Spatial macrozoobenthic distribution patterns in relation to major environmental factors- A case study from the Pomeranian Bay (southern Baltic Sea)

The aim of this study was to identify potential environmental “key factors” causing spatial distributions of macrozoobenthic communities to improve our understanding concerning benthic biotic/abiotic interactions and ecosystem functioning. To this end benthic and environmental data, collected over a period of 4 years (2003–2006) at 191 sampling stations in the Pomeranian Bay (southwest Baltic Sea), were analysed. This represents the most comprehensive study performed in this respect in the Baltic Sea up to date and also the necessary first step towards a model able to predict macrofaunal distributions regarding autecological species-environment interactions. Based on species abundances, distinctive macrobenthic community patterns were identified and evaluated via univariate correlation methods, multivariate numerical classification and ordination techniques (e.g. PCA, CCA). These patterns were caused by clear responses of several benthic species to certain prevailing environmental conditions. The observed distribution of selected species followed a strong gradient of depth and was explained best by the sediment parameters total organic carbon (TOC), median grain size and sorting. By using different statistical methods these abiotic/biotic interactions were modelled allowing to extend our knowledge concerning ecosystem functioning, and provide a tool to assess natural and anthropogenic forced changes in species distribution.     

Combined use of aerogammaspectrometry and geochemistry to access sediment sources in a shallow coral site at Armação dos Búzios,Brazil

Coral and reef environments in shallow waters are negatively affected by human activities in several coastal areas worldwide. It has been demonstrated that sediment influx and macronutrient discharges induce decline of coral population structure and diversity. Therefore, efforts to quantify sediment flux, sources and the biological response to sedimentation were conducted by several marine researchers. Herein, we investigated the case study of Armação dos Búzios/Brazil/Western South Atlantic, where coral colonies (mostly Siderastrea stellata) are under stress due to sediment apportionment as a consequence of regional human occupation. Classification of potential sediment source regions was based on a high-resolution aerogammaspectrometry survey for ²³²Th, ²³⁸U and ⁴⁰K in main land near shore, used as primarily tool, in combination with sediment geochemistry. This approach allowed distinguishing three hydrographic basins (Macaé river basin, São João river basin and Una river basin) as potential sources. Hierarchical cluster analysis applied to the set of parameters identified the Macaé River as the most probable sediment contributor to the coralline site.     

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.     

Combining echo sounding,sediment and biological data to map benthic habitats in a coastal area of the Persian Gulf

Mapping surveys of coastal benthic habitat in Qeshm Island Geopark, Persian Gulf, were conducted using a combination of biological, sedimentological and echo‐sounding data. The survey area covered approximately 233 km² in a depth range of 5–25 m, and the data were acquired from a single beam echo sounder, grab, video and still photography. Sediment and macrofauna samples were collected by grab at 76 stations and subjected to classification and ordination analyses. Two acoustic classes were identified differentiating along the near/offshore axis. Sediment texture was dominated by fine grain sizes, with five distinct sub‐sediment types. In total, 214 macrobenthic taxa were identified, of which polychaetes accounted for 60%. Other dominant groups included young sponges, nematodes, malacostracan crustacean, bivalves, ostracods and ophiuroids. Underwater videos and still photos integrated the macrofaunal and sedimentary data and revealed a range of biogenic sedimentary features such as burrows and tubes. The biological data identified six main biological assemblages showing an inshore/offshore pattern. The macrobenthic abundance did not demonstrate a significant difference with depth, although polychaetes were positively correlated with depth. The highest abundance and species richness were observed at median depths. Species distribution and diversity did not show any correlation with sediment type. A preliminary habitat mapping of the south coast of the Qeshm Island Geopark has been carried out, integrating acoustic, sediment and biological data.     

