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Offshore wind infrastructure modifies benthic habitats, affecting ecosystem services. A natural capital approach allows risks to nature-based assets and ecosystem benefits to be assessed. The UK Natural Capital Committee produced guidance for conducting natural capital assessments to aid decision making processes. Development of an asset register and risk register are key components of this methodology. The former provides an inventory of NC stocks, and the latter considers the likelihood of changes and the scale of their impact on delivery of ecosystem services. In this study, suitability of the methodology in a marine environment context was critically evaluated. Natural capital stocks before and after installation of Greater Gabbard offshore wind farm were compared and risks to delivery of ecosystem services were assessed. It was demonstrated that incorporating an assessment of impacts on natural capital assets in planning and management decisions (as an extension to traditional environmental impact assessment approaches) could further facilitate sustainable use of marine ecosystems. For example, by preventing access to bottom-trawl fisheries activities, wind farms may promote recovery and increase value of seabed natural capital assets. By also introducing aquaculture systems loss of food provision (from reduced fishing activity) could be offset whilst allowing benthic natural capital assets to recover. Natural capital assessment is relevant to the marine context. However, application of the Natural Capital Committee’s methodology was constrained by the limited coverage of standard benthic sampling tools. Given the scale of wind energy plans across the marine environment it is recommended that these shortcomings are appropriately addressed.

Understanding the mechanisms that support feeding interactions and species co-occurrence in regions subject to rapid environmental changes is becoming increasingly important to predict future trends in population dynamics. However, there is still little information available on the trophic ecology for many benthic species to help us better understand trophic interactions and individual trophic roles. Here, we used stable isotopes (δ13C, δ15N) in conjunction with the Bayesian ellipses approach to explore spatial trends in isotopic niche width and overlap of 3 syntopic arctic brittle stars (Echinodermata: Ophiuroidea; Ophiacantha bidentata, Ophiocten sericeum, and Ophiopleura borealis) in Baffin Bay (BB), the Canadian Arctic Archipelago (CAA), and the North Water Polynya (NOW). These 3 coexisting ophiuroids displayed great interspecific plasticity in foraging behaviors and showed a high degree of inter-individual dietary flexibility. However, differences in surface carbon composition drove the variability of resource utilization at the individual level across stations, which in turn affected trophic interactions, niche overlaps, and isotopic niche breadth of ophiuroids. Greater niche overlap was found in the highly productive region of the NOW, where consumers exhibited similar food selectivity, whereas an increase in niche segregation occurred in regions with greater sea-ice concentration. These results suggest that isotopic niche size reflects individual responses to fluctuations in food availability and possibly past competition, both induced by local oceanographic features. Our study indicates that niche parameters of ophiuroids can respond quickly to ecological and environmental gradients, which suggests an important adaptability of these species facing multiple stressors.

The karstic Una River is one of the larger tributaries of the Sava River. Although being a part of Balkan biodiversity hot-spot, aquatic macroinvertebrates of the Una are rarely studied. The aquatic macroinvertebrates sampling was performed in the summer of 2015 throughout the upper river stretch covering the Una and its tributaries situated in the Una National Park (Una NP). A rich community consisting of 130 macroinvertebrate taxa, with dominance of Trichoptera and Ephemeroptera, was detected. A snail Sadleriana sp. and endemic gammarid Echinogammarus acarinatus were found to be dominant taxa in terms of percentage participation and frequency of occurrence. Mollusca and Crustacea were found to be the most abundant groups, with higher abundance in the Una River than its tributaries. Although a higher overall taxa richness was found in tributaries, calculated biotic indices and evenness pointed to greater diversity in the Una River. Additionally, BMWP and ASPT scores were also higher in the Una River than its tributaries. Calculated Jaccard index value pointed to moderate faunistic similarity between investigated communities. Obtained results suggest that investigated upper stretch of the Una River harbours a high diversity and rather homogenous macroinvertebrate community

Seagrasses are gaining attention thanks to their metabolism and potential major role as carbon sinks, with further implications as nature-based solutions against climate change. Despite their recognized importance and the growing number of studies published, there is still a striking paucity of information on seagrass metabolism and contribution to biogeochemical cycles for some seagrass species and ocean areas. In this study we assessed the metabolic balance and nutrient cycling contribution of seagrasses to the benthic compartment of a tropical reef lagoon in Reunion Island, providing original information on a barely studied seagrass species (Syringodium isoetifolium) and a poorly studied ocean region (West Indian Ocean). We measured the net productivity, respiration and the metabolic balance in different components of the lagoon benthic compartment (i.e. seagrass, sediment, and benthic community) and the water-sediment nutrient benthic fluxes at differently impacted sites within the lagoon. The biogeochemical environmental variability, including inorganic and organic indicators of anthropogenic contamination, was also assessed at each site.Large spatial variability was detected in the metabolic balance of each benthic component assessed, also associated with the natural and/or anthropic-driven environmental variability found in the lagoon. The seagrass S. isoetifolium was net autotrophic across the lagoon and contributed to the lagoon benthic metabolism with net plant productivity exceeding by one order of magnitude the plant respiration. The lowest seagrass metabolism was detected at the impacted site. The metabolic balance of the sediment was heterotrophic but the high productivity of S. isoetifolium contributed to reducing the heterotrophy of the whole benthic community. The lagoon-wide benthic metabolic balance was slightly heterotrophic, but the associated uncertainty ranged from autotrophy to heterotrophy. Nutrient concentrations in the lagoon were low and the benthic community capacity for nutrient retention (uptake) and removal (denitrification and anammox) indicated potential for buffering moderate nutrient inputs into the lagoon. Organic contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) were low but detectable in the lagoon, especially in highly frequented beach areas, arising as an environmental quality indicator of interest.

The Tremiti Islands Archipelago is located in the Central-Southern Adriatic Sea and is characterized by a strong karst activity. Due to their landscape, geological, hydrological, archaeological, and historical value, Tremiti Islands are considered a geomorphosite. We carried out a preliminary, non-destructive survey by studying the speleological and biological features of the submerged sea cave Elle, located at Cala Sorrentino (Capraia Island), representing an EU Natura 2000 Priority Habitat. Topographic (perimeter length, width, height, GPS location, depth) and hydrological parameters (temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, irradiance, water movement) were measured and its map was produced, based on morphological measurements and biological evidence. Species composition and biotic cover were investigated by image analysis. The benthic community was dominated by poriferans, together with remarkable assemblages of scleractinians and polychaete serpulids and clearly reflected the sharp light and hydrological gradients from the entrance to the cave bottom. Furthermore, different phases were hypothesized for the genesis of the cave during sea regression and flooding periods. To be signaled is the record of Petrobiona massiliana, a sponge was protected under both Barcelona and Bern Convention and of some individuals of polychaete Serpulinae, which are still under description.

Both natural and anthropogenic disturbances have significant impacts on populations in terrestrial and marine habitats. Despite evidence that population recovery after large-scale disturbances in terrestrial habitats varies substantially among species depending on species traits and types of disturbance, little is known about interspecific differences in population recovery in marine habitats. In this study, we evaluated the course and status of recovery of the vertical distribution of nine intertidal sessile species over 6 years following the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake. First, we characterized temporal changes in the vertical position of zonation as the spatial distribution, and total coverage as the local population size after the 2011 earthquake. Then, we evaluated the differences in successional status that explain interspecific differences in zonation recovery speed. Finally, we revealed that temporal changes in the vertical position and abundance after the earthquake differed according to species. The interspecific differences in the speed of recovery of zonation after 2014 were correlated with successional status, with later successional species having a delayed recovery rate. These results indicated that intertidal sessile assemblages continued to change 6 years after the large earthquake, suggesting that evaluations of the impacts of disturbances on assemblages and the course of community recovery require long periods of time.

