东海春秋季大型底栖动物分布现状

根据 2 0 0 0年 11月和 2 0 0 1年 4月在 12 1°～ 12 7°E、2 6°～ 32°N之间的东海水域所设的 30个取样站所采集的5 2 6号采泥和 973号拖网样品 ,共计 392种大型底栖动物 ,报道了东海大陆架底栖动物的种类组成和数量分布。392种底栖动物中 ,多毛类 95种 ,软体动物 131种 ,甲壳类 118种 ,棘皮动物 4 8种。从分析结果看 ,底栖动物的种数自北向南和由近岸 (西部 )向外海 (东部 )逐渐增多。调查海区春季底栖动物平均生物量为 7.2 1g/m2 ,平均栖息密度为 132 .95个 /m2 ;秋季底栖动物的平均生物量为 8.79g/m2 ,平均栖息密度为 10 1.4 5个 /m2 。春秋季生物量及栖息密度等值线分布趋势无明显变化。在春秋季底栖动物生物量及栖息密度组成中均以多毛类占主要地位 ,春季生物量以多毛类和棘皮动物占优势。与 195 9～ 196 0年的全国海洋综合调查对东海底栖生物的调查结果比较 ,当前东海海域大型底栖生物的分布格局和生态学特点无明显变化 ,但春季的生物量较 195 9年低。     

泉州湾大型底栖生物群落生态

泉州湾大型底栖生物有256种,其中多毛类66种,软体动物74种,甲壳动物77种,棘皮动物12种和其他动物27种。多毛类、软体动物和甲壳动物占总种数的84．76％。三者构成大型底栖生物的主要类群。春季、夏季、秋季和冬季4个季节平均生物量为23．13g/m^2,平均栖息密度为144个／m^2。数量组成,生物量以软体动物居首位10．28g/m^2,棘皮动物居第二位5．44g／m^2;栖息密度以软体动物占第一位78个／m^2,多毛类占第二位37个／m^2。泉州湾大型底栖生物主要有2个群落：群落Ⅰ。丝鳃稚齿虫一光滑河篮蛤-纹尾长眼虾群落;群落Ⅱ,中蚓虫-光滑河篮蛤-模糊新短眼蟹群落。泉州湾大型底栖生物群落出现一定扰动,主要在于群落的季节演替。     

珠江口横琴岛海域春季大型底栖生物调查分析

2008年月对珠江口横琴岛海域底栖生物进行调查采样分析,共发现采泥底栖物种33种,包括多毛类、软体类、甲壳类和棘皮类4种类型,从种类上比较,多毛类为优势种,占总种数的42.42%.调查海域以奇异稚齿虫Paraprionospio pinnata、异蚓虫Heteromastus filiformis和栉状长手沙蚕Magelona crenulifrons为主要优势种.横琴岛海域底栖生物的总栖息密度为236.3ind·m^-2,从栖息密度上比较,多毛类占绝对优势,占总栖息密度的71.94%.调查海域总生物量为3.0g·m^-2,以软体动物为主,占总数量43.8%.平均多样性指数H'为2.6,平均均匀度指数J为0.83.利用生物多样性指数进行评价的结果为轻中污染.相比于其他研究成果,横琴岛海域底栖生物无论是生物量、丰度还是多样性指数和均匀度,在整个珠江口海域处于相对高值区域.     

长江口及毗邻海域大型底栖动物的空间分布与历史演变

于2005～2006年进行的4个航次调查中,分别对长江口及毗邻海域进行了大型底栖动物取样工作.4个航次共发现大型底栖动物330种,其中包括软体动物122种,多毛类83种,甲壳动物67种,棘皮动物23种,底栖鱼类28种,以及其它类群7种.调查区内大型底栖动物的平均栖息密度为(146.4 ± 22.3)个/m2,平均生物量为(12.8 ± 2.3) g/m2,平均香农指数、丰富度指数与均匀度指数分别为1.72 ± 0.16、1.37 ± 0.19、0.64 ± 0.04.研究表明,调查区内的底栖生物自西向东、由近岸向外海大致可分为3个等级:在最西侧的口内水域与杭州湾,底栖生物种类组成最为单调,生物多样性指数最低,群落结构极为脆弱;在紧邻该底栖生物贫乏带的东侧,也就是口外水域与舟山海区,底栖生物种类组成呈现复杂化,生物多样性指数较高,群落结构显著好于口内水域及杭州湾;在调查海域东南侧的近海区,底栖生物的种类组成最为复杂,生物多样性指数最高,群落结构最为稳定.近半个世纪以来,长江口冲淡水区大型底栖动物的总生物量未出现明显变化,其值在20 g/m2左右变动,但各生态类群的优势地位发生了显著更替.个体较小、生长周期较短的多毛类取代个体较大、生长周期较长的棘皮动物,成为目前冲淡水区最重要的优势类群.     

