Spatio-temporal variations of biomass and abundance in bathyal non-crustacean megafauna in the Catalan Sea (North-western Mediterranean)

The spatio-temporal variations in diversity, biomass and abundance of bathyal invertebrates (excluding decapod crustaceans, which have been analysed elsewhere) from the North-western Mediterranean margin are described. The upper canyon (∼450 m), middle slope (∼650 m) and lower slope (∼1,200 m) habitats were investigated throughout the year. The first two sites are visited daily by a specialised commercial fisheries’ fleet, while the deeper site has not been impacted by fishing activities. A total of 140 species from 12 phyla were collected from the 3 study areas. Of these, the Mollusca, Echinodermata, Polychaeta and Cnidaria were the most speciose groups. The patterns of species diversity (H′) and evenness (E) were similar in time and space. The upper canyon and middle-slope sites were dominated by echinoderms and molluscs, while the lower-slope site was dominated by cnidarians and sponges. Multifactorial ANOVA showed significant spatio-temporal differences in the biomass and/or abundance only in echinoderms, molluscs, cnidarians and polychaetes. The faunal differences observed were explained by habitat type, but not by season. The role of submarine canyons and commercial fishing on shaping the diversity and biomass of bathyal Mediterranean invertebrates is discussed. Luis Dantart: Deceased March 2005     

Local changes in the composition and community structure of suprabenthic peracarid crustaceans on the bathyal Mediterranean: influence of environmental factors

Deep-water assemblages of suprabenthic peracarids were analyzed in the SW Balearic Islands (Algerian Basin, southwestern Mediterranean) between 249 and 1,622 m depth; the patterns of species composition, possible zonation, and trophic structure found in this area were compared with those exhibited by peracarids in the mainland side of the Catalan Sea slope (northwestern Mediterranean). One hundred and four peracarid species (plus one leptostracan) were identified on the Balearic Islands slope, amphipods being the most diversified taxon (45 species). On the Balearic slope, two distinct depth assemblages were distinguished: one at the upper slope (US), between 249 and 402 m depth and the second at the deep slope, between 543 and 1,620 m depth. A remarkable species substitution occurred at depths between 402 and 638 m. In the Catalan Sea, in addition to the US assemblage occupying depths between 208 and 408 m, a second boundary of faunal change was found around 1,250 m. Suprabenthos biomass increased from 242 to approximately 500 m. Suprabenthos attained the highest biomass values (100 g wet weight/10,000 m²) at intermediate depths between 504 and 1,211 m, as also occurred with the associated zooplankton collected with suprabenthos (peak biomass between 502 m and 898 m). Suprabenthos biomass did not show any significant correlation with any environmental water-column variable. In contrast, zooplankton (especially small fish and decapod crustaceans) showed a significant positive correlation with fluorometry and turbidity at different levels of the water column. The feeding guilds of species showed important differences between the two areas only on the US, with a higher abundance of deposit feeders in the Catalan Sea (20.4%) than in the Balearic Islands (4.2%). The low contribution of deposit feeders in the SW Balearic Islands may ultimately be a consequence of the lack of river discharges in this area.Communicated by S.A. Poulet, Roscoff     

Biomass of the invertebrate megabenthos from 500 to 4100 m in the northeast Atlantic Ocean

Data are presented on the biomass of the invertebrate megafauna at 22 stations on the continental slope in the Porcupine Seabight (PSB) (northeast Atlantic Ocean). Samples were collected between 1980 and 1982. Several units of biomass are used, all of which illustrate a decrease by a factor of about 30 from 500 to 4100 m. Lognormal curves were fitted to the data, the gradients of which were very similar for all biomass units and similar to the value for a transect down the continental slope in the western Atlantic. Biomass levels in the PSB are compared with those from other deep-sea environments. Some published values are more than ten times higher than the values reported here, while others are less than a tenth. The reasons for these differences and trends are discussed in terms of food supply. Sampling variability was examined at two stations, but by chance one (at 1300 m) appeared to encompass a sharp faunal discontinuity of the dominant fauna and the other (at 4000 m) contained very small numbers of large animals. For these reasons, sample variability was high at the repeat stations. Suspension-feeders and crustaceans dominated the biomass at upper-slope depths, while echinoderms were dominant on the middle and lower slope. As a result of this phyletic change, there was a small but insignificant decrease in mean body weight with increasing depth. Within phyla there was also a small but insignificant decrease with depth. If large species are excluded from the biomass/depth regression, the gradient changes considerably, demonstrating the increasing importance of small species at greater depths. The size distribution of megafaunal biomass was examined at several stations. This indicated that the megafauna form a functional group distinct from the macrofauna, just as the macrofauna are distinct from the meiofauna.     

