Influence of environmental and prey variables on low tide shorebird habitat use within the Robbins Passage wetlands,Northwest Tasmania

Shorebirds feed primarily on tidal flats, and their distribution over these flats is influenced by their prey and abiotic factors. These factors act by influencing the distribution and abundance of the prey, or the shorebirds ability to exploit it. The aims of this study were to investigate the low tide foraging distribution of shorebirds at four sites within the Robbins Passage wetlands, and the environmental and invertebrate factors that may influence their distribution. The greatest densities and number of shorebirds were found at Shipwreck Point and East Inlet. The shorebirds within-site distribution was also non-random, with the shorebirds present in greatest densities at the water's edge and low intertidal stratum, although this varied among species. Generally, on a small spatial scale, invertebrate diversity was positively correlated, and seagrass leaf mass was negatively correlated, with shorebird feeding density. On a large spatial scale, invertebrate biomass and seagrass root mass were positively correlated with shorebird feeding density. Invertebrate biomass and seagrass root mass explained 71% of the variance in total shorebird feeding density on the tidal flats. The variation in shorebird feeding density and diversity was therefore partly explained by invertebrate diversity and biomass, as well as the environmental factors seagrass roots and leaf mass and tidal flat area, although the strength of these relationships was influenced by the two different spatial scales of the study. The strength of the relationships between shorebird feeding density and the invertebrate and environmental variables was stronger on a large spatial scale. The presence of seagrass may have influenced shorebird-feeding density by affecting the invertebrate abundance and composition or the shorebirds ability to detect and capture their prey. The area of the tidal flat had opposing effects on the shorebird species. These results can be used to assist in the development of management plans for the Robbins Passage wetlands and the conservation of important shorebird areas.     

辽河口潮间带大型底栖动物摄食功能群特征研究

2020年对辽河口潮间带7条断面46个站位开展了春、秋两季大型底栖动物调查,并进行摄食功能群划分,研究了其潮间带大型底栖动物摄食功能群的组成及特征。共发现46种大型底栖动物,以软体动物、环节动物和节肢动物为主。肉食者功能群种类数最多,且主要为环节动物类群;浮游生物食者功能群则在丰度及生物量方面占优势地位,且主要为软体动物类群。大型底栖动物各摄食功能群丰度及生物量(除肉食者外)均表现出春季高于秋季,且在断面间无显著性差异,但浮游生物食者在靠近辽河入海口的断面(B和C断面)占据绝对优势。双因素方差分析显示,各摄食功能群的种类数、丰度和生物量在季节变化上均无显著差异。本研究结果有助于揭示辽河口潮间带大型底栖动物摄食功能群的变化规律,并为生物资源保护和修复提供基础数据。     

射阳河口互花米草入侵对大型底栖动物群落的影响

2008年11月至2009年10月,在盐城自然保护区射阳河口滩涂分别于潮间带、潮上带和潮沟中设置互花米草区与非米草区2类对照样地(共6类生境),按月份取样来研究大型底栖动物群落特征的差异,探讨互花米草入侵对底栖动物的影响。共发现大型底栖动物22种,隶属3门4纲17科,其中软体动物13种,节肢动物6种,环节动物3种。米草区和非米草区的物种组成不同,各生境在不同月份大型底栖动物的物种数、密度、生物量和Shannon-Wiener多样性指数均在不断波动,在潮间带上述指标均为In>Ig,潮上带除密度外均为Sn>Sg,潮沟边滩除个别月份外均为Cg>Cn;3类互花米草生境中大型底栖动物群落各项指标月间变动趋势基本一致(仅个别月份例外),均表现为Cg>Sg>Ig,互花米草生境存在共同的优势种,但数量有一定的差异。分别对潮间带、潮上带和潮沟中互花米草区与非米草区2类对照样地的物种数、密度、生物量以及Shannon-Weiner多样性指数H’进行生境-月份间无重复双因素方差分析,结果显示潮间带2类对照样地各项指标在生境间差异均极显著,月份间差异均不显著;潮上带2类对照样地各项指标生境间存在极其显著的差异(除密度外),月份间差异显著(除多样性外);潮沟2类对照样地生境间差异显著(除生物量外),月份间差异均显著。研究结果表明不同生境中的互花米草对底栖动物的影响不甚相同:潮间带互花米草的入侵降低了大型底栖动物的物种数、密度、生物量和多样性;潮沟米草的入侵提高了大型底栖动物的物种数、密度和多样性;而潮上带米草入侵对大型底栖动物的各指标影响不一。     

