Adaptive strategy of brackish-water fauna in pure and polluted waters

A comparative analysis of various brackish-water biotopes has indicated certain characteristics of the community structure, and the colonization and adaptation of various species to very different ecological situations. A large diversity of the fauna in the various biotopes has been ascertained, each of them showing peculiar properties. Together with species typical of these environments, there are many others, often until now never collected in brackish waters, which, according to different local situations, characterize and distinguish various situations. A comparison of the fauna between brackish waters and sea waters polluted by organic wastes point out to what degree adaptive strategies are analogous. Genetic variability of the organisms makes standardization of monitoring methods difficult in these unpredictable environments.