Development of Small Mytllus Beds and its Effects on Resident Intertidal Macro fauna

Abstract. The development of temporary Mytilus edulis beds and their associated macro fauna was studied on an intertidal sand flat in the German Wadden sea during 1986 by comparing mussel beds with bare sandy areas of the same tidal elevation. Macro fauna samples We taken with a 100 cm² corer (penetration depth 27 cm, mesh size 0.5 mm, 5 parallel samples).
Numbers of taxa and diversity were higher in the mussel beds compared to the sandy areas. The abundance of macro fauna organisms decreased with the age of the mussel bed, whereas the relative abundance of species was not strongly affected. Hydrobia ulvae , oligochaetes, and Heteromastus filiformis dominated the macro fauna inside as well as outside the mussel beds. Among the lower ranks of dominance changes in species composition were observed due to increasing densities of opportunistic polychaetes.
About six weeks after the establishment of the mussel beds a higher abundance of Capitella spp., Polydora ligni, Tharyx marioni , and nemerteans occurred within the mussel beds while other species such as Hydrobia ulvae and Pygospio elegans showed a significantly lower abundance compared to the adjacent flat. Macoma balthica as well as Mya arenaria were not affected by the alteration of a bare sand flat to a mussel bed. O-group Carcinus maenas reached their highest abundance in the mussel beds (over 1000 indiv. m^-2). In contrast juvenile Crangon crangon preferred the bare sand flat. After destruction of the mussel beds by an early autumn storm, species abundance and composition was similar to the situation before the mussel beds had become established.     

Spatial and seasonal variations of sulphate,dissolved organic carbon,and nutrients in deep pore waters of intertidal flat sediments

Spatial and seasonal variations of sulphate, dissolved organic carbon (DOC), nutrients and metabolic products were determined down to 5 m sediment depth in pore waters of intertidal flats located in NW Germany. The impact of sediment permeability, pore water flow, and organic matter supply on deep pore water biogeochemistry was evaluated. Low sediment permeability leads to an enrichment of remineralisation products in pore waters of clay-rich sediments. In permeable sandy sediments pore water biogeochemistry differs depending on whether tidal flat margins or central parts of the tidal flat are studied. Pore water flow in tidal flat margins increases organic matter input. Substrate availability and enhanced temperatures in summer stimulate sulphate reducers down to 3.5 m sediment depth. Sulphate, DOC, and nutrient concentrations exhibit seasonal variations in deep permeable sediments of the tidal flat margin. In contrast, seasonal variations are small in deep pore waters of central parts of the sand flat. This study shows for the first time that seasonal variations in pore water chemistry are not limited to surface sediments, but may be observed down to some metres depth in permeable tidal flat margin sediments. In such systems more organic matter seems to be remineralised than deduced from surface sediment studies.     

Meiobenthic communities of seagrass beds (Zostera capricorni) and unvegetated sediments along the coast of New South Wales,Australia

Seagrass beds have higher biomass, abundance, diversity and productivity of benthic organisms than unvegetated sediments. However, to date most studies have analysed only the macrofaunal component and ignored the abundant meiofauna present in seagrass meadows. This study was designed to test if meiobenthic communities, especially the free-living nematodes, differed between seagrass beds and unvegetated sediments. Sediment samples from beds of the eelgrass Zostera capricorni and nearby unvegetated sediments were collected in three estuaries along the coast of New South Wales, Australia. Results showed that sediments below the seagrass were finer, with a higher content of organic material and were less oxygenated than sediments without seagrass. Univariate measures of the fauna (i.e. abundance, diversity and taxa richness of total meiofauna and nematode assemblages) did not differ between vegetated and unvegetated sediments. However multivariate analysis of meiofaunal higher taxa showed significant differences between the two habitats, largely due to the presence and absence of certain taxa. Amphipods, tanaidacea, ostracods, hydrozoans and isopods occurred mainly in unvegetated sediments, while kinorhyncs, polychaetes, gastrotrichs and turbellarians were more abundant in vegetated sediments. Regarding the nematode assemblages, 32.4% of the species were restricted to Z. capricorni and 25% only occurred in unvegetated sediments, this suggests that each habitat is characterized by a particular suite of species. Epistrate feeding nematodes were more abundant in seagrass beds, and it is suggested that they graze on the microphytobenthos which accumulates underneath the seagrass. Most of the genera that characterized these estuarine unvegetated sediments are also commonly found on exposed sandy beaches. This may be explained by the fact that Australian estuaries have very little input of freshwater and experience marine conditions for most of the year. This study demonstrates that the seagrass and unvegetated sediments have discrete meiofaunal communities, with little overlap in species composition.     

