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1.
Sediment samples were collected in the intertidal zone of the Dagu River Estuary, Jiaozhou Bay, China in April,July and October 2010 and February 2011 for examining seasonal dynamics of meiofaunal distribution and their relationship with environmental variables. A total of ten meiofaunal taxa were identified, including free-living marine nematodes, benthic copepods, polychaetes, oligochaetes, bivalves, ostracods, cnidarians, turbellarians,tardigrades and other animals. Free-living marine nematodes were the most dominant group in both abundance and biomass. The abundances of marine nematodes were higher in winter and spring than those in summer and autumn. Most of the meiofauna distributed in the 0–2 cm sediment layer. The abundance of meiofauna in hightidal zone was lower than those in low-tidal and mid-tidal zones. Results of correlation analysis showed that Chlorophyll a was the most important factor to influence the seasonal dynamics of the abundance, biomass of meiofauna and abundances of nematodes and copepods. CLUSTER analysis divided the meiofaunal assemblages into three groups and BIOENV results indicated that salinity, concentration of organic matter, sediment sorting coefficient and sediment median diameter were the main environmental factors influencing the meiofaunal assemblages. 相似文献
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Jeffrey G. Baguley Paul A. Montagna Larry J. Hyde Gilbert T. Rowe 《Deep Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography》2008,55(24-26):2607
Metazoan meiofauna are ubiquitous in marine soft sediments and play a pivotal role in diagenesis of particulate organic matter. However, the relative importance of meiofauna to the function of deep-sea benthic boundary layer communities has not been resolved. Here, meiofauna biomass, respiration, and grazing on aerobic heterotrophic bacteria were estimated and compared to standing stocks and fluxes of other benthic components (e.g., bacteria and macrofauna). Biomass and respiration declined with depth. Highest biomass and respiration occurred in the proximity of the Mississippi River on the upper continental slope of the central Gulf of Mexico. Meiofauna required 7% of their biomass per day to meet their metabolic energy budget, compared to approximately 24% day−1 in shallow water. Respiration accounted for 8–22% of whole sediment community respiration (SCOC), reflecting the importance of meiofauna in diagenesis, deep-sea carbon budgets, and global biogeochemical cycles. 相似文献
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根据2006年7月13日至8月30日在长江口及邻近陆架海区采集的小型底栖动物样品,对小型底栖动物类群组成,丰度、生物量的水平分布和垂直分布以及调查海区的环境因子进行了研究。结果表明：研究海域小型底栖动物有线虫、桡足类、多毛类、寡毛类、介形类、螨类、双壳类、腹毛类、动吻类、端足类和等足类等11个类群及无节幼体等。平均丰度为453.22±355.34 ind/10 cm2,最优势类群为线虫,占小型底栖动物总丰度的81.37%,次优势类群分别为底栖桡足类和多毛类,分别占小型底栖动物总丰度的10.13%和2.96%。平均生物量为622.65±505.07 μg/10 cm2,生物量占比最高的类群为多毛类,占总生物量的30.21%,其次分别为线虫和寡毛类,分别占小型底栖动物总生物量的23.69%和19.44%。水平分布上,从河口冲淡水区到东海陆架深水区,小型底栖生物丰度呈现由低到高的变化趋势,杭州湾小型底栖动物丰度为240.96±223.47 ind/10 cm2,长江口近岸区为442.91±304.16 ind/10 cm2,东海陆架深水区为865.42±553.88 ind/10 cm2。垂直分布上,小型底栖动物主要分布在0~2 cm层,丰度为290.28±250.03 ind/10 cm2;其次是2~5 cm层,丰度为132.81±128.74 ind/10 cm2;5~10 cm层分布最少,丰度为30.14±31.91 ind/10 cm2。其中线虫、多毛类、寡毛类与桡足类等主要类群的垂直分布与总分布趋势相同。与环境因子进行相关分析表明,调查海区小型底栖动物的丰度主要与水深、盐度和溶解氧显著相关,对小型底栖动物分布影响最大的环境因子组合为溶解氧和盐度。 相似文献