Quantifying the importance of regional and local filters for community trait structure in tropical and temperate zones

The influence of regional and local processes on community structure is a major focus of ecology. Classically, ecologists have used local-regional richness regressions to evaluate the role of local and regional processes in determining community structure, an approach that has numerous flaws. Here, we implemented a novel trait-based approach that treats local and regional influences as a continuum, rather than a dichotomy. Using hylid frogs (Hylidae), we compared trait dispersion among members of local species assemblages to the trait dispersion in the regional assemblage from which they were drawn. Similarly, we compared trait dispersion in the regional assemblages to dispersion in the continental species pool. We estimated the contributions of local and regional filters, and we compared their strength in temperate and tropical zones. We found that regional and local filters explained 80% of the total variation among local assemblages in community body size dispersion. Overall, regional filters reduced trait dispersion, and local filters increased it, a pattern driven by particularly strong antagonistic effects in temperate zones that reduced the realized total variation by more than 40%. In contrast, local and regional filters acted in concert in tropical regions. Patterns within the tropics did not differ from the random expectation based on a null model, but within the temperate zone, local community filtering was stronger than expected by chance. Furthermore, in temperate regions, antagonistic regional and local filtering masked from 76% to 90% of the total variation in trait dispersion. Together, these results suggest that there are fundamental differences in the scale and identity of the processes determining community structure in temperate and tropical regions.     

Diets of deep-sea brachyuran crabs in the Western Mediterranean Sea

This study examines the feeding habits of Paromola cuvieri (Risso, 1816) and Geryon longipes A. Milne Edwards, 1881, the only two common deep-sea brachyuran crabs inhabiting the bathyal mud assemblages in the Catalan Sea (Western Mediterranean). Samples were obtained by bottom trawls at depths between 360 and 1871 m during 1983 to 1992. Both species had highly diverse diets, but very low feeding activity, as reflected by the high proportion of empty stomachs. Both characteristics may be important factors enabling deepsea crabs to adapt to bathyal zones, where trophic resources are scarce. The most important food items found in P. cuvieri were fish remains (teleost, sharks) and benthic decapods (Monodaeus couchii, Munida tenuimana). Scavenging activity plays an important role in this species. The diet of G. longipes included a broad range of benthic invertebrates. In the upper middle slope, the bivalve Abra longicallus, decapods (Calocaris macandreae and Monodaeus couchii), echinoderms and polychaetes were the dominant prey, with epibenthic peracarids as a secondary resource. On the lower middle slope, the incidence of decapod crustaceans (C. macandreae, Pontiphilus norvegicus) and peracarids in the diet declined. Small macrobenthic prey (glycerids, cumaceans or amphipods) were rare in the diet of both species, in accordance with the large size of the crab specimens studied. The absence of preferred prey items and the lack of food items of an optimum size on the lower slope may contribute to the progressive decline in abundance of P. cuvieri and G. longipes with increasing depth.     

Distribution of western beaufort sea polychaetous annelids

Depth and depth-related processes appear to exert primary control over the distributional patterns of species of polychaetous annelids in the western Beaufort Sea (Cape Halkett to Barter Island, Alaska). Species richness and total polychaete abundance are maximal along the outer continental shelf and upper continental slope. Stations exhibiting the most similar polychaete assemblages are located at similar depths. However, some species distributions appear to correlate better with sediment type than with depth. Maximum abundance occurs deeper on the continental slope to the west, and station clusters generated by non-hierarchical clustering (using the dominant polychaete species data) are not sorted strictly by depth. In a canonical analysis of discriminance, the station clusters were projected onto a two-dimensional plane in species space. The first and second canonical variables of the station clusters correlate with sediment grain-size distributions, suggesting a relationship between polychaete distribution patterns and the sedimentary environment. This relationship is further substantiated when sediment grain-size distributions for each station are plotted on a tertiary diagram: the stations are grouped and ordered in a pattern similar to that generated by the canonical analysis of discriminance.     