Spatial and temporal patterns of benthic macrofaunal communities on the deep continental margin in the Gulf of Guinea

Density, taxonomic composition at higher taxon level and vertical distribution of benthic macrofaunal communities and sediment characteristics (pore water, nitrogen, organic carbon, sulfur, C/N ratio, n-alcohol biomarkers) were examined at three deep sites on the Congo–Gabon continental margin. This study was part of the multidisciplinary BIOZAIRE project that aimed at studying the deep benthic ecosystems in the Gulf of Guinea. Sampling of macrofaunal communities and of sediment was conducted during three cruises (January 2001, December 2001 and December 2003) at two downslope sites (4000 m depth), one located near the Congo submarine channel (15 km in the south) and the other one far from the channel (150 km in the South). The third area located 8 km north of the Congo channel in the surroundings of a giant pockmark at 3160 m depth was sampled during one cruise in December 2003.At these three locations the macrofaunal communities presented relatively high densities (327–987 ind. 0.25 m⁻²) compared with macrofaunal communities at similar depths; that is due to high levels of food input related to the Congo river and submarine system activities that affect the whole study area. The communities were different from each other in terms of taxonomic composition at higher taxon level (phylum, class, order for all the groups except for the polychaetes classified into families). The polychaetes dominated the communities and were responsible for the increase in densities observed at both deep sites (4000 m) between January 2001 and December 2003 whereas the tanaidaceans, the isopods and the bivalves were the other most abundant taxa responsible for the spatial differences between these sites. The community at 3150 m differed from the two deep communities by higher abundances in bivalves, nemerteans and holothuroids. The composition of the polychaete community also differed among sites.In the vicinity of the Congo channel, the expected positive effect of the additional organic matter transported through the turbiditic currents on to the surrounding benthic communities was not observed, as the increase in densities during the study period was higher at the site located away from the Congo channel than near the channel (80% vs 30%). That may be due to the low food value of the organic matter of terrestrial origin carried through the turbidites, and/or to the disturbance caused by these turbidites. Conversely, far from the channel the macrofaunal communities benefit from organic matter of higher energetic value originating mainly from marine sources, but also from continental sources, carried by the Congo plume or by near-bed currents across or along the continental slope. Spatial and temporal variability in trophic and physical characteristics of the sediment habitat at both deep sites also affected the vertical distribution of the macrofaunal communities.The activities of the very active Congo system structure the deep macrofaunal communities on a large area in terms of densities, composition and vertical distribution. The food input is enhanced at regional scale as well as the heterogeneity of the sediment characteristics, mainly in terms of organic matter quality (marine vs terrigenous). In turn, the densities are enhanced as well as the regional diversity of the macrofaunal communities in terms of taxonomic composition and distribution.     

Effect of biodeposits from mussel culture on macroinvertebrate assemblages at sites of different hydrodynamic regime

The present study examined for differences in macroinvertebrate assemblage composition inside and outside of mussel farm sites experiencing different hydrodynamic regimes. Multivariate analysis revealed that there were significant differences in macroinvertebrate assemblage composition (averaged across seasons) between samples taken inside and outside of the two relatively low energy sites, whilst no such difference was observed for the relatively high energy site. Taxa that best discriminated between the dissimilarities observed in macroinvertebrate assemblage composition inside and outside farms were principally polychaetes (more abundant inside) and ophiuroids (more abundant outside). Sediment total organic matter and number of mussel shells were the parameters that best explained the difference in macroinvertebrate assemblage observed at the two relatively sheltered farm study sites. No taxa or environmental variables were particularly good at discriminating or explaining differences observed inside and outside the relatively high energy farm site. The present study indicates there is a relationship between the hydrodynamic regime of a farm site, organic enrichment of seabed sediments by mussel biodeposits, and a subsequent modification of the macroinverebrate assemblages. This finding has implications for the site selection of mussel farms in coastal environments.     