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为研究南黄海小型底栖动物的空间分布格局及其环境影响因素,于2020年8月（夏季）和11月（秋季）对南黄海进行了两个航次的野外观测和采样,对小型底栖动物的类群组成、丰度、生物量、垂直分布、群落结构及其与环境因子的关系进行了研究。结果显示,共鉴定出小型底栖动物类群15个,其中自由生活海洋线虫为最优势类群,在两个航次中分别占小型底栖动物总丰度的75.6%和84.6%。其他较重要的类群还包括底栖桡足类、轮虫类和枝角类等。夏季和秋季小型底栖动物的平均丰度分别为（514.9±32.1）ind./(10 cm2) 和（350.8±30.7）ind./(10 cm2),平均生物量（干质量）分别为（651.7±98.0）μg/(10 cm2)和（589.2±37.1）μg/(10 cm2)。小型底栖动物在时空分布上存在差异。在季节分布上,小型底栖动物丰度和类群组成存在极显著差异。结合环境因子分析结果可知,沉积物中值粒径是引起差异的主要环境因子。在空间分布上,夏季小型底栖动物丰度和类群组成在不同水深间存在极显著差异,秋季小型底栖动物丰度和类群组成在不同水深间差异不显著。推测黄海冷水团是影响夏季小型底栖动物空间分布差异的主要因素。本研究中小型底栖动物的数量和类群多样性相较于国内其他对南黄海小型底栖动物的研究较低,其中沉积物叶绿素a含量及有机质含量是引起南黄海小型底栖动物丰度变化的重要因素。海洋线虫与桡足类的丰度比值（N/C比值）评估显示秋季该区域存在有机污染,这一结果与应用大型底栖动物对同一区域进行环境评价的结果不一致,对于应用N/C比值评价环境质量还需要进一步的研究。 相似文献
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Dingyong Huang Jianjia Wang Qianhui Zeng Jiaguang Xiao Peng Tian Sujing Fu Feng Guo Wentao Niu 《海洋学报(英文版)》2021,40(6):83-91
Sediment core samples were collected from 17 stations in the middle and eastern Chukchi Sea during the sixth Chinese National Arctic Research Expedition(CHINARE-Arctic) in summer 2014.The samples were analyzed for composition,abundance,biomass,vertical distribution,size spectra,and ecological indexes of meiofauna.A total of 14 meiofauna taxa were detected,and the free-living marine nematodes comprised the most dominant taxon,accounting for 97.21% of the average abundance.The abundance and biomass of meiofauna were within ranges of(218.12±85.83)-(7 239.38±1 557.15) ind./(10 cm~2) and(130.28±52.17)-(3 309.56±1 751.80) μg/(10 cm~2),with average values of(2 391.90±1 966.19) ind./(10 cm~2) and(1 549.73±2 042.85) μg/(10 cm~2)(according to dry weight)respectively.Furthermore,91.26% of the individuals were distributed in the top layer of 0-5 cm of surface sediment,and 90.84% had sizes of 32-250 μm.Group diversity index of meiofauna in the survey area was low,and the variation of abundance was the main difference in meiofauna communities among all stations.Abundance and biomass of meiofauna were not significantly correlated with environmental factors except concentration of nutrient Si in bottom seawater.Abundance of meiofauna in shallow water of marginal seas in the Pacific sector of the Arctic Ocean is likely at a same level and higher than that in most of China sea areas,suggesting that the shallow water of the summer Chukchi Sea is a continental shelf area with rich resources of meiofauna.The Chukchi Sea is important for studying the ecosystem of the Arctic Ocean and environmental responses.However,studies on meiofauna in the Chukchi Sea are still not enough,and in the future,natural and human disturbances may increase due to global warming,the Arctic channel opening,and other factors.Thus,more studies on meiofauna should be required,in order to know more about how the Arctic benthic community would alter. 相似文献
7.
东海北部小型底栖动物群落对径流及黑潮暖流入侵的响应 总被引：1，自引：1，他引：0
为探究小型底栖动物群落在东海北部及其临近海域的分布规律，及其对环境因子的响应，于2016年9月和12月，对研究海域共计20个站位的小型底栖动物和环境因子进行了取样调查。调查结果显示，研究海域内共鉴定出小型底栖动物类群16个，其中海洋线虫为绝对优势类群，其他优势类群主要包括桡足类、动吻类和多毛类。9月航次小型底栖动物平均丰度为(1 758±759)个/（10 cm2），线虫占95.6%；平均生物量为(1 216.4±464.7) μg/(10 cm2)(干重)，线虫占55.26%。12月航次平均丰度为(2 011±1 471)个/(10 cm2)，线虫占95.6%；平均生物量为(1 143.0±755.0)μg/(10 cm2)(干重)，线虫占67.28%。聚类分析结果显示，小型底栖动物群落主要可以划分为近岸和外海两个组，其中近岸组小型底栖动物丰度显著高于外海站位。但在各断面分布上，绝大多数站位小型底栖动物丰度最高值均出现在60 m等深线附近，并且该水深处站位的温度和盐度数值均表现出黑潮水的特征。黑潮近岸分支对东海陆架入侵是导致小型底栖动物分布差异的重要原因，小型底栖动物在60 m等深线附近具有的高丰度值可作为其对黑潮入侵的响应。推测，黑潮入侵所导致的水体初级生产力增加以及黑潮水所携带的溶氧可能是导致该深度处小型底栖动物丰度增加的主要原因。 相似文献
8.
《Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science》2005,62(1-2):325-338
One hundred and eighty-four of the 250 estuaries in South Africa are currently classified as temporarily open/closed and close off from the sea during the dry season, under low river inflow. The subtropical Mdloti Estuary, on the KwaZulu-Natal north coast, is one of these systems and hardly any information is available on its meiofauna. The abundance, biomass, composition, and grazing impact of meiofauna, as well as the key environmental factors that affect these variables, were investigated with emphasis on the contrast between open and closed phases of the estuary. Microphytobenthic chlorophyll a concentrations varied between 1.4 to 480 mg m−2. Meiofauna were composed of nematodes, harpacticoid copepods, crustacean nauplii, mites, turbellarians, polychaetes, oligochaetes, ostracods and chironomids. Total abundance of meiofauna showed large variability both spatially and temporally and ranged from 0.4 to 88×104 ind. m−2. Nematodes, mites and harpacticoid copepods occurred more often than other groups in the sediment. Total meiofauna carbon biomass exhibited similar temporal as well as spatial patterns as abundance and varied from 0.5 to 440 mg C m−2. A carbon-based grazing model, applied to the total meiofauna, provided estimates of potential daily ingestion rates ranging from 1.8 to 857 mg C m−2. Nematodes, mites and harpacticoid copepods contributed the most to the total potential daily ingestion rate of meiofauna in the Mdloti Estuary. Potential ingestion rates, determined using allometric equations, showed that meiofauna consumed from 0.1 to 254% of the microphytobenthic standing stock. Overall, meiofauna were likely not food limited and grazing on microphytobenthos was low, averaging 11% for the whole survey. A principal component analysis, applied to the whole study area and sampling period, indicated that major variations in meiofaunal community are mainly controlled by temperature and the state of the estuary's mouth (i.e. open/closed). Typically, meiofauna abundance in the estuary peaked after periods of prolonged mouth closure and decreased dramatically after the breaching of the estuary at the mouth. 相似文献
9.
Spatial and ecologic distribution of neglected microinvertebrate communities across endangered ecosystems: meiofauna in Bali (Indonesia) 
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下载免费PDF全文 Francesca Leasi Camille Gaynus Angka Mahardini Tiara N. Moore Jon L. Norenburg Paul H. Barber 《Marine Ecology》2016,37(5):970-987
Biodiversity estimations, particularly in vulnerable tropical regions, are essential to understanding ecosystem structure, function and conservation. While threats to marine and terrestrial ecosystems have fueled increased interest in biodiversity research, information on meiofauna, a key trophic and ecologic community of microscopic organisms that lives within sediments, is still lacking. Here we report the results of a faunistic investigation conducted in Bali, Indonesia. The results reveal that the biodiversity of marine meiofauna in Bali is very high. Meiofauna from coral reefs, sand flats and seagrass beds differed significantly in abundance and diversity. Nonetheless, overall community compositions show that meiofauna communities are affected by environmental variables. The high meiofaunal diversity observed in Bali, a low diversity region of the Coral Triangle, indicates the importance of further meiofaunal research across this region and across a broader diversity of habitats. The data presented provide an important baseline for future studies on biodiversity conservation in the face of environmental changes due to anthropogenic impacts and/or natural events. 相似文献
10.
Meiofauna distributions at the oxygen minimum zone in Changjiang (Yangtze) River Estuary waters 总被引：3，自引：1，他引：3
1 IntroductionOxygen minimum zone (OMZ) is a midwaterregion in the open ocean where dissolved oxygen con-centrations fall below 0.5 ml/L (0.714 mg/dm3,Kamykowski and Zentara, 1990; Levin et al.,1991). It results from the biological oxygen demandand is wel… 相似文献
11.
