Ecosystem self-organization in the Venice Lagoon

The formation of salt marshes (barene) in the Venice Lagoon is discussed in light of recent theories about the emergence of novelties. Namely, the emergent properties and the new formations are related to field quantum coherence domains and to dissipative structures. The boundary conditions, the ontic openness of the ecosystem and the continuous flow of energy and materials allow self-organization during the salt marshes formation and development. The role of the interphase and of the increasing mud deposit is also discussed from the point of view of Prigogine's Thermodynamics, taking into account the constraints and the limit conditions. © 2009 WIT Press.