湄洲湾潮间带底栖生物多样性

为了了解福建省湄洲湾潮间带底栖生物的物种多样性、数量时空分布及群落结构现状,2005年11月和2006年4月在湄洲湾潮间带选择了灵川(Mch1)、苏厝(Mch2)、郭厝(Mch3)、东吴(Mch4)和东桥(Mch5)5条断面进行了调查。共鉴定潮间带底栖生物225种,其中多毛类、软体动物和甲壳动物占总种数的88.00%,三者构成潮间带底栖生物的主要类群。断面间比较,东桥断面种数较多,苏厝断面较少。季节比较,春季各断面种类较秋季多。平均生物量22.91g/m2,以软体动物居第一位,甲壳动物居第二位;平均栖息密度为388个/m2,以多毛类居第一位,软体动物居第二位。生物量以中潮区>低潮区>高潮区;栖息密度以低潮区>中潮区>高潮区。调查结果显示湄洲湾潮间带底栖生物物种多样性较高,群落结构相对稳定。     

珠江口大型底栖生物群落生态特征

2006年夏季和冬季分别对珠江口附近海域进行了大型底栖生物调查.调查共鉴定出大型底栖生物245种,多毛类最多(140 种).其中夏季共获大型底栖生物153种,多毛类最多(91种);冬季共获大型底栖生物157 种,多毛类最多(93种).夏冬季调查都有出现的生物种类65种.夏季珠江口大型底栖生物平均生物量为14.313 g/m2,平均丰度为205.3 ind/m2.冬季珠江口大型底栖生物平均生物量为13.077 g/m2,平均丰度为168.8 ind/m2.大型底栖生物种类数、生物量和丰度均呈现由河口内向外海增加的趋势.根据Bray-Curtis相似性系数矩阵数据对调查区域的大型底栖生物群落做了聚类(CLUSTER)和多维排序尺度(MDS)分析.结果显示,夏季可以划分为3类生物群落,冬季可以划分为5类生物群落.群落生物多样性分析结果显示,夏季珠江口北部和中部比南部生物多样性低;冬季珠江口北部生物多样性最低.利用丰度生物量比较曲线分析了大型底栖生物群落受干扰程度.结果表明,夏季大型底栖生物群落未受到干扰;冬季珠江口最北部生物群落Ⅰ处于中等干扰程度,其它生物群落未受干扰或受轻微干扰.海区大型底栖生物分布受珠江冲淡水的影响较为明显.     

2011—2020年长江口大型底栖动物群落结构变化趋势

对2011—2020年夏季长江口48个站位的大型底栖动物定量监测数据进行统计分析,研究长江口海域底栖生物群落时空结构演变特征。结果表明,近10年长江口海域共鉴定大型底栖动物284种,其中多毛类128种,占总种数的45.1%,甲壳类64种占22.2%,软体动物56种占19.7%,棘皮动物16种占5.6%,其他类合计20种。平均生物密度为(79.5±45.9)个/m²(年份变幅14.7—195个/m²)。平均生物量为(5.20±3.25)g/m²(年份变幅1.01—10.11g/m²),多毛类、软体动物、甲壳类是生物密度和生物量组成的主要类群。十年期间种类数、生物密度和生物量均呈现明显上升趋势,口外区贡献最突出。四个监测区域(南支、北支、杭州湾、口外)的优势种差异大。丝异须虫Heteromastus filiformis在各年份的优势种中出现的频度显著最大。总体来看,长江口监测区域大型底栖动物群落自然演变趋势向好。三项多样性指数统计结果表明,口外区大型底栖动物种类组成多样性水平显著高于口内三个区。生物群...     

