Spatial–temporal variability in water quality and macro-invertebrate assemblages in the Upper Mara River basin,Kenya

Tropical rivers display profound temporal and spatial heterogeneity in terms of environmental conditions. This aspect needs to be considered when designing a monitoring program for water quality in rivers. Therefore, the physico-chemical composition and the nutrient loading of the Upper Mara River and its two main tributaries, the Amala and Nyangores were monitored. Initial daily, and later a weekly monitoring schedule for 4 months spanning through the wet and dry seasons was adopted. Benthic macro-invertebrates were also collected during the initial sampling to be used as indicators of water quality. The aim of the current study was to investigate the physico-chemical status and biological integrity of the Upper Mara River basin. This was achieved by examining trends in nutrient concentrations and analyzing the structure, diversity and abundance of benthic macro-invertebrates in relation to varying land use patterns. Sampling sites were selected based on catchment land use and the level of human disturbance, and using historical records of previous water quality studies. River water pH, dissolved oxygen, electrical conductivity (EC), temperature, and turbidity were determined in situ. All investigated parameters except iron and manganese had concentration values within allowable limits according to Kenyan and international standards for drinking water. The Amala tributary is more mineralized and also shows higher levels of pH and EC than water from the Nyangores tributary. The latter, however, has a higher variability in both the total phosphorus (TP) and total nitrogen (TN) concentrations. The variability in TP and TN concentrations increases downstream for both tributaries and is more pronounced for TN than for TP. Macro-invertebrate assemblages responded to the changes in land use and water quality in terms of community composition and diversity. The study recommends detailed continuous monitoring of the water quality at shorter time intervals and to identify key macro-invertebrate taxa that can be used to monitor changes of the water quality in rivers of the Mara basin as a result of anthropogenic changes.     

Sediment quality of the lower St. Johns River, Florida: an integrative assessment of benthic fauna, sediment-associated stressors, and general habitat characteristics

Sediment quality of the lower St. Johns River (LSJR) estuary, Florida was evaluated using synoptic data on benthic community structure, levels of potential stressors (chemical contaminants, ammonia and sulfide), and other basic habitat characteristics (depth, dissolved oxygen, salinity, temperature) collected at seven stations, three times a year from July 2000-July 2002. Un-ionized ammonia and hydrogen sulfide were detected at toxic levels on at least one sampling occasion at four stations. Chemical contamination of sediment at probable bioeffect levels also was observed at four stations. Concentrations of pesticides or other chemical substances typically associated with human activities (e.g., PCBs) were detectable at all stations, though not always present at concentrations likely of causing significant bioeffects. A total of 251 taxa and 9783 individuals were identified and enumerated from the benthic infaunal samples. Polychaete worms and molluscs dominated the benthic fauna at all seven stations. The opportunistic and pollution-tolerant polychaete Streblospio benedicti was the most abundant species overall (from all samples combined), appearing as a dominant at five of the seven stations. Overall, the sites sampled as part of this study indicate a highly stressed benthos resulting from multiple anthropogenic impacts.     

Survival under chronic stress from sediment load: spatial patterns of hard coral communities in the southern islands of Singapore

Six reef sites were chosen along the west coasts of Singapore's southern islands, to: (1) quantitatively assess and compare coral community composition and structure, and recruitment rates, (2) assess the relationship between the aforementioned patterns and the environmental conditions, and (3) provide insights on potential processes that incorporate history at these study sites. Chronic exposure to high sediment load was the most obvious form of anthropogenic stress. Recruitment rates on ceramic tiles were low (1.4+/-1.0-20+/-14.7 recruits m(-2)year(-1)) but decreased towards the main island of Singapore as did hard coral cover and coral density. Coral fauna consisted of genera generally found in deeper waters (e.g., fungiids, foliose Oxypora, Leptoseris, and Echinopora) or those well adapted to turbid waters (e.g., Porites, Pectinia, Leptastrea, Montipora). Light extinction coefficient (K) and % live coral cover (%LCC) showed a strong and inverse curvilinear relationship (%LCC=13.60 *K(-3.40)). Similarly, the rate of sediment deposition (DFSPM) (Recruitment rate, RR=1.51-0.17 *DFSPM) and water clarity (RR=3.56-2.92 *K) exhibited strong and inverse relationships with recruitment rates. Although measured levels of the down-ward flux of suspended particulate matter and suspended solids were well within "normal" levels recorded in the literature, it was the proportion of benthic space, generic coral composition, and site history that offered compelling evidence of chronic exposure to increased sediment load. Clearly a reduction in both water clarity and live-coral cover has taken place since monitoring efforts began in the early 1970s, in fact coral cover has more than halved at all sites examined since the 1980s and benthic space was predominantly occupied by dead corals covered with sediment and filamentous algae.     

