Studies of a mangrove basin,Tuff Crater,New Zealand: I. Mangrove biomass and production of detritus

The mangrove, Avicennia marina var. resinifera in a tidally-flooded explosion crater, Tuff Crater, near the southern latitudinal limit of mangroves in New Zealand adopts two distinct growth forms, taller tree-like mangroves up to 4 m tall along the banks of the tidal creek, and low stunted shrub mangroves less than 1 m tall on the mudflats. Twelve trees were felled and on the basis of a biomass/height relationship for the taller trees and a biomass/canopy width relationship for the lower, above-ground biomass (excluding pneumatophores) was estimated. Average above-ground biomass for the taller mangrove was estimated to be 104·1 t ha^?1 and for the lower 6·8 t ha^?1. While the value for the taller mangroves is similar to figures reported for more complex tropical mangroves, the fact that 94% of the basin is covered by low generally sparse mangroves means that total biomass for the basin is estimated to be 153 t, an average of only 7·6 t ha^?1. Litter-fall beneath the taller mangroves is estimated as 7·6±2·5 t ha^?1 a^?1 and beneath the lower mangroves 3·3±0·5 t ha^?1 a^?1. The value for the taller mangroves is similar to that reported from mangroves in many other parts of the world, but because of the extensive low sparse mangroves the total for the basin is estimated as 53·7 t a^?1, an average rate of 2·7 t ha^?1 a^?1, a very low rate of litter-fall when compared with elsewhere. Decomposition of mangrove leaves occurs relatively rapidly with leaves losing half their dry weight in 10 weeks and then continuing to degrade but at a slower rate. Substrate sediment samples contain high organic matter content, and although some organic matter appears to be exported via the tidal creek, a proportion of the detrital production is evidently recycled in situ.     

In situ degradation of mangrove tissues (note)

In situ degradation rates of feeder roots, pneumatophores, and leaves of the New Zealand mangrove Avicennia marina (Forsk) Vierh. var. resinifera (Forst. f) Bakh. are described. At the sediment‐water interface, leaves degrade faster than roots, which degrade faster than pneumatophores, whereas roots and pneumatophores immersed in sediment degrade at the same rate. However, roots and pneumatophores degrade faster at the sediment‐water interface than in sediment. Added nitrogen accelerates feeder root and pneumatophore degradation in sediment; added phosphorus has little influence on pneumatophore degradation but inhibits root degradation in sediment.     

桁拖网渔具刚性栅栏对鱼类的分隔效率研究

东海捕虾桁拖网选择性能不佳,对渔业资源的保护和渔业的合理管理带来了负面的影响.刚性栅栏是实现拖网渔具种类选择性捕捞的主要装置,本文根据在吕四渔场开展刚性栅栏海上生产试验,结合SELECT模型分析不同栅条间距(15、20和25mm)的刚性栅栏对短吻舌鳎、小黄鱼和棘头梅童鱼的分隔效率.结果表明,随着栅条间距的增大,栅栏对鱼类的重量分隔率逐渐减小,分隔栅栏对鱼类的50%选择体长(L50S))逐渐增大;对于短吻舌鳎,个体接触分隔栅栏的概率可使用常数来表示,即接触概率与个体尺寸无关,接触概率在0.2-0.4之间,并随着栅条间距的增大而增大(不显著,P>0.05):对于小黄鱼和棘头梅童鱼,所有进入网囊的个体都将接触刚性栅栏;不同鱼类接触栅栏概率的显著差异说明不同鱼类在网囊中的不同行为习性.     

