Macrobenthic communities in a temperate urban estuary of high dominance and low diversity: Montevideo Bay (Uruguay).
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.37543/oceanides.v30i1.141Keywords:
Macrobenthic communities, soft-bottom, estuary, Montevideo bay, Río de la PlataAbstract
The macrobenthic subtidal community was studied between April 1997 and April 1998 in Montevideo bay, an urban estuary located in the fluvio marine system of the Río de la Plata (Uruguay) that receives a variety of industrial and sewage inputs. Monthly surveys were carried out at ten sampling stations where sediment samples were taken with a manual corer and analysed for granulometric parameters, organic matter content, chlorophyll a and phaeopigments content, redox potential, and macrobenthic fauna. The area presented high organic matter content in its sediments and several regions of the bottom were anoxic during a large part of the sampling period. The benthic macrofauna was dominated, both in numbers as well as in biomass, by the small surface deposit-feeder gastropod Heleobia cf. australis. Cluster analysis, Multidimensional Scaling and Canonical Correspondence Analysis revealed that the study area could be divided in two well-defined regions with different environmental characteristics and different faunal composition. The dissolved oxygen content in the bottom water and variables related to it were the most important factors in explaining the patterns of the benthic communities. At the phylum level, the meta-analysis of “production” showed a high disturbance status for all stations. The inner
region, the most affected by anthropogenic activities, was the most compromised environmentally and biologically, and was characterised by a very low diversity and abundance, reduced conditions in the sediments and low oxygenated bottom water. In more external places of the bay, on the other hand, perhaps due to their location at a greater distance from the sources of organic material and in a region with higher hydrodynamic energy, the conditions for the development of benthic fauna were more favourable. Spatial and temporal faunistic patterns observed and their possible causes are analysed and discussed in relation to the natural and anthropogenic factors that act in this coastal ecosystem.
Downloads
References
Amaral, A.C.Z., E.H. Morgado & L.B. Salvador. 1998. Poliquetas Bioindicadores de Poluição Orgânica em Praias Paulistas. Revista Brasileira de Biologia, 58: 307-316.
Arasaki, E., P. Muniz & A.M.S. Pires-Vanin .2004. A functional analysis o the enthic macrofauna of the São Sebastião Channel (southeastern Brazil). Marine Ecology, 25: 249 -263 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1439-0485.2004.00032.x
Benvenuti, C.E., 1997. Benthic invertebrates, 43-46. In: Subtropical convergence marine ecosystem. The coast and the sea in the warm temperate southwestern atlantic, (ed.) U. Seeliger, C. Odebrecht and J.P. Castello, New York: Springer Verlag, Heidelberg.
Bray, J.R. & J.T. Curtis. 1957. An ordination of the upland forest communities in southern Wisconsin. Ecological Monographs, 27,:325-349. https://doi.org/10.2307/1942268
Byers, S.C., E.L. Mills & P.L. Stewart. 1978. A comparison of methods to determining organic carbon in marine sediments, with suggestion for a standard method. Hydrobiologia, 58, 43-57. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00018894
Clarke, K.R. & M. Ainsworth: 1993. A method of linking multivariate community structure to environmental variables. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 92: 205-219. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps092205
Danulat, E., P. Muniz, J. García-Alonso & B. Yannicelli. 2002. First assessment of the highly contaminated harbour of Montevideo, Uruguay. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 44: 554 -565. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0025-326X(02)00086-3
Dauer, D.M., 1993. Biological criteria, environmen tal health and estuarine macrobenthic community structure. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 26:249-257. https://doi.org/10.1016/0025-326X(93)90063-P
Dauer, D.M. & W.G. Conner. 1980. Effects of moderate sewage input on benthic polychaete populations. Estuarine and Marine Sciences, 10:335-346. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0302-3524(80)80106-X
Demicheli, M.A., 1984. Estudios exploratorios del infralitoral de las playas arenosas uruguayas. I. Playa Portezuelo. Comunicaciones de la Sociedad Malacológica del Uruguay, 6 (47): 235-249.
