基于生态系统服务的浙江省水生态环境分区分类管控

水环境综合管理被普遍认为是促进流域可持续发展的基本手段。生态系统服务是生态系统对人类福祉和生存的直接和间接贡献,是维持与影响流域水生态环境的重要因素。随着流域空间管控日益受到重视,基于生态特征的"分区分类"管控已成为流域精细化管理的重要内容。论文基于生态系统服务功能与水质关联性,采用典型对应分析(CCA)选取了土壤类型、土地利用、归一化植被指数和人口密度等4种生态特征作为水生态功能分区指标。结合流域生态特征、汇水区域和行政管理单元的空间分布,通过聚类分析及空间叠置法,将浙江省划分了10个水生态功能区和510个水环境控制单元。采用当量因子法对各控制单元的生态系统服务价值进行系统评估。结果表明2015年浙江省生态系统服务总价值为5123.7亿元,其中控制单元的生态系统服务价值范围为59.8—136.5亿元。利用K-means聚类方法得到了4类生态服务簇,并探讨了各类生态服务簇的服务类型、空间分布特征以及与各单元水质的关系。研究结果表明,Ⅰ类簇主要分布在西部及西南部的山地丘陵区,其面积占了全省面积的52.68%;Ⅱ类簇的占地面积最小但水域面积相对较高,主要覆盖千岛湖和钱塘江河口;Ⅲ类簇分布相...     

基于系统保护规划的海河流域湿地保护优先格局与保护空缺识别

以海河流域为研究对象,依托系统保护规划的理论、方法和技术手段,建立气候-地貌-湿地生态地理综合分类单元,并将此单元作为宏观尺度湿地生物多样性的替代单元,同时以湿地水鸟作为物种尺度的指示物种,综合考虑道路、居民点等社会因素,确定了海河流域湿地保护优先格局及保护空缺。研究结果表明：湿地结构上,现有保护体系中仅滨海湿地受保护比例较高,经系统保护规划优后,湿地保护比例可达28.55%,保护面积达36.55 km²;在空间分布上,仅徒骇马颊河水系目前得到较好的保护,建议对滦河及冀东沿海区域及海河流域南北水系通过设立保护小区和建立湿地公园等方式加强保护。研究结果可为海河流域湿地保护体系调整提供参考,为湿地、非湿地生态系统的整合优化提供有益启示。     

城市土地利用异质性对湖泊水质的影响

土地利用类型与水体水质之间存在显著相关关系,这种相关关系受到土地利用类型及其空间分布的影响.人类活动造成流域中不同汇水单元间土地利用异质性,进而影响和改变了汇水单元水质状况.在自然或半自然区域内,采用多个汇水单元的综合分析能够体现出流域土地利用类型与水质的相关关系.然而,在城市区域中,可能存在由于土地利用特征差异而导致这种相关关系的抵消和降低,致使分析结果与实际存在偏差.为证实这一现象的存在,选取武汉市汉阳地区龙阳湖等4个湖泊流域为研究对象,分别从汇水单元综合分析、以影响水质的主要用地类型作为变量进行聚类分析和以湖泊流域为对象的分析等3个角度,分析汇水单元间的土地利用特征差异对水质的影响,结果显示土地利用异质性影响甚至改变了土地利用类型与水质的相关关系.因此,在研究城市土地利用与水体水质相关性时,需要同时考虑土地利用类型的特征和格局.     

长江口底栖动物功能群分布格局及其变化

用功能群方法对长江口南岸潮滩底栖动物与河口环境梯度和生境变化的关系进行了研究。根据底栖动物的取食类型,运动能力和摄食机制进行了功能群的划分。共鉴别出55种栖动物,并将其划分为15种功能群类型,均表现出沿长江口南岸河口梯度的逐渐变化的分布格局,底栖动物物种数和功能群类型数主要表现出与河口盐度梯度呈正相关的动物地理分布格局,沿着河口梯度,不同的采样断面,优势功能群不同。在河口下游,功能群类型多样化,各种食性类型,不同运动能力及各种摄食机制抽功能群皆有;而生境较单一的河口上游和受污染较严重的断面,功能群类型较少,沿着河口梯度,最显著的变化是固着生活和以触手摄食的功能群的迅速消失,底栖动物功能群多样性是对河口环境梯度和生境质量的综合反映。     