Wave attenuation in mangroves: A quantitative approach to field observations

Coastal mangroves, dwelling at the interface between land and sea, provide an important contribution to reducing risk from coastal hazards by attenuating incident waves and by trapping and stabilizing sediments. This paper focusses on relations between vegetation densities, wave attenuation rates, sediment characteristics and sedimentation rates in mangroves. These processes were studied along two cross-shore transects through mangroves fringing estuaries in the southern Andaman region of Thailand. Volumetric vegetation densities in these mangroves were ranging up to 32‰, depending on the water depth. Generalized total wave attenuation rates increased from 0.002 m^− 1 in the sparsely vegetated forest fringes with Avicennia and Sonneratia species, up to 0.012 m^− 1 in the dense Rhizophora vegetation in the back of the forests. The total wave attenuation rates integrate effects of shoaling and energy losses due to various bio-physical interactions within the mangrove ecosystem. Wave attenuation in the mangroves is presumably dominated by energy losses due to vegetation drag, since wave attenuation due to bottom friction and viscous dissipation on the bare mudflats is significantly lower than those inside the mangrove vegetation.Additionally, wave attenuation in the mangroves was found to facilitate enhanced net sediment deposition and a gradual fining of the bed material. These findings corroborate the coastal defence function of mangroves by quantifying their contribution to wave attenuation and sediment trapping. The explicit linking of these properties to vegetation composition and structure facilitates modelling studies investigating the mechanisms determining the coastal defence capacities of mangroves.     

Sedimentation within and among mangrove forests along a gradient of geomorphological settings

Coastal wetlands provide important ecological services to the coastal zone, one of which is sediment retention. In this study we investigated sediment retention across a range of geomorphological settings and across vegetation zones comprising coastal wetlands. We selected six coastal wetlands dominated by mangroves over a gradient from riverine to tidal settings in Southeast Queensland, Australia. Each site was comprised of three distinct vegetation communities distributed as parallel zones to the coast line: seaward fringe mangroves, landward scrub mangroves and saltmarsh/ cyanobacteria mat of the high intertidal zone. We measured suspended sediment retention and sedimentation rates. Additionally, in order to assess the origin of sediment transported and deposited in the mangroves, glomalin, a novel terrestrial soil carbon tracer, was used. Our results show a mean average sedimentation of 0.64 ± 0.01 mg cm⁻² spring tide⁻¹, which was variable within sites, regardless of geomorphological setting. However, geomorphological setting influenced spatial patterns of sediment deposition. Riverine mangroves had a more homogeneous distribution of sediments across the intertidal zone than tidal mangroves, where most sedimentation occurred in the fringe zone. Overall, the fringe zone retained the majority of sediment entering the coastal wetland during a tidal cycle with 0.90 ± 0.22 mg cm⁻² spring tide⁻¹, accounting for 52.5 ± 12.5% of the total sedimentation. The presence of glomalin in suspended sediments, and thus the relative importance of terrigenous sediment, was strongly influenced by geomorphological setting, with riverine mangroves receiving more glomalin in suspended solids than tidal mangroves. Glomalin was also differentially deposited within the vegetation zones at different geomorphological settings: primarily at the fringe zone of tidal mangroves and within the scrub zone of riverine mangroves. The differences we observed in the spatial distribution of sedimentation and the difference in the origin of the sediment deposited in riverine and tidal mangroves are likely to have an impact on ecological processes.     

Large eddy simulations of a circular cylinder at Reynolds numbers surrounding the drag crisis

Large eddy simulations of the flow around a circular cylinder at high Reynolds numbers are reported. Five Reynolds numbers were chosen, such that the drag crisis was captured. A total of 18 cases were computed to investigate the effect of gridding strategy, turbulence modelling, numerical schemes and domain width on the results. It was found that unstructured grids provide better resolution of key flow features, when a ‘reasonable’ grid size is to be maintained.When using coarse grids for large eddy simulation, the effect of turbulence models and numerical schemes becomes more pronounced. The dynamic mixed Smagorinsky model was found to be superior to the Smagorinsky model, since the model coefficient is allowed to dynamically adjust based on the local flow and grid size. A blended upwind-central convection scheme was also found to provide the best accuracy, since a fully central scheme exhibits artificial wiggles, due to dispersion errors, which pollute the solution.Mean drag, fluctuating lift Strouhal number and base pressure are compared to experiments and empirical estimates for Reynolds numbers ranging from 6.31 × 10⁴ to 5.06 × 10⁵. In terms of the drag coefficient, the drag crisis is well captured by the present simulations, although the other integral quantities (rms lift and Strouhal number) show larger discrepancies. For the lowest Reynolds number, the drag is seen to be more sensitive to the domain width than the spanwise grid spacing, while at the higher Reynolds numbers the grid resolution plays a more important role, due to the larger extent of the turbulent boundary layer.     