Macrozoobenthic community structure in a large shallow lake: Disentangling the effect of eutrophication and wind-wave disturbance

Biological communities in shallow lakes are often subject to the combined effects of eutrophication and wind-wave disturbance. However, their relative importance in regulating macrozoobenthic community assembly has not been well addressed. In the present study, a monthly sampling of macrozoobenthos and environmental parameters was conducted at ten sites from December 2012 to November 2013 in Lake Hongze, the fourth largest freshwater lake in China, which has undergone serious water quality deterioration over the past few decades. A total of 30 taxa were recorded during the 12 sampling occasions, including 6 chironomids, 6 bivalves, 4 gastropods, 4 oligochaetes, 4 polychaetes, 4 crustaceans and 2 other aquatic insects. The mean abundance and biomass of total macrozoobenthos varied greatly among the ten sites and presented distinctive taxonomic composition between the protected bays and the offshore zone. Three eutrophication parameters (including permanganate index (COD_Mn), chlorophyll a, and total phosphorus in surficial sediments) and three wind-wave variables (including Secchi depth, turbidity, and mean effective fetch) were highly related to spatial variation of macrozoobenthic assemblages. When eutrophication variables were controlled, there was a significant correlation between community similarity and wind-wave disturbance condition, and vice versa. Variation partitioning showed that wind wave disturbance explained 15.9% of the variation in benthic community composition, slightly lower than that explained by eutrophication (17.9%). These results indicate that wind-wave disturbance is as important as eutrophication in regulating benthic community structure in this large shallow lake. Wind-wave disturbance imposed opposite effects on benthic community relative to eutrophication, and were more prominent in the offshore zone weakening the role of eutrophication.     

Benthic community response to habitat variation: A case of study from a natural protected area,the Celestun coastal lagoon

Little information currently exists on spatial and temporal benthic community variations in tropical coastal lagoons. Here, the benthic community response to habitat variation in the Celestun coastal lagoon, northwest Yucatan peninsula, was seasonally examined during the 1994–1995 climatic cycle into a grid of 12 sampling sites distributed along the salinity gradient of the lagoon. Habitat variation was assessed through physical factors associated both to the water column (e.g. salinity) and the bottom sediment (e.g. sand, silt and clay fractions). The benthic community response was assessed through species diversity measures and abundance. Under the influence of climatic seasonality, variations in habitat conditions followed by changes in the benthic community characteristics were expected. Results from two-way ANOVAs showed that for the period of study, Celestun lagoon was more heterogeneous along the spatial axis of variability than along the temporal one. Multiple regression analysis showed that salinity was spatially the main factor influencing the benthic community characteristics. Temporally, the sediment characteristics were observed to exert significant effects on the species diversity characteristics but not on abundance. Other variables assessed (dissolved oxygen, pH, temperature and water column transparency) exhibited no significant covariance with species diversity and abundance. Since generated from historical data, these results have the potential to be useful as a benchmark to the establishment of monitoring programs in the light of the increasing anthropogenic pressure on the natural resources of the lagoon and surrounding coastal area.     

Biological assessment of the Zayandeh Rud River, Iran, using benthic macroinvertebrates

Benthic macroinvertebrate communities from the middle of Zayandeh Rud River were analyzed monthly during 1 year at 8 stations, in order to assess changes in their diversity and richness in relation to water quality. Two major groups of sites based on similarity between macroinvertebrate communities were identified by cluster analysis. The performances of the original and revised BMWP score systems were assessed by comparing the community structure indices of benthic macroinvertebrates along with physico-chemical parameters of the water. The biotic indices (BMWP, ASPT, revised BMWP and ASPT) showed better correlation with water quality parameters than that of the richness and diversity indices. The revised ASPT had the highest correlation with water quality parameters. It seems that the application of the revised BMWP score system could be useful for assessment of the water quality in Zayandeh Rud River.     