Distribution and abundance of ophiuroids on the continental shelf and slope of the East Sea (southwestern Sea of Japan), Korea

The present study was carried out to describe the distribution of ophiuroids on the continental shelf and slope of the East Sea, off the Korean Peninsula. Three cruises were made from 1985 to 1987 in the area between 35 to 38°N and 129 to 130°E. A total of ten species was identified from the samples collected at 136 stations. Among them four species (Amphiodia craterodometa, Amphioplus macraspis, Ophiura leptoctenia and Ophiura sarsi) constituted more than 98% of abundance by number. The continental shelf off Gampo, near 35°40N, could be considered to be the southern limit of cold-water species. The abundance of dominant ophiuroids changed according to depth. Three faunal zones, namely, the inner shelf, the shelf edge and the slope zones, coincided with the topographic divisions of continental shelf and slope. The major inhabitant of the inner shelf was A. craterodometa and that of the continental slope was O. leptoctenia. The shelf edge area revealed a transitional zone where all four species occurred, contributing to the total number of individuals with almost equal proportions. The temperature of bottom waters was considered to be a factor determining zonal distribution. The sediment characteristics were not closely related to ophiuroid distribution.     

Distribution of euphausiid assemblages in the Mediterranean Sea

Eleven species of euphausiids from 24 Isaac-Kidd Midwater Trawl (IKMT) night collections taken at stations throughout the Mediterranean Sea were counted. The frequency of occurrence and dominance of individual species and percent similarity faunal analysis of the euphausiid community were used to describe changes in faunal composition between geographical areas and differences in vertical distribution. Although most species were widespread, three distinct patterns of abundance were apparent: Euphausia krohnii, Nematoscelis megalops, Meganyctiphanes norvegica, and Stylocheiron abbreviatum predominated in western basin areas west of the Tyrrhenian Sea; Euphausia hemigibba, Thysanopoda aequalis, and Stylocheiron longicorne predominated in the Tyrrhenian Sea and eastern Mediterranean Sea; Euphausia brevis and Stylocheiron suhmii predominated in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Percent similarity analysis of data from the IKMT samples and data from Ruud (1936) indicates the Tyrrhenian Sea fauna at the time of the collections was more similar to eastern Mediterranean areas than to most other areas in the western basin, although the degree of similarity was dependent, to some extent, on the depth at which the samples were collected. The composition of euphausiids living above 150 m at night in this area was more similar to eastern basin areas, while the composition of deeper living forms was more similar to those of the rest of the western basin. Comparison of euphausiids collected at three points over a 60 year time-span in the Balearic Sea shows the similarity in composition to be greater within the area over time than between adjacent areas in the western Mediterranean Sea.Contribution No. 2732 from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, Massachusetts, USA. This research was supported by the Atomic Energy Commission Contract AT (30-1)-3862, ref. NYO-3862-49, National Science Foundation Grant GA 29303 and Office of Naval Research Contract N00014-71-C-0284.     

Diversity and distribution of cold-seep fauna associated with different geological and environmental settings at mud volcanoes and pockmarks of the Nile Deep-Sea Fan

The Nile Deep-Sea Fan (NDSF) is located on the passive continental margin off Egypt and is characterized by the occurrence of active fluid seepage such as brine lakes, pockmarks and mud volcanoes. This study characterizes the structure of faunal assemblages of such active seepage systems of the NDSF. Benthic communities associated with reduced, sulphidic microhabitats such as sediments and carbonate crusts were sampled by remotely operated vehicles during two cruises in 2006 (BIONIL) and 2007 (MEDECO). Environmental conditions and biological factors including family-level faunal composition, density and diversity were measured at local and regional scales. Significant differences were detected at different spatial scales: (1) the fauna of reduced habitats differed substantially in activity, diversity and biomass from the non-seep environment at similar water depth, (2) cold seep microhabitats showed differences in community structure and composition related to substratum type as well as to the intensity and location of fluid emissions.     