长江口潮间带底栖生物生态及变化趋势

基于长江口3个区域潮间带(崇明东滩、南汇边滩和嵊山岛)监测数据,对长江口区域潮间带底栖生物生态现状及变化趋势进行评价。结果表明,2019年长江口海域泥相和岩相潮间带共鉴定大型底栖生物9门57种,软体动物、甲壳类和多毛类构成主要类群。崇明东滩、南汇边滩两个泥相潮间带底栖生物平均栖息密度分别为96.4个/m~2和160.4个/m~2,平均生物量分别为68.42 g/m~2和45.71 g/m~2;嵊山岛岩相潮间带平均栖息密度和生物量分别为488.9个/m~2和763.72 g/m~2。各断面多样性、丰富度和均匀度指数分别位于1.36—3.24、0.75—2.88和0.48—0.77,泥相潮间带低潮区生物多样性优于中潮区和高潮区,岩相潮间带中潮区生物多样性最好。聚类分析可见长江口海域潮间带底栖生物分为泥相和岩相2个大组群,物种分布存在明显的分潮区现象,高潮区站位成群或与个别中潮区站位成群,低潮区站位成群或与个别中潮区站位成群,表明底质类型和潮汐是影响潮间带大型底栖生物群落结构的主要因子。近30年来,崇明东滩和南汇边滩底栖生物种类数存在一定波动,嵊山后陀湾断面生物种类数明显下降;3个区域潮间带...     

辽宁獐子岛马牙滩潮间带及近岸海区大型底栖动物群落特征

为摸清辽宁獐子岛潮间带及近岸海区的大型底栖动物的分布现状和群落受扰动情况,作者于2011年11月中旬在马牙滩潮间带和近岸海区采集大型底栖动物,采用优势度指数、Shannon-Wiener多样性指数、Margalef丰富度指数、Pielou均匀度指数,Bray-Curtis相似性聚类分析、MDS标序和ABC曲线等方法,分析该区域内大型底栖动物群落的生态学特点.结果表明,在潮间带共鉴定大型底栖动物39种,优势类群为多毛类、甲壳类和软体类;优势种均为多毛类,即小头虫(Capitella capitata)、多美沙蚕(Lycastopsis augenari)、仙居虫(Naineris laevigata)和短叶索沙蚕(Lumbrineris latreilli);平均生物量为25.76±41.08 g/m2,以软体动物占优势;平均栖息密度为315.11±160.73个/m2,以多毛类占优势;丰富度指数、均匀度指数与Shannon-Wiener多样性指数的平均值分别为1.17±0.89,0.74±0.17和1.80±1.09.近岸海区共鉴定大型底栖动物40种,优势类群为多毛类、甲壳动物、软体动物和棘皮动物.优势种包括4种棘皮动物和1种多毛类,即紫蛇尾(Ophiopholis mirabilis)、日本倍棘蛇尾(Amphioplus japonicus)、短叶索沙蚕、心形海胆(Echinocardium cordatum)和浅水萨氏真蛇尾(Ophiura sarsiivadicola).近岸海区的平均生物量和平均栖息密度分别为218.86±152.24g/m2和700.00±471.51个/m2,均以棘皮动物占优势.丰富度指数、均匀度指数与Shannon-Wiener多样性指数的平均值分别为1.40±0.60,0.64±0.19和2.04±0.78.聚类分析结果表明,潮间带不同潮区间和近岸海区不同断面间群落差异显著.ABC曲线分析显示,獐子岛潮间带底质环境受到中度扰动,大型底栖动物群落结构处于不稳定状态;近岸海区受到轻度干扰,群落结构未发生明显变化.     

黄海中华哲水蚤度夏区大型底栖动物的次级生产力

本文根据2001年8月和2002年8-10月在黄海中华哲水蚤度夏区4个航次调查中设置的大面调查站中的9个重合站所采集的大型底栖动物样品,统计了其平均栖息密度、平均生物量,利用Brey (1990)的经验公式进行了次级生产力和P/B值的计算.结果表明,该海域大型底栖动物在2001年8月和2002年8-10月这两个期间内,平均栖息密度分别为379.44 ind./m2和156.67 ind./m2,平均生物量[以去灰干重(AFDW)计]分别为9.44 g(AFDW)/m2和7.36 g (AFDW)/m2,据之计算出2001和2002年大型底栖动物的次级生产力(以去灰干重计)分别为9.64 g(AFDW)/(m2·a)和6.42 g (AFDW)/(m2· a),P/B值分别为1.20和0.98.同相关研究结果的比较显示,黄海中华哲水蚤度夏区内大型底栖动物次级生产力高于渤海、东海,也高于黄海其它调查区已有报道结果;而P/ B值则高于渤海,低于东海,与黄海其它调查区报道结果接近[动物学报 54(3):436-441 ,2008].     