Impacts of cascade run-of-river dams on benthic diatoms in the Xiangxi River, China

The ecological effects of small run-of-river dams on aquatic ecosystems are poorly understood, especially on downstream benthic algal communities. We examined impacts of such dams on the benthic diatom community at a regional scale in the Xiangxi River, China. A total of 90 sites were visited, which were divided into five habitats (H1–H5) according to impact extent of each dam. Using partial least squares (PLS) modeling, we developed two predictive models (diatom species richness and total diatom density) based on environmental variables of an unregulated habitat (H1). These models were then used to predict species richness and total densities at impacted habitats (H2–H5) and residuals, i.e. the differences between observed and predicted values, were used to evaluate impact strength of flow regulation. Significant impacts of flow regulation on diatom species richness were detected at three impacted habitats (H3–H5), where observed species richness were significantly higher—70.6, 63.9 and 46.6%, respectively—than predicted values. Then, possible mechanisms for observed impacts were discussed. Further research is necessary to address the potential negative impacts of cascade run-of-river dams on other aquatic organisms in different seasons, and to explore more appropriate mechanisms for such impacts, which may lead to sustainable management strategies and help to determine the optimal ecological water requirement for the Xiangxi River.     

Structure and seasonal dynamics of bacterial communities in three urban rivers in China

Although a large number of recent ecological studies have focused on freshwater bacterioplankton populations, knowledge of the primary factors influencing bacterial communities in urban rivers is limited. Bacterial community structure in three rivers located in Shanghai city was studied over a 1-year period using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). Subsurface samples were collected every 2 months from two study sites in each river. Water was characterized when biological samples were collected by measuring temperature, pH, chloride ion, total dissolved solids (TDS), total N and total P. complex DGGE band patterns indicated high bacterial diversity in the rivers. Analysis of similarity (ANOSIM) showed that variation of the bacterial communities was higher between rivers than it was between samples from the same river. When evaluated using principal component analysis, samples collected during warmer months from any particular river tended to group together while cold-season samples generally clustered, suggesting significant seasonal impacts. Redundancy analysis was used to identify relationships between environmental factors and bacterial community composition in each individual river. Temperature, TDS, pH, TP and salt concentration were all identified as being related to bacterial community structure, with temperature being the most influential parameter in all three rivers. Our results indicated that bacterial community composition was different in the three different rivers. Even though the rivers were located in heavily disturbed urban ecosystems, temperature was the major driver of bacterial community composition, just as it is in natural systems.     

无定河流域不同水土流失区底栖动物生物完整性指数构建与健康评价

无定河流域位于黄土高原与毛乌素沙地过渡带,水土流失严重,生态环境具有脆弱性和波动性。于2021年春季(4月)和秋季(10月)对无定河流域上、中、下游及其6条支流和流域内的3个淤地坝开展水生态系统调查,旨在厘清无定河流域底栖动物群落特征,构建底栖动物生物完整性指数并开展健康评价。无定河流域春季共采集到底栖动物105种,平均密度为181 ind./m²,平均生物量为0.760 g/m²,秋季共采集到底栖动物67种,平均密度为94 ind./m²,平均生物量为0.454 g/m²。通过对两季度研究区域内底栖动物27个生物参数开展分布范围检验、判别能力分析和相关性分析,构建无定河流域底栖动物生物完整性指数,对全流域40个样点(6个参照点和34个受损点)进行B-IBI健康评价。评价结果表明,总体上无定河流域底栖动物生物完整性较好,40个样点中春季有19个处于健康或亚健康状态,秋季有23个处于健康或亚健康状态,其中无定河上、中游干支流大都以健康和亚健康为主,无定河下游干支流以及3个淤地坝水体健康状况较差。在不同水土流失类型区域,底栖动物群落特征和生物完整性评价具有显著性差异。本研究结果可为无定河流域河流健康评估提供科学依据。     

Long-term trends in the macrobenthos and water quality of the lower Chesapeake Bay (1985–1991)