Environmentally associated spatial changes of a macrozoobenthic community in the Saemangeum tidal flat,Korea

Estuarine tidal flats are both ecologically and economically important, hence developing methods to reliably measure ecosystem health is essential. Because benthic fauna play a central role in the food web of tidal flats, in this study we set out to quantitatively describe the intertidal zonation of macro-invertebrates and their associations with specific environmental parameters along three transects in the Saemangeum tidal flat, Korea. The abundance and biomass of intertidal fauna with respect to five environmental parameters (i.e., shore level, mud content, coarse sand content, water content, and organic content) were measured, to identify environmental factors that influence macrofaunal distribution in intertidal soft bottom habitats. A total of 75 species were identified, with dominant species showing distinct zones of distribution along all transects. The number of species recorded in each transect was found to be dependent on sediment characteristics and salinity. Cluster analysis classified the entire study area into three faunal assemblages (i.e., location groups), which were delineated by characteristic species, including (A) ‘Periserrula–Macrophthalmus’, (B) ‘Umbonium–Meretrix’, and (C) ‘Prionospio–Potamocorbula’. Four environmental variables (i.e., shore level, water content, mud content, and organic content) appeared to determine factors that distinguished the three faunal assemblages, based on the discriminant analysis. The faunal assemblage types of the sampled locations were accurately predicted from environmental variables in two discriminant functions, with a prediction accuracy of 98%. It should be noted that the zonation of benthos in the lower section (C) of Sandong had been affected by the construction of a nearby dike, while this parameter had remained essentially unchanged at the other two location groups (A–B). Overall, the zonation of benthos from the Saemangeum tidal flat was explained adequately by the measured environmental variables, implying that faunal assemblages are closely associated with certain combinations of abiotic factors. The identification of such reliable associations may facilitate the development of statistical models to predict faunal distributions based on environmental variables at both local and regional scales. The entire study area was embanked in 2006 (one year after this study), and an integrated plan was set into force to develop claimed land into industrial, residential and agricultural districts, which also included a partial restoration program of the tidal flats located near to the study area.     

Zostera muelleri as a structuring agent of benthic communities in a large intertidal sandflat in New Zealand

The influence of seagrass beds on intertidal infaunal communities has been widely studied, with vegetated areas typically having higher diversity and abundances than adjacent bare sand patches. Such “seagrass–sand” comparisons, however, do not reflect the gradient of seagrass cover that may exist across large landscapes. We studied the large-scale distribution of intertidal macrozoobenthos over approximately 10,000 ha of sandflat on Farewell Spit, New Zealand. The benthic fauna, sediment composition and surface cover of the seagrass Zostera muelleri were studied at 192 sites evenly spaced along 30 transects covering the length of the 30 km spit. Most sites had Zostera present, generally at low densities (1–25% surface cover). Overall, invertebrate taxon diversity increased with Zostera cover, from a median of 4 taxa at sites with no Zostera to 23 at sites with high Zostera cover. Multivariate analyses of 37 frequently occurring taxa (of the 91 recognised) indicated that there was a site gradient of taxon abundances that reflected seagrass cover, with 23 taxa increasing as Zostera cover increased. Only three taxa tended to be found more where Zostera was scarce. Seventeen taxa were identified as being significant indicators of Zostera cover; in all cases abundances peaked with high Zostera scores. Cluster analysis revealed a number of major groupings. One group was associated with low Zostera; two were strongly associated with high Zostera cover; a fourth was probably distinguished by low tidal elevation and proximity to channels. On the Farewell Spit tidal flats, large-scale patterns of abundance seem to be largely structured by the presence and density of Zostera.     

Expected changes in the benthic fauna of Wadden Sea tidal flats as a result of sea-level rise or bottom subsidence

In different parts of the Dutch Wadden Sea, relationships between intertidal level and abundance of marine macrozoobenthos were similar. Numerical densities, biomass and species richness increased from values close to 0 at the high-water level to maximum values around mean-tide level (numbers) or halfway between this level and low-tide level (biomass). Species richness hardly declined below mean-tide level, whereas mean weight per individual continued to increase from high- to low-water level.Biomass was about 45 g ash-free dry weight per m² at its maximum and declined in an approximately linear way to values close to 0 at the high-water level and to about 7 g per m² at the low-water level. These two linear relationships were used to predict biomass changes on intertidal flats of the Wadden Sea at various scenarios of sea-level rise and bottom subsidence. Net sea-level rise is expected to result in increased amounts of intertidal zoobenthos in areas with predominantly high tidal flats, but in declines in lower areas. However, such changes will occur only if sea-level rise proceeds too fast to be compensated by extra sedimentation. Bottom subsidence as a consequence of gas extraction is expected to be too small to cause any measurable change in the benthic fauna.     