Population structure, density and food sources of Terebralia palustris (Potamididae: Gastropoda) in a low intertidal Avicennia marina mangrove stand (Inhaca Island, Mozambique)

Population structure and distribution of Terebralia palustris were compared with the environmental parameters within microhabitats in a monospecific stand of Avicennia marina in southern Mozambique. Stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analyses of T. palustris and potential food sources (leaves, pneumatophore epiphytes, and surface sediments) were examined to establish the feeding preferences of T. palustris. Stable isotope signatures of individuals of different size classes and from different microhabitats were compared with local food sources. Samples of surface sediments 2.5–10 m apart showed some variation (−21.2‰ to −23.0‰) in δ¹³C, probably due to different contributions from seagrasses, microalgae and mangrove leaves, while δ¹⁵N values varied between 8.7‰ and 15.8‰, indicating that there is a very high variability within a small-scale microcosm. Stable isotope signatures differed significantly between the T. palustris size classes and between individuals of the same size class, collected in different microhabitats. Results also suggested that smaller individuals feed on sediment, selecting mainly benthic microalgae, while larger individuals feed on sediment, epiphytes and mangrove leaves. Correlations were found between environmental parameters and gastropod population structure and distribution vs. the feeding preferences of individuals of different size classes and in different microhabitats. While organic content and the abundance of leaves were parameters that correlated best with the total density of gastropods (>85%), the abundance of pneumatophores and leaves, as well as grain size, correlated better with the gastropod size distribution (>65%). Young individuals (height < 3 cm) occur predominantly in microhabitats characterized by a low density of leaf litter and pneumatophores, reduced organic matter and larger grain size, these being characteristic of lower intertidal open areas that favour benthic microalgal growth. With increasing shell height, T. palustris individuals start occupying microhabitats nearer the mangrove trees characterized by large densities of pneumatophores and litter, as well as sediments of smaller grain size, leading to higher organic matter availability in the sediment.     

A generalized coordinate ocean model and a comparison of the bottom boundary layer dynamics in terrain-following and in z-level grids

Sensitivity studies with a new generalized coordinate ocean model are performed in order to compare the behavior of bottom boundary layers (BBLs) when terrain-following (sigma or combined sigma and z-level) or z-level vertical grids are used, but most other numerical aspects remain unchanged. The model uses a second-order turbulence closure scheme that provides surface and BBL mixing and results in a quite realistic climatology and deep water masses after 100 year simulations with a coarse resolution (1° × 1°) basin-scale terrain-following grid. However, with the same turbulence scheme but using a z-level grid, the model was unable to produce dense water masses in the deep ocean. The latter is a known problem for coarse resolution z-level models, unless they include highly empirical BBL schemes.A set of dense water overflow experiments with high-resolution grids (10 and 2.5 km) are used to investigate the influence of model parameters such as horizontal diffusivity, vertical mixing, horizontal resolution, and vertical resolution on the simulation of bottom layers for the different coordinate systems. Increasing horizontal diffusivity causes a thinner BBL and a bottom plume that extends further downslope in a sigma grid, but causes a thicker BBL and limited downslope plume extension in a z-level grid. A major difference in the behavior of the BBL in the two grids is due to the larger vertical mixing generated by the turbulence scheme over the step-like topography in the z-level grid, compared to a smaller vertical mixing and a more stably stratified BBL in the sigma grid. Therefore, the dense plume is able to maintain its water mass better and penetrates farther downslope in the sigma grid than in the z-level grid. Increasing horizontal and vertical resolution in the z-level grid converges the results toward those obtained by a much coarser resolution sigma coordinate grid, but some differences remain due to the basic differences in the mixing process in the BBL.     