海河流域典型河口生态环境需水量

在分析河口生态环境需水量类型及特征的基础上 ,采用水文学、生物学及水力学方法计算了海河流域中海河口、滦河口及漳卫新河口生态系统水循环、生物循环消耗水量及生物栖息地需水量。考虑不同生态功能需水量间的兼容性 ,得到各河口生态环境需水年度总量 ,以保持河口径流时间分布自然性为基础 ,确定了生态环境需水量年内时间分配。结果表明 ,即使不考虑污染物的排放 ,近年来海河口、漳卫新河口实际径流量已无法满足最低等级生态环境需水量 5 .97和 4 .96亿 m3的要求。相应河口生态系统已发生了不可自然恢复的退化。滦河口径流年度总量基本满足生态环境要求 ,其生态保护重点在于保持生态环境需水量年内时间变化的自然状况。通过比较不同河口间生态环境需水量结果 ,认为河口生态环境需水量空间差异性主要源于河口间气候和径流量的不同 ,时间差异性则受到河口地区年内季节间气候变化幅度的影响。保证污染物达标排放基础上 ,保持河口生态系统蒸发消耗、水体盐度需水量及相应年内时间变化的自然性应成为海河流域河口生态环境保护及恢复工作中的基础     

中国近海持久性毒害污染物研究进展

持久性毒害污染物具有三致效应和遗传毒性,对近海生态环境危害极大。持久性毒害污染物主要通过人海河流和沿岸直排输送人海,主要赋存于近海沉积体系。持久性毒害污染物在沉积物分布累积主要受到沉积环境的影响,包括人海河流径流量、输沙量、水动力、河口海湾冲淤演变等,以及其自身物理化学性质和沉积物性质如颗粒物大小和有机质含量等。不同海区的研究表明,重金属污染整体上较轻微,胶州湾沉积物Cu、As污染较其它地区严重,珠江口盐沼Cd、Zn污染最为严重;近海沉积物有机污染主要集中在工业活动密集的珠江三角洲及邻近海域、长江口及闽江口海区,多氯联苯（PCBs）污染以珠江三角洲最为严重,有机氯农药（OCPs）污染在东南部河口及邻近海区较为严重。在明确持久性毒害污染物在不同沉积环境下差异和共性的基础上,提出若干今后需加强的研究,包括污染物迁移转化规律、重金属化学形态分析、微生物降解机制和污染物相互作用,等。     

黄土残塬沟壑区流域次生植被物种分布的地形响应

研究流域次生植被物种对地形因子的响应规律,识别影响次生植被物种分布的主要地形因子,是流域近自然植被生态恢复和重建的基础。采用ArcGIS空间分析模块和地形分析模块TauDEM,并与统计软件SPLUS2000中的GRASP工具相结合,建立了位于黄土高原残垣沟壑区山西省吉县蔡家川流域次生植被各个物种分布基于地形因子的广义相加模型(GAM)。模型中的地形因子包括:海拔、坡向、坡度、平面曲率、坡位指数(SPI)、地形湿度指数(TWI)、单宽汇水面积(SCA)等。受试者操作特征曲线(ROC)测试中AUC值表明:大部分测试物种(约62%)拟合模型效果较好,且模型较为稳定。总体来看,研究流域次生植被物种分布体现了水分限制的空间分异特征:阴坡各物种分布概率较大,且随海拔升高而减小。影响研究流域次生植被物种空间分布的潜在重要因子为海拔和坡向,而单宽汇水面积(SCA)和地形湿度指数(TWI)虽然是多个物种响应模型的预测因子,但受高一级尺度海拔的影响,SCA与TWI对物种分布的影响作用较小;坡度影响作用最小。据此,在流域植被恢复和防护林建设目标区选择及立地条件划分时应首先以海拔和坡向为依据,单宽汇水面积(SCA)和地形湿度指数(TWI)则可以作为次一级立地分类依据,而坡度则仅能作为最后一级的分类依据。     