Low biomass of macrobenthic fauna at a tropical mudflat: An effect of latitude?

The macrobenthic animal biomass of the intertidal area of the Sembilang peninsula of South Sumatra, Indonesia, has been studied in 2004. Each month (March–August) 21 core samples were taken at each of six sampling stations. Macrobenthic fauna were identified at the lowest taxonomical level possible and counted. Biomass was measured as ash-free dry mass (afdm). The average biomass over all stations and months was 3.62 g afdm m⁻², the highest biomass (47.45 g afdm m⁻²) found at a station in one month was due to abundant occurrence of the bivalve Anadara granosa. Low biomass of macrobenthic fauna at Sembilang peninsula cannot easily be explained but is in line with low biomasses found elsewhere in the tropics. For that reason we analyzed a data set of 268 soft-bottom intertidal biomasses collected world-wide to look for a relationship with latitude. It was shown that average biomass of intertidal macrobenthic fauna in the tropics was significantly (p < 0.05) lower than that at non-tropical sites. A significant second-order relationship between biomass of macrobenthic fauna and latitude was established.     

Benthic fauna of Blagopoluchiya Bay (Novaya Zemlya Archipelago,Kara Sea)

The benthic fauna was studied in the Blagopoluchiya Bay (Kara Sea, Novaya Zemlya Archipelago) during an expedition of the R/V Professor Shtokman in autumn 2013. The inner basin of the bay, with depths of around 150 m, is separated from the outer slope of Novaya Zemlya by a shoal 30 m in depth. Six macrobenthic communities were described at nine stations (25 bottom grab samples) taken along a transect from the inner part of the bay to the outer part of the slope. The depths, position on the transect axis and sediment types were the major factors influencing the distribution of the communities. The benthic abundance and biomass in the inner and outer parts of the bay did not differ significantly. The diversity of macrobenthic organisms (α-diversity as the number of species in the sample and β-diversity as the rate of increase in species number in the area) was lower in the inner part of the bay. The intertidal zone (littoral) has been described. The littoral fauna was very poor; it comprised only the amphipods Gammarus setosus inhabiting the near-surface area.     

Regular habitat switch as an important feeding strategy of an opportunistic seabird species at the interface between land and sea

During deteriorated prey availability, purely pelagic, specialised seabird species have to alter their feeding strategy by extending foraging radii and/or time spent at sea or reducing feeding intervals of chicks. In contrast, more generalised species such as the opportunistic black-headed gull (Larus ridibundus) breeding at the German North Sea coast, can be assumed to react on prey shortages by switching foraging habitats. The coastal zone of the German North Sea provides a rich habitat mosaic consisting of the offshore zone, tidal flats and terrestrial habitats. Thus, we expected distinct temporal and spatial patterns of habitat switch in accordance with prey availability and environmental constraints. We carried out ship-based and aerial surveys as well as dietary analyses and observations on flight activity. We found a significant switch from terrestrial to marine feeding sites both on a daily basis (related to tidal cycle) and over the whole breeding season. Most likely, the latter switch is the result of lower prey availability in the terrestrial habitats and an increasing quality (in terms of prey abundance and energy intake) of the marine area. While there was only moderate variability in habitat use among different years, we revealed significant differences in the diet of birds from different colonies. The high dietary plasticity and flexible feeding strategy, switching between terrestrial and marine prey is certainly of major importance for the success of an opportunistic avian top predator in a complex coastal zone. It is suggested that – compared to situations elsewhere – the number of breeding pairs of black-headed gulls in the German North Sea coast are still stable due to the switch of foraging habitats performed by individuals in this region.     