Sedimentation in mangroves and coral reefs in a wet tropical island, Pohnpei, Micronesia

A six-month-long study was conducted of the fate of turbid river plumes from the Enipein watershed in Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia. Pohnpei is one of the wettest places on earth, with a mean annual rainfall exceeding 4 m in the lowlands and 8 m in the highlands. The river waters were clear of sediment except after major storms with rainfall exceeding 5 cm day⁻¹. Following a storm, the river plume spread in the mangrove fringed estuary and in the coral reef lagoon. The waters were highly stratified in temperature, salinity, and suspended sediment concentration. The brackish water was flushed out in four days, while the suspended sediment all settled out in the estuary, in the mangroves, and in the lagoon including on the coral reefs, in less than one day. The mean rate of sedimentation exceeded 35 mg cm⁻² d⁻¹ both over the mangroves and on the adjacent coral reefs. While this leads to no detrimental effects on the mangroves, sediment smothers corals and leads to substantial coral mortality in the lagoon. The mud is not flushed out from the lagoon because there are no strong currents from waves or tides. This high sedimentation rate is attributable to poor farming and land-use practices on the upland areas.     

广西沿海不同演替阶段红树群落沉积物粒度分布特征

沉积物粒度分布是影响红树群落演替的重要因素之一。本文对代表广西红树群落演替趋势的白骨壤(Avicennia marina)、秋茄(Kandelia candel)、木榄(Bruguiera gymnorrhiza)3种红树群落沉积物进行了粒度分析。结果表明:3种红树群落沉积物类型均以砂和粉砂为主,随着红树林群落保存状况的逐渐变差,砂的含量逐渐上升,粉砂和黏土含量逐渐下降;沉积物粒径分布趋势均为砂粉砂黏土砾。木榄和秋茄2个群落底床沉积物不同深度沉积物粒径分布规律一致,但与白骨壤群落存在差异;3种红树群落的沉积物粒度频率曲线均呈现为双峰或多峰形态。     

Copper bioavailability to marine bivalves and shrimp: Relationship to cupric ion activity

Studies were performed to determine the effects of dissolved substances present in natural seawater and sediment on the bioavailability of added Cu⁺². Whole clams Macoma inquinata and shrimp, Pandalus danae, were exposed to four concentrations of Cu in a flow-through seawater system. Bioaccumulation of Cu was reduced in shrimp, Pandalus danae, clams, M. inquinata, and excised clam gills, Protothaca staminea, exposed to an aged, compared with an unaged, Cu-seawater solution. This is thought to be due to slow complexation of the Cu by dissolved substances present in natural seawater. In a static system, with added sediment, more than 50% of the added Cu⁺² became bound to the organic fraction of the sediment and was unavailable to suspension feeding clams, Protothaca staminea. In contrast, deposit feeding clams, Macoma inquinata, placed in the sediment approximately doubled in Cu body burden within two months.Complexed Cu appears to be less bioavailable than ionic Cu and hence measurements of ionic and weakly complexed Cu by differential pulse anodic stripping voltametry provide a better prediction of bioavailable Cu than conventional measurements of total Cu-seawater concentrations.     