印尼混合海草床大型底栖生物丰度和多样性生态研究

海草床是海岸带最富生产力的生态系统之一,支撑着各种各样的伴生生物。热带的印度和太平洋地区被认为拥有海草植物种类多样性最高,且分布面积最广,然而,这个区域的海草床大型底栖生物我们知之甚少。为了填补认知的空白,我们在该区域开展了一项生态调查,旨在描述该区热带海草床大型底栖生物的丰度和多样性,以及确定大型底栖生物丰度、物种丰富度和群落结构是否明显存在断面内的站间变化和样地间变化。2014年5月和2015年10月我们分别在北苏拉威西省东海岸和西海岸开展野外工作,使用柱状取样器采集海草床大型底栖生物样品。所得样品共计鉴定14大类149种底栖生物,种类最为丰富的类别为多毛类（56种,占26%的总个体数）,十足类（20种,占9%的总个体数）和端足类（18种,占35%的总个体数）。东、西海岸海草床大型底栖生物表现出不同的空间分布模式。在东海岸,同一断面的大型底栖生物和端足类的丰度存在显著的站间差异;而在西海岸,大型底栖生物和多毛类的种类丰富度和丰度都表现出明显的站间变化,这可能归结于同一断面底质不均所造成。单因素ANOSIM以及MDS排序表明了北苏拉威西省东海岸和西海岸海草床大型底栖生物群落结构存在显著不同,正好对应于将海草床分成两大类型的栖息地,即西海岸的红树林-海草床-珊瑚连续体和东海岸的海草床-珊瑚连续体。与在热带海区开展的其他研究相比,本研究的大型底栖生物丰度和多样性处于中等水平。东、西海岸海草床大型底栖生物群落存在显著区别,其原因可能源于多方面,包括了沉积物模式,海草床结构和时间变化。     

Community structure and nutrition of deep methane-seep macrobenthos from the North Pacific (Aleutian) Margin and the Gulf of Mexico (Florida Escarpment)

Methane seeps occur at depths extending to over 7000 m along the world's continental margins, but there is little information about the infaunal communities inhabiting sediments of seeps deeper than 3000 m. Biological sampling was carried out off Unimak Island (3200–3300 m) and Kodiak Island (4500 m) on the Aleutian margin, Pacific Ocean and along the Florida Escarpment (3300 m) in the Gulf of Mexico to investigate the community structure and nutrition of macrofauna at these sites. We addressed whether there are characteristic infaunal communities common to the deep‐water seeps or to the specific habitats (clam beds, pogonophoran fields, and microbial mats) studied here, and ask how these differ from background communities or from shallow‐seep settings sampled previously. We also investigated, using stable isotopic signatures, the utilization of chemosynthetically fixed and methane‐derived organic matter by macrofauna from different regions and habitats. Within seep sites, macrofaunal densities were the greatest in the Florida microbial mats (20,961 ± 11,618 ind·m⁻²), the lowest in the Florida pogonophoran fields (926 ± 132 ind·m⁻²), and intermediate in the Unimak and Kodiak seep habitats. Seep macrofaunal densities differed from those in nearby non‐seep sediments only in Florida mat habitats, where a single, abundant species of hesionid polychaete comprised 70% of the macrofauna. Annelids were the dominant taxon (>60%) at all sites and habitats except in Florida background sediments (33%) and Unimak pogonophoran fields (27%). Macrofaunal diversity (H′) was lower at the Florida than the Alaska seeps, with a trend toward reduced richness in clam bed relative to pogonophoran field or non‐seep sediments. Community composition differences between seep and non‐seep sediments were evident in each region except for the Unimak margin, but pogonophoran and clam bed macrofaunal communities did not differ from one another in Alaska. Seep δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N signatures were lighter for seep than non‐seep macrofauna in all regions, indicating use of chemosynthetically derived carbon. The lightest δ¹³C values (average of species’ means) were observed at the Florida escarpment (−42.8‰). We estimated that on average animal tissues had up to 55% methane‐derived carbon in Florida mats, 31–44% in Florida clam beds and Kodiak clam beds and pogonophoran fields, and 9–23% in Unimak seep habitats. However, some taxa such as hesionid and capitellid polychaetes exhibited tremendous intraspecific δ¹³C variation (>30‰) between patch types. Overall we found few characteristic communities or features common to the three deep‐water seeps (>3000 m), but common properties across habitats (mat, clam bed, pogonophorans), independent of location or water depth. In general, macrofaunal densities were lower (except at Florida microbial mats), community structure was similar, and reliance on chemosynthesis was greater than observed in shallower seeps off California and Oregon.     

