Changes in the benthic macroinvertebrate fauna of a large microtidal estuary following extreme modifications aimed at reducing eutrophication

An artificial channel was opened in 1994 between the microtidal Peel–Harvey Estuary and the Indian Ocean to increase tidal exchange and thus ameliorate the problems of eutrophication. Although this greatly reduced macroalgal and cyanobacterial growths and the amount of particulate organic matter, our data indicate that, contrary to managerial expectations, the benthic environment has deteriorated. Thus, although macroinvertebrate density has declined as predicted, taxonomic distinctness (Δ^*) has also declined and species composition has become more variable. Macroinvertebrate composition has also changed markedly at the species, family and even phylum levels. The Crustacea, the most sensitive of the major macrobenthic taxa to environmental stress, has become proportionally less abundant and speciose, whereas the Polychaeta, the least sensitive, was unique in showing the reverse trend. The benthos of the Peel–Harvey Estuary is thus apparently more stressed than previously, probably due to the multiple effects of a great increase in system use.     

Assessment of a Mediterranean shallow lentic ecosystem (Lake Pamvotis, Greece) using benthic community diversity: Response to environmental parameters

Macroinvertebrates play a key role in freshwater lentic and lotic ecosystems. The macroinvertebrate benthic community of a shallow Mediterranean lake (Lake Pamvotis, NW Greece) was studied. The benthic assemblage was sampled monthly at five sites during a period of 1 year (Apr. 1998–Mar. 1999). In addition hypolimnetic water quality variables were monitored over the same period at each site.

The aim of the study was (a) to describe the intra-annual and spatial variability in benthic communities, (b) to relate possible community changes to environmental conditions and (c) to evaluate the responses of the lake's ecological status on community indices.

The benthic fauna of Lake Pamvotis was found to be very limited with a total of 10 species belonging to five taxonomic groups. The oligochaete community comprised 80% of the total benthic fauna with Potamothrix bavaricus as a new record for the Lake Pamvotis and Potamothrix hammoniensis, being the dominant benthic species represented more than 61% of the total benthic fauna. Chironomus plumosus was the most abundant chironomid species contributing with about 6% of the total benthic fauna, and Chaoborus flavicans with 19% was the important dipteran. Almost all benthic species showed the same intra-annual seasonal pattern, with peak population densities during spring and early summer except P. hammoniensis which predominated during the whole sampling period. Dissolved oxygen and temperature seemed to be the main environmental factors affecting community indices.

Benthic communities are affected by human disturbances in Lake Pamvotis shifting their composition to more tolerant taxa, reflecting also the eutrophic to hypertophic character of the lake.     

Effects of pollution on the benthos of the Firth of Forth

A long-term benthic study has been undertaken in the Firth of Forth to assess the environmental impact of a new sewage treatment scheme for the city of Edinburgh. The Sewage Scheme reduces the suspended solids content of the liquid effluent by approximately 60% and achieves a lowering of the concentration of materials in solution through more efficient dilution and dispersion. Marked changes in the intertidal benthic flora and fauna have been recorded along the Edinburgh coastal zone. These changes have been apparent as the decline and disappearance of populations of certain pollution indicator species and the appearance and establishment of several species previously unrecorded along the more polluted parts of the Edinburgh shoreline. Study of the sublittoral benthos has shown no deleterious effect arising from the new effluent outfall, although there does appear to be some enhancement of the fauna in the area.     

Effects of hypoxia on benthic macrofauna and bioturbation in the Estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence,Canada

The bottom water in the >300 m deep Lower St. Lawrence Estuary (LSLE) is persistently hypoxic in contrast to the normoxic bottom waters in the Gulf of St. Lawrence (GSL). We photographed the seabed at 11 stations in the Estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence (EGSL) during the summers 2006 and 2007 and analysed the images to identify bioturbation traces (lebensspuren) and benthic macrofauna. The objective was to identify the environmental variables that influence the density and diversity of benthic macrofauna and bioturbation traces, and the differences that exist among regions with high, medium and low oxygen levels in the bottom water. The bottom water oxygen concentration is the variable that best explains the densities of total-traces as well as surface-traces. However, the density of these traces was higher in hypoxic regions than in well-oxygenated regions. The higher density of traces in the hypoxic region of the LSLE is mainly due to the activities of the surface deposit feeder Ophiura sp., which occurs in large numbers in this region. Possible explanations explored are stress behaviour of the organisms in response to hypoxia and different benthic macrofauna community structures between the hypoxic regions of the LSLE and the normoxic regions of the GSL. In the former, surface deposit feeders and low-oxygen tolerant species dominate over suspension feeders and low-oxygen intolerant species.     