Calanoid copepod resting egg abundance and hatching success in the sediment of the Seine estuary (France)

Benthic, viable resting eggs of calanoid copepods were found for the first time in the Seine estuary (France) during July 2008. Vertical distribution of the resting eggs in the sediment was determined up to 10 cm depth. Hatching success of the eggs extracted from different 1-cm thick sediment layers was experimentally tested immediately after extraction and after a long refractory phase (i.e. 11 months) of storage at low temperature (4–5 °C). The hatching success of resting eggs obtained immediately after sediment incubation was lower (0.72%) than the value observed after 11 months (4.50%) with an overall hatching success of 2.37%. The marine, calanoid copepod Temora longicornis was the primary species to hatch from the eggs; however, the estuarine calanoid copepod Eurytemora affinis also hatched from resting eggs. The mean abundance of eggs found in sediment (1.42 × 10⁶ eggs m⁻²) was comparable to that reported for other marine and estuarine calanoid copepods. The Seine estuary sediment had a high variability of egg abundance (between 0.14 and 8.10 × 10⁷ eggs m⁻³) suggesting that the hydrodynamics of this macrotidal estuary are likely responsible for this variability. Significant sediment resuspension occurs in the Seine estuary during flood periods and spring tides leading to resting eggs to contribute along the year to the nauplii recruitment of calanoid copepods. On average, around 400,000 nauplii m⁻³ month⁻¹ of the main calanoid copepods can emerge from the surface layer sediment in the Seine estuary, suggesting that resting eggs could play an important role in the population dynamics of key calanoid copepods in the Seine estuary.     

Differences in benthic fauna and sediment among mangrove (Avicennia marina var. australasica) stands of different ages in New Zealand

Management of coastal environments requires understanding of ecological relationships among different habitats and their biotas. Changes in abundance and distribution of mangroves, like those of other coastal habitats, have generally been interpreted in terms of changes in biodiversity or fisheries resources within individual stands. In several parts of their range, anthropogenically increased inputs of sediment to estuaries have led to the spread of mangroves. There is, however, little information on the relative ecological properties, or conservational values, of stands of different ages. The faunal, floral and sedimentological properties of mangrove (Avicennia marina var. australasica) stands of two different ages in New Zealand has been compared. Older (>60 years) and younger (3–12 years) stands showed clear separation on the basis of environmental characteristics and benthic macrofauna. Numbers of faunal taxa were generally larger at younger sites, and numbers of individuals of several taxa were also larger at these sites. The total number of individuals was not different between the two age-classes, largely due to the presence of large numbers of the surface-living gastropod Potamopyrgus antipodarum at the older sites. It is hypothesized that as mangrove stands mature, the focus of faunal diversity may shift from the benthos to animals living on the mangrove plants themselves, such as insects and spiders, though these were not included in the present study. Differences in the faunas were coincident with differences in the nature of the sediment. Sediments in older stands were more compacted and contained more organic matter and leaf litter. Measurement of leaf chemistry suggested that mangrove plants in the younger stands were able to take up more N and P than those in the older stands.     

Intertidal substrate modification as a result of mangrove planting: Impacts of introduced mangrove species on sediment microfacies characteristics

A programme of mangrove planting has been undertaken around the island of Rodrigues (SW Indian Ocean) since the mid-1980’s involving the introduction of the species Rhizophora mucronata. We examined three coastal embayment sites (Baie Diamant, Anse Goeland and Anse Pansia) in which planting has been undertaken over different time periods within the past 20 years. Planting has met with variable success in the different sites, probably due to variations in fluvial and groundwater influence. At two sites (Baie Diamant – first planted in 1990, and Anse Pansia – first planted in 1995) ecological data indicates that the mangroves are becoming well-established, and sedimentary evidence suggests that relatively rapid modification of intertidal substrates has occurred. This is evident in the form of significant increases in sediment organic-matter content (especially fibrous organic-matter) and an increase in the accumulation of sediment fines inside the mangroves. A strong correlation exists between the magnitude and depth of substrate modification and mangrove forest density, especially root and sapling density. At the third site, Anse Goeland (first planted in 2001), mangrove establishment has not been successful, many of the seedlings have died and no secondary colonisation has occurred. Sediment substrates show no deviation from background levels in terms of organic content or weight % fines content, and we find no evidence for mangrove planting influencing sediment substrates. Despite evidence for the development of a distinctive mangrove facies at Baie Diamant and Anse Pansia there is, however, no evidence as yet for a marked change in substrate geochemistry such as would be demonstrated by evidence of active bioclast dissolution – a common process in many natural (mature) mangrove substrates. We infer this to be a function of the present relative immaturity of the still developing mangrove substrates, but may also be a function of the apparent paucity of burrowing crabs which play an important role in nutrient cycling and sediment geochemistry. Thus whilst the mangroves in some of the study sites are reaching a stage where they are producing distinctive sedimentary facies, the systems appear to be in a state of progressive sedimentary and diagenetic modification as the floral and infaunal components of the mangroves continue to develop.     

