Benthic indicators: From subjectivity to objectivity - Where is the line?

Over the last few years, the interest in using benthic indicators to assess marine environments has increased dramatically after a rather long period of relative stagnation, mostly due to the need to assess the status of coastal marine waters required by North American and European regulations. Numerous papers on this topic have been published in the domain of ecology, using a variety of different terms to refer to two categories of information: benthic species and the status of benthic communities. Nowadays, the abundant literature on these two categories makes it possible to comment on (1) the definition of the different terms used by benthic researchers, (2) the current increase of papers of rising complexity about benthic indicators, and (3) the subjectivity and objectivity involved in using benthic indicators. Faced with the increase in the number of methods, we recommend pragmatism and thus the transfer of simple methods to the research consultancies that are responsible for assessing benthic quality in numerous impact studies. Using certain procedures, such as the “sentinel species”, the best professional judgement (BPJ) and taxonomic sufficiency (TS), should clearly be encouraged.     

Towards the application of the Water Framework Directive in Italy: Assessing the potential of benthic tools in Adriatic coastal transitional ecosystems

The potential of four benthic indices (AMBI/M-AMBI, BENTIX, BITS) was assessed in Italian coastal transitional ecosystems. The community composition showed a strong dominance of lagoonal, tolerant species, and out of more of 400 species found, only about 40 taxa were dominant. The full agreement of the four indices on an undegraded (Good or better) or degraded (Moderate or worse) status occurred only in 32.3% of stations. This study evidenced that BENTIX is inappropriate for eutrophic Adriatic lagoons, and that in such environments M-AMBI classification is actually too much dependent on diversity and richness, and seems unable to capture some peculiarities of benthic assemblages in transitional waters. AMBI and BITS gave similar classifications despite the different level of taxonomic identification needed. The unmodified use of these indices might impair accurate assessment of ecological quality status and decision-making on the managers’ point of view.     

中国非海相白垩纪腹足类组合序列和分布

中国白垩纪非海相腹足类可划分为4个组合:1)早白垩世凡兰吟期巴列姆期Probaicalia vitimensis-Ptychostylus-口盖化石Reesidella robusta组合;2)早白垩世阿普特期阿尔必期Bellamya clavilithiformis-Mesocoshliopa cretacea-Zaptychius costatus-Brotiopsis组合,由于环境的不同,这一组合可分为2个亚组合:Brotiopsis亚组合和Bellamya clavilithiformis-Mesocoshliopacretacea-Zaptychius costatus亚组合;3)晚白垩世科尼亚克期中马斯特里赫特晚期Mesolanistes nanxiongensis组合,由于产出的层位不同,这一组合又可分为2个亚组合,Mesolanistes ziziformis亚组合和Mesolanistes-nanxiongensis亚组合;4)晚白垩世马斯特里赫特期最晚期Palaeoancylusna nxiongensi组合。     

中国非海相白垩纪介形类化石组合

我国非海相白垩纪介形类化石可以划分为7个组合:1)分布于我国西北和西南地区欧特里沃期巴列姆期的Jingguella-Minheella-Pinnocypridea组合;2)分布于我国西北和西南地区巴列姆期的Cypridea-Latonia-Darwinula组合;3)阿普特期阿尔必期的Cypridea(Morinina)-Bisulcocypridea-Mongolocypris组合;4)分布于我国东北、中部及东部地区欧特里沃期巴列姆期的Cypridea-Mongolianella-Darwinula组合;5)分布于我国东北、中部及东部地区巴列姆期阿普特期的Cypridea(Cypridea)-Cypridea(Ulwellia)-Limnocypridea组合;6)塞诺曼期塞农期的Cypridea-Triangulicypris-Sunliavia-Lycopterocypris组合;7)坎潘期马斯特里赫特期的Talicypridea-Cypridea-Quadracypris-Candona组合。依据以上7个介形类化石组合,我国22个地区含介形类的73个地层单元(群/组)得到了对比。     

泰国、老挝南部和越南中部的非海相白垩纪双壳类生物地层学

泰国、老挝和越南白垩纪沉积全属非海相,它们广泛分布于泰国北部、东北部、西南部和南部,老挝北部、中部和南部,越南东北部、西北部、中部和南部。泰国南部的白垩纪地层分为Lam Thap,Sam Chom和Phun Phin组;其他地区,特别是西北部的呵叻高原地区的白垩系属呵叻群的Phra Wihan,Sao Khua,Phu Phan,Khok Kruat,Maha Sarakham及Phu Thok组。在老挝,万象盆地的白垩系由老挝呵叻群的NamSet,Phu Phanang,Ban Ang,Champa和Ban Thalat组与丰洪群的Thangon和Saysomboun组组成;沙湾拿吉(东兴)盆地的白垩系由南通(河)群的Nam Phouan,Nam Xot,Nam Noy和Nong Boua组组成。越南的白垩系在西北部分为Nam Na,Yen Chau,Van Chan和Ngoi Thia组,东北部为Ban Hang组,中部分为NhaTrang,Mu Gia和Dong Dzuong组,南部则为Phu Quoc组。三国白垩系的岩性普遍以红棕色至浅灰色砂岩、砾(岩质)砂岩、粉砂岩、泥岩和砾岩为主。泥岩中具有钙质结核和硅结砾岩,但盐和石膏仅见于Maha Sarakham,Saysomboun和Yen Chau组内。过去,这些白垩纪地层的生物地层没有经过详细研究。根据地层层序和化石对比,在泰国东北部呵叻高原和南部半岛地区及老挝南部沙湾拿吉(东兴)盆地中识别出了2个标记非海相白垩纪的类三角蚌类化石组合:阿普特期(但可上延至阿尔必期)的Trigonioides(Trigonioides)kobayashi-Plicatounio(Guangxiconcha)suzukii组合,阿普特阿尔必期(但主要为阿尔必期)的Trigonioides(Diversitrigonioides)diversicostatus-Pseudohyria subovalis组合。越南中部可能也产早白垩世阿普特阿尔必期的类三角蚌类双壳类Plisatouniosp.-Trigonioidessp.组合。通过双壳类组合,并结合包括孢粉和恐龙在内的其他化石的对比,泰国北部和南部、老挝南部和越南中部的非海相白垩纪地层得到了定年和对比,从而揭示了东南亚非海相白垩纪盆地的演化历史。     