The biodiversity of macrobenthos from Jiaozhou Bay

The current situation of the animal species biodiversity of macrobenthic fauna in the Jiaozhou Bay (South Shandong Peninsula, Yellow Sea) is reported in the present paper, based on the data from 15 investigation cruises carried out from February 1998 to November 2001. In analyzing the data, the Shannon-Wiener index, and species evenness and richness indices were used to study the trends of variation of the community structure, the species assemblages in the macrobenthic community, the dominant species, and the abundance of macrobenthic fauna in Jiaozhou Bay. A total of 322 species of macrobenthic animals were found in the bay, of which 133 species belong to 44 families of Polychaeta, while 92 species belong to 42 families of Crustacea. The average number of species per sample station ranged from 8 to 26. The Shannon-Wiener indices were very different among the samples, with the highest being recorded from Station 8 in November 2001, and the lowest from Station 9 in August 2001. The number of species, the Shannon-Wiener indices, and the species richness indices from Stations 7 and 9 were generally lower than those from other stations. This is because both the stations are situated at areas with a strong current and where the sediment is coarse sand. Although the richness index of species and the Shannon-Wiener index were high in Station 3, the Pielou evenness index was the lowest of all the sampling stations. This is because the station is located near the culture area of Ruditapes philippinarum, where a high abundance of clams caused low evenness. The results also revealed that the number of species and abundance greatly affected the biodiversity, and some environmental factors such as temperature, salinity, and primary productivity were also closely interrelated with biodiversity. Pollution and overexploitation caused by human activities were very important factors affecting macrobenthic biodiversity. In order to find the best way to enhance and protect living marine resources, the relationship between human activities and the biodiversity of macrobenthos in the Jiaozhou Bay should be studied further.     

The biodiversity of macrobenthos from Jiaozhou Bay

The current situation of the animal species biodiversity of macrobenthic fauna in the Jiaozhou Bay (South Shandong Peninsula, Yellow Sea) is reported in the present paper, based on the data from 15 investigation cruises carried out from February 1998 to November 2001. In analyzing the data, the Shannon-Wiener index, and species evenness and richness indices were used to study the trends of variation of the community structure, the species assemblages in the macrobenthic community, the dominant species, and the abundance of macrobenthic fauna in Jiaozhou Bay. A total of 322 species of macrobenthic animals were found in the bay, of which 133 species belong to 44 families of Polychaeta, while 92 species belong to 42 families of Crustacea. The average number of species per sample station ranged from 8 to 26. The Shannon-Wiener indices were very different among the samples, with the highest being recorded from Station 8 in November 2001, and the lowest from Station 9 in August 2001. The number of species, the Shannon-Wiener indices, and the species richness indices from Stations 7 and 9 were generally lower than those from other stations. This is because both the stations are situated at areas with a strong current and where the sediment is coarse sand. Although the richness index of species and the Shannon-Wiener index were high in Station 3, the Pielou evenness index was the lowest of all the sampling stations. This is because the station is located near the culture area of Ruditapes philippinarum, where a high abundance of clams caused low evenness. The results also revealed that the number of species and abundance greatly affected the biodiversity, and some environmental factors such as temperature, salinity, and primary productivity were also closely interrelated with biodiversity. Pollution and overexploitation caused by human activities were very important factors affecting macrobenthic biodiversity. In order to find the best way to enhance and protect living marine resources, the relationship between human activities and the biodiversity of macrobenthos in the Jiaozhou Bay should be studied further.     

Variable Importance of Macrofaunal Functional Biodiversity for Biogeochemical Cycling in Temperate Coastal Sediments

Coastal marine systems are currently subject to a variety of anthropogenic and climate-change-induced pressures. An important challenge is to predict how marine sediment communities and benthic biogeochemical cycling will be affected by these ongoing changes. To this end, it is of paramount importance to first better understand the natural variability in coastal benthic biogeochemical cycling and how this is influenced by local environmental conditions and faunal biodiversity. Here, we studied sedimentary biogeochemical cycling at ten coastal stations in the Southern North Sea on a monthly basis from February to October 2011. We explored the spatio-temporal variability in oxygen consumption, dissolved inorganic nitrogen and alkalinity fluxes, and estimated rates of nitrification and denitrification from a mass budget. In a next step, we statistically modeled their relation with environmental variables and structural and functional macrobenthic community characteristics. Our results show that the cohesive, muddy sediments were poor in functional macrobenthic diversity and displayed intermediate oxygen consumption rates, but the highest ammonium effluxes. These muddy sites also showed an elevated alkalinity release from the sediment, which can be explained by the elevated rate of anaerobic processes taking place. Fine sandy sediments were rich in functional macrobenthic diversity and had the maximum oxygen consumption and estimated denitrification rates. Permeable sediments were also poor in macrobenthic functional diversity and showed the lowest oxygen consumption rates and only small fluxes of ammonium and alkalinity. Macrobenthic functional biodiversity as estimated from bioturbation potential appeared a better variable than macrobenthic density in explaining oxygen consumption, ammonium and alkalinity fluxes, and estimated denitrification. However, this importance of functional biodiversity was manifested particularly in fine sandy sediments, to a lesser account in permeable sediments, but not in muddy sediments. The strong relationship between macrobenthic functional biodiversity and biogeochemical cycling in fine sandy sediments implies that a future loss of macrobenthic functional diversity will have important repercussions for benthic ecosystem functioning.     

