Preface [Structure, Functions and Ecosystem Alterations in Southern European Coastal Lagoons]

The Conference on \u27\u27Southern European Coastal Lagoons: The Influence of River Basin- Coastal Zone interactions\u27\u27, held in Ferrara (10-12 November 2003), aimed at debating on Southern European watershed-coastal lagoons as important ecosystems which are under great anthropogenic pressure, are of considerable ecological and economical value, and are expected to greatly suffer from the influence of global climatic change. Special emphasis was devoted to the discussion of different aspects of integrated watershed-lagoon coastal functioning