Spatio-temporal structure of the suprabenthic community from Creixell beach (western Mediterranean)

A survey of the Creixell beach suprabenthos community was carried out from January 1991 to January 1992. The structural evolution of the suprabenthic community reflects the severe and fluctuating environmental conditions of this beach: dominance of a reduced number of peracarid species, low species richness and diversity indices and strong fluctuations of density values. The strong wave action in the surf zone is the main environmental factor of the beach. In relation to such action, the suprabenthic community has the typical features of an exposed and dissipative beach community: abundance of resident and endemic swimmer mysids, distinct bathymetric zonation patterns of populations and migrations related to storm/calm cycles.