При анализе проб бентоса обнаружено высокое видовое и биогеографическое разнообразие гидробионтов в губе фьордового типа в восточной части Мурманского побережья Баренцева моря. Видовой состав бентосного фитоценоза по материалам многолетних наблюдений включал 116 видов водорослей, на долю которых приходилось 66—96 % биомассы бентоса в поясах фукусовых и ламинариевых и до 11—29 % в более глубоководном поясе красных водорослей. В биоценозе губы обнаружено от 58 до 111 видов беспозвоночных в зависимости от глубины обитания и состава грунта. Наибольшая биомасса приходилась на глубины около двух метров, где грунт представлен валунами, галькой и заиленным песком. Среди беспозвоночных в литоральных сообществах доминировали Mytilus edulis, Semibalanus balanoides и виды рода Littorina с биомассой 1274—3278 г/м2. В сублиторальных сообществах обнаружено более 100 видов беспозвоночных с биомассой до 1274 г/м2, среди которых преобладали двустворчатые моллюски Arctica islandica, Modiolus modiolus, Tridonta borealis. Биоценоз губы по видовому и биогеографическому составу, численности и биомассе можно рассматривать как устойчивое сообщество гидробионтов. Устойчивость бентосного сообщества обеспечивается наличием многолетних и однолетних водорослей разных таксономических отделов, многоярусной пространственной структурой фитоценоза, который обеспечивает беспозвоночных убежищем, местом размножения и развития молоди, а также органическим веществом. В экстремальных условиях арктического моря в бентосном биоценозе сформировались взаимовыгодные отношения, между гидробионтами, популяции которых достигают сбалансированной численности. Бентосное сообщество губы можно рассматривать как пример биотической компоненты экосистемы, сложившейся в процессе длительной адаптации к арктическим условиям. Объективную информацию об экологическом состоянии прибрежной экосистемы можно получить, используя бентосное сообщество наряду с отдельными популяциями гидробионтов в качестве биомониторов., High species and biogeography diversity was found in benthic community in fjord bay in the eastern part of the Murman coast, the Barents Sea (69°11' 78'' N, 36°04' 38'' E). Benthic phytocenosis, according to the materials of long-term observations, included 116 seaweed species. The share of seaweeds was 66—96 % of total benthos biomass in fucoid and laminarian belts and 11—29 % in the deeper belt of red seaweeds. From 58 to 111 invertebrate species were found in biocenosis depending on depth and bottom. The largest biomass was at depths of about 2 meters, on the bottom with boulders, pebbles and silted sand. In littoral communities, Mytilus edulis, Balanus balanus and Littorina species were dominated with biomass 3278 g/m2. In sublittoral communities more than 100 species of invertebrates with biomass 1274 g/m2 were found. Bivalve mollusks Arctica islandica, Modiolus modiolus and Tridonta borealis were predominated. The biocenosis can be considered as a steady community taking into consideration a species and biographic structure, number and biomass of hydrobionts. The stability of benthic community is ensured by the presence of perennial and annual seaweeds of different taxonomic groups, multi-tiered spatial phytocenosis structure, which provides invertebrates with shelter, reproduction and growth place, as well as organic matter. In extreme arctic conditions, mutually beneficial relationship between hydrobionts has been formed, whose populations reach balanced number. Benthic community can be considered as an example of biotic component of ecosystem during long-term adaptation to arctic conditions. Objective information about ecological state of the coastal ecosystem is provided with using benthic community and individual hydrobiont populations as biomonitors.

Freshwater amphipods have important role in decomposition of coarse particulate organic matter and often represent key species in aquatic food webs and organic matter cycling. The aim of this study was to test the differences in leaf litter decomposition rates between two pairs of sites, with and without invasive amphipod Dikerogammarus villosus. The experiment was conducted in October 2021 at two locations on the Drava River in Croatia ; at each location at upstream site only native species were present, while at downstream site D. villosus co-occurred with native species. At each site 30 leaf bags (15 fine leaf bags for control and 15 coarse leaf bags) were placed into water containing 2.5 g of willow leaves dried for 16 hours at 60°C and sampled three times (after 3, 7 and 11 days). Leaves were conditioning in stream water for one week before the experiment. Leaf decomposition rates for coarse leaf bags were 1.1- 6.9 times lower at sites where D. villous was present, but significant difference between sites was established only at one location. The correlation between dry mass of native amphipods and leaf litter mass loss was significant at both sites (rs=0.44 and 0.65), while negative correlations were established for dry mass of D. villosus (rs=-0.55 and -0.33). These results indicate that invasion of D. villosus changes important functional role which native gammarids have in decomposition of leaf litter in the Drava River.

Many coastal sediments have accumulated large quantities of contaminants from past anthropogenic activities and now act as a secondary emission source of legacy pollutants to coastal ecosystems. New sediment remediation strategies are needed to address widespread sediment pollution. This thesis focuses on the harbour of Oskarshamn in the Baltic Sea, contaminated by PAHs, PCBs, TBTs, dioxins, and metals from past emissions, and aims to improve knowledge on in situ sediment remediation using activated carbon, a strong sorbent for hydrophobic organic contaminants. Thin-layer capping using activated carbon aims to sequester contaminants in sediment and reduce their bioavailability to aquatic organisms without having to remove or physically isolate the contaminated sediment from the aquatic environment. Questions remain on the efficacy and persistence of activated carbon thin-layer capping in turbulent waters, and on potential adverse effects of activated carbon on benthic communities. We studied the role of activated carbon particle size on contaminant sequestration, sorbent retention (Paper I), and adverse effects in benthic macroinvertebrates (Paper III). We also assessed effects of activated carbon amendment on nutrient cycling and meiofauna communities (Paper II), and whether granular activated carbon (GAC, >300 µm) reduces toxicity to the benthic sentinel amphipod Monoporeia affinis in Oskarshamn harbour (Paper IV). We found that powdered activated carbon (PAC

Epifauna and infauna are often sampled by different types of sampling devices including grabs, and dredges, depending on various factors such as local environmental conditions, research questions and available budget. Because grabs and dredges have a different species-specific selectivity, both methods could be complementary but for some research questions they could give comparable results. In this study, a comparison is made between macrobenthos (epifauna and infauna) sampled simultaneously by a Van Veen grab and a quantitative benthic dredge, based on a large dataset that was collected from 2010 to 2019 as part of an extensive monitoring program to study the impact of the Sand Motor, a mega beach nourishment that was implemented in 2011 on the sandy North Sea coast in the Netherlands. Because of the larger mesh size of the sieve in the benthic dredge (5 mm) compared to the Van Veen (1 mm), only larger mollusks, echinoderms and crustaceans are identified in the dredge samples. This resulted in a lower number of taxa and average densities in the 676 benthic dredge samples (42 taxa and 98.7 ind. m−2, respectively) compared to the 636 Van Veen samples (228 taxa and 1380.9 ind. m−2, respectively). Due to the larger sampling area of the benthic dredge (10–15 m2) compared to the Van Veen (0.1 m2) the chance to encounter a species is higher in a benthic dredge than in a Van Veen grab sample. Although the benthic dredge only samples a subset of the benthic community that is sampled by the Van Veen grab, multivariate (nMDS) analysis of the data showed remarkable similarities between Van Veen and benthic dredge samples with major gradients correlated to water depth and temporal changes in environmental conditions due to the presence of the Sand Motor. This suggests that both techniques are indicative for the spatial variation and development of the macrobenthic community.

Understanding changes in macroinvertebrate communities is important because they play a large role in stream ecosystem functioning, and they are an important food resource for fish. Beaver‐induced changes to stream morphology could alter macroinvertebrate communities, which in turn could affect food webs and ecosystem function. However, studies investigating the effects of North American beaver activities on macroinvertebrates are rare in the inter‐mountain west, an area with high potential for beaver‐assisted restoration. The aim of this study was to quantify differences in the macroinvertebrate community between unaltered segments of streams and within beaver ponds in north‐eastern Utah, U.S.A. We assessed macroinvertebrate species richness, biomass, density, functional feeding group composition, mobility group composition, and macroinvertebrate habitat characteristics to test the hypothesis that macroinvertebrate communities will differ among habitat types (undammed stream segments and beaver ponds) in beaver‐occupied streams. Beaver pond communities significantly differed from lotic reach communities in many ways. Beaver ponds were less diverse with 25% fewer species. Although there was variability among streams, in general, beaver ponds had 75% fewer individuals and 90% lower total macroinvertebrate biomass compared to lotic reaches. Regarding functional feeding groups, beaver ponds contained more engulfers, while lotic reaches contained more scrapers, filterers, and gatherers. For mobility groups, beaver ponds had more sprawlers, while lotic reaches had more clingers. Swimmers were also more prevalent in lotic reaches, although this is probably due to the abundance of Baetis within lotic reaches. More beaver pond taxa were classified as lentic‐dwelling insects, while more lotic reach taxa were categorised as preferring lotic habitats. The creation of ponds by beavers fundamentally altered the macroinvertebrate community in north‐eastern Utah streams. Such changes to stream macroinvertebrate communities suggest that recolonisation of beavers across North America may be altering stream functioning and food webs. Our study highlights the need to further investigate the effects of beaver recolonisation on stream communities.

Historical traces of organisms on the seafloor, such as shells and tubes, constitute the ecological memory of ancient benthic assemblages and serve as an important resource for understanding the assembly of modern communities. Archeological shipwrecks are particularly interesting submerged substrata for both their archeological and biological implications. For the first time, we studied the species composition and life-history traits of dominant organisms in the benthic assemblage on a bronze Carthaginian naval ram, which sank more than two thousand years ago in the Southern Tyrrhenian Sea. By comparing the species composition of the ram assemblage with those of the surrounding habitats, we inferred possible colonization patterns for the ram and discussed the informative role of the shipwreck as a proxy of marine biodiversity. The ram assemblage was rich in species, including both sessile (bryozoans, serpulid polychaetes, and few bivalves) and motile (gastropods) species. Sexual reproduction with free-spawning fertilization and long-duration larvae characterized most species. The long submersion time of the ram, together with the reproductive strategies, growth forms, and motility of the dominant species were key factors shaping the community of the ram. The ram itself offers an archeological artifact of inestimable value, but our analysis revealed it to be an effective collector of fauna from the surrounding seabed. The ram community hosted species from a range of nearby natural habitats (mostly coralligenous, detritic bottoms, and zoosteracean meadows) and thus served as a proxy for marine biodiversity on the surrounding seabed. We conclude that the presence of many species on the ram that commonly occur in adjacent habitats of great environmental value was informative and highlight the important marine biodiversity in the area of the Aegadian archipelago.