Differences in the damage caused by hypoxia to the macrobenthic communities in source regions of hypoxic water and in regions with advected hypoxic water

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of transported hypoxic water on macrobenthic species composition in Isahaya Bay, Kyushu, Japan. To this end, we conducted a field survey of water quality, sediment quality, and the macrobenthic community across seasons. Hypoxic intensity, defined as the percentage of the time that a region exhibits hypoxic conditions [dissolved oxygen (DO) <?3.0 mg L^?1], was calculated for the summer period from July 1 to September 30, 2014 based on continuous monitoring data derived from six monitoring towers in the bay. Here, we discuss how the hypoxia-induced damage, defined as the change in the species compositions of the macrobenthic communities in the bay due to hypoxia, differs between the inner and middle regions of the bay (with muddy sediment) and the outer regions of the bay (with sandy sediment). A decrease in the density of macrobenthic species that was correlated to the period of lowest DO concentration (<?1.0 mg L^?1) was observed in the inner region of the bay. A large number of species disappeared from the macrobenthic community in the outer region after the DO concentration had dropped to its lowest level, even though this region presented the lowest hypoxic intensity (6.6%). The species that disappeared, including crustaceans and some polychaetes, were presumed to be sensitive to, and to have escaped from, hypoxia. Fewer species disappeared from the inner and intermediate regions of the bay, which had high hypoxic intensities of 14.0 and 26.7%, respectively, than from the outer region. The reason for this appeared to be a predominance of hypoxia-tolerant species in the inner and intermediate regions but not in the outer region. Our study suggests that estimating the effect of hypoxia in a spatially heterogeneous environment must be done with caution.     

Influence of Environmental Variables on the Distribution of Macrobenthos in the Han River Estuary, Korea

We compared environmental effects on the macrobenthic community of the Han River Estuary in summer, when freshwater input from the Han River increased, and in spring, when freshwater input decreased. Field samples were taken from the upper region of the Shingok reservoir to the southern area of Ganghwado at 18 sampling sites after rainy (August 2006) and dry (March 2007) seasons. Macrobenthic fauna were collected using a Van Veen Grab (0.025 m² and 0.1 m²) and environmental factors were measured simultaneously. Dominant species of macrobenthic fauna and the macrobenthic community were divided into two areas, the area of the Han River with no salinity (< 0.1 psu) and the southern part of Ganghwado with salinity (> 20 psu). The dominant species Byblis japonicus appeared at Junruri in the dry season. The distributions of two polychaetes, Hediste japonica and Nephtys caeca, were divided into the lower and upper areas of the Singok submerged weir. BIO-ENV (the matching of biotic to environmental patterns) analysis revealed that salinity was the most important factor affecting macrobenthic communities in the Han River Estuary, with other factors such as sediment grain size, bottom dissolved oxygen, and total organic carbon of sediment being secondary.     

Changes in benthic communities along a presumed pollution gradient in Vancouver Harbour

Samples of macrobenthic organisms were obtained at seven stations on a presumed pollution gradient from the head of Vancouver Harbour through to outer Howe Sound. Polychaetes (83 apparent species) and molluscs (43 apparent species) were the most abundant faunal groups numerically (44.8 and 47.9%, respectively). Molluscs accounted for most of the biomass (87.9%). The following univariate and multivariate methods were used to investigate structural changes in the benthic communities: ANOVA, Abundance-Biomass Comparisons and related statistics, cluster analysis, multidimensional scaling, and the BIOENV procedure. Most of the analyses divided the seven stations into three groups: Port Moody Arm (Inner Harbour): two stations; Inner and Outer Harbour: four stations, and Gibsons (Howe Sound): one station. Further cause-effect investigations are needed to determine the sensitivity to organic pollution of indicator species identified in the survey. However our data correlating benthic community changes to sediment chemistry suggest the inner harbour was dominated by pollution-tolerant species. Depth and sediment grain size were confounding factors for the interpretations.     

2012-2016年调水调沙对黄河口海域大型底栖动物群落结构的影响

为了明确黄河调水调沙对河口海域大型底栖动物群落结构的影响,本研究于2012至2016年调水调沙后进行了大型底栖动物样品的采集工作。整个研究时期共鉴定出大型底栖动物7门138种,生物量和丰度2012年显著高于2016年,生物量年间无显著差异;研究时期内优势种以小型多毛类为主,鲜见软体动物、节肢动物和棘皮动物,其中2016年优势种全部为小个体多毛类;MDS显示,随时间的推移距河口不同距离梯度的大型底栖动物逐渐演变为相同的群落结构,且Shannon-Wiener多样性指数和Margalef丰富度指数呈下降趋势;CCA显示研究海域主要底栖动物种类的生态需求为高中值粒径、低溶解氧、pH、黏土和硫化物含量。本研究推测调水调沙工程一定程度上影响了底层生物群落结构,特别是研究海域的A断面。     

