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Relationships between invertebrate benthos, environmental drivers and pollutants at a subcontinental scale
journal contribution
posted on 2023-05-20, 15:00 authored by Denis-Roy, L, Scott LingScott Ling, Kate FraserKate Fraser, Graham EdgarGraham EdgarMarine ecosystems are structured by an array of natural and anthropogenic drivers, their diverse influences varying between different community types and across space. We assessed consistency in variation in composition and richness for three communities (macro- and meio-faunal communities associated with macroalgae, and soft-sediment infaunal communities) across natural and pollution gradients at the subcontinental scale of southeastern Australia. Community structure varied with natural environmental factors (temperature, wave exposure) and, to a lesser extent, pollutant loads (catchment effects, heavy metals, hydrocarbons and nutrients) across 43 sites spanning 2700 km. The community types showed differing sensitivities to pollutants: algal macrofauna was most strongly associated with hydrocarbon pollution and nutrient loading; algal meiofauna with heavy metals and nutrients; and infauna with catchment effects and nutrients. Different taxonomic resolutions were needed to detect significant pollution relationships for the three community types, indicating that monitoring programmes are most effective if pollutant- and fauna-specific.
Funding
Australian Research Council
History
Publication title
Marine Pollution BulletinVolume
157Article number
111316Number
111316Pagination
1-11ISSN
0025-326XDepartment/School
Institute for Marine and Antarctic StudiesPublisher
Pergamon-Elsevier Science LtdPlace of publication
The Boulevard, Langford Lane, Kidlington, Oxford, England, Ox5 1GbRights statement
© 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.Repository Status
- Restricted