The Huangmao Island dumping area is adjacent to the Pearl River Estuary in the South China Sea. From its first dumping activity in 1986 to 2017, 6750 × 104 m3 dredged materials were dumped in this dumping area. Sediment pollution levels, ecological risk, and benthic communities in 2011–2017 were evaluated, the results showed that the concentrations of the heavy metals (HMs, except Hg) in surface sediments of the dumping area met the class I standard of marine sediment quality (GB 18668-2002). HMs in the surface sediments were relatively high in the northern and central areas but relatively low in the south of the dumping area. Speculation was that the spatial variation in HM concentrations might be caused by dumping activities. The Nemerow index implied that the contaminated area was mainly in the north of the dumping area (S1, S2, and S3), where the dumping amount was the largest. The potential ecological risk (Eir) indices of Zn, As, Cu, and Pb indicate that these metals posed a low risk to the ecosystem of the dumping area, whereas Cd and Hg posed a high risk at some stations. The geoaccumulation indices (Igeo) of Zn, As, Cu, and Pb specified no pollution or light pollution in the study area, whereas those of Cd and Hg in most years indicated mild contamination levels. Benthic organisms in the study area were arthropods, chordates, annelids, mollusks, echinoderms, nemertinean, coelenterate, and echiuran, among which arthropods were the most abundant. The abundance of taxa and density of benthic organisms had a little difference among the stations within the dumping area, but were significantly lower than those of the stations outside the dumping area. In addition, non-metric multidimensional scaling analysis confirmed that the observed patterns separated the stations within the dumping area from stations outside the dumping area. The evaluation results of the HMs revealed that the dumping area with a large dumping amount was more severely polluted. Dumping dredged materials seemed to have a negative impact on the benthic community in the dumping area.

Esse trabalho tem como objetivo analisar, através dos instrumentos da Cientometria, as principais tendências relativas à produção de artigos relacionados a macroinvertebrados aquáticos no bioma Amazônia, principalmente no que se refere ao número de trabalhos publicados, elite científica, instituições e periódicos que mais publicaram. Método: O estudo cienciométrico foi conduzido no Portal de Periódicos CAPES, com acesso ao conteúdo integral, usando a busca Booleana com as seguintes combinações de palavras: Amazon AND "aquatic macroinvertebrates" OR "aquatic insects" OR "benthic macroinvertebrates" OR "benthic community”. Resultados: A busca resultou em n=1.003 artigos, que, após filtragem nos critérios de seleção previamente definidos, foram selecionados n=72 artigos, cujo tema estava relacionado ao estudo de macroinvertebrados aquáticos no bioma Amazônia, em um recorte temporal de 40 anos. Verificou-se que a produção científica relacionada aos macroinvertebrados aquáticos aumentou no decorrer dos anos de 1981 a 2021. Dentre as instituições de ensino e pesquisa que possuem maior número de publicações na área são brasileiras e públicas. Conclusão: Embora o Brasil possua em seu território cerca de 60% do bioma Amazônico, ocupando 9 de seus estados, a produção científica na área de macroinvertebrados aquáticos neste bioma ainda é relativamente pequena. São necessários esforços na formação de recursos humanos especializados na área e incentivos a instituições de pesquisa, contribuindo assim para o avanço da Ciência, Tecnologia e Inovação na região amazônica. Este trabajo tiene como objetivo analizar, através de los instrumentos de la Cienciometría, las principales tendencias relacionadas con la producción de artículos relacionados con los macroinvertebrados acuáticos en el bioma amazónico, especialmente en lo que se refiere al número de trabajos publicados, élite científica, instituciones y revistas que más publicado. Método: El estudio cienciométrico fue realizado en el Portal de la Revista CAPES, con acceso al contenido completo, utilizando la búsqueda booleana con las siguientes combinaciones de palabras: –. Resultados: La búsqueda resultó en n=1.003 artículos, de los cuales, luego de filtrar los criterios de selección previamente definidos, se seleccionaron n=72 artículos, cuya temática estuviera relacionada con el estudio de los macroinvertebrados acuáticos en el bioma amazónico, en un lapso de tiempo de 40 años. . Se constató que la producción científica relacionada con los macroinvertebrados acuáticos aumentó a lo largo de los años de 1981 a 2021. Entre las instituciones de enseñanza e investigación que tienen mayor número de publicaciones en el área se encuentran las brasileñas y públicas. Conclusión: Aunque Brasil tiene cerca del 60% del bioma amazónico en su territorio, ocupando 9 de sus estados, la producción científica en el área de macroinvertebrados acuáticos en este bioma es todavía relativamente pequeña. Son necesarios esfuerzos en la formación de recursos humanos especializados en el área e incentivos a las instituciones de investigación, contribuyendo así al avance de la Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación en la Amazonía. This work aims to analyze, through Scientometrics instruments, the main trends related to the production of articles related to aquatic macroinvertebrates in the Amazon biome, mainly with regard to the number of published works, scientific elite, institutions and journals that have published the most. Method: The scientometric study was conducted in the CAPES Journal Portal, with access to the full content, using the Boolean search with the following word combinations: Amazon AND "aquatic macroinvertebrates" OR "aquatic insects" OR "benthic macroinvertebrates" OR "benthic community”. Results: The search resulted in n = 1,003 articles, which, after filtering the selection criteria, n = 73 articles were selected that portrayed the theme related to the study of aquatic macroinvertebrates in the Amazon biome over a 40-year time frame. It was found that the scientific production related to aquatic macroinvertebrates increased from 1981 to 2021. Among the teaching and research institutions that have the largest number of publications in the area are Brazilian and public. Conclusion: Although Brazil has about 60% of the Amazon biome in its territory, occupying 9 of its states, scientific production in the area of ​​aquatic macroinvertebrates in this Biome is still relatively small. Efforts are needed in the training of specialized human resources in the area and incentives to research institutions, thus contributing to the advancement of Science, Technology and Innovation in the Amazon region.

Environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding is an emerging tool to estimate diversity by combining DNA from the environmental samples and the high-throughput sequencing. Despite its wide use in estimating eukaryotic diversity, many factors may bias the results. Maker choice and reference databases are among the key issues in metabarcoding analyses. In the present study, we compared the performance of a novel 28S rRNA gene marker designed in this study and two commonly used 18S rRNA gene markers (V1-2 and V9) in estimating the eukaryotic diversity in the deep-sea sediments. The metabarcoding analyses based on the sediment surveys of the Okinawa Trough found that more eukaryotic taxa were discovered by 18S V9 than 28S and 18S V1-2, and that 18S V9 also performed better in metazoan recovery than the other two markers. Although a broad range of taxa were detected by the three metabarcoding markers, only a small proportion of taxa were shared between them even at the phylum level. The non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) analysis also supported that communities detected by the three markers were distinct from each other. In addition, different communities were resolved by different reference databases (NCBI nt vs. SILVA) for the two 18S markers. Combining the three markers, annelids were found to be the most abundant (44.9%) and diverse [179 operational taxonomic units (OTUs)] metazoan group in the sediments of the Okinawa Trough. Therefore, multiple independent markers are recommended to be used in metabarcoding analyses during marine diversity surveys, especially for the poorly understood deep-sea sediments.

Les sédiments ont un rôle écologique essentiel pour de nombreuses espèces aquatiques. Toutefois, leur capacité à capter les polluants persistants peut participer à long terme à la contamination des milieux aquatiques. Aussi, afin de mieux prendre en compte les impacts écotoxicologiques de la contamination des sédiments et appréhender le risque écologique qui en découle, il est important de disposer de méthodes d'évaluation robustes. Cet article présente la contribution d'un groupe franco-suisse réunissant chercheurs, gestionnaires et représentants de bureaux d'études qui ont travaillé ensemble afin de dresser un état des lieux et formuler des recommandations pour mieux caractériser la contamination des sédiments, les niveaux d'exposition des communautés benthiques et les effets possibles sur ces espèces.

In the last few years extreme weather events, including changes to storm frequency and intensity, have increased across all continents. In this note we assessed, for the first time in the Mediterranean Sea, the impact of a violent storm and consequent flood on offshore water contamination and benthic community along the Calabrian coast (Ionian Sea). Three sites (at 500, 1000, and 2000 m off the coast) were sampled along three parallel transects in 2013, 2014 (before), and 2015 (after the flood). After the flood, metals (especially Al, CrVI, Ni, Cu, Zn) in the water column increased in concentration. The flood affected the structure of the benthic community, causing a decrease of diversity, the dominance of few opportunistic species, and the decrease of M-AMBI values.

The Ross Sea, Antarctica, is amongst the least human-impacted marine environments, and the site of the world’s largest Marine Protected Area. We present research on two components of the Ross Sea benthic fauna: mega-epifauna, and macro-infauna, sampled using video and multicore, respectively, on the continental shelf and in previously unsampled habitats on the northern continental slope and abyssal plain. We describe physical habitat characteristics and community composition, in terms of faunal diversity, abundance, and functional traits, and compare similarities within and between habitats. We also examine relationships between faunal distributions and ice cover and productivity, using summaries of satellite-derived data over the decade prior to our sampling. Clear differences in seafloor characteristics and communities were noted between environments. Seafloor substrates were more diverse on the Slope and Abyss, while taxa were generally more diverse on the Shelf. Mega-epifauna were predominantly suspension feeders across the Shelf and Slope, with deposit feeder-grazers found in higher or equal abundances in the Abyss. In contrast, suspension feeders were the least common macro-infaunal feeding type on the Shelf and Slope. Concordance between the mega-epifauna and macro-infauna data suggests that non-destructive video sampling of mega-epifauna can be used to indicate likely composition of macro-infauna, at larger spatial scales, at least. Primary productivity, seabed organic flux, and sea ice concentrations, and their variability over time, were important structuring factors for both community types. This illustrates the importance of better understanding bentho-pelagic coupling and incorporating this in biogeographic and process-distribution models, to enable meaningful predictions of how these ecosystems may be impacted by projected environmental changes. This study has enhanced our understanding of the distributions and functions of seabed habitats and fauna inside and outside the Ross Sea MPA boundaries, expanding the baseline dataset against which the success of the MPA, as well as variability and change in benthic communities can be evaluated longer term.