Evaluation of sludge dumping off Delaware Bay

Sewage sludge from Philadelphia and Camden has been dumped off the mouth of Delaware Bay since 1961. Local residents have claimed that sludge is washed ashore, is a health hazard and has impoverished the fauna of the seabed in the area. In the survey reported here, an assessment has been made of the composition and abundance of the benthic marine fauna of the dumping grounds. The results suggest that dominant species of the area are changing as particulate organic matter accumulates.     

Benthos abundance pattern and species composition in conditions of pollution in Amursky Bay (the Peter the Great Bay,the Sea of Japan)

Multivariate statistical analysis of data on environmental variables and benthic macrofauna, of 30 sites from four surveys done between 1986 and 1989 in Amursky Bay, is presented. The purpose of this study is to investigate a contamination gradient, assess effects on benthic fauna and evaluate quantitative and qualitative benthic parameters.Contamination was assessed using chemical data from PCA-ordination analysis. Clear patterns were found using three categories, moderate, severe and gross. Significant changes in the number of taxa, density and ecological indices are observed between severe and moderate levels. Changes in these parameters, excluding the number of species, were also detected between gross and moderate levels. Only biomass differs non-significantly. However results of cluster analysis and MDS ordination indicate that two benthic communities exist in Amursky Bay.The most "contaminant insensitive" species polychaetes are Tharyx pacifica, Dorvillea (Schistomeringos) japonica, Dipolydora cardalia, Capitella capitata, phoronid Phoronopsis harmeri. Contaminant sensitive species include Maldane sarsi, Lumbrineris sp. and Scoloplos armiger.     

The 1991 Mount Pinatubo eruption and Eastern South China Sea foraminifera: occurrence, composition and recovery

Abstract Analysis of the 12 samples taken from two horizons (the pre-1991 Mount Pinatubo eruption and the post-1991 Mount Pinatubo eruption layers) of the six deep water cores that were collected along the Eastern South China Sea shows that the absolute abundance of Recent benthic foraminifera (total assemblage) in the post-eruption layer is much lower compared to the pre-eruption layer. The post-eruption layer also shows lower diversity with relative high abundance of Quinqueloculina spp., which probably form part of the recolonization fauna. These observations suggest that environmental stability plays a vital role in the distribution of foraminifera in the eastern margin of the South China Sea. The disturbance created by the immense amount of pyroclastic materials that originated from the 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo has resulted in the dilution and, eventually, the decimation of most of the benthic foraminifera. The species that were able to survive might have taken advantage of the small amounts of available nutrient supply. These might also be the species that were able to adapt quickly to the changes in the environmental conditions.     

Effect of high organic enrichment of benthic polychaete population in an estuary

The benthic polychaete fauna of an estuarine region receiving domestic sewage and wastes from a nearby fish landing jetty was compared to that of a site having normal organic enrichment. The population density, biomass and species diversity were greater at the sewage receiving site. Some species showed preference for sewage site and their number was significantly greater at the sewage site while other species showed no differences. Total counts and the biomass were significantly higher at the site of organic enrichment. A quantitatively enhanced polychaete population indicates that input of high organic matter stimulate benthic productivity.     

黄河三角洲平原型水库大型底栖动物对磷的积累效应

2003年春、夏、秋季对黄河三角洲7座平原型水库进行了4次调查,发现:1)由摇蚊科幼虫和水蚯蚓构成的大型底栖动物,体内磷含量随底泥沉积磷的增加而增加(P<0．000),底柄动物对沉积磷的积累系数亦随沉积磷含量的增加而增加(p<0．000);2)4、5月份摇蚊幼虫在底栖动物体所占不同比例(20％-100％),没有显示与底柄动物体内磷含量任何关系;3)底栖动物含磷量与水层总磷无显著相关关系;4)底柄动物生物量与沉积总磷仅4月份有相关(p<0．10),其中摇蚊幼虫生物量与沉积磷量相关显著(P<0．05),总体上,水库底柄动物最高生物量随沉积磷增加而增加;5)底栖动物生物量与水层总磷无相关关系,但去掉底层鱼产量高的水库后,8月份二者有显著相关关系(p<0．03),且总体底栖动物最高生物量也随水层总磷增加而增加．认为:1)由摇蚊科幼虫和水蚯蚓构成的大型底柄动物对磷的积累以及摇蚊幼虫的生物量均与水体磷负荷有密切关系;2)摇蚊幼虫和水蚯蚓含磷量(干重)差异不明显;3)以摇蚊幼虫为主的底栖动物对磷的积累主要来自沉积磷的影响,受季节的影响相对较弱;4)底栖动物生物量主要受水层总磷的控制,也受鱼类摄食以及摇蚊幼虫个体羽化时间不一致的影响．     