Correlating mass physical properties with ALOS reflectance spectra for intertidal sediments from the Ba Lat Estuary (northern Vietnam): an exploratory laboratory study

Characterization of the sediment composition of tidal flats and monitoring of their spatiotemporal changes has become an important part of the sustainable management of coastal environments. To accurately classify sediments through remote sensing, a comprehensive understanding of sediment reflectance spectra is indispensable. The present laboratory-based study explores the performance of the high spatial resolution (10?×?10 m) Advanced Land Observing Satellite (ALOS) launched in 2006. Relationships between reflectance spectra (bands 1 to 4) and four typical mass physical properties were investigated under wet and dry experimental conditions for intertidal sediments sampled near the Ba Lat Estuary in northern Vietnam. Reflectance in the near-infrared region corresponding to ALOS band 4 (0.76–0.89 μm) was found (1) to have a strong negative correlation with sand content (dry wt%) under both wet and dry conditions (linear correlation coefficient r?=?–0.7859 and –0.8094, respectively), (2) to increase with decreasing relative water content (%) in a given sediment type (r?=?–0.7748 to –0.9367 for mud, sandy mud, muddy sand, and sand), (3) to have a positive correlation with organic matter content (r?=?0.7610 and 0.6460 under wet and dry conditions for contents >0.20 dry wt%), and (4) to be insignificantly correlated with mineral composition assessed in terms of contents (wt%) of quartz, clay minerals, and mica group minerals. Positive relationships between reflectance and water content for the pooled data of all sediment types (r?=?0.6395) or organic matter content contrast with previous findings, and can be attributed to close interrelationships between these properties and the predominance of sand content as controlling factor of reflectance. This study clarifies that ALOS band 4 provides the most useful imagery for intertidal monitoring because its reflectance, as simulated using the laboratory data, shows the strongest correlation with sand content. In a next step, these experimental findings should be verified by identifying the reflectance relationships at satellite image scales, and also considering the effects of other tidal flat features on reflectance, such as microtopography and biological surface characteristics.     

渤海大型底栖动物种类组成与群落结构研究

本文利用2008年8月在渤海23个站位采集的样品对大型底栖动物的丰度、生物量、群落结构及其与环境因子的关系进行了研究。共鉴定出大型底栖动物300种,主要类群包括环节动物多毛类、节肢动物甲壳类、软体动物、棘皮动物等。研究海域大型底栖动物的平均丰度为1 094.7ind/m2,平均生物量为11.78g/m2,其中丰度最高区位于辽东湾,最低区位于渤海湾;生物量最高区位于渤海中部,最低区出现在渤海海峡湾口处。依据丰度和生物量进行了CLUSTER聚类和MDS标序图分析,结果可将研究站位划分为6个站组,均与沉积物底质类型密切相关。所研究海域底质类型包括黏土质粉砂、砂、砂质粉砂、粉砂质砂、砂-粉砂-黏土5种。通过BIOENV分析,发现影响大型底栖动物群落结构和分布的主要环境因子有水深、黏土粉砂含量、脱镁叶绿酸含量、叶绿素含量等。与20世纪90年代历史数据的对比发现,本次研究大型底栖动物的物种数目明显减少,平均丰度也减少,特别是优势物种表现出了小型化趋势,传统的大型种类,如心形海胆、双壳类等,被小个体的多毛类和甲壳类所取代。本研究表明渤海近年来受人类活动影响,出现了不同程度的污染,导致大型底栖动物群落结构发生了变化。     

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.     