北黄海獐子岛邻近海域大型底栖动物群落结构和季节变化

本文以2009年8月-2010年6月在北黄海獐子岛海域4个季度航次调查的大型底栖动物资料为基础,分析了该海域大型底栖动物群落的结构和季节变化。结果表明,4个航次共采集了211种底栖动物,调查海域主要优势种为薄索足蛤(Thyasira tokunagai)、斑角吻沙蚕(Goniada maculata)、紫蛇尾(Ophiopholis mirabilis)、博氏双眼钩虾(Ampelisca bocki)和短角双眼钩虾(Ampelisca brevicornis),各季节的优势种组成有明显变化;运用聚类分析和MDS研究了其群落结构,将该区域大型底栖动物分为3个群落,即,群落I--位于调查区北部的美原双眼钩虾(Ampelisca miharaensis)-短角双眼钩虾(Ampelisca brevicornis)-斑角吻沙蚕群落,群落II--位于獐子岛邻近的紫蛇尾(Ophiopholis mirabilis)-日本倍棘蛇尾群落(Amphioplus japonicus),群落III--位于南部区域的薄索足蛤-浅水萨氏真蛇尾(Ophiura sarsii vadicola)群落,各群落有一定的季节变化;运用ABC曲线分析了4个季节群落受扰动情况,表明该海域环境良好,受扰动较小,夏季受扰动略大于其它季节。     

Long-term changes in the production by estuarine macrobenthos affected by multiple stressors

The macrobenthic production of an estuarine system was evaluated over a 14-year study period in a seagrass bed and in a sandflat. Over this period, the estuary suffered severe eutrophication and extreme weather events with important impacts on the community, impairing system functioning and ultimately the goods and services provided by the estuary (decline in the seagrass bed, decreased community production and/or a boost in the production by opportunist species, such as Hydrobia ulvae). Following the anthropogenic impacts, management measures were introduced which allowed a gradual recovery of the seagrass bed and a new macrobenthic community structure manifested by production increases of slow-growing species, such as Scrobicularia plana and Hediste diversicolor. There was a gradual re-orientation of energy into population biomass instead of population density but this was not translated into higher community production, mainly due to the decreased production of opportunist species (H. ulvae and several polychaetes). Several weather extreme events occurred during this post-mitigation phase - floods, heatwaves and droughts, all of which had negative impacts on macrobenthic dynamics and production. The heatwaves led to the greatest decreases in macrobenthic production, mainly due to S. plana perhaps associated with its physiological intolerance of higher temperatures. The prolonged drought that followed the heatwaves maintained low levels of production by S. plana and H. ulvae. With climate change, the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events are likely to increase worldwide so that the recovery of impacted/disturbed systems from impacts such as eutrophication may be seriously affected by these additional stressors, compromising attempts to improve the ecological quality of estuarine ecosystems.     

山口红树林保护区潮间带大型底栖动物群落研究

文章根据2020年7月的调查数据,研究山口红树林保护区潮间带大型底栖动物群落的分布特征和物种多样性。结果表明：本次调查共记录潮间带大型底栖动物7门9纲52种,以节肢动物和软体动物为主,优势种包括隆背张口蟹（Chasmagnathus convexus）、扁平拟闭口蟹（Paracleistostoma depressum）、红树蚬（Gelonia coaxans）等10种;大型底栖动物群落的平均生物量和平均密度分别为81.17 g/m2和54 ind/m2,其中节肢动物占比分别为43.70%和80.09%,节肢动物对群落密度作出的贡献最大;大型底栖动物群落的多样性指数为0.86～2.52,系统聚类和多维尺度分析可将群落划分为3个类型;与我国其他红树林区相比,山口红树林保护区潮间带大型底栖动物群落的物种多样性水平较低。     

Long-term changes in rocky intertidal macrobenthos during the five years after the <Emphasis Type="Italic">Hebei Spirit</Emphasis> oil spill,Taean, Korea

