Relationship between structure of macrobenthic assemblages and environmental variables in shallow sublittoral soft bottoms

• Published in: Marine Environmental Research
• Main Authors: Veiga, Puri, Redondo, W., Sousa-Pinto, Isabel, Rubal, Marcos
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier 2017
• Subjects: Benthic ecology; Sediments; Macrobenthos; Community composition; Environmental variables; Coastal waters; Shallow sublittoral; Northeast Atlantic
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10261/193067; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marenvres.2017.07.002

12 pages, 8 tables, 6 figures We establish baseline knowledge of abundance, diversity and multivariate structure of macrobenthos from shallow sublitoral soft bottoms in the North Portuguese coast and elucidate main environmental factors that shape their spatial patterns. In this area distribution of soft bottoms is patchy, surrounded by boulders and rocky substrates. This particular landscape and the lack of significant anthropogenic disturbances are values for the conservation of this habitat. Sediment and physicochemical properties of the water column were studied to provide models for each studied macrobenthic variable. Our models highlighted that most of variation (59%–72%) in macrobenthic spatial patterns was explained by the studied environmental variables. Sedimentary variables were more relevant that those of the water column. Therefore, disturbances affecting sedimentary environment could cause dramatic changes in macrobenthic assemblages because of the limited availability of soft bottoms in the area. In this way, results are useful to adopt right management and conservation strategies This study was funded by the Polis Litoral Norte S.A. through the project “Estudo de caracterização da actividade pesqueira costeira e dos seus impactes nos recursos e nas comunidades marinhas do Litoral Norte” and also partially supported FCT—Foundation for Science and Technology under the project UID/Multi/04423/2013. During this study, P. Veiga (SFRH/BPD/81582/2011) and M. Rubal (SFRH/BDP/104225/2014) were supported by postdoctoral grants awarded by Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia Peer reviewed