Structure and chemistry of sediments in Belfast Lough,a semi-enclosed marine bay

In a study of the benthic environment of Belfast Lough the structure of the subtidal sediment was examined along with its content of organic matter and selected metals (Cr, Mn, Ni, Cu, Zn, Pb). A wide range of sediment types occurred within the lough but the mean grain sizes for individual sites lay predominantly within the size classes of fine sand, very fine sand and silt. The content of organic matter and metals in the sediments showed strong positive correlations with each other and with the content of silt/clay. Both organic matter and metals decreased in concentration in a seawards direction. The content of organic matter lay generally within the range of 1–5% which is normally associated with shelf sediments, but constituted up to 12% of the sediment in the docks area. Likewise, metals were usually within the range reported within other nearshore coastal waters of the U.K., but sediments in the docks area and inner lough were enriched with several metals. Cluster analysis identified four major subdivisions in the lough which were distinctly different in their contents of silt/clay, organic matter and metals.     

Subtidal Benthic Macroinfauna in an Estuary of South Chile: Distribution Pattern in Relation to Sediment Types

Abstract. A quantitative survey (18 stations) of the subtidal soft bottom macroinfauna in an estuary of the south Chilean coast was conducted during January, 1980. The map of sedimentological facies elaborated for the Queule River Estuary shows sandy bottoms in the outlet and upper part of the area studied, while the middle part is occupied by muddy sand. The ordination of stations by Principal Component Analysis is fundamentally defined by mud and gravel percentage and is, in general, concordant with the distribution of sediments in the facies map. A total of 17,405 animals was collected (16 taxa), Polychaeta being the dominant group in density (77.47%) and biomass (73.4%). The maximum number of species was obtained outside the mouth of the estuary, while maximum densities and biomass were obtained in the middle of the estuary.
The Factor Analysis performed with the abundances data of the most abundant species rendered the ordination of two groups of stations (concordant with a Cluster Analysis) in the Q-mode and two groups of species in the R-mode. One group of stations is restricted to sandy habitats of the outlet area and is dominated by suspension feeders. The other, in the middle and upper part of the estuary (muddy sand or sandy bottoms with a higher percentage of organic matter), is dominated by deposit feeders. Between these two groups, significant differences in sedimentological variables (sand, mud, and organic matter percentage) were detected. Each of the two delineated groups of species corresponds to the groups of stations, showing that most of the taxa can be combined in faunal assemblages with preference for different types of substrate.     

Macro- and megafauna communities in three deep basins of the South-East Atlantic

During ‘Meteor’ expedition ‘DIVA 2’ in 2005 the abyssal macro- and megafauna communities were studied in the northern Cape Basin, in the northern Angola Basin and in the eastern and western Guinea Basin. Water depths varied between 5040 and 5670 m.Surface deposit feeding or predatory ophiuroids dominated the megafaunal community in the northern Cape Basin, sponges, sipunculids and fish in the northern Angola Basin, and asteroids, crustaceans and fish in the eastern Guinea Basin, while in the western Guinea Basin sipunculids dominated.In the northern Cape Basin, peracarid crustaceans were the dominant macrofaunal group, followed by polychaetes and bivalves. In the Guinea Basin, polychaetes, peracarid crustaceans and bivalves dominated, although omnivorous or predatory free-living nematodes of macrofaunal size (>0.5 mm) made up 40–60% of the total abundance, with maxima in the western basin.The chlorophyll a content of sediments was lower in the northern Cape and Angola Basins than in the Guinea Basin, which was consistent with the differences in water masses, primary production and flux rate of organic matter in the three basins of the South-East Atlantic. The differences in structure and function of the macro- and megafauna communities in the three basins correlated with the differences in the amount of food reaching the seafloor in tropical and subtropical settings.     