Abundance and biomass of meiobenthos in the spawning ground of anchovy (Engraulis japanicus) in the southern Huanghai Sea 总被引：3，自引：0，他引：3
1 Introduction Meiofauna is an important group in benthic small food web energetically due to their small size, high abundance and fast turnover rates. The production of meiofauna is equal to or higher than that of macrofau- na in estuaries, shallow waters and deep sea (Gerlach, 1971; Platt and Warwick, 1980; Heip et al., 1985; Zhang et al., 2004). A role of meiofauna may be the recycling of nutrients. Marine nematodes may keep the bacterial colonies on sand grains in active phase of growth … 相似文献
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于2008年7、10月,2009年1、4月对青岛沧口潮间带进行了小型底栖生物调查。结果表明,小型底栖生物的年平均丰度为(936.02±565.31)ind.10cm-2,平均生物量为(561.89±322.57)μg.10cm-2(干重)。共鉴定出10个类群,线虫在丰度上占绝对优势(95.41%),按生物量,线虫占63.58%,多毛类居次,占13.21%。丰度有潮区差异,生物量呈现季节和潮区差异。在垂直分布上,表层0～4层分布最多(42.57%),向深层呈现递减趋势,并且垂直分布表现出季节变化。高潮带春季表层的小型底栖动物数量百分比最高,冬季表层的数量百分比显著的低于其他3个季节。相反,中潮带冬季表层数量百分比却明显高于其他3个季节。Pearson相关分析未表明小型底栖生物总丰度和环境因子的显著相关。但对各层的小型底栖生物丰度和环境因子的Pearson相关分析表明,0～4cm的小型底栖生物丰度和叶绿素及中值粒径显著相关,8～12cm的小型底栖生物丰度和中值粒径显著相关。BIOENV分析表明,能够解释小型底栖动物空间分布的的最佳环境因子组合为有机质、中值粒径和含沙量。 相似文献
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为探究莱州湾和牟平近海小型底栖生物群落组成及影响因子,作者于2016年7月在这两个海域采集了沉积物样品,并结合沉积环境因子进行了小型底栖生物群落组成分析。结果表明,在莱州湾和牟平近海各仅检获了7个小型底栖生物类群,且莱州湾的小型底栖生物平均丰度和生物量均明显低于牟平近岸海域。莱州湾线虫和桡足类平均丰度分别占小型底栖生物的91.9%和6.3%,牟平近海分别占92.1%和4.2%。对两个海域小型底栖生物群落组成与环境因子进行Pearson相关性分析,结果显示:小型底栖生物丰度与底层水溶解氧含量呈显著正相关;表层小型底栖生物丰度比与沉积物中叶绿素a含量、脱镁叶绿素含量、沉积物有机质含量以及水深呈显著正相关,与中值粒径和底层水温度呈显著负相关。本研究显示,基于不同沉积物类型中的参考比值,线虫和桡足类丰度比值(N/C)可用于莱州湾和牟平近海沉积环境有机污染状况的评估。研究还发现,牟平海域的小型底栖生物丰度和生物量呈现由近岸向外海增加的异常趋势,且小型底栖生物的数量和类群多样性较十年前显著降低,显示沉积环境受到了明显干扰。 相似文献
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“大洋一号”调查船于2011年5—6月在南大西洋中脊14°S附近进行了7个站位的小型底栖生物采样。共鉴定出小型底栖生物10个类群。小型底栖生物平均丰度为(60.63±54.77) ind/10 cm2,平均干重生物量为(9.42±8.92) μg/10 cm2。线虫是其中的优势类群,丰度为(47.42±47.99)ind/10 cm2,占总丰度的78.21%,另外,肉鞭动物和桡足类分别占总丰度的16.63%和3.91%。生物量前3位的类群依次为桡足类、线虫和肉鞭动物。小型底栖生物密度随沉积物深度增加而减少,约73.55%的生物丰度分布在0～2 cm层内。个体大小方面,有75.32%的小型底栖生物粒径处于32～125 μm范围内。 相似文献
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Bathymetric patterns of meiofaunal abundance and biomass associated with the Kuril and Ryukyu trenches, western North Pacific Ocean 总被引：2，自引：0，他引：2
Makoto Itoh Kiichiro KawamuraTomo Kitahashi Shigeaki KojimaHideki Katagiri Motohiro Shimanaga 《Deep Sea Research Part I: Oceanographic Research Papers》2011,58(1):86-97
The abundance and biomass of metazoan meiofauna and their relationships with environmental factors [chloroplastic pigment equivalents (CPE) and sediment characteristics] were studied quantitatively around and within the Kuril Trench (560-7090 m) and the Ryukyu Trench (1290-7150 m), which are located in eutrophic and oligotrophic regions, respectively, of the western North Pacific. Faunal abundance and biomass, as well as the CPE content of sediments, were considerably higher in the Kuril region than in the Ryukyu region. In both cases, CPE tended to decrease with water depth, but relatively high values were found in the deepest areas, suggesting that organic matter has accumulated in both trenches. Meiofaunal abundance and biomass were lower than expected from sediment CPE values at hadal stations below 6000 m. Differences in the density and biomass of meiofauna between these two trenches appeared to reflect differences in overall ocean productivity above them. When the analysis was restricted to each region, however, no association was found between the abundance and biomass of meiofauna and food availability. Furthermore, the factors regulating the bathymetric patterns in these meiofaunal parameters appeared to differ between the two trenches. 相似文献
16.