Comparative study on the fauna composition of intertidal invertebrates between natural and artificial substrata in the northeastern coast of Jeju Island

This study was carried out to learn about differences in the sessile macrobenthic fauna communities between the artificial and natural habitats. There were some differences in terms of species composition and dominant species and community structure between two habitat types. The dominant species include Pollicipes mitella and Granuilittorina exigua in natural rocky intertidal zones; Monodonta labio confusa, Ligia exotica, Tetraclita japonica in the artificial rocky intertidal zones. Among all the species, L. exotica and T. japonica occurred only in the artificial rocky intertidal zone. The results of cluster analysis and nMDS analysis showed a distinct difference in community structure between artificial and natural rocky intertidal zones. The fauna in the natural rocky intertidal zones were similar to each other and the fauna in the artificial rocky intertidal zones were divided depending on the slope of the substratum. In the case of a sloping tetrapod, M. labio confusa and P. mitella were dominant, but at the vertical artificial seawall, Cellana nigrolineata, L. exotica T. japonica were dominant. The analysis of the species presented in natural and artificial rocky intertidal areas showed the exclusive presence of 10 species on natural rocks and 12 species on artificial rocks. The species in the natural rocky intertidal area included mobile gastropods and cnidarians (i.e. rock anemones), and the species in the artificial rocky intertidal area mostly included non-mobile attached animals. The artificial novel structure seems to contribute to increasing the heterogeneity of habitats for marine invertebrate species and an increase the species diversity in rocky coastal areas.     

Distribution patterns of macrobenthic fauna communities in Deukryang Bay,one of the environment conservation areas of Korea

Macrobenthic fauna were collected seasonally at 44 sites in Deukryang Bay from February to November, 2012. The species number of macrobenthic fauna was in the range of 140 to 181, and polychaetes comprised 41.4% of them. The average density of the whole study area changed seasonally from 755 to 1,507 ind. m^?2, and the most abundant fauna group was crustaceans which accounted for 55.1% of total abundance. An amphipod species Nippopisella nagatai was the most dominant species and a decapod species Xenophthalmus pinnotheroides, an amphipod species Photis longicaudata, and a polychaete species Paralacydonia paradoxa were also dominant in all seasons. The mean seasonal values of Shannon’s diversity index (H′) were in the range of 2.2–2.4, and those values for the evenness index and richness index were 0.7–0.7 and 4.6–5.7, respectively. From the cluster analysis, Deukryang Bay could be divided into 3 or 4 station groups with its specific fauna composition. The cluster analysis and an nMDS ordination revealed that local environmental factors such as water depth were related to the spatial delineation of macrobenthic fauna communities in Deukryang Bay.     

富营养化滩涂生物修复研究进展

近年来,随着海水富营养化加剧,滩涂沉积物多项重要理化参数也随之恶化,进而导致滩涂底质生境退化,表现出较为明显的富营养化趋势。为改善和恢复滩涂沉积物的生态环境,国内外学者进行了较多的生物境修复探索研究工作。作者概述了滩涂富营养化的现状及原因,各种滩涂生物修复技术的原理、特点及其修复效果,分析了各类生境修复技术的优缺点。同时,就滩涂生境修复技术在滩涂修复和海洋环境保护领域今后的研究重点进行了展望。     

Tidal,diel and semi-lunar changes in the faunal assemblage of an intertidal salt marsh creek

The utilisation of a brackish estuarine marsh by nekton was investigated over a semi-lunar cycle in August 1994. Nekton migrating in and out of the intertidal creeks of the marsh ‘Het Verdronken Land van Saeftinghe’ in the Westerschelde estuary, SW Netherlands, was sampled passively during seven complete tidal cycles. Sampling one tidal cycle yielded three consecutive flood samples and four consecutive ebb samples. Sampling occurred every 2–3 days, covering diel, tidal and semi-lunar situations, thus allowing comparison of tidal, diel and semi-lunar influences on the composition of the intertidal fauna.Two different tidal-migration modes were observed. The mysid shrimp, Mesopodopsis slabberi, showed maximum abundance around high tide. For the remaining common species, the mysid (Neomysis integer), the shrimp (Palaemonetes varians), the crab (Carcinus maenas) and the goby (Pomatoschistus microps) and the amphipod (Corophium volutator), highest densities were recorded during lower water heights. The faunal assemblage shifts between the different tidal stages.On two occasions, consecutive day and night samples were taken. Total densities were higher during the night samples. During spring tide, difference in community composition was noticed between the night and the day samples. During neap tide, day–night differences were less clear. Recorded total densities were highest during spring tide and lowest during neap tide. At maximum water levels, a drop in total density was observed. A shift in community composition occurred between spring and neap tides.     

