Golfo di Olbia - Italy

The Gulf of Olbia is situated on the eastern coast of Sardinia. Morphologically, it is a typical ria, long 5 km, wide 2 km and with a total area of 600 ha, a mean depth of 5 m and a maximum depth of 10 m. The gulf receives a freshwater flow from the Padrongianus River in its southern part. The town of Olbia, located in the inner part of the Gulf, is one of the most important passenger harbors in the Mediterranean (about 4 million passengers per year) with in addition a commercial and an industrial harbor. It is also the largest mussel- and clam-farming area in Sardinia (5000 t yr−1). Mussel and clam farming is strongly affected by the presence of toxic algae. Since the early 1990s, the Gulf of Olbia has been monitored with ...