Paul A. Montagna Bruce C. Coull Teresa L. Herring Bettye W. Dudley 《Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science》1983,17(4):381-394
Samples were taken bi-weekly for one year at a sand site and a mud site in the North Inlet Estuary, Georgetown, South Carolina, for meiofauna, their suspected microbial food (bacteria and diatoms), and associated physical factors. Linear regression techniques were used to correlate food abundance and physical factors with the density of meiofaunal taxa. At both sites diatoms positively correlated with meiofauna taxa, but bacteria did not. Physical factors were not correlated with meiofaunal or microbial abundances at the sand site. Whereas, at the mud site meiofauna and diatom abundances were positively correlated with the depth of the redox layer and inversely correlated with temperature. Peaks of meiofaunal abundance did not follow peaks of food abundance. Analysis of copepods at the species level indicated that taxa response was due to the response of the dominant species. Even though some correlations existed, this study suggests that copepod species and meiofauna at the gross taxonomic level do not respond to changes in potential food abundance. Physical factors apparently influence both meiofauna and diatoms in the same fashion. However, bacterial abundance was not positively correlated with any of the factors studied. 相似文献
17.
辽河口邻近海域小型底栖生物的空间分布及季节变化 总被引：2，自引：1，他引：1
本文研究了辽河口邻近海域2013年8月、10月和2014年5月3个航次小型底栖生物的种类及其空间分布,分析了小型底栖生物丰度和生物量的季节变化。结果表明,3个航次（夏季、秋季和春季）小型底栖生物的平均丰度分别为（264±83） ind/（10 cm2）、（216±85） ind/（10 cm2）和（227±67） ind/（10 cm2）,平均生物量分别为（272±125）μg/（10 cm2）、（207±89）μg/（10 cm2）和（244±103）μg/（10 cm2）。与其他研究海域相比,辽河口小型底栖的丰度和生物量处于较低水平。共鉴定出了14个小型生物类群,按照丰度排序,线虫是最优势的类群,夏季、秋季和春季3个航次占总丰度的比例分别为94.0%、92.5%和90.8%;其他优势类群为多毛类、桡足类和双壳类。小型底栖生物量的优势类群则为多毛类（41.1%~44.0%）,高于线虫（33.8%~36.5%）,其次是双壳类（2.6%~6.7%）。水平分布的研究表明,调查海域近岸入海口小型底栖生物的丰度和生物量普遍低于近海海域,但是秋季时近岸分布与近海差距不大。垂直分布的研究表明,95.9%的小型底栖生物分布于0~5 cm的表层沉积物中。小型底栖生物的丰度和生物量在夏季时都达到高峰值。与环境因子的相关分析表明,小型底栖生物的数量分布与盐度和水深呈极显著正相关（P<0.01）,与叶绿素a呈显著正相关（P<0.05）。 相似文献
18.