Demicheli, M.A., 1986. Estudios exploratorios del infralitoral de las playas arenosas uruguayas. II. Datos complementarios sobre Playa Portezuelo. Comunicaciones de la Sociedad Malacológica del Uruguay, 6(48): 287-290.
Etter, R.J. & J.F. Grassle. 1992. Patterns of species diversity in the deep sea as a function of sediment particle size diversity. Nature, 360: 609-610. https://doi.org/10.1038/360576a0
Folk, R.L. & W. C. Ward. 1957. Brazos River bar: a study of the significance of grain size parameters. Journal of sedimentary Petrology, 27: 3-26. https://doi.org/10.1306/74D70646-2B21-11D7-8648000102C1865D
Framiñan, M.B. & O. B. Brown. 1996. Study of the Río de la Plata turbidity front, Part I: spatial and temporal distribution. Continental Shelf Research, 16: 1259-1282. https://doi.org/10.1016/0278-4343(95)00071-2
García-Rodríguez, F., M. Hutton, E. Brugnoli, N. Venturini, L. Del Puerto, H. Inda, R. Bracco, L. Burone & P. Muniz. 2010. Assessing the effect of natural variability and human impacts on the environmental quality of a coastal metropolitan area (Montevideo, Bay, Uruguay). Pan-American Journal of Aquatic Sciences, 5: 90-99.
Gauch, H.G. 1982. Multivariate analysis in community ecology Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511623332
Grasshoff, K. 1983. Determination of oxygen. In Methods of seawater analysis, (.ed.) K. Grasshoff, M. Ehrjardt & K.V. Kremling Weinheim. Verlag Chemie.
Gray, J.S., 1979. Pollution-induced changes in populations. Phil Trans R Soc Lond B, 286:545-561. https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.1979.0045
Guerrero, R.A., E.M. Acha, M. B. Framiñan & C.A. Lasta. 1997. Physical oceanography of the Río de la Plata estuary, Argentina. Continental Shelf Research, 17:727-742. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0278-4343(96)00061-1
Heip, C. 1992. Benthic studies: summary and con clusions. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 91:265-269. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps091265
Ieno, E.N. & R. O. Bastida. 1998. Spatial and temporal patterns in coastal macrobenthos of Samborombon Bay, Argentina: a case of study of very low diversity. Estuaries, 21(4B): 690-699. https://doi.org/10.2307/1353273
Ieno, E.N. & E. Elias. 1995. Studies on a southern polychaete Capitellidae Heteromastus similis Southern, 1921 in Mar Chiquita brackish coastal lagoon, Argentina. Nerítica, 9:23-32.
Kruskal, J.B. & M. Wish. 1978. Multidimensional Scaling. Beverly Hills: California Sage Publications. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781412985130
López-Jamar, E., 1985. Distribución espacial del poliqueto Spiochaetopterus costarum en las Rías Bajas de Galicia y su posible utilización como indicador de contaminación orgánica en el sedimento. Boletín del Instituto Español de Oceanografía, 2: 68-76.
Lorenzen, C.J., 1967. Determination of chlorophill and pheopigments: Spectrophotometric equations. Limnology and Oceanography, 12: 343- 346. https://doi.org/10.4319/lo.1967.12.2.0343
Méndez, N., J. Flos & J. Romero. 1998. Littoral soft-bottom polychaete communities in a pollution gradient in front of barcelona (western Mediterranean, Spain). Bulletin of marine Science, 63:167-178.