Trophic functioning of macrobenthic fauna in a tropical acidified Bornean estuary (Southeast Asia)

The trophic structure of a community is used to infer ecosystem functioning(e.g. energy transfer and nutrient cycling). Here the trophic structure of the benthic infaunal and epifaunal communities in the Brunei Estuary are characterized, and their distribution along an estuarine pH gradient is analyzed using univariate and multivariate techniques. This analysis revealed that surface deposit feeders(e.g., polychaetes) were numerically dominant within the infaunal communities whereas in the epifaunal communities filter feeders(e.g., bivalves) were highly abundant. Species richness for almost all trophic groups increased toward the lower estuary, except for omnivores in the epifaunal communities, which decreased markedly. Both Analysis of Variance(ANOVA) and Analysis of Similarities(ANOSIM) detected significant differences in the density of respective trophic groups among stations. Within infaunal communities, both Biological and Environmental procedure(BIO-ENV) and Canonical Correspondence Analysis(CCA) showed that trophic shifts were associated with environmental gradients. Surface-deposit feeders and omnivores were the most abundant macrobenthos of the upper estuary characterized by low salinity, low pH, and a higher percentage of mud particles. The proportion of filter feeders and carnivores increased with salinity/pH and sand. A more uniform distribution of trophic structure was found in the lower estuary, with high salinity and pH over sandy habitat. In contrast, within epifaunal trophic groups,the percentage of surface deposit feeders and omnivores declined, but filter feeders remarkably increased toward the sea. The proportion of carnivores remained similar at all stations. Non-Metric Multidimensional Scaling(nMDS) ordination for epifaunal trophic groups clearly demarcated higher salinity/pH stations from lower salinity/pH stations, suggesting different trophic compositions along the estuarine pH gradient.     

The distribution of Potamothrix bavaricus (Oeschmann, 1913) (Oligochaeta) in anthropogenic freshwater habitats of an industrialised area (Upper Silesia, Poland)

The studies have revealed that Potamothrix bavaricus (Oeschmann, 1913), generally rare in Poland, is a common species in the benthic oligochaete fauna of different anthropogenic freshwater habitats in a heavily industrialised area of Poland. It was often found in habitats with significant salinity, a high total hardness and a large content of nutrients. The evident resistance to various pollutants enables the settlement of P. bavaricus in such habitats, which are unsuitable for other oligochaete species.     

河流大型底栖动物对环境压力的响应:以太湖、巢湖流域为例

为了解河流大型底栖动物对环境压力的响应关系,以人类干扰程度不同的太湖流域和巢湖流域为研究区,系统调查区域内河流大型底栖动物,结合水体、沉积物理化数据及生境质量状况,运用空间分析和多元统计分析等方法,探讨了大型底栖动物多样性及典型物种对关键环境因素的响应规律.结果表明,太湖流域和巢湖流域的环境质量和大型底栖动物群落结构均差异较大,巢湖流域的生境质量优于太湖流域,巢湖流域平原区部分点位的水体营养盐(特别是氮浓度)高于太湖流域平原区.巢湖流域丘陵区的敏感型物种(主要为水生昆虫)密度远高于太湖流域丘陵区,太湖流域丘陵区的耐污型物种(寡毛纲)平均密度稍高于巢湖流域丘陵区,而巢湖流域平原区的寡毛纲霍甫水丝蚓(Limnodrilus hoffmeisteri)和苏氏尾鳃蚓(Branchiura sowerbyi)平均密度远高于太湖流域平原区.广义加性模型建立的响应关系曲线表明,栖境多样性和总氮浓度可以作为生物多样性的指示因子.铜锈环棱螺(Bellamya aeruginosa)、椭圆萝卜螺(Radix swinhoei)、河蚬(Corbicula fluminea)、霍甫水丝蚓、苏氏尾鳃蚓、黄色羽摇蚊(Chironomus flaviplumus)等特征物种与特定环境因子的响应关系显著,这些物种也可以作为环境监测的指示物种.底栖动物环境梯度的响应曲线能够定量地描述底栖动物群落对环境因子的响应关系,有利于深入了解水体水质、营养状态及生境质量与大型底栖动物群落结构的相关关系,进而预测不同人为干扰下大型底栖动物群落结构的变化趋势和演替过程.     

