Effects of the Zostera noltei meadows on benthic macrofauna in North Atlantic coastal ecosystems of Morocco: spatial and seasonal patterns

• Published in: Biologia
• Main Authors: Bououarour, Oussama, El Kamcha, Reda, Boutoumit, Soilam, Pouzet, Pierre, Maanan, Mohamed, Bazairi, Hocein
• Other Authors: Université Mohammed V de Rabat Agdal (UM5), Littoral, Environnement, Télédétection, Géomatique (LETG - Nantes), Université de Caen Normandie (UNICAEN), Normandie Université (NU)-Normandie Université (NU)-École Pratique des Hautes Études (EPHE), Université Paris Sciences et Lettres (PSL)-Université Paris Sciences et Lettres (PSL)-Université de Brest (UBO)-Université de Rennes 2 (UR2)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut de Géographie et d'Aménagement Régional de l'Université de Nantes (IGARUN), Université de Nantes (UN)-Université de Nantes (UN), Observatoire des Sciences de l'Univers Nantes Atlantiques (OSUNA), Université d'Angers (UA)-Université de Nantes (UN)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers CNAM (CNAM), HESAM Université - Communauté d'universités et d'établissements Hautes écoles Sorbonne Arts et métiers université (HESAM)-HESAM Université - Communauté d'universités et d'établissements Hautes écoles Sorbonne Arts et métiers université (HESAM)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-IMT Atlantique (IMT Atlantique), Institut Mines-Télécom Paris (IMT)-Institut Mines-Télécom Paris (IMT)-Université Gustave Eiffel
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2021
• Subjects: Seagrass; Macrobenthic fauna; Diversity; Semi-enclosed coastal systems; [SDE.MCG]Environmental Sciences/Global Changes; [SDE.BE]Environmental Sciences/Biodiversity and Ecology; [SDU.ENVI]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Continental interfaces; environment; [SDV.BV]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Vegetal Biology; [SHS.ENVIR]Humanities and Social Sciences/Environmental studies; North Atlantic
• Online Access: https://hal.science/hal-03157469; https://doi.org/10.1007/s11756-021-00718-9

International audience The influence of seagrass on benthic macroinvertebrates was investigated in four semi-enclosed coastal systems in Morocco. Biological and environmental variables were examined in vegetated and bare habitats at four selected sites in two seasons (winter and summer). A total of 28,687 individuals were reported as belonging to 69 taxa. Species richness increased significantly with latitudinal gradient. Macrofaunal biomass varied significantly across sites and had a significant positive relationship with the presence of seagrass in both summer and winter. The DIMO model indicated that the variations in macrobenthic faunal structure were mainly due to the existence of the Zostera noltei; PERMANOVA analysis detected that faunal assemblages shifted within the site and that their variation was enhanced with latitude, in both seasons. A seasonal cause for the spread of macrofauna at all the study sites may be the type of habitat. Distance-based linear models (DistLM) revealed that sediment characteristics (carbon and calcium carbonate concentrations and clay percentage) are the main predictor variables that explain the composition of the macrobenthic faunal assemblage. This study proposes a general model for evaluating spatial distribution patterns at various levels within seagrass-dominated coastal lagoons.