Notes on coastal lagoon typology in the light of the EU Water Framework Directive: Italy as a case study

• 1. The European Water Framework Directive (WFD) requires that Member States differentiate the transitional water bodies into types.
• 2. WFD assigns coastal lagoons to two different water categories, ‘transitional waters’ and ‘coastal waters’ on the basis of freshwater influence.
• 3. The main physical factors that contribute to the genesis and characterization of coastal lagoons are coastal typology, tidal range and climate.
• 4. Italian lagoons are presented as an example of how these physical factors can be used in coastal lagoon characterization and typology. On this basis, a clear distinction of Italian lagoons into two main groups is possible: Northern Adriatic and Mediterranean.
• 5. Large lagoons can be profitably subdivided into a hierarchical system of sub‐basins facilitating both the comparison of parts of the same lagoon and the comparison between different lagoons.
• 6. The basins are consistent water bodies that can be used as managerial units for environmental conservation, species protection and wise use of resources.

Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.