Specialized aquatic subterranean communities are probably most species-rich in the thickest epikarst

Stygobionts are aquatic troglobionts, i.e., organisms that are specialized for living in subterranean environment. It has been demonstrated that the epikarst above caves harbors a stygobiont fauna that is as rich as that in deeper caves. The abiotic parameters affecting the aquatic fauna in drip water have been relatively well explored, while aquatic troglobionts alone are not frequently the focus of such studies; consequently, many crucial questions remain insufficiently studied. We hypothesized that the epikarst stygobiont fauna may occur locally in deeper zones of the epikarst, since environmental conditions are more stable there. For this purpose, we studied the composition and annual dynamics of the epikarst stygobiont community from ten water drips in the cave Zguba jama in Slovenia. Copepoda predominated among eight stygobiont taxa. The high total and between-sites dissimilarity of stygobiont communities among the drips was mainly the consequence of species turnover. We found that the greater the distance from the entrance and the ceiling thickness, and the higher the water temperature, the greater was the chance of finding aquatic troglobionts and the higher thier diversity. Our study suggests that locally, owing to specific lithology and geomorphology, epikarst stygobionts can extend from the shallow layers into deeper epikarst layers, where voids with more suitable environmental conditions exists.     

Relative importance of multiple environmental variables in structuring benthic macroinfaunal assemblages in chronically metal-polluted salt marshes

In this study, we assessed importance of sediment-associated trace metals in structuring benthic macroinfaunal assemblages along multiple environmental gradients in chronically polluted salt marshes of the Arthur Kill - AK (New York, USA). More than 90% of benthic macroinfaunal communities at the northern AK sites consisted of a considerably large number of only a few polychaete and oligochaete species. Approximately 70% of among-site variances in abundance and biomass of benthic macroinfaunal communities was strongly associated with a few environmental variables; only sediment-associated mercury consistently contributed to a significant proportion of the explained variances in species composition along natural environmental gradients (e.g., salinity). Although sediment-associated copper, lead, and zinc were substantially elevated at some of the AK sites, their ecological impacts on benthic macroinfaunal communities appeared to be negligible. These findings suggest that cumulative metal-specific impacts may have played an important role in structuring benthic macroinfaunal communities in chronically polluted AK ecosystems.     

Levels and profiles of PCBs and OCPs in marine benthic species from the Belgian North Sea and the Western Scheldt Estuary

Various benthic invertebrates (flying crab, common shrimp, and red starfish), small fish (sand goby), benthic flatfish (dab, plaice, and sole) and gadoids (bib and whiting) were collected in the Belgian North Sea and along the Scheldt Estuary, both representing areas impacted by various contaminants to different degrees. The levels of 25 polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and 15 organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), which included penta- and hexachlorobenzene, alpha-, beta-, and gamma-hexachlorocyclohexane isomers, chlordanes, and DDT and metabolites, were determined. Sum of PCBs and OCPs in benthic invertebrates and goby ranged from 1.5 to 280 ng/g wet weight (ww) and from 0.27 to 23 ng/g ww, respectively. The fish livers revealed total PCB and OCP levels ranging from 20 to 3200 ng/g ww and from 6.0 to 410 ng/g ww, respectively. Levels of both contaminant groups were significantly higher in samples from the Scheldt Estuary compared to the Belgian North Sea. For most species a highly inverse correlation was found between the concentration of contaminants and the distance to Antwerp (r between 0.812 and 0.901, p < 0.05), pointing to a higher degree of exposure further upstream. PCB and OCP exposures are highly correlated (r between 0.836 and 1.000, p < 0.05), which suggests that the pollution can be classified as historical. However, because urban and industrial centres may still be emitting these compounds, more recent point and non-point sources cannot be ruled out.     

Development of a benthic index to assess sediment quality in the Tampa Bay Estuary

The identification, remedial treatment, and monitoring of contaminated sediments are among the priorities for managers of the Tampa Bay Estuary. Tampa Bay, as an urbanized estuary, is subject to the input of watershed sources of chemical contaminants, including metals, pesticides, and organic chemicals. Although the use of biological indicators and their incorporation into multi-metric indices is not new, the refinement and applications of such techniques for determining environmental condition still require further development and exploration. We present a single Tampa Bay Benthic Index (TBBI) that was developed specifically for Tampa Bay. Stepwise discriminant analysis was applied to a comprehensive list of potential benthic metrics. Results from the stepwise procedure identified the metrics that best discriminated between "healthy" and "degraded" conditions, as defined by sediment contaminant effect levels and dissolved oxygen. Discriminant analysis was then applied to the resultant three variables to determine the linear combination for the index.     