Background It is known that aquaculture may produce negative environmental effects on marine ecosystems. Southern Chile is one of the most important salmon and mussel-producing areas in the world. Here we assess the ecological status of benthic communities near farming centers in Caucahue Channel, Chiloe, which has been used intensely for salmon and mussel production for 30 years. Methods The macrofauna, sediments and water column were characterized at distances of 5 to 100 m from three salmon and three mussel-producing centers. Information was also obtained from reference sites 500 to 3000 m from these aquaculture farms. The macrofauna and environmental conditions during winter were analyzed using uni- and multivariate analysis and the AZTI Marine Biotic Index (AMBI) as an indicator of benthic community condition. Results (i) There is a high degree of spatial dissimilarity in macrofauna and environmental variables among sampling sites and types of environments (far from or near farming centers) and between the northern and southern areas of the channel; (ii) sediment structure (mean grain size and percentage of total organic matter) correlated with the observed dissimilarities in macrofauna communities; and (iii) the level of perturbation according to AMBI was heterogeneous, with sites in the undisturbed/normal range to moderately disturbed/polluted. Conclusions We found a high spatial dissimilarity in benthic macrofauna and environmental variables among sampling sites, environmental types and between the northern and southern areas of the channel. AMBI and multivariate community-environment analysis are useful tools to define the level of perturbation of a geographic area at different spatial scales, using all the ecological information from each sample and replicates.

The species Echinometra lucunter (Linnaeus, 1758) has great ecological importance, as it modifies the ecosystem's architecture and the structure of the resident community. The objective of the present work was to describe and identify its spatiotemporal distribution pattern in an intertidal area of Praia do Pacheco, Caucaia – Ceará. To analyze the spatial distribution and abundance of Echinometra lucunter, monthly samplings were carried out at low tides of syzygy (May/2019 to February/2020); three 150 m transects (T1, T2 and T3) were traced in the sandstone reefs, perpendicular to the coastline, towards the sea and equidistant 100 m. Five samples were collected from each transect, from points drawn at intervals of 30 m (0, 30, 60, 90, 120, and 150 m). The sampling area at each point was delimited with a 50 x 50 cm square, and the sea urchins found in the square were counted. The site was divided into five areas: A1 (0-30 m), A2 (31-60 m), A3 (61-90 m), A4 (91-120 m) and A5 (121-150 m), each one with five random points from each transect. For the morphometric analysis of Echinometra lucunter, 34 specimens from protected environments (tide pools) and 47 individuals from exposed areas (surf zones) were collected at low tides of syzygy (December/2020 and January/2021). The following variables were measured: total weight, weight of Aristotle's lantern and gonadal weight (in grams); height, larger diameter, carapace thickness, height of Aristotle's lantern (in centimeters). With these data, the sphericity, the Aristotle's lantern index and the gonadal index were obtained. There were 661 sea urchins in 750 squares, with 1 individual in the A1 (0 inds/m²), 59 animals in the A2 (16 inds/m²), 220 in the A3 (59 inds/m²), 181 in the A4 (49 inds/m²) and 200 specimens on the A5 (54 inds/m²). The highest densities of sea urchins occurred in the dry months (September/2019 to November/2019) and with low rainfall. The distribution pattern was aggregated, with animals occupying the areas closest to the sea. There was a significant difference between the average abundances of the five areas (p≤0.05). There were no significant variations between areas A3 and A4 and between areas A4 and A5 (p>0.05). The morphometric variables carapace thickness (cm) and gonadal index varied significantly, being higher in sea urchins collected from exposed environments (surf zones). A espécie Echinometra lucunter (Linnaeus, 1758) tem grande importância ecológica, por modificar a arquitetura do ecossistema e a estrutura da comunidade residente. O objetivo do presente trabalho foi descrever e identificar o seu padrão de distribuição espaço-temporal numa área entremarés da Praia do Pacheco, Caucaia – Ceará. Para análise da distribuição espacial e abundância de Echinometra lucunter, realizou-se amostragens mensais nas marés baixas de sizígia (maio/2019 a fevereiro/2020); traçou-se nos recifes de arenito três transectos de 150 m (T1, T2 e T3), perpendiculares a linha de costa, em direção ao mar e equidistantes 100 m. Coletou-se de cada transecto, cinco amostras, de pontos sorteados em intervalos de 30 m (0, 30, 60, 90, 120, e 150 m). A área amostral em cada ponto foi delimitada com um quadrado de 50 x 50 cm, e os ouriços-do-mar encontrados no quadrado foram contados. Dividiu-se o local em cinco áreas: A1 (0-30 m), A2 (31-60 m), A3 (61-90 m), A4 (91-120 m) e A5 (121-150 m), cada uma com cinco pontos aleatórios de cada transecto. Para a análise morfométrica de Echinometra lucunter, coletou-se nas marés baixas de sizígia (dezembro/2020 e janeiro/2021), 34 exemplares de ambientes protegidos (poças de maré) e 47 indivíduos de locais expostos (zonas de arrebentação). Mensurou-se as variáveis: peso total, peso da lanterna de Aristóteles e peso gonadal (em gramas); altura, diâmetro maior, espessura da carapaça, altura da lanterna de Aristóteles (em centímetros). Com esses dados, obteve-se a esfericidade, o índice da lanterna de Aristóteles e o índice gonadal. Contabilizou-se 661 ouriços-do-mar em 750 quadrados, sendo que 1 indivíduo estava na A1 (0 inds/m²), 59 animais na A2 (16 inds/m²), 220 na A3 (59 inds/m²), 181 na A4 (49 inds/m²) e 200 espécimes na A5 (54 inds/m²). As maiores densidades de ouriços-do-mar ocorreram nos meses secos (setembro/2019 a novembro/2019) e com baixas pluviosidades. O padrão de distribuição foi agregado, com ocupação dos animais nas áreas mais próximas do mar. Houve diferença significativa entre as abundâncias médias das cinco áreas (p≤0,05). Não houve variações significativas entre as áreas A3 e A4 e entre as áreas A4 e A5 (p>0,05). As variáveis morfométricas espessura da carapaça (cm) e índice gonadal variaram significativamente, sendo maiores nos ouriços-do-mar coletados dos ambientes expostos (zonas de arrebentação).

The composition, spatial structure, diversity and abundance of Antarctic nematode and copepod meiobenthic communities was examined in shallow (5–25 m) marine coastal sediments at Casey Station, East Antarctica. The sampling design incorporated spatial scales ranging from 10 meters to kilometers and included testing for human impacts by comparing polluted (metal and hydrocarbon contaminated sediments adjacent to old waste disposal sites) and control areas. A total of 38 nematode genera and 20 copepod families were recorded with nematodes being dominant, comprising up to 95% of the total abundance. Variation was greatest at the largest scale (km’s) but each location had distinct assemblages. At smaller scales there were different patterns of variation for nematodes and copepods. There were significant differences between communities at control and impacted locations. Community patterns had strong correlations with concentrations of metals introduced by human activity in sediments as well as sediment grain size and total organic content. Given the strong association with environmental patterns, particularly those associated with human impacts, we provide further evidence that meiofauna are very useful indicators of anthropogenic environmental changes in Antarctica.

(IF 1.46 [2018]; Q2); International audience; The macrobenthic fauna in the bay of Bou-Ismail (Mediterranean Sea, Algeria) was studied with the objective of establishing a reference state based on the probable diversity thirty years earlier at the end of the 1980s. A total of 98 points were sampled using a Smith Mac Intyre grab sampler (two replicates each of 0.1 m2 and using a 1 mm mesh sieve). A total of 17,120 individuals representing 840 taxa (including 723 species) were identified from the sampled material. Seven distinct benthic communities were identified as a function of the sediment characteristics. Four diversity indices (Taxonomic Richness, Shannon, Pielou and ES), and two benthic indices (AMBI and BO2A) were calculated for each of the seven benthic communities. Coastal Terrigenous Mud contains the poorest community while Muddy Detritic supports the richest variety. The Shannon index exceeds 6 at the sampling points with the greater diversity, where the number of individuals per 0.2 m2 reaches 664. Out of 50 organisms collected in a sample, the expected number of species was 35 (ES50). Moreover, < 50% of the taxa were found at only one or two stations. Benthic indicators revealed a good and high ecological status. The geographic origin of the 723 species is presented as their reported presence in 13 geographical regions including nine areas of the Mediterranean Sea. Most of the species had an Atlantic origin and are present in the western Mediterranean Sea.

This data was used in an experimental in-situ study researching the effects of conventional tickler chain beam trawls and electric pulse trawls on a benthic habitat in the southern north sea.