山东长岛潮间带大型底栖动物生态特征研究

2015年11月(秋季)、2016年2月(冬季)、2016年6月(春季)、2016年9月(夏季)大潮期间对山东长岛列岛中南长山岛和北长山岛的3个不同底质类型的潮间带采样点进行了系统的大型底栖动物调查,研究了其数量特征和季节变化,包括群落种类组成、密度和生物量、优势种、物种多样性等,结果表明:本次调查共鉴定出大型底栖动物隶属7个门,共81种。其中环节动物门多毛类动物25种,软体动物门25种,节肢动物门22种,棘皮动物门6种,其他类群共3种(包括纽虫、腔肠动物和鱼类各1种)。潮间带大型底栖动物平均密度为118.97 ind./m~2,软体动物和甲壳动物占据了研究区域底栖群落的密度主要成分,两者分别占比为39.58%和36.68%。各采样点平均密度为北长山岛(BCS)(141.17 ind./m~2)避险角(NCS1)(122.33ind./m~2)明珠广场东(NCS2)(93.42ind./m~2);各采样点平均生物量为128.03g/m~2,软体动物和甲壳动物占据了研究区域底栖群落的生物量主要成分,两者分别占比为58.56%和35.32%。平均生物量北长山岛(BCS)(234.95g/m~2)避险角(NCS1)(99.99g/m~2)明珠广场东(NCS2)(49.13g/m~2)。从季节来看,各站点的物种数、平均密度和生物量季节变化的规律性不明显,总体为秋、春季较多,夏、冬季较少。3个站点物种多样性指数(H′)、丰富度指数(D)和均匀度指数(J′)平均值分别为2.30、1.99和0.79,各潮区中,均为中潮带低潮带高潮带,各季节变化不明显。优势种受底质类型和季节变化的影响明显,没有在各站点和季节均为优势种的种类,主要的优势种有平背蜞(Gaetice depressus)、绒螯近方蟹(Hemigrapsus penicillatus)、短滨螺(Littorina brevicula)等。与以往历史资料相比,长岛潮间带生物出现了一定变化,种类和数量减少,与烟台近岸潮间带大型底栖动物种类组成差别很大。     

Observations of boundary layer parameters and suspended sediment transport over the intertidal flats of northern Jiangsu, China

A current-turbidity monitoring system (CTMS) was deployed on the intertidal flat at Wanggang, northern Jiangsu during October 16-17, 2000, to measure the tidal current speeds and seawater turbidities at 5 levels above the seabed. Based upon the logarithmic-prof‘de equation, the boundary layer parameters, i.e., u*, Z0 and C60, were obtained for 247 tidal flow velocity prof‘des. Around 90% of the profiles were logarithmic according to the critical correlation coefficient. Internal consistency analysis shows that these parameters derived by different methods are consistent with each other. In addition, the height of the bedforms observed is close to the seabed roughness lengths calculated from the velocity prof‘des, indicating that the boundary layer parameters obtained can reveal the conditions at the sedimentwater interface on the intertidal flats. Suspended sediment concentrations were obtained from the 5 CTMS turbidity meters using laboratory and in-situ calibrations. The results show that the in-situ calibrated SSCs have a much higher accuracy than the laboratory calibrated ones. Calculation of suspended sediment fluxes on the intertidal flats, with a magnitude of 104 kg/m per spring tidal cycle, indicates that suspended sediment moves towards the northwest, which is reversal to the transport pattern controlled by the southward Northern Jiangsu Coastal Current in the sub-tidal zone and adjacent shallow waters.     

Spartina anglica eradication experiment and in situ monitoring assess structuring strength of habitat complexity on marine macrofauna at high tidal level

The cordgrass Spartina anglica is an introduced species that tends to invade sheltered sand and mudflats, at the upper low marsh level. In Arcachon Bay, a lagoon in South West of France, the cordgrass can also replace Zostera noltii beds. The consequence of cordgrass presence on macrobenthic fauna was estimated and compared to adjacent habitats (bare sands, Z. noltii sea grass beds) during one year. The communities of the three habitats were characterised by low species richness, low abundance and biomass (when Hydrobia ulvae, 90% of abundance, is not considered) and high seasonal stability. The infaunal assemblages were particularly homogeneous between habitats without any characteristic species.Cordgrass eradication experiments were performed and zoobenthic recolonisation was observed the following year. Modifications in benthic fauna were observed on epifauna only.These results highlight the limited structuring effect of habitat heterogeneity at high tidal levels and in soft-bottom sediments where desiccation becomes the dominant factor determining infauna community structure.     