Assemblages of megabenthic gastropods from Uruguayan and northern Argentinean shelf: Spatial structure and environmental controls

We analyzed the structure of the megabenthic gastropod assemblages on the Uruguayan and northern Argentinean shelf and slope. Our analysis determined that there are two major biologically distinct assemblages which occurred in a 210,000 km² area showing conspicuous environmental gradients and large frontal areas: (a) an assemblage associated with the zone under the influence of the freshwater discharge of Río de la Plata and the shallow waters of the inner shelf and (b) an assemblage associated with marine zone in the outer shelf, which includes Magellanic (Subantarctic) and subtropical faunas. A multivariate analysis demonstrated a significant correlation between the environmental and biological matrix. This evidence suggests a noticeable effect of the physical environment on the spatial structure of the assemblage. We suggest that the current distribution patterns are caused by two different processes operating together: while processes operating at ecological time scales (e.g. differential tolerances to salinity and depth) determine most of the structure observed at the inner shelf, the presence of two contrasting water masses over the outer shelf determine a biogeographic boundary for the benthic fauna, linked to shifting climatic factors influencing species niche dynamics over evolutionary time scales. Thus, at the spatial scale here considered, ecological and historical processes must be considered when attempting to understand which factors determine the current structure of benthic assemblages at regional scales.     

Linkage of deep sea rapid acidification process and extinction of benthic foraminifera in the deep sea at the Paleocene/Eocene transition

Ocean Drilling Program Leg 199 Site 1220 provides a continuous sedimentary section across the Paleocene/Eocene (P/E) transition in the carbonate‐bearing sediments on 56–57 Ma oceanic crust. The large negative δ¹³C shift in seawater is likely due to the disintegration of methane hydrate, which is expected to be rapidly changed to carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and well‐oxygenated seawater, leading to a reduction in deep‐sea pH. A pH decrease was very likely responsible for the emergence of agglutinated foraminiferal fauna as calcareous fauna was eliminated by acidification at the P/E transition at Site 1220. The absence of the more resistant calcareous benthic foraminifera and the presence of the planktonic foraminifera at Site 1220 is interesting and unique, which indicates that calcareous benthic foraminifera suffered greatly from living on the seafloor. Box model calculation demonstrates that, assuming the same mean alkalinity as today, pCO₂ must increase from 280 ppm to about 410 ppm for the calcite undersaturation in the deep ocean and for the oversaturation in the surface ocean during the P/E transition. The calculated increased pCO₂ coincides with paleo‐botanical evidence. The current global emission rate (～7.3 peta (10¹⁵) gC/y) of anthropogenic carbon input is approximately 30 times of the estimate at the P/E transition. The results at the P/E transition give an implication that the deep sea benthic fauna will be threatened in future in combination with ocean acidification, increased sea surface temperature and more stratified surface water.     

Effects of dredging operations on estuarine benthic macrofauna

Dredging operations in a Swedish estuary reduced the number and diversity of benthic species. The larval recruitment in the vicinity of the dredged area was strongly affected. An overall increase in concentrations of Hg, Cd, Zn, Cu, Pb and Ni were recorded in benthic fauna. One and a half years after termination of dredging, the benthic community structure was nearly restored and the high concentrations of heavy metals had decreased considerably.     

The effect of thermal pollution on benthic foraminiferal assemblages in the Mediterranean shoreface adjacent to Hadera power plant (Israel)

The thermal pollution patch of Hadera power plant was used as a natural laboratory to evaluate the potential long-term effects of rise in Eastern Mediterranean SST on living benthic foraminifera. Their sensitivity to environmental changes makes foraminifera ideal for this study. Ten monthly sampling campaigns were performed in four stations located along a temperature gradient up to 10 °C from the discharge site of heated seawater to a control station. The SST along this transect varied between 25/18 °C in winter and 36/31 °C in summer. A significant negative correlation was found between SST in all stations and benthic foraminiferal abundance, species richness and diversity. The total foraminiferal abundance and species richness was particularly low at the thermally polluted stations especially during summer when SST exceeded 30 °C, but also throughout the entire year. This indicates that thermal pollution has a detrimental effect on benthic foraminifera, irrelevant to the natural seasonal changes in SST.