Sublittoral meiofauna with particular reference to nematodes in the southern Yellow Sea, China 总被引：6，自引：0，他引：6
Densities of major meiofaunal taxa were investigated at 34 sampling stations during six cruises by R/V Beidou to the southern Yellow Sea, China from 2000 to 2004, and the community structure of free-living marine nematodes was studied during one of the cruises in 2003. Meiofauna abundance ranged from 487.4 to 1655.3 individuals per 10 cm2. Nematodes and harpacticoid copepods were the two most dominant groups, contributing 73.8–92.8% and 3.5–18.7%, respectively, to the total meiofauna abundance. One-way ANOVA showed no significant annual fluctuation of meiofauna and nematode abundances from 2000 to 2004 in the southern Yellow Sea. However, two-way ANOVA based on six stations sampled in 4 years (2001–2004) showed that there were significant differences among the six stations and the 4 sampling years for meiofauna, nematode and copepod abundance. Correlation analysis demonstrated that meiofauna abundance was mainly linked to chloroplastic pigments. Other environmental factors could not be ruled out, however. A total of 232 free-living marine nematode species, belonging to 149 genera, 35 families and 4 orders, were identified. The dominant species in the sampling area were the following: Dorylaimopsis rabalaisi, Microlaimus sp.1, Prochromadorella sp., Promonohystera sp., Cobbia sp.1, Daptonema sp.1, Leptolaimus sp.1, Halalaimus sp.2, Aegialoalaimus sp., Chromadorita sp., Parodontophora marina, Parasphaerolaimus paradoxus, Quadricoma sp.1, Campylaimus sp.1, Halalaimus gracilis, Paramesacanthion sp.1, Paramonohystera sp.1, and Metalinhomoeus longiseta. CLUSTER and SIMPROF analyses revealed three main types of nematode community (or station groups) in the sampling area, including I: coastal community, II: transitory community between coastal and YSCWM (Yellow Sea Cold Water Mass), and III: YSCWM community. Each community was indicated by a number of dominant nematode species. Bio-Env correlation analysis between the nematode community and environmental variables showed that water depth, sediment water content, organic matter, chlorophyll a (Chl-a) and phaeophorbide a (Pha-a) were the most important factors to determine the community structure. 相似文献
19.
天津近海小型底栖动物丰度研究 总被引：6，自引：1，他引：5
2006年7月至2007年10月在渤海湾天津近海的15个站位,分春、夏、秋、冬4个航次进行了小型底栖动物丰度的调查.通过对未受扰动沉积物样品中的生物分析,共采集到线虫、桡足类、多毛类、介形类、寡毛类、双壳类、动吻类等小型底栖动物类群和少量未鉴定实体,其中线虫为优势类群,占总丰度的90%以上.调查海域小型底栖动物丰度春、夏、秋、冬依次为(405.4±154.8)ind/10cm2,(417.6±38.6)imd/10 cm2,(161.6±64.5)ind/10cm2和204.7±69.7ind/10 cm2,区内的分布以中部海域居多.小型底栖动物丰度值存在季节变化,春季和夏季平均丰度值较高,夏季略高于春季;秋冬季值偏低.小型底柄动物多分布于沉积物0～5 cm层次,占总量的85.9%～92.9%.春季和秋季的小型底栖动物丰度值与沉积物叶绿素a含量显著相关.与我国近海海域研究资料比较显示,目前渤海湾天津近海小型底栖动物丰度值略低. 相似文献
20.
Rodrigo Riera Fernando Tuya Alicia Sacramento Eva Ramos Myriam Rodríguez Óscar Monterroso 《Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science》2011
Desalination plants generate notable (>1,000 s m3) quantities of hypersaline brine which potentially affect the biological communities in the receiving area. We assessed whether proximity to a brine discharge point located off Gran Canaria (Canary Islands, eastern Atlantic) altered patterns in the abundance and assemblage structure of subtidal, soft-bottom, meiofauna. Samples were collected twice (May 2008 and January 2009) at 0, 15 and 30 m away from the brine discharge point, corresponding to a change in salinity from 45 to 36. Proximity to the brine discharge point affected overall meiofaunal abundances: lowest abundances were observed at 0 m (64.55 ± 39.86 ind 10 cm−2, mean ± SD) than at 15 (210.49 ± 121.01 ind 10 cm−2) and 30 m (361.88 ± 102.64 ind 10 cm−2) away from the brine discharge point. This pattern was particularly notable for the most conspicuous meiofaunal groups: nematodes and copepods, and meiofaunal assemblage structure also differed with varying proximity to the brine discharge point. Although multivariate techniques identified changes in salinity as a relevant driver of patterns in meiofaunal assemblage structure with varying proximity to the brine outfall, a shift in particle size composition between May 2008 and January 2009 also contributed to explain differences in meiofaunal abundances and assemblage structure with varying proximity to the brine discharge point. Hence, meiofauna can be considered a suitable tool to monitor environmental impacts derived from the discharge of hypersaline effluents on subtidal, soft-bottom, assemblages if potential confounding drivers, i.e. here temporal changes in particle size composition, are accounted for to avoid possible confusing interpretations. 相似文献