基于流域单元的海湾农业非点源污染负荷估算——以莱州湾为例

生产力较高、生物多样性丰富、人类利用较早的区域之一,也是全球生态系统中最有价值和最受人类关注的区域之一。同时,海湾也是全球变化反映最敏感、陆海相互作用过程最激烈的地带,是人类活动最频繁的地域。开展海湾入海污染物总量控制研究对保护海洋环境和维护生态健康,协调和促进沿海经济发展与海洋的合理开发利用,实现海洋经济的可持续发展具有重要意义。入海污染物总量是开展海湾环境保护的重要指标,因进入海湾的河流往往较多,河流入海污染物的估算受监测频率、流量的季节变化等因素影响,存在很多困难。农业非点源污染是我国海湾入海污染负荷的重要来源。基于DEM(SRTM Data,90 m分辨率),借助美国ESRI公司的ARC/INFO软件中的ArcHydro模块,进行莱州湾主要入海河流水文分析,利用GIS提取河网,划定流域边界,并划分汇水区和子流域,为流域农业非点源污染入海总量的估算提供基础数据平台。在此基础上,与该流域土地利用专题图叠加,计算各个子流域内不同土地利用类型的面积,利用主要污染物排放系数和入河系数,估算农业污染入海总量。结果表明:COD、NH3-N、TN和TP的每年入海排污总量分别约为236933、23956、53684 t和15922 t。COD、NH3-N、TN和TP的排放量占总排放量的比例分别为71.69%、7.25%、16.24%和4.82%,这说明莱州湾入海主要污染物为COD。在陆海统筹理念指导下,以入海河口为源头,采取溯源追踪的思路,确定影响海湾入海污染负荷的流域单元,提供一种海岸带地区农业非点源负荷估算方法,可为莱州湾入海污染物总量调控提供科学依据,也可作为海岸带综合管理过程中确定陆地范围的参考。     

海河流域湿地生态系统服务功能价值评价

摘要：海河流域湿地生态系统给人类提供了许多重要的产品和服务,但在社会经济发展的过程中,这些服务并没有完全被认识到,给海河流域社会经济的可持续发展造成了一定的影响。本研究结合海河流域湿地生态系统的特征、结构及过程,将海河流域湿地生态系统服务功能划分为提供产品功能、调节功能、支持功能及文化服务功能4大类,以2005年为基准年,评价了海河流域湿地生态系统所提供的12类生态系统服务,将这12类服务功能划分为具有直接使用价值的产品和具有间接使用价值的服务。结果表明,海河流域湿地生态系统提供的12类生态系统服务的总价值为4123.66?108元,其中直接使用价值和间接使用价值分别为257.46?108元和3866.20?108元,间接使用价值是直接使用价值的15.02倍。海河流域单位面积的湿地生态系统提供的生态系统服务功能价值为47.05?104元/hm2,高于单位面积的GDP产值8.10?104元/hm2。研究认为海河流域湿地生态系统对支持和保护人类社会具有重要的作用,为管理者和决策者有效的保护和管理湿地提供了重要的信息。     

海河流域生态功能区划

从海河流域自身的特征出发,运用RS、GIS技术,采用定性和定量分析相结合的方法,对海河流域生态功能区进行划分.结果表明:海河流域可划分为5个生态区、24个生态亚区和114个生态功能区;以流域尺度上占主导地位的4项生态功能(水源涵养、水土保持、防风固沙和生物多样性保护)为依据,确定了对海河流域具有重要意义的11个重要生态功能区域.该区划结果明确了对海河流域生态安全具有重要意义的区域,可用于指导海河流域自然资源的有序开发利用和产业的合理布局,为海河流域生态环境保护提供了科学依据,对维护海河流域生态安全具有重要意义.     

Opportunistic use of estuarine habitat by juvenile bull trout, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Salvelinus confluentus</Emphasis>, from the Elwha River before,during, and after dam removal

Estuaries are used by anadromous fishes, either as the definitive marine habitat or as transition habitat as they move to fully marine waters, and extent of estuary use may vary with habitat conditions and fish attributes. Bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus) are commonly fluvial or adfluvial, though anadromous populations also exist. However, little is known about estuary use, especially by juveniles of this threatened species. We sampled the estuaries of the Elwha River, where a spawning population exists, and the nearby Salt Creek, where none exists, to reveal seasonal timing of estuarine use by juvenile bull trout, size of those using the estuary, and possible use of the non-natal estuary. We captured juvenile bull trout (all ≥100 mm FL, most <300 mm) in the Elwha River estuary in all months except August, but primarily December through May. None was captured in Salt Creek’s estuary despite comparable sampling effort. We also evaluated how dam removal on the Elwha River influenced bull trout estuarine occupancy by sampling before, during, and after dam removal, because this process enlarged the estuary but also increased turbidity and sediment transport in the lower river. Catches were low before dam removal, increased during and immediately after removal, and returned to low levels in recent years, suggesting that juveniles temporarily sought refuge from conditions associated with dam removal. Our findings indicate juvenile bull trout occupy estuarine habitat opportunistically; this information may aid conservation efforts as anadromous populations occur elsewhere in rivers with estuaries altered by human development.     