Long-term trends in macrobenthic communities of the lower Chesapeake Bay, USA, were examined using data collected quarterly (March, June, September and December) from 1985 to 1991 at 16 stations along a salinity gradient from tidal freshwater regions of the major tributaries (James, York and Rappahannock rivers) to the polyhaline region of the main-stem of Chesapeake Bay. A non-parametric trend analysis procedure was applied to five parameters characterizing macrobenthic community structure: community biomass, species richness, abundance of individuals, proportion of biomass composed of opportunistic species (opportunistic biomass composition) and proportion of biomass composed of equilibrium species (equilibrium biomass composition). For the parameters tested 36 trends were detected. For community biomass, five trends were significant; all had positive slopes and occurred in the James and York rivers. For species richness, six trends were significant; all had positive slopes with three trends in the James River, two trends in the York River and one trend in the main-stem of Chesapeake Bay. For abundance of individuals, 17 trends were detected; all abundance trends were seasonally dependent, had positive slopes and occurred at 12 of the 16 stations. For opportunistic biomass composition, four trends were significant; all had positive slopes with one trend in the lower Rappahannock River and three trends in the main-stem of Chesapeake Bay. For equilibrium biomass composition four trends were significant; two trends had positive slopes (one in the James River and one in the York River) and two trends had negative slopes (one in the Rappahannock River and one in the main-stem of Chesapeake Bay). Trends in the James and York rivers were considered to indicate improving conditions for the benthos, while trends in the lower Rappahannock River and the main-stem of the Chesapeake Bay were considered to indicate deteriorating conditions. Deteriorating conditions for the benthos were associated with regions exposed to summer, low dissolved oxygen events. The trends in the indicators of benthic biological community health were inferentially related to trends observed in water quality conditions in the tributaries and main-stem of Chesapeake Bay. All major water quality and biotic trends appeared to correspond in an ecologically meaningful manner.     

硅藻群落结构的差异:比较样本采集过程与空间梯度

硅藻种群的分布与其所处的生境条件密切相关,但在实际过程中的一些人为因素,例如取样方法、样本的制备以及藻种鉴定都可能会干扰到种群结构的分析结果.因此很有必要探究这些人为因素是否会对真实的硅藻群落生态学研究产生误导性的判断,以免干扰硅藻生物水质评价的客观性.选取采样方法及样本制备为代表的人为因素对硅藻群落生态分析结果引入的误差大小进行评估.结果显示,子样本之间(同一样品重复制作的玻片样本)和样品之间(同一样点重复取样)群落结构差异大小分别是1.26%和1.97%,同一条河流的样点之间则为3.38%,而所选定的跨河流研究区域的样点间群落结构差异最大(42.03%).生态学的排序结果和数理统计分析表明,在硅藻群落结构分析中,现场取样方法和样本制备过程相对于不同生境条件所引起的变化,并不会带来较大的差异.因此在河流附生硅藻的群落生态学研究中,可基本不考虑取样方法等因子的干扰,而是侧重于环境因子对硅藻生态分布的影响.     

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.     

Mediated spatio-temporal patterns of macroinvertebrate assemblage associated with key environmental factors in the Qinghai Lake area,China

The Qinghai Lake area is one of key regions in the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau for supporting a highly specific array of biodiversity. However, little is known about the composition and spatio-temporal patterns of benthic assemblages across this region. Herein, we examined how the community structure and community–environment relationships of macroinvertebrates varied over three consecutive years (2012–2014) across its three distinct water types of the saline main-body (MB) and sub-lakes (SSLs) and the freshwater bodies (FWBs). These waters harbored a poor benthic fauna, with identification of 30 taxa (6 in MB, 6 in SSLs and 23 in FWBs). There were distinct differences of assemblage composition among three water bodies, whereas weak (inter-year) or insignificant (seasons) differences at temporal scales. The CCA models indicated that there were highly naturally-driven environmental-assemblage relationships through time, with constant environmental factors of salinity, water depth and nutrients being the key environmental factors affecting macroinvertebrate variations. The currently overall benthic community composition and structure remains quite stable through years, indicating their suffering less from human activities. These results provide implications for projecting comprehensive benthic biomonitoring and conservation planning for those fragile and under-investigated lakes in the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau.     