Moresco, H. & I. Dol. 1996. Metales en sedimentos de la Bahía de Montevideo. Revista Asociación Ciencias Naturales del Litoral, 27:1-5. https://doi.org/10.14409/natura.v1i27.3669
Morrisey, D.J., A.J. Underwood, L. Howitt & J.S. Stark. 1992a. Temporal variation in soft-sediment benthos. Journal Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 164:233-245. https://doi.org/10.1016/0022-0981(92)90177-C
Morrisey, D.J., L. Howitt, A.J. Underwood & J.S. Stark. 1992b. Spatial variation in soft-sediment benthos. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 81: 197-204. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps081197
Muniz, P., N. Venturini & A. Martínez. 2002. Physico-chemical characteristics and pollutants of the benthic environment in the Montevideo coastal zone, Uruguay. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 44:962-968. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0025-326X(02)00111-X
Muniz, P., E. Danulat, B. Yannicelli, J. García-Alonso, G. Medina & M. Bícego. 2004. Assessment of contamination by heavy metals and petroleum hydrocarbons in sediments of Montevideo harbour (Uruguay). Environment International, 29:1019-1028. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0160-4120(03)00096-5
Muniz, P & N. Venturini. 2011. Environmental conditions in the coast of Montevideo, Uruguay: historical aspects, present status and perspectives of habitat degradation and uses. Encyclopedia of Environmental health. v.: 5, 1, p.: 590 - 601. Jerome Nriagu (Ed.) Editorial: Elsevier B.V, Amsterdan. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-444-52272-6.00660-7
Muniz, P., N. Venturini, M. Hutton, N. Kandratavicius, A. Pita, E. Brugnoli, L. Burone & F. García-Rodríguez. 2011. Ecosystem health of Montevideo coastal zone: a multi approach using some different benthic indicators to improve a ten-year-ago assessment. Journal of Sea Research, 65: 38-50. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.seares.2010.07.001
Muniz, P., P. Lana, N. Venturini, R. Elías, E. Vallarino, C. Bremec, C. Martins, L. Sandrini Neto. 2013. Un manual de protocolos para evaluar la contaminación marina por efluentes domésticos. Vol. 1, 129pp. Editorial: UdelaR, Montevideo.
Nielsen, E.M. & C.C.E. Hopkins. 1992. Regional variability in fish-prawn communities and catches in the Barents Sea, and their relationship to the environment. ICES marine Science Symposium, 195: 331-348.
Olivier, S.R., A. Escofet, P. Penchaszadeh & J. M. Orensanz. 1972. Estudios ecológicos en la región estuarial de Mar Chiquita (Buenos Aires, Argentina). I: Las comunidades bentónicas. Annales Sociedad Científica Argentina, 193:237-261.
Oug, E., N. Kristoffer & R. Brage. 1998. Relationship between soft bottom macrofauna and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) from smelter discharge in Norwegian fjords and coastal waters. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 173:39-52. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps173039
Pearson, T.H. & R. Rosenberg. 1978. Macrobenthic succession in relation to organic enrichment and pollution of the marine environment. Oceanography and Marine Biology Annual Review, 16: 229-331.
Pielou, E.C., 1975. Ecological diversity. New York: John Wiley.
Pires, A.M.S., 1992. Structure abd dynamics of benthic megafauna on the continental shelf offshore of Ubatuba, southeastern Brazil. Mainer Ecology Progress Series, 86:63-76. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps086063
Plata, A., A. Kurucz, C. Vera, R. Suárez, C. Ures & J. Pintos. 1992. Circulación y renovación del agua en la Bahía de Montevideo. Informe de avance. Proyecto URU/8/007. Vienna: Organismo Internacional de Energía Atómica (OIEA).
Posey, M., W. Lindberg, T. Alphin & F. Vose. 1996. Influence of storm disturbance on an offshore benthic community. Bulletin of marine Science, 59:523-529.
Ritter, C. & P. A. Montagna. 1999. Seasonal hypoxia and models of benthic response in a Texas Bay. Estuaries, 22:7-20. https://doi.org/10.2307/1352922
Romesburg, H.C. 1984. Cluster analysis for researchers. California: Wadsworth Inc.