Coupling between Marine Plankton and Freshwater Flow in the Plumes off a Small Estuary

Freshwater discharge from rivers is a powerful forcing agent in coastal ecosystems. It not only generates strong ecological effects in estuaries, but also drives the dynamics of nearshore marine waters where prominent river plumes form biogeochemical hot spots in coastal seas worldwide. Large plumes from major rivers exert important controls on pelagic processes. The majority of estuaries are smaller, however, and the importance of the smaller plumes they generate is unknown. We measured the degree of coupling between freshwater flow and inshore zooplankton in such a plume from a subtropical estuary on the east coast of Australia. Flow regimes encompassed long periods of low freshwater input, punctuated by pulsed freshets that initiated the formation of buoyant, lower‐salinity plumes in the nearshore marine zone. Plumes stimulated phytoplankton biomass in the receiving waters, and ultimately changes in zooplankton assemblages. Zooplankton responded strongly to river discharge: (1) in the absence of substantial freshwater flows and plumes, zooplankton was broadly similar in density and biomass across the estuarine‐marine gradient; (2) freshets that generated significant plumes strongly modified hydrological conditions and lowered zooplankton in the estuarine and nearshore waters, and (3) after the initial freshet, zooplankton in the residual plume was at a higher density in nearshore than shelf waters. We demonstrate that coupling between riverine and coastal pelagic systems operates in small plumes, but that there is substantial temporal variance linked to fluctuations in freshwater delivery. (© 2008 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Sensory physiology and behavior of blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) postlarvae during horizontaltransport

Adult blue crabs (Callinectes sapidus) live in estuaries and release larvae near the entrances to estuaries. Larvae are then transported offshore to continental shelf areas where they undergo development. Postlarvae, or megalopae, remain near the surface and undergo reverse diel vertical migration. The behaviors underlying this migration pattern are responses to light and a solar day rhythm in activity, in which megalopae are active during the day and inactive at night. Onshore transport probably occurs by wind‐generated surface currents. Once in the vicinity of an estuary, megalopae move up the estuary by selective tidal stream transport, in which they swim in the water column on rising tides at night and are on or near the bottom at all other times. Light inhibits swimming during the day. The ascent into the water column on nocturnal rising tides does not result from a biological rhythm in activity, but rather is cued by the rate of increase in salinity during rising tides. Megalopae have separatebehavioural responses in coastal/shelf areas and in estuaries, which are induced by chemical cues in offshore and estuarine waters.     

Changes in rocky reef fish assemblages throughout an estuary with a restricted inlet

Rocky reef habitat is common in many estuaries, yet its role as a habitat for fishes is poorly understood. There is also limited understanding of how access of coastal species into estuaries and habitat quality can affect the distribution of rocky reef fishes within estuaries. This study used baited remote underwater video stations to determine spatial patterns in fish assemblages associated with rocky reef habitat throughout a barrier estuary with a permanently open but restricted inlet. Estuarine rocky reefs provided habitat for a diverse assemblage of fishes, many of which were large juveniles and subadults. In the absence of a pronounced salinity or temperature gradient, a clear transition in fish assemblages occurred from coastal waters, through the inlet channel, to the central estuary, and into the inner estuary. The inlet channel, notably its narrowness and length, limits tidal input into this estuary, which acts as a significant impediment to the dispersal of many coastal fishes, and insufficient habitat excludes many coastal rocky reef species from the inner estuary. This study highlights the need to recognise estuarine rocky reefs as providing habitat for diverse fish assemblages and the role inlets play in restricting access of coastal species.     