珠江河口区大型底栖动物群落结构

河口区大型底栖动物具有的重要群落特征往往可以反映群落所经历的环境污染。为更好地了解珠江河口区大型底栖动物群落结构, 作者于2014年11月至2015年8月进行了4个季度的大型底栖动物调查, 并利用PRIMER 6.0软件进行群落生物多样性指数计算、群落等级聚类(Cluster)和非度量多维标度排序(nMDS)分析。研究结果显示: 珠江河口区共获得大型底栖动物52种, 优势种包括光滑河篮蛤(Potamocorbula laevis)、中国绿螂(Glaucomya chinensis)、焦河篮蛤(Potamocorbula ustulata)和羽须鳃沙蚕(Dendroneris pinnaticirrus)。大型底栖动物年平均密度为269.3 ind./m ², 年平均生物量为129.61 g/m ²。12个站次的丰富度指数(D)、均匀度指数(J')和Shannon-Wiener多样性指数(H')平均值分别为1.81 ± 1.38、0.50 ± 0.27和1.60 ± 1.13。该结果显示除P01断面的秋季和冬季环境质量为优良外, 其他站位在不同季度都显示出轻度到重度的污染。Cluster聚类分析和nMDS标序结果表明, P01断面与P02和P03断面群落相似度较低, 与断面地理分布情况一致; P02断面和P03断面存在交叉聚集, 群落相似度较高。结合环境因子结果可知, 沉积物理化因子与群落分布特征相关性较大, 其中最能解释珠江河口区群落多样性分布特征的环境因子为盐度和pH值。     

珠江口及邻近海域大型底栖动物多样性随盐度、水深的变化趋势

利用2006年7-8月(夏季)、2007年4-5月(春季)和2007年10-12月(秋季)珠江丰水期、平水期和枯水期3个航次在南中国海北部珠江口附近海域4条由河口、近岸到深水区调查断面的数据, 研究大型底栖动物多样性由河口-近岸-深水的变化趋势及与环境因子的关系。春季、夏季和秋季分别获得大型底栖动物273、256和148种, 各季节均以环节动物种类最多, 节肢动物次之。大型底栖动物种类数、丰度、生物量和Shannon-Wiener多样性指数均由河口向近岸海域升高, 再由近岸向外海深水区降低。Pielou均匀度深水区最高, 其次为近岸。河口和深水区大型底栖动物k-优势度曲线位于近岸浅水域曲线之上, 表明生物多样性由河口向近岸升高, 而由近岸向深水则降低。大型底栖动物与环境因子Pearson相关性分析表明, 春、秋季大型底栖动物种类数、丰度和生物量与水深呈显著的负相关, 秋季种类多样性指数和均匀度也与水深呈显著的负相关性, 而夏季仅生物量与水深呈显著的负相关; 春、秋季大型底栖动物种类数、生物量、丰度、多样性指数和种类均匀度与盐度的相关性不显著, 但是夏季大型底栖动物种类数、丰度、多样性指数和种类均匀度与盐度呈显著正相关。单位面积(0.2 m²)内, 珠江口及邻近海域大型底栖动物在近岸浅水区较深水区和河口生物多样性高, 且生物量丰富。     

不同互花米草治理措施对植物与大型底栖动物的影响

治理外来入侵植物互花米草（Spartina alterniflora）对保护河口湿地鸟类栖息地及生物多样性具有重要意义。研究在崇明东滩比较了淹水刈割、反复刈割及化学除草三种措施对大面积互花米草的治理效果及其对大型底栖动物与土著植物芦苇（Phragmites australis）的影响。结果表明,反复刈割措施对互花米草生长具有一定的控制作用,对底栖动物群落的影响较小;使用化学除草剂清除互花米草的效果不明显,对底栖动物群落的影响亦不明显;淹水刈割措施能长期有效地清除互花米草,但长期淹水对底栖动物群落的影响较大,同时亦对芦苇生长造成一定负面影响。因此,淹水刈割可能是在河口生态系统治理大面积互花米草最有效的方法,但是在后续管理中需要采取一定的措施来减小对底栖动物及土著植物的影响。       