Rosenberg, R., 1985. Eutrophication, the future marine coastal nuisance? Marine Pollution Bulletin, 16:227-231. https://doi.org/10.1016/0025-326X(85)90505-3
Sánchez-Mata, A., M. Glémarec & J. Mora. 1999. Physico-chemical structure of the benthic environment of a Galician ría (Ría de Ares-Betanzos, north-west Spain). Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, 79:1-21. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0025315498000010
Scarabino, V., S. Maytía & M. Caches. 1975. Carta binómica litoral del departamento de Montevideo. I. Niveles superiores del sistema litoral. Comunicaciones de la Sociedad Malacológica del Uruguay, 4(29):117-129.
Seys, J.J., P.M. Meire, J. Coosen & J. A. Graeymeersch. 1994. Long-term changes (1979-89) in the intertidal macrozoobenthos of the Oosterschelde estuary: Are patterns in total density, biomass and diversity induced by the construction of the storm-surge barrier? Hydrobiologia, 282/283: 251-264. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-1174-4_19
https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00024634
Shannon, C.E. & Weaver, W.W., 1963. The mathematical theory of communication. University of Illinois Press, Urbana.
Suguio, K., 1973. Introdução à sedimentologia. São Paulo: Edgard Blucher.
ter Braak, C.J.F., 1986. Weighted averaging, logistic regression and the Gaussian response model. Vegetatio, 65: 3-11. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00032121
ter Braak, C.J.F., 1988. Canoco: a fortram program for canonical community ordination by partial, detrended, canonical, correspondence analysis, principal components analysis and redundancy analysis. Version 2.1. Technical Report: LWA- 88-02, 95p. Agricultural Mathematics Group, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
ter Braak, C.J.F., 1990. Updates notes: Canoco version 3.10. Wageningen: Copyright Agricultural Mathematics Group.
Tenore, K.R., 1972. Macrobenthos of the Pamlico River Estuary, North Carolina. Ecological Monographs, 42: 51-69. https://doi.org/10.2307/1942230
Turner, S.J., S.F. Thrush, R.D. Pridmore, J.E. Hewitt, V.J. Cummings & M. Maskery. 1995. Are soft-sediment communities stable? An example from a windy harbour. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 120: 219-230. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps120219
Venturini, N., P. Muniz & M. Rodríguez. 2004. Macrobenthic subtidal communities in relation to sediment pollution: the phylum-level metaanalysis approach in a south-eastern coatal region of South America. Marine Biology, 144: 119-126. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-003-1186-5
Venturini, N., A. Pita, E. Brugnoli, F. García-Rodríguez, L. Burone, N. Kandratavicius, M. Hutton & P. Muniz. 2012. Benthic trophic status of sediments in a metropolitan area (Rio de la Plata estuary): linkages with natural and human pressures. Estuarine Coastal and Shelf Science, 112: 139-152. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecss.2011.08.016
Venturini, N., M. Bícego, S. Taniguchi, S. Sasaki, F. García-rodríguez, E. Brugnoli & P. Muniz. 2015. A multi-molecular marker assessment of organic pollution in shore sediments from the Río de la Plata Estuary, SW Atlantic. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 91: 461-475. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2014.06.056
Warwick, R.M., 1988. Effects on community structure of a pollutant gradient - summary. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 46: 207-211. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps046207
Warwick, R.M. & K.R. Clarke, 1993. Comparing the severity of disturbance: a meta - analysis of marine macrobenthic community data. . Marine Ecology Progress Series, 92: 221-231. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps092221
Wilson, J.G., 1994. The role of bioindicators in estuarine management. Estuaries, 17(1A): 94-101. https://doi.org/10.2307/1352337
Zobell, C.E., 1946. Studies on redox potential of marine sediments. Bulletin of the American Association of Petrology and Geology, 30: 477- 513. https://doi.org/10.1306/3D933808-16B1-11D7-8645000102C1865D
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2015 P. Muniz, N. Venturini
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0 that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work.