Spatiotemporal variations of benthic macrofaunal community in the Xiamen Amphioxus Nature Reserve, eastern South China Sea

In order to realize the spatiotemporal variations of benthic macrofaunal communities at the "Amphioxus Sand"habitat, six surveys including four seasons and three consecutive summers(i.e., 2014, 2015 and 2016) were conducted in two core sites, i.e., Huangcuo(HC) and Nanxian-Shibaxian(NX), in the Xiamen Amphioxus Nature Reserve in China. A total of 155 species of macrofauna were recorded, therein, polychaetes were dominant in terms of species number and density. Significant spatiotemporal variations of macrofaunal communities were observed. The density of polychaetes and the biomass of molluscs in the HC site were higher than those in the NX site. Macrofauna were more diverse and abundant in the cold seasons(winter and spring) than that in the warm seasons(summer and autumn). The annual variations of macrofaunal communities may be attributed to the changes in sediment texture among the three years of the survey. The variations in macrofaunal communities were mainly related to the proportion of polychaetes within the community. In addition, the density of amphioxus(include Branchiostoma japonicum and B. belcheri) was negatively correlated to that of polychaetes, bivalves, and crustaceans. Amphioxus was less likely to be found in the sediments with higher silt and clay content. Five biotic indices including Margaref's richness index(d), Peilou's evenness index(J′), Shannon-Wiener diversity index(H′),AMBI and M-AMBI were calculated in the present study. AMBI seems suitable in assessing benthic health at the"Amphioxus Sand" habitat, and a potential risk of ecological health in Xiamen Amphioxus Nature Reserve should be aware.     

Multicausal environmental severity: A flexible framework for microtidal sandy beaches and the role of polychaetes as an indicator taxon

The aim of this paper is to study the macrofaunal community dynamics and the biological–environmental interactions in the mid- and sublittoral ecosystems of the microtidal Mediterranean sandy shores. Four sandy beaches, three on the island of Crete and one on the northwest coast of Italy were selected to investigate the spatial and temporal changes in the community structure and the associated environmental variables. The littoral zone, which has not been adequately studied in the Eastern Mediterranean, presents special interest not only from the scientific point of view but also for practical reasons of ecological management. The multivariate techniques revealed that the community pattern of the sandy beach macrofauna is mainly spatial rather than temporal. There are pronounced differences in species composition and abundance of the macrofaunal assemblages of the mid- and sublittoral zone. The multicausal environmental severity hypothesis appears to be valid for the sandy beach macrofaunal communities of the Mediterranean. The abundance and composition of the macrofaunal assemblages are highly variable and are affected by the synergistic effects of many environmental variables. The polychaete taxonomic assemblage structure closely follows the macrofaunal community pattern. Differences between the two patterns may arise from the different responses that polychaetes may show to the environmental stress.     

Depth and Seasonal Distribution of Some Groups of the Vagile Fauna of the Posidonia oceanica Leaf Stratum: Structural and Trophic Analyses

Abstract. The taxonomical and trophic structures of the vagile fauna communities of the leaf stratum in a Posidonia oceanica meadow at Ischia (Gulf of Naples, Italy) were investigated at five stations along a depth gradient (1 to 25 m). Sampling was performed in July, November, February, and May. The analyzed groups - polychaetes, molluscs, tanaids, isopods, amphipods, and decapods - exhibited similar distributional trends in all seasons, with coenotic discontinuities occurring at well-defined depths. The same zonation pattern was produced by feeding-guild analysis. Eleven trophic groups were identified. The most abundant groups were: Herbivores, which were found mainly at the shallow stations; Herbivores-deposit feeders, which were widely distributed along the transect; Deposit feeders-carnivores, found mainly at the deep stations.
This study suggests that in the Posidonia leaf stratum, herbivores and herbivores-deposit feeders, as consumers of epiphytic micro- and macroflora and deposited particulate organic matter, play an important role in the energy transfer from producers to higher trophic levels of the system.     

Note on sediment sorting in a sandy bed under standing water waves

We present new quantitative data on the sorting of sediments on a sandy seabed under standing waves. Starting from a flat bed composed of a homogeneous mixture of a coarse and a fine sand with mean diameters 0.11 and 0.21 mm, we observed simultaneous ripple and sand bar formation and sand sorting on the seabed. Over days of wave action, sand bars formed with crests beneath the surface wave nodes and flat plateaus flanked by mounds beneath the antinodes. Bar crests were composed of sand coarser on average than 0.21 mm, while the flat plateaus were covered by sand finer on average than 0.11 mm. Comparison with two experiments involving sand beds of more homogeneous size distributions shows that the mounds are characteristic of the motion of fine suspensions.     