The Strait of Messina (Sicily, Italy) attracts the interest of marine ecologists for the presence of a large variety of habitat and mutually-interacting communities. Among them, beachrock formations, despite their wide geographic distribution, which also includes the Mediterranean area, have been poorly investigated from the biotic viewpoint. In this paper, the spatial and seasonal variability of benthic megafauna from the Messina microtidal beachrock is described. Combining in situ collected data (measurements of abiotic parameters and underwater visual census) with theoretical post-processing analyses (analysis of similarity percentages and cluster analysis), we deduced the possibility to model the dynamics observed between the most dominant species, a top snail, Phorcus turbinatus (Born, 1778), and a hermit crab, Clibanarius erythropus (Latreille, 1818), in terms of a prey-predator interaction. These species gave rise to different intriguing dynamical regimes (including periodic oscillations) that were qualitatively captured by a mathematical model focused on the respective trophic chain levels. The identification of all model parameters and the use of numerical simulations complemented the above analysis and allowed to gain more insights into the complex dynamics of these oligotypic communities and on the most relevant factors determining the ecosystem equilibria.

Orientador: Prof. Dr. Guilherme Henrique Pereira Filho Coorientador: Prof. Dr. Gustavo Muniz Dias Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Federal do ABC, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Evolução e Diversidade, Santo André, 2020. Identificar e proteger áreas marinhas que apresentem elevada representatividade da biodiversidade e que forneçam importantes serviços ecossistêmicos é uma prioridade para a conservação global diante da crescente degradação dos sistemas naturais. Ecossistemas como bancos de rodolitos estão sendo ameaçados pelos impactos gerados por atividades econômicas. Determinar variáveis preditoras da estrutura das comunidades associadas a esses ambientes pode auxiliar decisões que visem delimitar áreas prioritárias para a conservação. Diante disso, testamos o papel de diferentes variáveis (i.e. volume, diâmetro, área superficial, complexidade estrutural, biomassa de macroalgas, peso e tipo do sedimento, densidade de rodolitos, profundidade, distância da costa e latitude) na predição da estrutura das comunidades de macroinvertebrados vágeis (> 500µm) associados aos Bancos de rodolitos do Arquipélago de Fernando de Noronha (Capítulo 1) e de Abrolhos (Capítulo 2). No Arquipélago amostramos um total de 40 rodolitos em duas zonas de profundidade (eufótica a 15 e mesofótica a 45m), enquanto que 129 rodolitos foram obtidos em um gradiente de profundidade (7 à 65m) em oito pontos amostrais de Abrolhos. Os macroinvertebrados vágeis foram contabilizados e 0,50 ± 0,06 e 0,40 ± 0,06 indivíduos.ml-1 (média ± SE) foram registrados para a região mais rasa e profunda de Fernando de Noronha, respectivamente. Enquanto que obtivemos uma média de 0,73 ± 0,05 ind.ml-1 para Abrolhos. Os principais preditores da estrutura das comunidades associadas aos rodolitos no Arquipélago foram o diâmetro, profundidade, biomassa de macroalgas e densidade, enquanto que em Abrolhos foram destacados o volume, complexidade estrutural, profundidade e latitude. Estas variáveis podem influenciar direta ou indiretamente a disponibilidade de recursos e, consequentemente, podem modificar a estrutura das comunidades associadas. Portanto, os avanços científicos conduzidos pelo presente estudo incluem a descrição das comunidades de macroinvertebrados vágeis associados aos rodolitos de dois bancos brasileiros, a determinação de preditores da estrutura destas comunidades e a comparação de duas zonas fóticas. Os resultados obtidos permitem um maior entendimento sobre a biodiversidade nesses ecossistemas e devem ser usados para classificar bancos de rodolitos em políticas conservacionistas e pesquisas futuras. Enquanto novos avanços não forem desenvolvidos em largas escalas geográficas, recomendamos que o Princípio da Precaução deve ser adotado para salvaguardar a biodiversidade e os serviços ecossistêmicos fornecidos pelos Bancos de rodolitos. Identify and protect marine areas that have a high representativeness of biodiversity and that provide important ecosystem services is a priority for global conservation in the face of increasing degradation of natural systems. Ecosystems such as rhodolith beds are being threatened by the impacts generated by economic activities. Determining variables that predict the structure of communities associated with these environments can help decisions that aim to delimit priority areas for conservation. Therefore, we tested the role of different variables (i.e. volume, diameter, surface area, structural complexity, macroalgae biomass, weight and type of sediment, rhodolith density, depth, distance from the coast and latitude) in predicting the structure of vagile macroinvertebrate communities (> 500µm) associated with rhodolith beds from Fernando de Noronha Archipelago (Chapter 1) and Abrolhos (Chapter 2). In the Archipelago, we sampled a total of 40 rhodoliths in two deep zones (euphotic at 15m and mesophotic at 45m), while 129 rhodoliths were obtained in a depth gradient (7 to 65m) at eight sampling sites in Abrolhos. Vagile macroinvertebrates were quantified and 0.50 ± 0.06 and 0.40 ± 0.06 individuals.ml-1 (mean ± SE) were recorded for the shallower and deeper region of Fernando de Noronha, respectively. While we obtained an average of 0.73 ± 0.05 ind.ml-1 in Abrolhos. The main drivers of the structure of associated communities with rhodoliths in the Archipelago were diameter, depth, macroalgae biomass and density, while in Abrolhos the volume, structural complexity, depth and latitude were highlighted. These variables can directly or indirectly influence the availability of resources and, consequently, can modify the structure of the associated communities. Therefore, the scientific advances conducted by the present study include the description of the vagile macroinvertebrates communities associated with the rhodoliths of two Brazilian beds, the determination of drivers of structure of these communities and the comparison of two photic zones. The results obtained allow a greater understanding of biodiversity in these ecosystems and should be used to classify rhodolith beds in conservation policies and future research. As long as new advances are not developed on large geographical scales, we recommend that the Precautionary Principle should be adopted to safeguard biodiversity and ecosystem services provided by rhodolith beds.

Streams and rivers are becoming increasingly intermittent in Alpine regions due to the global climate change and related increases of local water abstractions, making it fundamental to investigate the occurrence of supraseasonal drying events and their correlated effects. We aimed to investigate leaf litter decomposition, the C:N ratio of the litter, and changes in associated macroinvertebrate communities in three reaches of the Po River: One upstream, consistently perennial, a perennial mid-reach with high hydrological variability, and an intermittent downstream reach. We placed leaf litter bags of two leaf types—chestnut and oak; both showed comparable decomposition rates, but the remaining litter mass was different and was attributed to the C:N ratio and palatability. Furthermore, (1) in perennial reaches, leaf litter decomposed faster than in the intermittent ones; (2) in intermittent reaches, the C:N ratio showed a decreasing trend in both leaf types, indicating that drying affected the nitrogen consumption, therefore the conditioning phase; (3) associated macroinvertebrate communities were richer and more stable in perennial reaches, where a higher richness and abundance of EPT taxa and shredders was observed. Our results suggest that the variations in the hydrology of mountain streams caused by global climate change could significantly impact on functional processes and biodiversity of benthic communities.

Current state of zoobenthos in the areas of scallop Chlamys islandica beds in the southern Barents Sea and eastern White Sea (Voronka) is described. The scallop stock is ex­ploited there with the landing by specialized vessels, without separation of catch, so bycatch of other species is considerable. As the result, significant changes occurred in structure of benthic communities during the times of scallop fishery. To assess the fishery effect, species composition of benthos, its dominant species and trophic structure is considered separately for 4 regions with different degree of exploitation. Dynamics of zoobenthos abundance is traced over the last 25 years. Changes in trophic structure of the benthic community at Cape Svyatoy Nos (southern Barents Sea) are analyzed in details. Although up to ¼ of its total biomass is presented by carnivorous species and the biomass of C. islandica has decreased, the portion of sestonophages has increased in this community. Recently a recovery of zoob­enthos is observed in its southern part, supposedly because of the animals redistribution from adjacent areas unaffected by fishery. On the contrary, extremely low biomass of zoobenthos, in particular scallop, is observed in the northern part of the community. Biomass of benthos in the Voronka area is high, but it is formed mainly by mussels. There is concluded that more than a decade is required for full recovery of the scallop stock and accompanying zoobenthos communities to the native state.

The effects of and the interplay between natural and anthropogenic influences on the composition of benthic communities over long time spans are poorly understood. Based on a 160-cm-long sediment core collected at 44 m water depth in the NE Adriatic Sea (Brijuni Islands, Croatia), we document changes in molluscan communities since the Holocene transgression ~11,000 years ago and assess how they were shaped by environmental changes. We find that (1) a transgressive lag deposit with a mixture of terrestrial and marine species contains abundant seagrass-associated gastropods and epifaunal suspension-feeding bivalves, (2) the maximum-flooding phase captures the establishment of epifaunal bivalve-dominated biostromes in the photic zone, and (3) the highstand phase is characterized by increasing infaunal suspension feeders and declining seagrass-dwellers in bryozoan-molluscan muddy sands. Changes in the community composition between the transgressive and the highstand phase can be explained by rising sea level, reduced light penetration, and increase in turbidity, as documented by the gradual up-core shift from coarse molluscan skeletal gravel with seagrass-associated molluscs to bryozoan sandy muds. In the uppermost 20 cm (median age

New data are presented on qualitative and quantitative composition of forage benthos obtained in hydrobiological surveys in the lower Don River in 2016. The area from Semikarakosk to the mouth (193 km), including the Don estuary, was surveyed. The benthos was sampled by Petersen dredge of 0.025 m 2 ; in total 60 samples were processed, with some replicate ones. Mollusca was the main group of the forage benthos both in May, June, and September, mostly due to high abundance of zebra mussels. The biomass of forage mollusks varied in the range of 1.3-104.3 g/m 2 , with the maximum in September after settling of D. polymorpha and D. bugensis juveniles. The biomass of “soft” forage benthos (mainly oligochaetes and chironomids) ranged from 6.3 to 12.6 g/m 2 . By quantitative abundance of benthic fauna, the feeding capacity of the lower Don is assessed as high.