Effects of reclamation on macrobenthic assemblages in the coastline of the Arabian Gulf: a microcosm experimental approach

Coastal reclamation and modifications are extensively carried out in Bahrain, which may physically smother the coastal and subtidal habitats resulting in changes to abundance and distribution of macrobenthic assemblages. A microcosm laboratory experiment using three common macrobenthic invertebrates from a proposed reclaimed coastal area was preformed to examine their responses to mud burial using marine sediment collected from a designated borrow area. Significant difference in numbers of survived organisms between control and experimental treatments with a survival percentage of 41.8% for all of the selected species was observed. The polychaete Perinereis nuntia showed the highest percentage of survival (57.1%) followed by the bivalve Tellinavaltonis (42.3%) and the gastropod Cerithidea cingulata (24.0%). Quantifying species responses to sediment burial resulted from dredging and reclamation will aid in predicting the expected ecological impacts associated with coastal developments and subsequently minimizing these impacts and maintaining a sustainable use of coastal and marine ecosystems in the Arabian Gulf.     

Ecological quality assessment of small estuaries from the Portuguese coast based on fish assemblages indices

The importance of establishing the ecological quality of estuarine systems has been widely acknowledged and led to the development of several fish community-based multimetric indices. Nevertheless, a question rose about the accuracy of these tools when natural disturbance is acting upon the organization of the systems’ communities. Four multimetric indices were used to examine their ability to differentiate the ecological status of five small estuarine systems (southern Portugal), and also to test if they reflected the level of anthropogenic pressures. Fish assemblages from Mira, Odeceixe and Aljezur (in the Southwest coast), Gilão and Bensafrim (in the South coast) estuaries were sampled seasonally for one year, and anthropogenic sources of pressure were identified and quantified. We found that although the applied indices provided information on ecological condition differentiation among systems, they are unable to explain different classes of ecological status in systems with equivalent pressure levels.     

Ostreopsis cf. ovata bloom in the northern Adriatic Sea during summer 2009: ecology, molecular characterization and toxin profile

Intense blooms of the benthic dinoflagellate Ostreopsis cf. ovata have occurred in the northern Adriatic Sea since 2006. These blooms are associated with noxious effects on human health and with the mortality of benthic organisms because of the production of palytoxin-like compounds. The O. cf. ovata bloom and its relationships with nutrient concentrations at two stations on the Conero Riviera (northern Adriatic Sea) were investigated in the summer of 2009. O. cf. ovata developed from August to November, with the highest abundances in September (1.3 × 10⁶ cells g⁻¹ fw corresponding to 63.8 × 10³ cells cm⁻²). The presence of the single O. cf. ovata genotype was confirmed by a PCR assay. Bloom developed when the seawater temperature was decreasing. Nutrient concentrations did not seem to affect bloom dynamics. Toxin analysis performed by high resolution liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry revealed a high total toxin content (up to 75 pg cell⁻¹), including putative palytoxin and all the ovatoxins known so far.     

Coastal defence through low crested breakwater structures: jumping out of the frying pan into the fire?

The Adriatic coast of Punta Marina (Ravenna) is protected by 3-km long low crested breakwater structures (LCSs). Through a 3-years long multidisciplinar study, we assessed the impact of such defensive structures on environmental and biological condition. LCSs create pools where conditions are very different from the surrounding nearshore system. Mechanical disturbance by currents and waves varied greatly in intensity and frequency between seaward and landward sides of the structures. Sedimentary budget was positive at the landward side, but it was due to a gain on the seafloor and not on the emerged beach. The budget at seaward was negative. LCSs determine differences in benthic assemblages, alter the seasonal pattern of communities, and modify seasonal fluctuations of animal assemblages. Landward sheltered areas can be seen as “lagoonal island” surrounded by a “sea of marine habitat”. Differences in ecological quality status, obtained through M-AMBI, are due to the sum of these factors.     

Rapid macrofaunal colonization of water-based drill cuttings on different sediments

A field experiment was conducted to investigate how water-based drill cuttings and sediment type influence colonization of soft bottom communities. Bottom frames with trays containing defaunated sediments were placed at the seabed for 6 months to study colonization of macrofauna. Two different sediments (coarse and fine) were used, and 6 or 24 mm layer of water-based drill cuttings were added on top of these sediments. Some of the sediments were controls with no additions. In the end of the experiment, the oxygen availability in sediment porewater and macrofaunal abundance were reduced in treatments with 24 mm drill cuttings compared to controls. Tube-building annelids were particularly sensitive to drill cuttings. However, these responses were only minor, and notably, the drill cuttings initiated a weaker faunal response than sediment type and site of the bottom frame. Sediments capped with water-based drill cuttings thus showed a rapid colonization of macrofaunal communities.