Macrobenthic communities of the Vellar Estuary in the Bay of Bengal in Tamil-Nadu in South India

The macrobenthic fauna and communities of the Vellar Estuary located at the southeast cost of India (11°30′ N, 79°45′ E) and the adjacent marine and river habitats are described on the basis of original data (70 samples over 10 transects). The fauna consists of 115 macrobenthic species and 79 species in estuarine habitats. We described 14 types of macrobenthic communities with different compositions of the dominant species. The leading ecological factors of the distribution of the communities are the salinity, depth, and bottom type. The Vellar estuary consists of two longitudinal zones of macrobenthos. The polyhalinic area is populated by the marine species, but it is related not to a salinity decrease but to the protection from waves and silt on the bottom in this area. The polyhalinic communities are most abundant in terms of the biomass and species richness. The mesohalinic area is inhabited by brackish water species and communities with low abundance. The sublittoral estuarine area is dominated by filter-feeders—the bivalves Crassostrea madrasensis, Meretrix casta, Modiolus metcalfei, and Scapharca inaequivalves—and the littoral zone is dominated by the gastropods Cerithidea cingulata, some crabs, and polychaetes. The ecosystem function of the Vellar estuary can be defined as a filter for the fine organic particles transported by the river.     

Assessment of macrobenthic community function and ecological quality after reclamation in the Changjiang (Yangtze) River Estuary wetland

An ecological optimization project (semi-closed reclamation project) was implemented to control the invasion of Spartina alterniflora, and optimize the habitat of the Chongming Dongtan wetland, in the Changjiang (Yangtze) River Estuary. After project implementation, a macrobenthic ecological survey was conducted in a natural tidal flat and a semi-closed reclamation restoration area within the Chongming Dongtan wetland from 2019 to 2020. Compared with historical data before reclamation, findings showed that the groups, numbers, and species diversity of the macrobenthos increased significantly, and the ecological optimization project resulted in good ecological benefits. In addition, compared to the natural tidal flat, the number of collected macrobenthic phyla, and the macrobenthic density and biomass were significantly lower in the restoration area. Furthermore, the biodiversity index and functional redundancy of natural tidal flats were generally higher, indicating that the community composition and function of natural tidal flats were relatively more stable. Even though the species composition differed between a number of restoration areas and natural tidal flats, there was no difference in functional diversity, indicating that the effect of restoring ecological functions in restoration areas was optimal. Among them, the biodiversity and functional redundancy of Site S2 were significantly reduced, and the ecosystem function was extremely unstable. Habitat heterogeneity, vegetation community and decreasing salinity were the main factors that affected the ecological functions of macrobenthos. The ecological quality was also evaluated; the Transects N3 and N4 showed good quality. The overall ecological quality of the restoration area was generally high, but that of Site S2 was poor and that of Site S2E was merely good, which was mainly due to modifications of the ecological function of macrobenthos. It is suggested that reeds mowing and freshwater species release should be adopted in restoration areas to improve the community function and the environmental disturbance resistance of the macrobenthos.     

Are flatfish nursery grounds richer in benthic prey?

The density of macrobenthos was evaluated in the nursery grounds for flatfish of six estuarine systems along the coast of Portugal by comparison with adjacent non-nursery areas. The dry weight and density of macrobenthic fauna were significantly higher in the nursery grounds. Polychaeta, Bivalvia, Oligochaeta and Isopoda were found to be significantly more abundant in the nursery than in the non-nursery grounds. For Isopoda and Bivalvia, total dry weight was also significantly higher in the nursery areas. Correspondence analysis based on density showed that the nursery areas of the different estuaries grouped together relative to non-nursery sites, with a relative similarity in the abundance of Oligochaeta, Spionidae, Amage spp., Scrobicularia plana and Cerastoderma edule. Taking into consideration the generally opportunistic feeding ecology and low dietary selectivity of the flatfish species, the results indicated higher prey availability in the nursery grounds of the Portuguese estuaries, an important factor contributing to the quality of these areas. The relatively high macrobenthic productivity in the nursery areas might be linked to physical and biological interactions favouring the recruitment and maintenance of the communities.