Establishing the South Australian Macrobenthic Traits (SAMT) database: A trait classification for functional assessments

Trait‐based approaches are increasingly used as a proxy for understanding the relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. Macrobenthic fauna are considered one of the major providers of ecosystem functions in marine soft sediments; however, several gaps persist in the knowledge of their trait classification, limiting the potential use of functional assessments. While trait databases are available for the well‐studied North Atlantic benthic fauna, no such trait classification system exists for Australia. Here, we present the South Australian Macrobenthic Traits (SAMT) database, the first comprehensive assessment of macrobenthic fauna traits in temperate Australian waters. The SAMT database includes 13 traits and 54 trait‐modalities (e.g., life history, morphology, physiology, and behavior), and is based on records of macrobenthic fauna from South Australia. We provide trait information for more than 250 macrobenthic taxa, including outcomes from a fuzzy coding procedure, as well as an R package for using and analyzing the SAMT database. The establishment of the SAMT constitutes the foundation for a comprehensive macrobenthic trait database for the wider southern Australian region that could facilitate future research on functional perspectives, such as assessments of functional diversity and changes to ecosystem functioning.     

象山港大型底栖动物生物多样性现状

2006年7月至2008年8月对象山港13个站位进行了8个航次的大型底栖动物采样调查.研究了该海域大型底栖动物群落的优势种组成, 大型底栖动物的丰度、生物量、次级生产力和P/B值,并采用物种丰富度指数、物种均匀度指数和物种多样性指数分析大型底栖动物物种的多样性.调查共获得大型底栖动物123种,其中软体动物48种,甲壳类33种,鱼类和环节动物多毛类各12种,棘皮动物8种,还包括一些腔肠动物、线虫等.群落中优势种较为集中,且优势度指数较高.该海域大型底栖生物年次级生产力平均值为16.70 ·m^-2·a^-1,平均P/B值为0.60.对物种丰富度指数(d)、均匀度指数( J )、辛普森多样性指数(D)和香农多样性指数(H)进行双因素方差分析表明,不同站位之间4种指数的差异均高度显著(P<0.01),周年之间4种指数的差异除均匀度指数不显著外(P>0.05),均高度显著(P<0.01).     

Distribution patterns of macrobenthic biodiversity in the intertidal seagrass beds of an estuarine system, and their conservation significance

Intertidal stands of seagrass are important elements in the ecology of many estuaries yet the manner in which their associated macrobenthic biodiversity is distributed throughout any single estuary has never been determined. This has now been attempted for the Knysna estuarine bay in the Garden Route National Park, South Africa, an important site for one vulnerable and declining seagrass, Cape dwarf-eelgrass (Nanozostera capensis), and for several associated animals. Although spanning a salinity range of <5–35, the seagrass beds of this estuary contained a unitary fauna with local variation in frequency and abundance of the various species. Faunal biodiversity was highest along the main estuarine channel in the marine-influenced region and declined both upstream and into the sheltered peripheral zones, overall faunal abundance being inversely correlated with species diversity (though not with species richness). This pattern results in the beds around the 4 km shoreline of a single island near the mouth supporting 91 % of the total macrobenthic invertebrate species present in the system. This situation is discussed in relation to such data as are available from other comparable systems and to the conservation of estuarine seagrass faunal biodiversity. It is concluded that in general and with caveats for some individual species of concern where conservation resources are limited attention would most profitably be focused on the seagrass meadows of downstream estuarine areas.     

Macrobenthic assemblages of newly introduced <Emphasis Type="Italic">Caulerpa taxifolia</Emphasis> from the Eastern Mediterranean coast of Turkey

Caulerpa taxifolia is one of the most important and best-studied alien species in the Mediterranean Sea. The present study reveals the macrobenthic assemblages associated with C. taxifolia from the region. We found 26 species from Polychaeta, 31 species from Crustacea, 22 species from Mollusca and 5 species from Echinodermata. In conclusion, C. taxifolia in İskenderun Bay can be considered an ecosystem engineer that modifies local habitats and also enhances biodiversity.