Thriving benthic communities were observed in the oxygen minimum zones along the southwestern African margin. On the Namibian margin, fossil cold-water coral mounds were overgrown by sponges and bryozoans, while the Angolan margin was characterized by cold-water coral mounds covered by a living coral reef. To explore why benthic communities differ in both areas, present-day environmental conditions were assessed, using conductivity–temperature–depth (CTD) transects and bottom landers to investigate spatial and temporal variations of environmental properties. Near-bottom measurements recorded low dissolved oxygen concentrations on the Namibian margin of 0–0.15 mL L−1 (≜0 %–9 % saturation) and on the Angolan margin of 0.5–1.5 mL L−1 (≜7 %–18 % saturation), which were associated with relatively high temperatures (11.8–13.2 ∘C and 6.4–12.6 ∘C, respectively). Semidiurnal barotropic tides were found to interact with the margin topography producing internal waves. These tidal movements deliver water with more suitable characteristics to the benthic communities from below and above the zone of low oxygen. Concurrently, the delivery of a high quantity and quality of organic matter was observed, being an important food source for the benthic fauna. On the Namibian margin, organic matter originated directly from the surface productive zone, whereas on the Angolan margin the geochemical signature of organic matter suggested an additional mechanism of food supply. A nepheloid layer observed above the cold-water corals may constitute a reservoir of organic matter, facilitating a constant supply of food particles by tidal mixing. Our data suggest that the benthic fauna on the Namibian margin, as well as the cold-water coral communities on the Angolan margin, may compensate for unfavorable conditions of low oxygen levels and high temperatures with enhanced availability of food, while anoxic conditions on the Namibian margin are at present a limiting factor for cold-water coral growth. This study provides an example of how benthic ecosystems cope with such extreme environmental conditions since it is expected that oxygen minimum zones will expand in the future due to anthropogenic activities.

A multimetric approach was used to detect structural, compositional, and functional shifts in the underlying macrobenthic communities of an offshore mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis) farm in a Portuguese Aquaculture Production Area. Sampling stations distributed inside and outside this area were used to evaluate sediment descriptors and macrobenthic samples collected before (April and September 2010) and after (June and September 2014) the initiation of mussel farming. Sediment fine fraction, organic matter content, and trace element concentrations were found to increase with depth, independently from the mussel farm. Moreover, the structure and composition of the macrobenthic communities were likewise structured by depth. Turnover was the dominant temporal and spatial pattern of beta diversity for all communities. Furthermore, the functional diversity of these communities was unaffected by the mussel farm. These results suggested that an offshore profile allowed hydrodynamic conditions to weaken the impact of mussel farming and highlighted the importance of conducting an integrative multimetric analysis when studying aquaculture impacts on benthic communities. FEDER Program through the project IAPAA "Avaliacao do impacto da area de producao aquicola da Armona no ecossistema costeiro e comunidades locais" (PROMAR project) [31-03-01-FEP-0014]

The role of morphodynamic features such as grain size, swash climate and wave action on the macrofauna of beaches are well-known. However, few studies have investigated natural disturbances as potential drivers of temporal community variations. In southeastern Brazil, we sampled the intertidal macrofauna of two sandy beaches to test whether seasonal disturbances as the frequency of storm wave events (SWE) and rainfall have significant influence on their composition and abundance. The macrofauna assemblage differed significantly between the rainy and the dry seasons, but rainfall was not the main driver of community changes, although both beaches are in the vicinity of extensive river plumes. Actually, SWE explained most macrofauna richness overtime, with positive effects. Our results point to the importance of learning more about the effects of poorly studied disturbances on macrofaunal communities, and based on them we strongly recommend including these seasonal phenomena when monitoring sandy beaches.

In benthic studies, the identification of organisms at the species level is known to be the best source for ecological and biological information even if time-consuming and expensive. However, taxonomic sufficiency (TS) has been proposed as a short-cut method for quantifying changes in biological assemblages in environmental monitoring. In this paper, we set out to determine whether and how the taxonomic complexity of a benthic assemblage influences the results of TS at two different long-term ecological research (LTER) sites in the Po delta region (north-eastern Italy). Specifically, we investigated whether TS can be used to detect natural and human-driven patterns of variation in benthic assemblages from lagoonal soft bottoms. The first benthic dataset was collected from 1996 to 2015 in a “choked” lagoon, the Valli di Comacchio, a lagoon characterised by long water residence times and heavy eutrophication, while the second was collected from 2004 to 2010 in a “leaky” lagoon, the Sacca di Goro, a coastal area with human pressure limited to aquaculture. Univariate and multivariate statistical analyses were used to assess differences in the taxonomic structure of benthic assemblages and to test TS on the two different datasets. TS seemed to work from species to family level at both sites, despite a higher natural variability of environmental conditions combined with multiple anthropogenic stressors. Therefore, TS at the family level may represent effective taxonomic surrogates across a range of environmental contexts in lagoon environments. Since the structure of the community and the magnitude of changes could influence the efficiency of taxonomic surrogates and data transformations in long-term monitoring, we also suggest periodic analyses at finer taxonomic levels in order to check the efficiency of the application of taxonomic substitutes in routine monitoring programmes in lagoon systems.

The data were collected through inspection of ROV videos. The data are formatted in a single csv file. It contains 30 columns with 5587 rows, including title row. Each row represents a separate observation of species abundance according to the Braun-Blanquet scale. The dataset contains null values which are indicated with NA. The first 21 columns contain sample information. Columns 22-29 contain information about taxonomic grouping and Column 30 contains the Braun-Blanquet abundance values.

Cold-water corals are recognised as a key component of Mediterranean deep-sea ecosystems but the knowledge of their associated biodiversity is still limited. To date, the fauna associated to the Central Mediterranean cold-water coral habitats is the best known (e.g. the cold-water coral provinces of Santa Maria di Leuca, Bari canyon and Strait of Sicily) but such knowledge should be extended to the whole Mediterranean Basin. The combined biodiversity censed so far for Mediterranean cold-water coral habitats and those of adjacent areas (Strait of Gibraltar-Gulf of Cádiz) includes a conspicuous number of species (ca. 520 spp.) with a high representation of sponges (ca. 90 spp.), polychaetes (ca. 90 spp.), cnidarians (ca. 80 spp.), bryozoans (ca. 75 spp.), crustaceans (ca. 60 spp.), molluscs (ca. 50 spp.), fishes (ca. 50 spp.), echinoderms (ca. 20 spp.) and brachiopods (7 spp.). Most species are not univocally linked to cold-water corals, but they benefit from the complex and diverse microhabitats provided by them. There is a clear need to continue the investigation of Mediterranean cold-water coral habitats to fully document the faunistic inventory, biogeographic connections and functions of the many species connected to such emblematic ecoystems of the deep-sea.

Taxonomic Sufficiency (TS), the use of coarser taxonomic resolution in monitoring plans, has been receiving increasing attention in last years. A comprehensive dataset of macrobenthos from 18 Italian lagoons in a range of different latitude, typology, salinity and surface area, was analysed in order to test the efficiency of TS, in terms of correlation between patterns at level of species and patterns resulting from different levels of taxonomic aggregation. First, TS was applied on a range of univariate indices, providing complementary information on macrobenthic community, in order to test the efficiency, in a contest of different taxonomic composition, and different number of lower taxa belonging to the same higher taxon in each lagoon. Then, TS was applied on multivariate analyses, in order to test whether the efficiency changes between two different scales: local (comparison of sites nested within each lagoon) and regional (comparison among lagoons), and with different data transformation. The patterns resulting from univariate indices and multivariate analyses, at both local and regional scales, were retained till family level, despite the different levels of taxonomic composition and different number of lower taxa belonging to the same higher taxon of different lagoons. Nevertheless, the correlation values among matrices and the effect of data transformation differed between regional and local scales. Our results support the efficiency of TS until family level, but at the same time underline the need of scale- and region-specific baseline knowledge prior application of TS in lagoons.