Macrofaunal communities of threatened subtidal maërl seabeds on Tenerife (Canary Islands, north-east Atlantic Ocean) in summer

This study contributes with the first data on physical and taxonomical structure of macrofaunal assemblages of ma¨erl beds from the Canary Islands. Ma¨erl beds and Cymodocea nodosa meadows of the Canary Islands are considered biodiversity hot-spots in terms of taxonomic and functional biodiversity with a broad geographical and depth ranges. The authors have studied the structure of the macrofaunal assemblages on different habitat types (Cymodocea, Caulerpa, sabellid field, garden eel and ma¨erl beds). Samples were taken at a range of depths between 14 and 46 m. Correlations were performed among abiotic variables (granulometry, organic matter, nitrogen and phosphates) and the most abundant taxa. Similarity analysis was performed to explore the patchiness of seabeds at a local scale. Significant differences were found in macrofaunal assemblages among seabed types, with highest abundances and lowest biodiversity in sabellid fields, where the sabellid Bispira viola dominated. The polychaetes Aponuphis bilineata and Chone filicauda and the mollusc Turritella brochii were the most abundant taxa on ma¨erl beds. The mosaic of granulometric conditions would explain the associated macroinfaunal community structure and contribute to the creation of diversity on these relatively well preserved seabeds at a local scale.     

Acoustical and sedimentological characterization of substrates in and around sheltered and open-ocean mussel aquaculture sites and its bearing on the dispersal of mussel debris

Side-scan sonar, camera observations, and sediment sampling are used to determine the seabed dispersal of mussel debris at three aquaculture farm sites in sheltered to exposed environments in the Marlborough Sounds, New Zealand. At the two sheltered farm sites, side-scan sonagraphs reveal high acoustic backscatter beneath culture sites and low backscatter in the immediate surrounds. This suggests a sharp contrast in seabed material around the edges of the farm. Photography and sediment samples reveal farms are underlain by mounds of shells with biodeposits infilling intershell voids and forming a veneer over entire mounds. In contrast, the surrounding seabed is naturally sedimented soft mud. Sediment from beneath the farms had total organic contents of 8%-19% decreasing sharply to natural levels of 4%-7%, 30 m from the farm's boundaries. The third site is exposed to energetic waves and currents, and exhibits low acoustic backscatter zones beneath the farm. Photographs show the seabed is predominantly clean sand with only scattered clumps of shells and no biodeposits visible. Sediments are typical of the natural setting. This lack of mussel debris indicates that there is sufficient energy to transport and dissipate the shell and biodeposits over a wide area with little impact on the natural sediment.     

Long-term displacement of intertidal seagrass and mussel beds by expanding large sandy bedforms in the northern Wadden Sea

On aerial photographs, sandy tidal flats display (1) large sandy bedforms (> 10 m long, > 3 m wide), indicating effects of strong hydrodynamics on sediment relief, and (2) beds of seagrass and mussels, indicating stable sediment conditions. These physical and biogenic structures have been mapped from aerial photographs taken in a back-barrier tidal basin of the North Sea coast at low tide between 1936 and 2005. Fields of large intertidal sandy bedforms show a consistent spatial distribution in the central part of the basin, and have increased in area from 7.2 to 12.8 km², corresponding now to 10% of the tidal flats. Areal expansion may be linked to a rise in average high tide level and an increase of the expansion rate from the 1960s to the mid 1990s might be traced back to an increased frequency of storm tides during this period. It is shown that expanding fields of large sandy bedforms have replaced mussel beds in the low tidal zone and displaced seagrass beds in the mid tidal zone. Fields of intertidal large sandy bedforms are expected to expand further with an accelerating rise in sea level, and it is recommended to monitor these physical indicators of sediment instability and disturbance of biogenic benthic structures by analysing aerial photographs.