云南云龙天池枝角类群落演替对1950s以来人类活动影响信号的识别

从1950s开始,云南地区部分湖泊受到了水文调控(如筑坝)和鱼类引入等流域开发活动的直接影响,湖泊水环境与生态系统结构已出现明显改变.开展浮游动物群落的长期生态响应评价有助于认识气候波动和人为胁迫的影响模式.本文选取云龙天池进行了沉积物记录分析,在重建过去100年环境变化历史的基础上开展了枝角类群落的多指标分析(物种组成、个体大小、生物量等),进一步结合多变量分析识别了枝角类群落构建的关键驱动因子.结果显示,云龙天池在过去100年间经历了明显的水位波动,约1962年以前水位较低,1950s起的水文调控(筑坝)导致湖泊水位波动上升,2006年以来略有下降.枝角类群落随水位波动呈现由底栖种向浮游种占优转变的模式,并在2006年以来底栖种略有增加.总体上,低水位时期底栖枝角类占优,高水位时期浮游枝角类占优.水体营养水平也对枝角类群落产生了较为显著的影响.在沉积物总氮和有机质通量上升时,长额象鼻溞(Bosmina longirostris)相对丰度和枝角类浓度都明显上升.枝角类象鼻溞个体大小表明,1969年鱼类引入后象鼻溞的壳长、壳刺长度、触角长度显著减小,反映了鱼类捕食压力上升的影响.本研究...     

Cumulative impacts on seabed habitats: An indicator for assessments of good environmental status

The European seas are under anthropogenic pressures impacting the state of water quality, benthic habitats and species. The EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) requires the Member States to assess the impacts of pressures and make a programme of measures leading to good environmental status (GES) by 2020. This study presents a method for assessing the quantity and distribution of anthropogenic impacts on benthic habitats in the Baltic Sea by using spatial data of human pressures and benthic habitats. The southern sub-basins were more extensively impacted than the northern sub-basins. Over the entire sea area, deep sea habitats were more impacted than shallower infralittoral and circalittoral habitats. Sand and coarse sediments were the seabed types relatively most impacted in the Baltic Sea scale. A comparison against tentative thresholds for GES showed that in the sub-basin scale only one third of the habitat types was in GES.     

Benthic input rates predict seagrass (Posidonia oceanica) fish farm-induced decline

Fish farms represent a growing source of anthropogenic disturbance to benthic communities, and efficient predictors of such impacts are urgently needed. We explored the effects of fish farm benthic organic and nutrient inputs on the population dynamics of a key seagrass species (Posidonia oceanica) in four Mediterranean deep meadows adjacent to sea bream and sea bass farms. We performed two annual plant censuses on permanent plots at increasing distance from farms and measured benthic sedimentation rates around plots. High shoot mortality rates were recorded near the cages, up to 20 times greater than at control sites. Recruitment rates increased in variability but could not compensate mortality, leading to rapid seagrass decline within the first 100 m from cages. Seagrass mortality increased with total sedimentation rates (K=0.55, p<0.0002), and with organic matter (K=0.50, p=0.001), total nitrogen (K=0.46, p=0.002) and total phosphorus (K=0.56, p<3.10(-5)) inputs. P. oceanica decline accelerated above a phosphorus loading threshold of 50mg m(-2)day(-1). Phosphorus benthic sedimentation rate seems a powerful predictor of seagrass mortality from fish farming. Coupling direct measurements of benthic sedimentation rates with dynamics of key benthic species is proposed as an efficient strategy to predict fish farm impacts to benthic communities.     

Survival under chronic stress from sediment load: spatial patterns of hard coral communities in the southern islands of Singapore

Six reef sites were chosen along the west coast of the southern islands of Singapore, at an increasing distance from the densely populated metropolitan area, to study the spatial patterns of coral reef communities on the upper reef slope ( approximately 4m) and the associated environmental conditions. Chronic exposure to high sediment load was the most obvious form of anthropogenic stress. Recruitment rates on ceramic tiles were low (1.4+/-1.0-20+/-14.7 recruits m(-2) yr(-1)) but decreased towards the main island of Singapore as did hard coral cover and coral density. Coral fauna consisted of genera generally found in deeper waters (e.g., fungiids, foliose Oxypora, Leptoseris, and Echinopora) or those well-adapted to turbid waters (e.g., Porites, Pectinia, Leptastrea, Montipora). Light extinction coefficient (K) and % live coral cover (%LCC) showed a strong and inverse curvilinear relationship (%LCC=13.60 *K(-3.40)). Similarly, the rate of sediment deposition (DFSPM) (RR=1.51-0.17 *DFSPM) and water clarity (RR=3.56-2.92 *K) exhibited strong and inverse relationships with recruitment rates (RR). Although measured levels of the downward flux of suspended particulate matter and suspended solids were well within "normal" levels recorded in the literature, it was the proportion of benthic space, generic coral composition, and site history that offered compelling evidence of chronic exposure to increased sediment load. Clearly a reduction in both water clarity and live-coral cover has taken place since monitoring efforts began in the early 1970s, in fact coral cover has more than halved at all sites examined since the 1980s and benthic space was predominantly occupied by dead corals covered with sediment and filamentous algae.     