Cold-water corals are recognised as a key component of Mediterranean deep-sea ecosystems but the knowledge of their associated biodiversity is still limited. To date, the fauna associated to the Central Mediterranean cold-water coral habitats is the best known (e.g. the cold-water coral provinces of Santa Maria di Leuca, Bari canyon and Strait of Sicily) but such knowledge should be extended to the whole Mediterranean Basin. The combined biodiversity censed so far for Mediterranean cold-water coral habitats and those of adjacent areas (Strait of Gibraltar-Gulf of Cádiz) includes a conspicuous number of species (ca. 520 spp.) with a high representation of sponges (ca. 90 spp.), polychaetes (ca. 90 spp.), cnidarians (ca. 80 spp.), bryozoans (ca. 75 spp.), crustaceans (ca. 60 spp.), molluscs (ca. 50 spp.), fishes (ca. 50 spp.), echinoderms (ca. 20 spp.) and brachiopods (7 spp.). Most species are not univocally linked to cold-water corals, but they benefit from the complex and diverse microhabitats provided by them. There is a clear need to continue the investigation of Mediterranean cold-water coral habitats to fully document the faunistic inventory, biogeographic connections and functions of the many species connected to such emblematic ecoystems of the deep-sea

We discovered through gut-content analysis over a 20-month period (June 2009–March 2011) that a little-known benthic fish, the wrymouth, Cryptacanthodes maculatus, preyed upon soft-bottom fauna from 8 phyla, 10 classes, and 28 genera in the lower intertidal/ shallow subtidal zone in Cobscook Bay (eastern Maine, USA). Wrymouth (N = 42; total length = 30–50 cm) live infaunally in extensive subterranean burrows, and consumed mainly polychaetes and amphipods that occurred in 80% and 75% of stomachs, respectively. The two most common polychaetes, Alitta virens and Harmothoe imbricata, were found in 60% and 25% of stomachs, respectively. Gammarideans Leptocheirus pinguis and Ampelisca abdita were the two most common amphipods occurring in 40% and 33% of stomachs, respectively. Benthic core samples taken from the mid- and low shore were ambiguous in helping to understand where wrymouth forage. Wrymouth likely contribute to trophic linkages between the intertidal and subtidal zones in soft-bottoms; however, its relative role in regulating benthic community structure, aspects of its reproductive behavior, and early life-history is unknown due in part to its cryptic lifestyle. In addition to identifying components of the wrymouth’s diet, we document gravid females for the first time, and when they appear in the population.

Species composition, structure and seasonal dynamics of macrozoobenthos in small lakes of Sakhalin Island are considered on the data of benthic surveys conducted in 1994-2012. Features of the bottom fauna are determined by the lakes origin, their connection with other water bodies, biotic and abiotic conditions. The faunas of the lakes of northern Sakhalin are distinguished by the highest similarity. Generally, variety of benthic communities in small lakes corresponds to their biotope diversity and reduces with the size of lakes decreasing. The most typical benthic communities are those ones of the coastal belt of rigid plants, of the belt of pondweed, and profundal community of the open water area; the latter only is observed in very small lakes. Seasonal dynamics of the benthic communities is defined by biology of a few key species which dominate the whole year round. For example, seasonal dynamics of the profundal community in small floodplain lakes is determined mainly by generative dynamics of one species of chironomid: Chironomus gr. plumosus . Three phases could be traced in the seasonal succession: i) winter; ii) spring and early summer; iii) late summer and autumn. They change under influence of seasonal events as spring flood, summer low water, ice formation, or mass fish migration (reaction of benthic communities on fish migration is adaptive, not catastrophic). Food web of the benthic communities in small lakes is based on autochthonous organic matter of phytoperiphyton, phytobenthos and phytoplankton settled to the bottom. Benthic communities of floodplain lakes play important role in preserving of rheophilic fauna during catastrophic floods.

Bottom trawling alters the abundance, diversity, size-composition, and function of benthic communities. However, the ability to detect these impacts over large spatial scales can be obscured by various complicating factors, such as community adaptation to disturbance and co-varying environmental conditions. An ecosystem-based approach to fisheries management therefore requires ecological indicators which can ‘disentangle’ trawling effects from other natural and human drivers, and respond effectively to shifts in ecological quality. We collected benthic macrofaunal samples at 21 sites across a Norway lobster Nephrops norvegicus fishing ground in the Kattegat, and separated the benthic community into small (1–4 mm) and large (>4 mm) size fractions. Four taxonomic indicators (total density, species density, Shannon diversity, and biomass) and four functional indicators (functional diversity, functional richness, functional evenness, and functional dispersion) were calculated based on each size fraction, and the two fractions combined (pooled community). Here, we compare the ability of these indicators to detect trawling impacts across size categories. We show that indicators derived from large macrofauna were highly effective in this regard, and were less influenced by other environmental drivers, such as depth, sediment grain size, bottom current velocity, salinity, and temperature. This suggests that the taxonomic and functional characteristics of benthic communities display a size-dependent sensitivity to trawling disturbance, and therefore community metrics based on large benthic macrofauna may provide useful indicators. By contrast, indicators derived from the small fraction performed poorly, and those based on the pooled community demonstrated a varied ability to detect trawling. Small macrofauna are typically characterised by high density, diversity, and population growth rates, and their relative resilience to trawling may mask the response of the more sensitive macrofauna. This highlights an underlying issue with calculating indicators based on the whole benthic community. The approach outline here is easily applied, improves indicator performance, and has the potential to reduce laboratory workloads due to the fewer taxa and individuals required for analyses.

Invasive alien species are those that are outside their natural range and that thrive in their new environment, causing ecological and economic impacts. Invasive species can impact on the abundance, richness, and composition of native community species, as well as altering ecosystem properties or processes. These species can also cause major economic losses, such as cultivation losses, fishing, silviculture and grazing capacity. In Brazil, some surveys have been carried out for the registration of exotic marine species, but the Brazilian legislation related to the prevention and control of these species still has difficulties for its implementation. One of the introductions with great expansion and abundance along the Brazilian coast is the bivalve Isognomon bicolor. In addition to the ecological damage that I. bicolor may be causing to native species, the invasive bivalve has caused economic damages to the marine activities due to biofouling in ships and port constructions. This work evaluated the impact of the invasive bivalve I. bicolor in the native benthic community, through an in situ experiment, where the invasive species was removed and the monthly monitoring of the native community was carried out in the course of one year. The analyzes revealed significant changes in the structure of the native benthic community, in terms of composition, abundance, richness and diversity of species, as a consequence of the introduction of the bioinvasor I.bicolor. Knowledge about all interactions between biotic invaders and native species is of extreme importance in assessing the impacts these species may have on ecosystems and can provide subsidies to improve environmental degradation and prevent future invasions CAPES - Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior Espécies exóticas invasoras são aquelas que estão fora da sua área de distribuição natural e que prosperam em seu novo ambiente, provocando impactos ecológicos e econômicos. As espécies invasoras podem causar impactos na abundância, riqueza e composição das espécies da comunidade nativa, assim como alterar as propriedades ou processos a nível de ecossistema. Estas espécies também podem provocar grandes prejuízos econômicos, como perdas de cultivos, pesca, silvicultura e capacidade de pastoreio. No Brasil, alguns levantamentos foram realizados para o registro das espécies exóticas marinhas, porém a legislação brasileira relacionada à prevenção e controle destas espécies, ainda possui dificuldades para a sua implementação. Uma das introduções com grande expansão e abundância ao longo da costa brasileira é o bivalve Isognomon bicolor. Além dos prejuízos ecológicos que I. bicolor pode estar provocando às espécies nativas, o bivalve invasor tem causado prejuízos econômicos às atividades marítimas devido à bioincrustação em embarcações e construções portuárias. Nesse trabalho avaliou-se o impacto do bivalve invasor I. bicolor na comunidade bentônica nativa, através de um experimento in situ, onde foi realizada a remoção desta espécie invasora e o posterior monitoramento mensal da comunidade nativa no decorrer de um ano. As análises realizadas detectaram mudanças significativas na estrutura da comunidade bentônica nativa, em termos de composição, abundância, riqueza e diversidade de espécies, como consequência da introdução do bioinvasor I.bicolor. O conhecimento sobre todas as interações entre os invasores bióticos e as espécies nativas é de extrema importância para a avaliar os impactos que estas espécies podem causar aos ecossistemas e pode fornecer subsídios para amenizar a degradação ambiental e prevenir futuras invasões

The structure and properties of tropical stream food webs were investigated in nine second and third order streams,three in continuous sub-montane forest, three in tea plantations and three in maize fields. All were locatedon the Mambilla Plateau, north-east Nigeria.Components of all trophic levels (e.g., fine particulate organic matter [FPOM], coarse particulate organic matter [CPOM], algae, benthic invertebrates and fish) were sampled,and analysed by examination of gut contents and using stable isotopes techniques. Gut contents of key invertebrate species were categorised intoeight types of food items: filamentous algae, diatoms, fungi, CPOM ≥ 1 mm (usually leaf litter and wood fragments), FPOM 1 mm (often amorphous detritus) and animal parts. Several food web properties were calculated and a basic food web was constructed using density data.Invertebrate species richness and density were higher in forest than in tea plantations and maize fields.Community and dietary analyses revealed that streams in the tea plantation and maize fields had simpler food webs incorporating fewer species and shorter food chains than those in continuous forest. However, potamonautid crabs (macro-consumers) and fish were present in all streams. Significant differences occured in three food web parameters calculated for streams in catchments differing in land uses: web size (ANOVAF2, 6= 15.509,P= 0.004), predator prey ratio (ANOVAF2, 6= 17.337,P= 0.003), standing biomass of invertebrates (AFDM); CPOM mass (ANOVAF2, 6= 8.727,P= 0.016) and algal (ANOVAF2, 6= 37.599,P= 0.001). Stable isotope analysis revealed that primary consumers assimilated a mixture of autochthonous and allochthonous carbon resources (CPOM and algae) in all streams.