Juvenile salmon in estuaries: comparisons between North American Atlantic and Pacific salmon populations

All anadromous fishes, including juvenile salmon, encounter estuarine habitats as they transition from riverine to marine environments. We compare the estuarine use between juvenile Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) in the Penobscot River estuary and Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.) in the Columbia River estuary. Both estuaries have been degraded by anthropogenic activities. Atlantic and Pacific salmon populations in both basins rely heavily on hatchery inputs for persistence. Pacific salmon, as a group, represent a continuum of estuarine use, from species that move through rapidly to those that make extensive use of estuarine habitats. While Atlantic salmon estuarine use is predominantly similar to rapidly moving Pacific salmon, they can exhibit nearly the entire range of Pacific salmon estuarine use. Both slow and rapidly migrating Atlantic and Pacific salmon actively feed in estuarine environments, consuming insect and invertebrate prey. Interactions between juvenile salmon and estuarine fish communities are poorly understood in both estuaries, although they experience similar avian and marine mammal predators. Estuaries are clearly important for Atlantic and Pacific salmon, yet our understanding of this use is currently insufficient to make informed judgments about habitat quality or overall estuary health. This review of salmonid migration through and residency within estuaries identifies actions that could hasten restoration of both Atlantic and Pacific salmon populations.     

The role of freshwater inflow in lagoons,rivers, and bays

The aim of this study was to compare the impact of different freshwater inflow volumes on benthic communities and water column dynamics in different estuary classes. Benthic and water column spatial dynamics were contrasted in lagoons (with no direct inflow sources), tidal rivers that empty directly into the Gulf of Mexico, and bar-built bay systems (with direct inflow sources) along the Texas (USA) coast to determine the role of inflow in regulating ecosystem structure and function. Chlorophyll-a and nutrient concentrations were inversely correlated with salinity and were thus highest in the river systems, but lowest in lagoons. All Texas estuary types studied have conservative mixing for silicate and ammonium but are sinks for nitrite plus nitrate and phosphate. Macrobenthic production (abundance and biomass) was lowest in rivers and highest in lagoons. Diversity was low in estuaries with salinities between 1 and 17, but increased with salinities of up to 30, before decreasing in hypersaline conditions. Macrofaunal community structure divided the estuaries into two groups. The first group represented polyhaline communities and contained lagoons (East Matagorda, Matagorda, Christmas, and South Bays). The second group represented oligo-mesohaline community characteristics and contained the secondary bays (Lavaca Bay and Cedar Lakes) and rivers (San Bernard River, Brazos River, and the Rio Grande). The implications of these results for managing freshwater flows is that altered hydrology can change the character of estuarine systems regardless of their classification as bays, lagoons, or tidal rivers.     

Hydrodynamics of mangrove swamps and their coastal waters

Mangrove swamps help control the tidal hydrodynamics of many tropical estuaries. They generate an asymmetry of the tidal currents in both the tidal creeks and the mangrove swamps. This results in self-scouring of the tidal channels. Mangrove land reclamation results in siltation of the channel. Mangrove swamps control the flushing rates of the estuaries through the lateral trapping effect. Lateral trapping leads to the aggregation of mangrove litter along slick lines. Evapotranspiration plays a role in the hot dry season by forming a salinity maximum zone which isolates the estuary from the coastal waters for several months of the year. In the absence of runoff, evapotranspiration in the hot dry season generates an inverse estuarine circulation which can trap high salinity mangrove water, and mangrove detritus, along the bottom of a mangrove creek. This bottom layer can become anaerobic. Groundwater flow appears to play a key role in the nutrient budget of mangrove creeks, exporting salt left behind by evapotranspiration, and inhibiting runoff after rainfall. Particulates and dissolved nutrients outwelled from mangrove swamps to coastal waters are retained in a coastal boundary layer. This coastal boundary layer water can be trapped along the shore for long periods if the coast is straight and mangrove-fringed and the coastal waters are shallow. Headlands inhibit coastal trapping because they enhance mixing. Nutrient-rich coastal boundary layer waters may be ejected offshore as tidal jets peeling off headlands and locally enriching offshore waters.     

Characteristics of the ichthyofaunas of southwestern Australian estuaries,including comparisons with holarctic estuaries and estuaries elsewhere in temperate Australia: A review