Vertical stratification of mobile epiphytal arthropod assemblages between the canopy and understorey of subtidal macroalgae

This study examined patterns of faunal stratification between vertical strata by partitioning subtidal macroalgal communities into vertically contiguous (and hence paired) canopy and understorey habitats. Such floristic strata are often clearly defined in temperate subtidal communities and have been the focus of a range of other, primarily botanical, studies. Previous studies that have touched upon this subject have used statistical tests that require spatially independent samples, yet have collected samples that are often spatially contiguous and therefore not statistically independent. Here an analytical approach for examining faunal stratification in subtidal macroalgal assemblages using split-plot ANOVA for univariate data and a novel multivariate test suitable for analysing assemblage-level paired-sampled data is proposed. Differences in faunal assemblage structure between habitats were primarily attributed to the distribution of two functional feeding groups: filter-feeding and scavenging arthropods. Filter-feeders were more abundant amongst the canopy, whereas scavengers were more abundant in the understorey. No pattern was detected for herbivorous arthropods. These patterns are consistent with the feeding ecology of these functional groups and reflect expected differences in the relative availability of trophic resources between habitats, commensurate with the physical structure of the environments. Contrary to expectation, understorey algal habitats supported faunal assemblages that were as diverse, or more diverse than the canopy habitats, despite comprising smaller habitable spaces (in terms of algal biomass) and generally supporting fewer faunal individuals. Trophic stratification of epifaunal assemblages is suggested as a mechanism whereby faunal diversity is enhanced in these environments.     

Geographic and bathymetric patterns of mitochondrial 16S rRNA sequence divergence among deep-sea amphipods,Eurythenes gryllus

The physical uniformity of the deep sea suggests a lack of absolute barriers to faunal dispersal, and thus genetic homogeneity in broadly distributed species is expected. The deep-sea amphipod Eurythenes gryllus Lichtenstein (Crustacea: Lysianassoidea) is considered a panoceanic, cold-water stenotherm, with a vertical depth distribution from 184 to 6500 m. We surveyed mtDNA sequence diversity in E. gryllus to assess genetic diversity and population structure in different oceans and across traditionally defined bathyal and abyssal zones. DNA sequences (437 nucleotides length) from the mitochondrial large-subunit ribosomal RNA gene (16S rRNA) of 95 individuals, collected between 1982 and 1990 from 14 locations in the central North Pacific (including multiple samples on the slope of a seamount), castern and western North Atlantic, and the Arctic Ocean, were obtained. Our analysis of DNA sequence diversity indicates (1) genetic homogeneity among sites within the same depth zone at the scale of ocean basins; and (2) genetically divergent, cryptic taxa distributed at different depths, with the greatest diversity in the bathyal zone. These observations suggest that ecological and physical conditions are important isolating mechanisms that may lead to speciation in this group.     

The role of habitat heterogeneity in structuring the community of intertidal free-living marine nematodes

The role of habitat complexity has been widely neglected in the study of meiofaunal community patterns. We studied the intertidal nematode community of a structurally complex macrotidal beach exhibiting contrasting microhabitats (sandbars and runnels) to understand the influence of environmental gradients and habitat heterogeneity in the community structure. We tested whether topographical complexity affected (1) the zonation pattern in terms of abundance and diversity, and (2) local diversity by promoting compartmentalization into distinct faunal groups. Our analyses revealed three major faunal assemblages along the exposure gradient associated to differences in mean grain size and chlorophyll a. Diversity patterns involved a mid-intertidal peak, consistent with the intermediate disturbance hypothesis, and another peak at the limit with the subtidal region, consistent with the transition zone. These results highlight the predominance of environmental gradients in establishing intertidal zonation. However, microhabitats differed in environmental conditions and possessed significantly distinct nematofaunal communities. Runnels featured higher levels of taxonomic and functional diversity, many unique genera, and the community differed from the assemblage at the limit to the subtidal, stressing their role as distinct microhabitats. The nematofauna of the structurally complex beach was more diverse than the one from a homogeneous beach nearby, supporting the hypothesis that structural heterogeneity promotes diversity by compartmentalization and highlighting the importance of microhabitats in the assessment of biodiversity. Contrary to previous predictions, our results indicate potentially high regional marine nematode diversity in the Upper Gulf of California.     