The Hebei Spirit oil spill reached the west coast of Taean County, Korea, on December 7, 2007. At that time, this was the largest oil spill that had occurred in the country. The incident devastated local marine ecosystems. In this study, we examined changes in these ecosystems and the recovery pattern on impacted rocky shores. Macrobenthos monitoring of polluted and control sites was performed seasonally from January 2008 through October 2013. At polluted sites, ecological indices increased gradually from 2009, thereby providing evidence of recovery. However, the mean density of macrobenthos was still less than 50% of the level at the control site, indicating that the ecological status of the polluted sites has still not recovered to that which prevailed before the oil spill. Although densities of the most dominant species were higher in the control site than in polluted sites, the densities of Lottia spp. and Odostomia aomori were higher in polluted sites. These two taxa were found in lower numbers at the control site, where they were out-competed by Chthamalus challengeri. Nonmetric multidimensional scaling ordination divided the macrobenthic community structure into three clusters according to differences in the abundance of dominant species over the 6 years after the oil spill. An ANOSIM test detected significant differences between the polluted and control sites. Consistent long-term differences indicate that complete recovery had not occurred during the duration of our study.     

华南沿海海草床分布区大型底栖动物群落特征初探

为探究华南沿海海草床大型底栖动物群落特征、地区差异及其与海草群落间的关系,2020年在华南沿海12个海草床区域开展了大型底栖动物调查。共布设33个调查断面99个站位,在主要群落参数的基础上,运用相关性分析和聚类分析、nMDS排序、相似性百分比分析等群落生态学统计方法分析了底栖动物群落特征及其与海草群落的关系。共鉴定出大型底栖动物9大门类199种,其中,软体动物种类最多,占总种类数的39.7%。各区域底栖动物的平均栖息密度为155.7 ind/m²,青葛—龙湾(琼海)的平均栖息密度最低,珍珠湾(防城港)的平均栖息密度最高;平均生物量为118.36 g/m²,最低值出现在义丰溪(汕头),最高值出现在珍珠湾。各区域底栖动物的优势种以潮间带泥沙滩常见腹足类、双壳类和多毛类为主;底栖动物的种类多样性指数(H′)平均值为1.12,最低值出现在唐家湾(珠海),最高值出现在铁山港(北海);各调查区域底栖动物主要群落参数大致呈现“北部湾>海南沿岸>珠江口及粤东”的规律。华南沿海海草床分布区大型底栖动物群落的区域性特征较为明显,地理位置相近的海草床底...     

Distribution and feeding modes of macrobenthos within three oceanographic feature areas of the KwaZulu-Natal Bight,South Africa

The composition and distribution of macrobenthic communities was investigated in three areas in the KwaZulu- Natal Bight, a section of shelf off the east coast of South Africa. Areas were pre-selected on the basis of three known oceanographic features, posited to deliver land- or Agulhas Current-derived nutrients onto the shelf and to drive ecosystem functioning in this region. Replicate sediment samples were collected with a 0.2 m² van Veen grab, during two surveys (A, B) corresponding with normal periods of high and low rainfall, respectively. A subset of the full station array was selected across the shelf in an arrangement of increasing depths (inner-, mid- and outer shelf) through each feature area to investigate the spatial distribution and feeding modes of macrobenthic taxa. The two periods showed some differences in abundance and numbers of macrobenthic taxa, but were not statistically different. Total macrobenthic abundance from Survey A was 20 215 individuals from 642 taxa, decreasing to 18 000 individuals from 503 taxa during Survey B. Polychaeta and Crustacea were the dominant taxa sampled; abundance of the latter was attributed largely to a proliferation of Paguristes sp.1 at inner-shelf samples in the midbight (Thukela) region during Survey B. Similarity classification distinguished seven sample groups reflecting differences in feature areas and shelf positions under investigation. The Thukela River midshelf community supported the highest macrobenthic abundance, while the midshelf off the southern bight (Durban region) was most species rich. Findings were attributed to the habitat complexity of the midshelf which includes a palaeo-dune cordon at the 60 m isobath. Functionally, the community was dominated by interface- and deposit-feeding fauna, emphasising the importance of trophic plasticity in an environmentally variable and heterogeneous shelf environment.     