巢湖流域不同水系大型底栖动物群落结构及影响因素

2013年4月对巢湖流域8个水系147个样点的大型底栖动物进行调查,分析其群落结构及与环境因子的关系.共采集到大型底栖动物213种,隶属于3门7纲22目76科177属.8个水系大型底栖动物物种数差异较大,在杭埠河发现172种,而在十五里河仅发现10种.大型底栖动物密度组成呈现出显著的空间差异.南淝河和十五里河的寡毛纲相对密度均超过96%,派河的寡毛纲和摇蚊幼虫的相对密度分别为47.8%和41.1%.裕溪河、白石天河、柘皋河和杭埠河的腹足纲相对密度最大.杭埠河的水生昆虫相对密度达30.6%,是水生昆虫相对密度最大的水系.相似性分析结果表明,8个水系特征种差异明显,霍甫水丝蚓(Limnodrilus hoffmeisteri)是十五里河和派河的最主要优势种,而铜锈环棱螺(Bellamya aeruginosa)是兆河、裕溪河、杭埠河、白石天河和柘皋河的最主要优势种,铜锈环棱螺和霍甫水丝蚓是南淝河贡献率较大的两种优势种.生物多样性结果表明,Shannon-Wiener、Simpson及Margalef指数在8个水系间具有显著差异,Pielou指数在8个水系间差异不明显.典范对应分析结果表明,影响大型底栖动物群落结构的主要因素为水体营养状态和底质异质性.高营养盐浓度导致南淝河、派河和十五里河的耐污种密度高、生物多样性低,而相对较高的底质异质性维持了杭埠河大型底栖动物的高多样性和敏感型物种的生存.     

The effect of abiotic environmental variables on the Danube macrozoobenthic communities

160 taxa of macrozoobenthos were recorded in the Danube River (R. km 1880-1704) riparian zone. Many typical Danubian and Pontocaspian representatives were found. The Slovak section of the Danube represents the border between its epipotamal and metapotamal stretches with different flow velocity and other environmental variables related to it. This paper characterises some abiotic ecological factors influencing the distribution of benthic taxa in five sampling sites along the longitudinal profile of the Danube. The benthic community composition was more strongly influenced by hydrological parameters than by oxygen and temperature regimes, as well as by the water quality conditions. In other words, the bottom substrate, flow velocity, water level fluctuation and discharge changes had the predominant effect on the taxocoenoses of macrozoobenthos. Three characteristic groups of macrozoobenthic organisms were recorded, as far as corresponding trophic guilds are concerned. Shredders and scrapers predominated in high flow velocity conditions with coarse substrate particles. Collectors of fine organic matter preferred slow-flowing conditions caused by damming or by a reduction of current due to the presence of bedrock. Filterers prevailed in the lower section of the Danube stretch monitored. Predators occurred independently of the environmental variables studied.     

A multivariate assessment of the coral ecosystem health of two embayments on the lee of the island of Hawai'i

Four coral-dominated coastal sites within two embayments (Kealakekua Bay and Honokōhau Bay) on the lee of the island of Hawai'i were studied to assess evidence of anthropogenic impacts in these relatively pristine locales. Nutrient-loading parameters were analyzed in relation to benthic composition data. Statistically, there were significant positive relationships between nitrate+nitrite, silicate, and ammonium with the abundance of macroalgae, coralline algae, and dead coral, and between delta(15)N and dead coral abundance. The north outside site of Kealakekua Bay and the south outside site of Honokōhau Bay appear to be most impacted by nutrient-loading factors in each bay, respectively. Comparisons with past nutrient data indicate that nutrient inputs have increased to the two bays, and that early impacts of these increased loadings are evident. It is predicted that at current nutrient-loading rates, the north sites of Kealakekua Bay and the south sites of Honokōhau Bay will exhibit evidence of further degradation in future years.