Community structure and vertical distribution of cyclopoid copepods in the Red Sea

The species abundance, vertical distribution and diurnal vertical migration of cyclopoid copepods was analyzed in the central Red Sea in October–November 1980. Samples were taken to a depth of 450 m with a multiple opening — closing plankton net with 0.1-mm mesh-size. Selected important species were allocated to five different groups according to their depth distributions during daytime. The greatest number of species (9) was found in the lower epipelagic zone (40 to 100 m), below the strong seasonal thermocline. The lowest number of species (1) occurred in the upper part of the upper mesopelagic zone (100 to 250 m), which is characterized by a strong dissolved oxygen gradient. Five species had a bimodal vertical distribution, with dual peak abundances in the epipelagic and upper mesopelagic zones. Distinct differences in distribution patterns were noted between sexes and/or developmental stages. The vertical range of diurnally migrating species was small, usually less than 50 to 100 m. Characteristic diurnal changes in the vertical succession of dominant species occur within the epipelagic zone (0 to 100 m). Species-specific vertical distribution patterns are compared with published data from other areas. A conspicuous difference in the proportion of carcasses was noted between species: small species (<0.5 mm in length) had a much higher proportion of carcasses, usually between 20 and 40% of the total standing stock, than larger ones (<5%). The potential causes of this phenomenon, which may be due to (1) methodological bias, (2) a lower sinking velocity of small carcasses, or (3) a higher mortality rate of small species, are discussed.     

Dynamics of larval fish assemblages over a shallow coral reef in the Florida Keys

Few time series collections have been made of the larval ichthyofauna in waters directly above shallow coral reefs. As a result, relatively little is known regarding the composition and temporal dynamics of larval fish assemblages in shallow-reef waters, particularly those near a major western boundary current. We conducted a series of nightly net tows from a small boat over a shallow reef (Pickles Reef) along the upper Florida Keys during four new moon and three third-quarter moon periods in July (two new moons), August, and September 2000. Replicate tows were made after sunset at 0–1 m and at 4–5 m depth to measure the nightly progression in community composition, differences in depth of occurrence, and abundance and diversity with lunar phase. A total of 66 families was collected over the 3-month period, with a mean (±SE) nightly density of 23.7±2.1 larvae per 100 m ³ and diversity of 24.2±0.9 taxa per tow. A total of 28.8% of the catch was composed of small, schooling fishes in the families Atherinidae, Clupeidae, and Engraulidae. Of the remaining catch, the top ten most abundant families included reef fishes as well as mangrove and oceanic taxa (in descending order): Scaridae, Blennioidei (suborder), Gobiidae, Paralichthyidae, Lutjanidae, Haemulidae, Labridae, Gerreidae (mangrove), Balistidae, and Scombridae (oceanic). These near-reef larval fish assemblages differed substantially from those collected during previous offshore collections. Taxa such as the Haemulidae were collected at a range of sizes and may remain nearshore throughout their larval period. Overall, the abundance and diversity of taxa did not differ with depth (although within-night vertical migration was evident) or with lunar phase. Temporal patterns of abundance of larval fish families clustered into distinct groups that in several cases paralleled family life-history patterns. In late July, a sharp shift in larval assemblages signaled the replacement of oceanic water with inner shelf/bay water. In general, the suite and relative abundance of taxa collected each night differed from those collected on other nights, and assemblages reflected distinct nightly events as opposed to constant or cyclical patterns. Proximity to the Florida Current likely contributes to the dynamic nature of these near-reef larval assemblages. Our results emphasize the uniqueness of near-reef larval fish assemblages and point to the need for further examination of the biophysical relationships generating event-related temporal patterns in these assemblages.     

Depth zonation and metabolic adaptation in Dover sole,Microstomus pacificus,and other deep-living flatfishes: factors that affect the sole

