Eva Cacabelos

Patterns of distribution of the polychaete fauna in subtidal soft sediments of the Ría de Aldán (north-western Spain)

The composition and spatial distribution of the polychaete fauna on the subtidal soft sediments of the Ria de Aldan (Galicia, north-western Spain) were studied by means of quantitative sampling and multivariate analysis. The faunal distribution was mainly conditioned by a sediment gradient defined by decreasing grain size, from the mouth towards the inner margins of the ria. The coarse and medium sand fauna was mainly dominated by pisionids, spionids and syllids. Finer sediments (fine sand to mud) showed a greater abundance of paraonids, spionids and cirratulids and deposit feeding species. The greatest number of species and diversity were found in coarse sediments.

Macrobenthic fauna in the Ensenada de San Simón (Galicia, north-western Spain)

Distribution and abundance of the macrobenthic fauna was studied in the intertidal and subtidal soft-bottoms of the Ensenada de San Simon (north-western Spain). Depth and grain size were the most important factors in determining patterns of distribution of the macrozoobenthos. A reduced Macoma community was present in the inner area of the inlet structured in two facies subdivision in the community that does not affect its qualitative composition: the first one was in intertidal areas associated with meadows of the sea grasses Zostera noltii and Z. marina and defined by the dominance of Hydrobia ulvae ; the second facies in intertidal sediments was characterized by the dominance of Tubificidae and nematodes and Pseudopolydora paucibranchiata . The poverty of these bottoms in number of species can be due to salinity fluctuations and human activities developed in the area. Subtidal bottoms were characterized by a Syndosmya (=Abra) alba community. Two facies were detected: one facies located in shallow subtidal bottoms with H. ulvae and Thyasira flexuosa as characteristic species, and a second facies in deeper areas, characterized by the polychaetes Ampharete finmarchica , P. paucibranchiata , Aphelochaeta marioni , Melinna palmata and Paradoneis lyra .

Spatial distribution of soft-bottom molluscs in the Ensenada de San Simón (NW Spain)

Abstract Distribution and abundance of the molluscan fauna was studied in the intertidal and subtidal soft-bottoms of the Ensenada de San Simón (NW Spain). Depth, grain size, and total organic matter were the most important factors in determining distribution patterns of molluscs in this inlet. Three major malacological assemblages have been determined in the Ensenada de San Simón, two of them subdivided in two facies. In the intertidal area of the inlet, one facies (A1) was located in areas associated with seagrass meadows of Zostera spp. and was dominated by Hydrobia ulvae (Pennant, 1777) whereas the second facies (A2) had a high dominance of H. ulvae, Cerastoderma edule (Linnaeus, 1758), and Tapes decussatus (Linnaeus, 1758). An impoverished facies of this community was present in reduced, muddy bottoms (Group C). In the subtidal bottoms, one group (B1) was located in the central part of the inlet with H. ulvae, Rissoa labiosa (Montagu, 1803), Turboella radiata (Philippi, 1836), Parvicardium exiguum (Gmelin in Linnaeus, 1791), Loripes lacteus (Linnaeus, 1758), and Abra nitida (Müller, 1789) as characteristic species. A second facies (B2) was found in outer areas of the inlet, characterized by Thyasira flexuosa (Montagu, 1803), Mysella bidentata (Montagu, 1803), Abra alba (Wood, 1802), and Nucula nitidosa Winckworth, 1930.

Trophic structure of soft-bottom macrobenthos in an inlet in north-western Spain

The trophic composition of macrobenthic communities in intertidal and subtidal soft-bottoms of the Ensenada de San Simon (north-western Spain) was found to be related to a number of environmental variables. Distribution and abundance of trophic groups have been studied, to provide essential baseline information for monitoring the area, after its designation as a Natura 2000 Special Conservation Zone. Analyses of trophic data showed a numerical predominance of the herbivores in the inner part of the inlet, while sites at the oceanic-influenced area were numerically dominated by surface-deposit feeders. These dominances were mainly due to Hydrobia ulvae in the intertidal area and to polychaetes at the subtidal one. Both univariate and multivariate statistical analyses showed that the sediment composition (organic matter and silt-clay contents) and temperature of the bottom water influenced the benthic macrofauna and were correlated with their trophic composition, abundance and distribution.