[Indicators for marine environment: a preliminary application of an integrated approach]

A draft set of indicators was selected to make a state assessment of Italian coastal environment, based upon DPSIR scheme (driving, pressure, state, impact, response), a method which can describe different components of complex environmental systems. The selected indicators are the followings: population and tourism (driving); manufacturing, potential organic loads, trophic loads, maritime transport, fishing fleet, fishing intensity, maricolture (pressure); trophic index TRIX, microbiological quality index IQB (state); bathing water quality (impact); waste water treatment budget, register of sewers, protected areas (response). A brief description is presented for each indicator, in relation to their most important features, construction modalities and environmental meaning.