Flatfishes of Monterey Bay, central California, undergo species replacements with increasing depth along a transect from 100 m on the continental shelf down to a depth of 1400 m on the continental slope. The Dover sole, Microstomus pacificus, differs from the other local flatfish species by undergoing an extensive ontogenetic vertical migration, occupying all depth zones at different life stages, and having its maximum spawning biomass in the oxygen minimum zone between 600 and 1000 m. Size-activity relationships and depth-activity relationships for the glycolytic enzyme lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and for two enzymes associated with aerobic metabolism, malate dehydrogenase and citrate synthase (CS), were examined in white-muscle tissue of shallow-living, deep-living and ontogenetically-migrating species. Scaling coefficients (b) for weight-specific enzyme activity (log activity)=a+b (log wet weight), varied in sign as well as magnitude for fishes living at different depths. In the shallow-living California halibut Paralichthys californicus, LDH scaled positively (0.39) and CS scaled negatively (-0.15) with size, a pattern observed previously for most shallow-water fish species. The permanently deep-living species, the deepsea sole Embassichthys bathybius, differed in that both LDH and CS scaled strongly negative (-2.0 and-1.5, respectively). For the ontogenetically migrating Dover sole Microstomus pacificus, there was a shelf-slope transition. For the shelf specimens (200 m), LDH scaled positive (0.11) and CS negative (-0.29) and for the slope specimens (400 m), LDH scaled negative (-0.65) and CS strongly negative (-0.63). Rex sole, Glyptocephalus zachirus, showed a similar shelf-slope transition. Intraspecific depth-enzyme activity differences were not incremental, but changed abruptly between the continental shelf stations (100 to 200 m) and the continental slope (400 to 1400 m). Based on comparisons with laboratory-maintained individuals, the decline in the metabolic capacity of the white muscle of Dover sole is a phenotypic response to the low food and oxygen conditions of the continental slope. Contrary to expectation, anaerobic capacity (LDH activity) decreased in response to low oxygen conditions, suggesting that in a permanently hypoxic environment such as the oxygen minimum zone the metabolic strategy may be to not incur an oxygen debt that would be difficult to pay back.     

Erratum to: Patterns of spatial variability of seagrass epiphytes in the north-west Mediterranean Sea

This study aimed to gain insight on patterns of spatial variability of seagrass epiphytes of both leaves and of rhizomes in three different habitats, continental coasts, offshore banks and islands. Moreover, we tried to discriminate between habitat-dependant variability and scale-dependant variability of Posidonia oceanica epiphytic assemblages. Results showed the absence of significant differences in the structure of assemblages of epiphytes both on leaves and on rhizomes among continental coasts, offshore banks and islands, even if the patterns of spatial variability changed among habitats. In fact, although a high variability at small scales appeared a constant pattern in epiphytic assemblages, large-scale variability resulted higher in continental coasts and offshore banks than in islands. In conclusion, epiphytic assemblages of Posidonia oceanica appear homogeneous among habitats, showing a similar structure and species composition in the same geographic area. On the contrary, differences between meadows appeared linked to local differences in environmental factors that are more evident in habitats influenced by human disturbance. An erratum to this article can be found at     

新疆博格达山北坡表土花粉散布特征

基于博格达山北坡68个表土样品花粉组合特征,对比植物群落样方调查结果,借助聚类分析、主成分分析方法,探讨了表土花粉组合与现代植被分布的关系。研究表明,(1)博格达山北坡表土花粉可划归5个不同植被带,湿度是影响其分布的主要因素,藜科(Chenopodiaceae)、蒿属(Artemisia)、云杉属(Picea)花粉分布受气流影响显著,忽略它们对其他植被带花粉组合的干扰,表土花粉与现代植被分布对应良好。各植被带均有其特有的花粉组合方式,山地荒漠带藜科-蒿属组合占绝对优势,山地草原带演替为蒿属-藜科-禾本科(Poaceae)-蔷薇科(Rosaceae)组合,山地森林带以云杉属-桦木属(Betula)-蒿属-藜科-禾本科为主,高山草甸带以蒿属-云杉属-藜科-莎草科(Cyperaceae)组合为特征,高山垫状植被带表现为蒿属-藜科-蔷薇科-云杉属组合。(2)草本植物花粉含量(62.7%)优势明显,乔、灌木(37.3%)次之。蒿属(23.1%)、藜科(21.5%)、云杉属(18.1%)、莎草科(9.4%)、禾本科(8.6%)、桦木属(5.7%)、蔷薇科(5.3%)等科(属)含量高、变幅大,为最主要的花粉类型,可作为古气候研究的重要依据,藜科、蒿属产量大、易传播,表现出超代表性,云杉属代表性较好,莎草科则受自身结构及保存条件等多重因素影响呈低代表性。(3)蒿属/藜科(A/C)比值不仅能将山地荒漠带、山地草原带区分开,还能指示研究区域湿度变化,古环境重建时可作为区域有效湿度的代用指标。     

Polychaete assemblages along a rocky shore on the South Adriatic coast (Mediterranean Sea): patterns of spatial distribution

