The macrophytobenthos community is made of the rhizophytes
Ruppia cirrhosa and Nanozostera noltii, mainly distributed in the
Eastern and central parts of the basin. In the western area, variations
in salinity and progressive nutrient enrichment over the last
thirty years have led to a succession of uniform carpets of macroalgae,
from Gracilaria sp. to Cladophora sp. and Valonia sp., which
have occasionally caused dystrophic crises (Cozzolino, 1995; Manini
et al., 2003). The lagoon of Lesina is a nursery area for numerous
fish and crustacean species of commercial value (Villani, 1998). An
important economic role is played by fishing and onshore aquaculture,
and was played in the past by the production of the
macroalga Gracilaria sp.