Data on the species compositions and the ages, sizes, reproductive biology, habitats and diets of the main species in the ichthyofaunas of seven estuaries in temperate southwestern Australia have been collated. Twenty-two species spawn in these estuaries, of which 21 complete their lifecycles in the estuary. The latter group, which includes several species of atherinids and gobies with short lifecycles, make far greater contributions to the total numbers of fish in the shallows of these estuaries than in those of holarctic estuaries, such as the Severn Estuary in the United Kingdom. This is presumably related in part to far less extreme tidal water movements and the maintenance of relatively high salinities during the dry summers, and thus to more favourable conditions for spawning and larval development. However, since estuaries in southwestern Australia have tended to become closed for periods, there would presumably also have been selection pressures in favour of any members of marine species that were able to spawn in an estuary when that estuary became landlocked. Furthermore, the deep saline waters, under the marked haloclines that form in certain regions during heavy freshwater discharge in winter, act as refugia for certain estuarine species. The contributions of estuarine-spawning species to total fish numbers in the shallows varied markedly from 33 or 34% in two permanently open estuaries to ≥ 95% in an intermittently open estuary, a seasonally closed estuary and a permanently open estuary on the south coast, in which recruitment of the 0 + age class of marine species was poor. The larger estuarine species can live for several years and reach total lengths of ~ 700 mm and some estuarine species move out into deeper waters as they increase in size. Several marine species use southwestern Australian estuaries as nursery areas for protracted periods. However, sudden, marked increases in freshwater discharge in winter and resultant precipitous declines in salinity in the shallows, and in other regions where haloclines are not formed, are frequently accompanied by rapid and pronounced changes in ichthyofaunal composition, partly due to the emigration of certain marine species. In contrast, the ichthyofaunal compositions of macrotidal holarctic estuaries undergo annual, cyclical changes, due largely to the sequential entry of the juveniles of different marine species for short periods. The ichthyofaunal compositions of the narrow entrance channels, wide basins and saline riverine reaches of large, permanently open southwestern Australian estuaries vary, reflecting the marked tendency for some species to be restricted mainly to one or two of these regions. Comparative data indicate that the characteristics determined for ichthyofaunas in southwestern Australian estuaries apply in general to estuaries elsewhere in temperate Australia.     

River flows and estuarine ecosystems: Implications for coastal fisheries from a review and a case study of the Logan River,southeast Queensland

River discharge has long been recognized as one of the factors that contributes to the high productivity of estuaries. Although there is little evidence that river inputs of terrestrial carbon make a direct contribution to coastal food webs, such exported nutrients may stimulate in situ production in estuaries and thus enhance the survivorship and growth of fish and crustaceans in these systems. Furthermore, fluctuations in salinity and turbidity may influence the extent of available habitat for fish and crustaceans and therefore their distribution and/or catchability. Despite these potential links between flow and the secondary production of estuaries and coastal waters, there is still a common perception that ‘water going to sea is wasted’ and a continuing trend to regulate the flow of rivers. We review the evidence for links between river flow and the productivity of estuarine/coastal fisheries, drawing on a case study of the Logan River in southeast Queensland, and explore the potential mechanisms for these linkages. Our research, and that of others, confirms that high river discharge can have a strong positive effect on the production of commercial and recreational coastal fisheries. It also shows that the seasonal pattern of flow is equally, if not more important, than the magnitude of flow. River regulation is likely to have a dramatic effect on the production of coastal fisheries and, given the current pressures for water resource development, this is an important avenue for future research and evaluation.     

Distribution et écologie des associations d’ostracodes récents de l’estuaire de Tahadart (Maroc Nord-Occidental)

Forty-five ostracod species were identified for the first time in the Tahadart estuary (NW Morocco). They can be grouped into five different ecological assemblages, which characterise four estuarine ecozones. A first ecozone occurs in temporary waters located between the tidal channels of the inner estuary and it is characterised by ostracod species typical of fresh to brackish waters. In the main estuary area, the ostracod fauna is dominated by clearly euryhaline species that account for nearly 70% of the entire fauna. The relative abundance of the different assemblages allows us to subdivide the estuarine environment along a longitudinal profile into mouth, outer and inner estuary. The estuary's mouth displays the highest values of marine euhaline, phytal and periphytal as well as ubiquitous species and the lowest values of very euryhaline species; the latter are the only species present in the inner estuary. The outer estuary exhibits intermediate percentages of the different ecological assemblages. This distribution, characterized by the absence of limnic species, points to the influence of marine waters in an open estuary with a low fresh water input. In the estuary's mouth, as well as in the outer estuary, where the slikke and schorre are well developed, the distance to the emersion line is underlined by the lower occurrence of marine and ubiquitous species and the higher occurrence of the very euryhaline ones. The Tahadart estuary displays a moderate to high ostracod diversity with distinct differences among the ecological zones. The stress of this environment is highlighted by the low diversity characteristics of extreme environments, alike in the inner estuary and in some areas located far from the emersion level. The relative position with respect to the emersion line, as well as the presence of gross detritic sediments and vegetation, appear to be of importance for the good development of the ostracods.