Numerical study on evolution of an internal solitary wave across an idealized shelf with different front slopes

Numerical simulations are performed to investigate the influence of variable front slopes on flow evolution and waveform inversion of a depression ISW (internal solitary wave) over an idealized shelf with variable front slopes. A finite volume based on Cartesian grid method is adopted to solve the Reynolds averaged Navier-Stokes equations using a k-ε model for the turbulent closure. Numerical results exhibit the variations of several pertinent properties of the flow field, in the case with or without waveform inversion on the horizontal plateau of an obstacle. The clockwise vortex is stronger than the counterclockwise one, almost throughout the wave-obstacle interaction. Analysis of the turbulent energy budget reveals that the turbulent production term in the governing equations dominates the wave evolution during a wave-obstacle interaction; otherwise the buoyancy production term and the dissipation term due to viscosity within turbulent eddies play a major role in energy dissipation. In addition, the front slope affects mainly the process and reflection of the wave evolution but has less influence than other physical parameters. Moreover, total wave energy of the leading crest is smaller than that of the leading trough even in the cases with waveform inversion on the plateau.     

Ecological influence of exotic plants of Sonneratia apetala on understory macrofauna

The study aims to compare the differences of macrofauna communities of wetlands at 3-year-forest- age, 5-year-forest-age Sonneratia apetala artificial mangroves, 5-year-forest-age Kandelia candel ar- tificial mangroves with the same restoration background, and the naked tidal flat in the Qi’ao Island Mangrove Nature Reserve of Zhuhai, Guangdong Province. The results show that there were signif- icant structural differences in macrofauna communities among four kinds of habitats. The increase of biomass and species diversity of macrofauna at 3-year-forest-age S. apetala artificial mangroves was obviously faster than that at 5-year-forest-age K. candel artificial mangroves whose average tree height was close to that of 3-year-forest-age S. apetala artificial mangroves. The BIOENV analysis shows that it was related to the rapid growth of S. apetala, which rapidly changed the light level and shading conditions in the forests. The 5-year-forest-age S. apetala artificial mangroves had lower macrofauna species diversity but higher density and biomass than K. candel artificial mangroves with the same forest age. This was due to the rapid changes of physical and chemical properties of habitat soil by the ecological restoration of S. apetala artificial mangroves as well as the changed food sources possibly caused by the leaf-litter of such non-indigenous mangrove species S. apetala. However, further survey should be conducted on whether there are any negative ecological impacts of large-scale cultivation of S. apetala on macrofauna communities, so as to evaluate correctly S. apetala’s role in the restoration of coastal mangrove ecosystems.     

Seasonal and spatial variation in the distribution of mangrove macroalgae in the Clyde River, Australia

The objective of this study was to determine whether there was significant spatial and temporal variation in macroalgae epiphytic on pneumatophores of the Grey Mangrove, Avicennia marina (Forsk.) Vierh., in the Clyde River, located 280 km south of Sydney, Australia. Three estuarine sites in the Clyde River were surveyed seasonally on four occasions over a two-year period, and algal distribution and abundance assessed in respect to temporal, inter-site, intertidal (from front to back of mangrove stand) and vertical (from bottom to top of pneumatophores) variation. Sediment and water characteristics, including nutrient levels, were also assessed in order to examine all variables of potential influence on algal distribution and abundance. The results indicated that intertidal position within sites, and vertical height along the length of the pneumatophore, were the greatest influence on algal frequency and biomass. Individual species dominated in different intertidal and vertical zones. These observations, together with the identification of three species of macroalgae that fulfil the criteria for bioindicators/biomonitors of environmental impacts are discussed.     