受扰动海域大型底栖动物群落特征及基于AMBI和M-AMBI指数的生态健康评价：以山东烟台辛安河口为例

To understand the ecological status and macrobenthic assemblages of the Xin'an River Estuary and its adjacent waters, a survey was conducted for environmental variables and macrobenthic assemblage structure in September 2012(Yantai, China). Several methods are adopted in the data analysis process: dominance index,diversity indices, cluster analysis, non-metric multi-dimentional scaling ordination, AMBI and M-AMBI. The dissolved inorganic nitrogen and soluble reactive phosphorus of six out of eight sampling stations were in a good condition with low concentration. The average value of DO((2.89±0.60) mg/L) and p H(4.28±0.43) indicated that the research area faced with the risk of ocean acidification and underlying hypoxia. A total of 62 species were identified, of which the dominant species group was polychaetes. The average abundance and biomass was577.50 ind./m2 and 6.01 g/m2, respectively. Compared with historical data, the macrobenthic assemblage structure at waters around the Xin'an River Estuary was in a relatively stable status from 2009 to 2012.Contaminant indicator species Capitella capitata appeared at Sta. Y1, indicating the animals here suffered from hypoxia and acidification. AMBI and M-AMBI results showed that most sampling stations were slightly disturbed,which were coincided with the abiotic measurement on evaluating the health conditions. Macrobenthic communities suffered pressures from ocean acidification and hypoxia at the research waters, particularly those at Stas Y1, Y2 and Y5, which displays negative results in benthic health evaluation.     

Ecology of macrobenthos in the south of Zhejiang coastal waters

为了解浙江南部近岸海域海洋生态环境质量的现状及其变化趋势,2009年4月对浙江南部近岸海域的12个站位进行了大型底栖生物的分类、组成、丰度、生物量以及多样性的研究．应用Bray—Curtis相似性系数聚类和多维尺度排序,对浙江南部近岸海域的大型底栖生物进行群落划分;采用丰度生物量比较法分析群落的稳定性;并研究了对大型底栖生物产生影响的主要环境因子．本次调查共鉴定大型底栖生物109种,多毛类、软体动物和甲壳动物构成主要类群．平均生物量为23．38g／m^2,平均丰度为335．5ind／m^2,平均生物多样性指数为2．69．数量组成：生物量以软体动物居首（13．29g／m^2）,鱼类次之（3．68g／m^2）;丰度以多毛类居首（268．0ind／m^2）,软体动物次之（51．7ind／m^2）．浙江南部近岸海域可划分为3个群落．与环境因子进行相关性分析表明,有机污染含量、深度、溶解氧含量、盐度和悬浮物含量是对浙江南部近岸海域大型底栖生物产生影响的主要环境因子．总体上,除了瓯江口和乐清湾海域受到一定扰动,浙江南部近岸海域大型底栖生物环境质量较好,群落结构较为稳定．     

Spatial and seasonal variations of the macrobenthic community and metal contamination in the Douro estuary (Portugal)

The macrobenthic community structure and characteristics of sediments were studied in samples collected seasonally at five stations in the lower mesotidal Douro estuary, Portugal. Sediment characterisation included grain size distribution, total-recoverable metals (Al, Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, Cr, Pb, Ni and Cd), acid-volatile sulphides (AVS) and simultaneously extracted metals (SEM) and total organic matter contents. Spatial variation surpassed temporal variation both in terms of environmental parameters and community structure. Clear anthropogenic contamination in terms of Zn, Cr, Cu and Pb, and a positive SEM-AVS, indicating the potential bioavailability of these metals, were detected on the north bank of the estuary. Multivariate analysis revealed that in addition to natural sediment characteristics, the anthropogenic metal contamination was influencing the macrobenthic community structure. In fact, greater concentrations of Zn, Cr, Cu and Pb were associated with lower number of species and/or diversity. Finally, the dry weight-normalised metal concentrations appeared as a more useful tool than the SEM-AVS model in predicting disturbance of the macrobenthic community in the studied area.     