This study reports on the distribution of polychaete assemblages along a depth gradient from 5 to 25 m, along a stretch of rocky coast near Otranto (South Adriatic sea, Italy). Three depths were sampled in May and November 2000. At each depth three sites (about 100 m apart) were sampled by scraping off three replicate quadrats of 20×20 cm. The experimental design enabled identification of across- and along-shore spatial patterns of variation of polychaete assemblages. A total of 4,168 specimens, belonging to 152 taxa were collected. Multivariate analysis showed that the polychaete assemblages differed significantly among depths with the clearest differences between the shallowest sites (5 m) and the deeper ones (15–25 m). A considerable source of variation among sites at each level of the shore was also exhibited by the analyses, with the greatest differences among sites within depths recorded at 5 m. The species most contributing to the differentiation of assemblages among depths and sites within each depth were identified. Some potential causes of the observed differences are hypothesized and discussed. The importance of quantitative observation to provide the context for studying the underlying ecological processes is also stressed.Communicated by R. Cattaneo-Vietti, Genova     

Macrozoobenthic community structure in the Ría de Foz,an intertidal estuary (Galicia,Northwest Spain)

The community structure of the macrobenthic (>1 mm) fauna of an intertidal soft-bottom estuary, the Ría de Foz (Galicia, Northwest Spain) was investigated on 99 occasions during June, September and December 1984 and March 1985. The infaunal data were subjected to classification and ordination techniques. The analyses indicated that sediment characteristics (grain size, percentage silt-clay and organic-matter content) and tidal height are the most important factors governing the distribution and abundance of the intertidal communities. Three faunal assemblages were identified and examined in terms of species dominance, constancy and fidelity. In the clean sands of the outer estuary two main assemblages were distinguished; one, corresponding to the boreal LusitanianTellina community, inhabited the middle and lower tidal levels; the other, typical of a biocoenosis of sands and slightly muddy mediolittoral sands, inhabited the upper tidal level. The third benthic assemblage occupied the muddy sands and mud of the inner estuary and displayed some features in common with theCardium edule-Scrobicularia community described by Thorson.     

The distribution of molluscan assemblages and their postmortem fate on coral reefs in the Gulf of Aqaba (northern Red Sea)

Molluscan assemblages were studied on fringing reefs (reef flats, Millepora-fringing reefs, fringing reefs with massive corals) and fore-reef hard substrata (coral patches, coral carpets and small patch reefs) in the Gulf of Aqaba at water depths ranging from the intertidal to 26 m. A total of 1,665 molluscan individuals from 51 taxa was counted on 44 transects, which covered 220 m2 at eight diving sites. The most important molluscs in the assemblage were the parasitic gastropod Coralliophila neritoidea, the encrusting gastropod Dendropoma maxima and the coral-associated bivalve Pedum spondyloideum. The dead assemblage, in contrast, was dominated by encrusting bivalves (Ostreoidea, Chamoidea, Spondylidae) and the coral-predating gastropod Drupella cornus. Distinct molluscan assemblages inhabit each of the three fringing reef-habitats and most of the important depth-related community changes occurred within the uppermost 5 m. In contrast, the three deeper fore-reef habitats are characterized by a more uniform molluscan composition. Molluscan assemblages were more dependent on substrata and their coral associations than on water depth. Comparisons with other published studies indicate that reefoidal hard substrata in the northern Red Sea are largely characterized by similar species-abundance patterns. The minor differences to other Red Sea studies probably reflect the northern, isolated position of the Gulf of Aqaba, the lack of certain molluscan habitats, and the differential impact of anthropogenic influences. Strong differences between living and dead assemblages in Aqaba are similar to those observed in other regions and are due to distinct biases in the dead assemblage. Molluscs closely associated with living corals (mostly bivalves and Dendropoma) can easily be overgrown after death and are thus undetectable in visual censuses. Some gastropod taxa are preferentially transported into surrounding soft-substrata postmortem or redistributed by hermit crabs. Such complex relationships between ecology and taphonomy are crucial in evaluating the quality of the molluscan fossil record in coral reef environments. The comparison of our results with literature data documents an increase in coral predators during the last two decades in the northern Red Sea. Due to the greater mollusc biodiversity in the shallower Aqaba reef habitats, damage to this coral reef zone would have the greatest impact on the overall mollusc community.