Annelid assemblages in soft bottoms subjected to human impact in the Urías estuary (Sinaloa,Mexico)

The annelid fauna inhabiting soft bottoms was analysed during February and April, 1997 in the Urías estuary which is mostly surrounded by mangrove swamps, but is also subjected to the effect of several anthropogenic activities. Classification and ordination techniques were used to perform the characterisation of the system based on the annelid assemblages according to environmental variables (mainly organic matter content and percentage of mud). Three zones were found: (1) ‘very polluted zone’, in front of a slaughterhouse and a fish processing factory with a total lack of macrofauna due to the strong enrichment of the sediment in organic matter; (2) ‘polluted zones’, characterised by the sporadic presence of oligochaetes in front of a domestic sewage effluent, by the dominance of Capitella capitata close to a thermoelectric plant, and by the dominance of Streblospio benedicti and oligochaetes in the surroundings of an upstream shrimp farm; (3) ‘unpolluted zones’, in the mouth of the estuary and an area surrounded by mangrove trees, with low organic matter content in sediment, high diversity and no dominant species.     

Experiments on rain-induced incipient motion of noncohesive sediment

Laboratory studies of artificial raindrops demonstrate the importance of rain in sedimentation processes in the shallow intertidal zone. Drop-formed vortex rings are hypothesized to be a mechanism for transfering kinetic energy to bottom sediments. Vortex rings initiated sediment motion in shallow water at least 22.5-cm deep. Although rings were able to move very coarse sand, they were more efficient in moving the finer-sand sizes. The probability of drops initiating sediment motion decreased from 94 to 11% with increasing depth from 2.5 to 22.5 cm. Ring-induced bottom shear stresses were estimated in excess of 11 dynes cm^–2.     

The long-term impacts of fisheries on epifaunal assemblage function and structure, in a Special Area of Conservation

Fisheries can have profound effects on epifaunal community function and structure. We analysed the results from five dive surveys (1975-1976, 1980, 1983, 2003 and 2007), taken in a Special Area of Conservation, Strangford Lough, Northern Ireland before and after a ten year period of increased trawling activity between 1985 and 1995. There were no detectable differences in the species richness or taxonomic distinctiveness before (1975-1983) and after (2003-2007) this period. However, there was a shift in the epifaunal assemblage between the surveys in 1975-1983 and 2003-2007. In general, the slow-moving, or sessile, erect, filter-feeders were replaced by highly mobile, swimming, scavengers and predators. There were declines in the frequency of the fished bivalve Aequipecten opercularis and the non-fished bivalves Modiolus modiolus and Chlamys varia and some erect sessile invertebrates between the surveys in 1975-1983 and 2003-2007. In contrast, there were increases in the frequency of the fished and reseeded bivalves Pecten maximus and Ostrea edulis, the fished crabs Cancer pagurus and Necora puber and the non-fished sea stars Asterias rubens, Crossaster papposus and Henricia oculata between the surveys in 1975-1983 and 2003-2007. We suggest that these shifts could be directly and indirectly attributed to the long-term impacts of trawl fishing gear, although increases in the supply of discarded bait and influxes of sediment may also have contributed to changes in the frequency of some taxa. These results suggest that despite their limitations, historical surveys and repeat sampling over long periods can help to elucidate the inferred patterns in the epifaunal community. The use of commercial fishing gear was banned from two areas in Strangford Lough in 2011, making it a model ecosystem for assessing the long-term recovery of the epifaunal community from the impacts of mobile and pot fishing gear.