Aim The aim of this study was to survey the species of molluscs and to evaluate the effect of exotic species on the native mollusks of three reservoirs in the Pajeú Basin Cachoeira II, Jazigo and Serrinha. Methods Sampling was carried out with trawl net (5 mm mesh opening) and hand net (2 mm mesh opening). Results and conclusions Were quantified 60,244 specimens, distributed among the species Melanoides tuberculata (49,398), Pomacea lineata (573), Biomphalaria straminea (376) and Physa marmorata (01). The invasive exotic species M. tuberculata was dominant in all reservoirs with a relative abundance greater than 85% and the other species were classified as occasional and rare, with emphasis in Physa marmorata that is present in the red list of species vulnerable to extinction. Regarding the frequency of occurrence, all species were classified as euconstant (occurrence greater than 65%), except P. lineata and P. marmorata, which were classified as ancillary (occurrence less than 40%). Among the species, M. tuberculata were the highest average density (1,636 ind.m-2) in Serrinha reservoir, showed a strong adaptation to the environmental conditions, due to its high dominance in all the reservoirs, being probably the main cause for the low diversity and density indices of native molluscs. Since P. marmorata presented low density and frequency, becoming an important point to be investigated as possible species impaired by the dominance of M. tuberculata. Resumo Objetivo O objetivo do presente estudo foi realizar um levantamento das espécies de moluscos e avaliar o efeito de espécies exóticas sobre os moluscos nativos de três reservatórios da Bacia do Pajeú - Cachoeira II, Jazigo e Serrinha. Métodos A amostragem foi realizada com rede de arrasto (abertura de malha de 5 mm) e puçá (abertura de malha 2 mm). Resultados e conclusões Foram quantificados 60.244 exemplares, distribuídos entre as espécies Melanoides tuberculata (49.398), Pomacea lineata (573), Biomphalaria straminea (376) e Physa marmorata (01). A espécie exótica invasora M. tuberculata foi dominante em todos os reservatórios com abundância relativa superior a 85%, as demais espécies foram classificadas como ocasionais e raras com destaque para Physa marmorata que está presente na lista vermelha de espécies vulneráveis a extinção. Quanto à frequência de ocorrência, todas as espécies foram classificadas como euconstantes (ocorrência superior a 65%), exceto P. lineata e P. marmorata que foram classificadas como acessórias (ocorrência inferior a 40%). Dentre as espécies, M. tuberculata apresentou a maior densidade média (1.636 ind.m-2) no reservatório Serrinha, demonstrando forte adaptação às condições ambientais, devido sua alta dominância em todos os reservatórios, sendo provavelmente a principal causa pelos baixos índices de diversidade e densidade dos moluscos nativos. Uma vez que P. marmorata apresentou baixa densidade e frequência, tornando-se um ponto importante a ser investigado como possível espécie prejudicada pela dominância do M. tuberculata.

This work aimed to perform a qualitative survey and to describe a zoning of the fouling, sedentary, and vagile organisms on different hard substrates in the north coast of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, contributing to the knowledge of the subtropical marine biodiversity. The records of the species were made through a search of the specific literature and observations, as well as monthly collections on natural (rocky shore) and artificial (piers, platforms, monoboys) hard substrates from March 2010 to June 2011, totaling 16 months. In total, 160 invertebrate species associated to hard substrates for RS in the literature and 83 species from field survey were recorded, being 42.2% of the species on rocky shore of Praia do Meio, Torres; 24.1% on breakwater of Imbé-Tramandaí and Torres; 45.8% on pillars of the Cidreira, Tramandaí and Atlântida fishing platforms, and 72.3% on pipeline MN-601 and MN-602 monoboys structure, Tramandaí. From the exclusive species occurrence, there were higher values for monoboys, followed by fishing platforms, rocky shore and breakwater. As for new records, 34 taxa had not yet been cited for RS. Este trabalho teve como objetivo realizar um levantamento qualitativo e descrever a zonação dos organismos incrustantes, sedentários e vágeis em diferentes substratos consolidados na costa norte do Rio Grande do Sul (RS), Brasil, contribuindo para o conhecimento da biodiversidade subtropical marinha. Os registros das espécies foram feitos através de consulta à literatura específica e também através de observações e coletas mensais em substratos consolidados naturais (costão rochoso) e artificiais (molhes, plataformas, monoboias) de março de 2010 a junho de 2011, totalizando 16 meses. Obteve-se o registo de 160 espécies de invertebrados associados a substratos consolidados para o RS através da literatura e 83 espécies a partir do levantamento de campo, sendo que 42,2 % das espécies foram registradas no costão rochoso da Praia do Meio, Torres; 24,1 % nos molhes de Imbé-Tramandaí e Torres; 45,8 % nos pilares das plataformas de pesca de Cidreira, Tramandaí e Atlântida e 72,3 % na estrutura das monoboias de oleoduto, MN- 601 e MN-602 de Tramandaí. Sobre a ocorrência exclusiva de espécies, verificaram-se maiores valores para as monoboias, seguida das plataformas de pesca, costão rochoso e molhes. Quanto a novos registros, 34 táxons ainda não haviam sido citados para RS.

A time series data of macrobenthic invertebrates of Valli di Comacchio lagoon (northern Adriatic) from 1996 to 2015, was analysed using Biological Traits Analysis, structural indices, AMBI and M-AMBI indices, with a twofold aim to: firstly, test the resilience of the system, and, secondly, test the influence of climate changes, in terms of temperature and precipitation pattern, on macrobenthic dynamics. Along the studied period macrobenthic community showed marked fluctuations, in terms of richness, diversity, biological traits and ecological groups, which could be related with environmental instability of the lagoon. At the same time, a general tendency towards a deterioration of ecological condition of the lagoon was observed, with a general decrease in species richness, diversity, percentage of sensitive species, and a general increase in the proportion of the more opportunistic trait modalities, such as deposit feeders, burrowing, infaunal and short living animals. Increasing yearly temperature explained only a small part of the variability of macrobenthic community, in terms of biological traits and diversity indices, and this was likely due to the effect of natural fluctuations of environmental parameters and anthropogenic disturbance. Nevertheless, all metrics used are consistent in identifying the response of benthic community to a severe disturbance, likely related with the summer heatwave in 2003. Less marked signs of disturbance were observed also in relations to the thermal anomaly of 2012. Biological Traits Analysis combined with more classical structural and ecological indices, proved to be efficient in identifying temporal changes of the community. Our results suggest that the expected increase in frequency, magnitude and duration of heatwaves could pose serious threat to the resilience capacity of lagoonal macrobenthic community.

Aquatic invertebrate distribution within a fluvial network is affected both by dispersal capabilities of the species and changes in the environment along spatial gradients. Disturbance that affects part of the network may represent an abrupt change in environmental gradients, which should be reflected on its communities. We analysed whether the composition of benthic insect communities is associated to environmental and geographic distances in a small catchment, partially disturbed by a wildfire (non burned forest-control: C, moderate impacted: I and burned zones: B). We postulated that changes in main resource availability differently affect certain functional feeding groups. We found that taxonomic differences were related to the disturbance condition but not to the distance among streams and that the effect of disturbance targeted mostly on shredders. Environmental differences were larger among C sites than among B sites, but community taxonomic composition was more similar among C than B sites. As a result, neither environmental nor geographic distances explained community similarity. When the analysis was scaled up by incorporating new data from a larger area, community similarity was explained both by environmental and geographic distance, independently (i.e. geographic and environmental distances did not correlate). Our results highlight the influence of a disturbance on the riparian vegetation on the benthic community composition and functional structure of forested streams, and showed the effect of scale in habitat association, as environmental and geographic distance together explained community similarity when the spatial scale was enlarged. Fil: Diaz Villanueva, Veronica. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Centro Regional Universidad Bariloche. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente; Argentina Fil: Mariluan, Gustavo Darío. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Centro Regional Universidad Bariloche. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente; Argentina Fil: Albariño, Ricardo Javier. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Centro Regional Universidad Bariloche. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente; Argentina

Results of macrozoobenthos surveys (in total 86 stations, 432 sediment samples) in the area of marine pipeline route at Piltun-Astokhskoye oil field in July of 2007-2010 are presented. The sediment samples were collected by van Veen sampler (1-3 samples per site from the area 0.05 m 2 , 0.11 m 2 , or 0.25 m 2 ) at the depth 0-45 m. The samples were washed by sea water through the sieve with mesh 1 mm, and the residues including macrobenthos were preserved by 4 % buffered formaldehyde for later processing with total identification of macrozoobenthos (species composition, abundance and biomass) in the laboratories of Far-Eastern Research Hydrometeorological Institute and Institute of Marine Biology in Vladivostok, following to standard techniques. The data were analysed using the PRIMER software including multidimensional cluster analysis of samples by hierarchical agglomerative method of group-average linking based on Bray-Curtis similarity of the macrozoobenthos species composition by biomass. In total, 272 species of macrozoobenthos are identified at the surveyed area, with the highest species number for amphipods (86 species) and polychaetes (72 species). Mean total abundance of macrozoobenthos is 26556.4 ± 2660.9 ind/m 2 , its mean total biomass is 669.7 ± 40.3 g/m 2 . Cumaceans and amphipod crustaceans are the most numerous groups; sea-urchins, bivalves and cumaceans have the highest biomass. Five benthic communities are defined by cluster analysis. There is concluded that the bottom sediments and depth are the main factors determining the characteristics and distribution patterns of benthic assemblages at present time.