7.89 2.4 26.6
1.5 4.1 1.5 2.0 l. l 4 .8
1.8 9.0
2.4 1.5 5.0 1.6
1.9 1.1 3.2 1.1

Not measured
Not measured

Not measured

Not measured

Environmental parameters measured were: median sediment grain size (fol-
lowing Buchanan, 1984), percentage organic content of the upper 10 cm of the
sediment - determined using the Walkley & Black titration method following wet-
oxidation by potassium dichromate, as described in Morgans (1956) and Bucha-
nan (1984) - the particulate organic materia! (POM) content of the water column
(using suction filtration of seawater through a 0.47 !lm membrane filter) , the
exposure to wave action of the beach (using the method described by Thomas,