Abundance distribution patterns of intertidal bivalves Macoma balthica and Cerastoderma edule at the Murman coast tidal flats (the Barents Sea)

• Published in: Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom
• Main Authors: Nazarova, Sophia A., Shunkina, Ksenia, Genelt-Yanovskiy, Evgeny A.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge University Press 2015
• Subjects: Barents Sea
• Online Access: https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/30353/; https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/30353/1/S0025315415000624a.pdf; https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/30353/2/S0025315415000624sup001.doc; https://doi.org/10.1017/S0025315415000624

Density distribution of the common infaunal bivalves, Macoma balthica and Cerastoderma edule, was studied along the Murman Coast of the Barents Sea during 2002–2010. In both species, abundance was generally higher in West Murman in contrast to East Murman. Highest density of Macoma balthica reaching 1535 ind. m−2 was observed in the Kola Inlet. Cerastoderma edule was less abundant; its density rarely exceeded 10 ind. m−2 in all but one site, where 282 ind. m−2 was registered. Reconstruction of abundance distribution across the European geographic range of Macoma balthica revealed that it does not match an ‘abundant-centre’ pattern, having features of ramped north. On the other hand, distribution of Cerastoderma edule abundance across the range generally follows an ‘abundant-centre’ pattern but southern edge populations show relatively higher abundances as compared with those at the north edge (the Barents Sea).