杭州湾和三门湾拖网大型底栖动物群落组成和多样性研究

本研究根据2017年8月和2018年8月在东海北部杭州湾和三门湾大型底栖动物的拖网采集资料,对这两个海域的大型底栖动物群落结构和多样性进行了研究。杭州湾的10个站位和三门湾的6个站位共获得61种大型底栖动物,其中甲壳动物最多(22种),其次是鱼类(20种)、软体动物(14种)、棘皮动物(2种)、刺胞动物(2种),多毛类最少(1种)。杭州湾大型底栖动物优势种出现3种,三门湾出现8种,脊尾白虾Palaemoncarinicauda是两个海域唯一的共同优势种。相比2017年,杭州湾和三门湾在2018年鱼类的种类和数量都有明显的增长。根据大型底栖群落的多样性指数,杭州湾不同区域的生物多样性差异较大,而三门湾则较为平均。对杭州湾和三门湾大型底栖动物进行聚类分析和nMDS排序分析,结果表明,杭州湾不同站位大型底栖动物相似度低,Q8、Q9、Q10站位群落结构与三门湾的站位更为接近,三门湾的底栖群落在2017年和2018年存在较大差异。杭州湾和三门湾大型底栖动物群落的变化可能与环境因子、人类活动、厄尔尼诺事件等的变化相关。     

Macrobenthic community changes due to dystrophic events and freshwater inflow: Changes in space and time in a Mediterranean lagoon (Gialova lagoon, SW Greece)

This paper considers the hypothesis that changes in community structure through the control of the larvae maintenance and of the biological traits of the species mostly contribute to the spatio-temporal community pattern. This is supported by the results of the study, the changes to the macrobenthic community pattern deriving from two sampling periods in Gialova lagoon (SW Greece), carried out on a seasonal basis for two yearly periods: 1994-95 and 1998-99. Cognetti’s hypothesis that populations of the tolerant species occupying coastal marine habitats may belong to different species is another alternative hypothesis still to be tested. The importance of alternative management plans aiming at the amelioration of the hydrodynamic conditions of the lagoons and supported by continuous scientific monitoring is highlighted. Two canals bringing fresh water were opened at the beginning of the second sampling period, an intervention among others, suggested by the management plan proposed after the end of the first sampling period. The results show considerable variations in the values of the key environmental variables, for instance long periods with negative Redox potential values, decreased salinity and increased concentrations of the particulate organic matter and of the nutrients. The variables were correlated with the spatio-temporal community pattern, characterized during the second sampling period by: (i) greater dissimilarities among stations/seasons; (ii) disruption of the periodic trend observed on the seasonal scale; (iii) larger relative dissimilarities among the patterns stemming from the macrobenthos and the most abundant groups (polychaetes, molluscs, crustaceans); (iv) significant decrease in abundance or even the disappearance of several marine origin species, along with increased abundance in a few brackish-water species. All of the above changes in the community pattern are considered as early warning signals leading towards degradation, which has not yet been registered in the phylogenetic/taxonomic structure of the macrobenthic community.     

Correlations between benthic habitats and demersal fish assemblages — A case study on the Dogger Bank (North Sea)

The interdependence between groundfish assemblages and habitat properties was investigated on the Dogger Bank in the North Sea. Abiotic habitat parameters considered included topography, hydrographic conditions, sediment composition, and the biotic habitat variable the prevailing benthic invertebrates. Distinct epi- and infauna communities occurred at different locations on the Dogger Bank. Fish assemblages were clearly linked to both the biotic and abiotic habitat characteristics.Overall, fish and benthic communities revealed similar spatial distribution, represented in the respective clusters of characteristic and abundant species. Distribution patterns corresponded with the prevailing abiotic conditions such as depth and sediment composition, which appear to relate to autecological preferences of individual species.The apparently most generalist species, grey gurnard (Eutrigla gurnardus) and dab (Limanda limanda) occurred at all stations and dominated in terms of biomass in most cases. The absolute numbers of grey gurnards were related to the abundance of suitable prey, invertebrate and fish species, which stomach analyses revealed as part of the diet in an independent study during the same research cruise. Haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus) and whiting (Merlangius merlangus) were only abundant at deep stations along the flanks of the bank. The occurrence of lemon sole (Microstomus kitt), American plaice (Hippoglossoides platessoides) and cod (Gadus morhua) was also positively correlated with depth, whereas especially lesser weever (Echiichthys vipera), sandeel species and solenette (Buglossidium luteum) occurred predominantly at the shallower sites. At the same time, individual fish species such as solenette and lesser weever were associated with high densities of selected epi- or infauna species.