The rocky intertidal zone around the city of Mar del Plata (SW Atlantic, 38° S–57° W) is characterized by dense mussel beds of Brachidontes rodriguezii. This intertidal community develops on natural and artificial hard substrates, including abrasion platforms in sewage‐impacted areas. A monitoring program, designed to assess the effect of sewage discharge on intertidal macrobenthic communities, has been conducted since 1997. During the spring season of 2008, a new spionid polychaete (Boccardia proboscidea) was found near the sewage outfall, forming large biogenic reefs. This is the first report of biogenic reefs being built by a non reef‐forming spionid polychaete in areas organically impacted by sewage discharges. The aim of this work was to evaluate the spatial–temporal dynamics (% cover and density of B. proboscidea) of these reefs. These biogenic reefs covered almost the entire impacted site, reaching a density of 650,000 ind·m−2. This phenomenon is unique in that there is no other record available worldwide of any other biogenic polychaete reefs that could be sewage‐induced. The presence and stability of these biogenic reefs is discussed in relation to increased organic contamination as a structuring factor.

SUMMARY: Continuous and short-term disturbances are produced on intertidal Brachidontes rodriguezii mussel beds by the sewage outfall of Mar del Plata, SW Atlantic. The effects on the associated polychaetes living on and between mussels were investigated, in both the spatial and short-term temporal scales. Multivariate methods show that the polychaete fauna was influenced by tidal level, total amount of sediment accumulated between mussels, distance from the sewage outfall, organic carbon of interstitial sediments, and sewage volume before and after the summer season. Environmental variables in the water column fitted with a spatial and temporal organic gradient. Capitella 'capitata' sp. showed typical opportunistic behaviour in relation to organic enrichment, as did Neanthes succinea, both being numerically dominant near the sewage discharge. Cirratulus sp., Caulleriella alata, and Boccardia polybranchia were common at intermediate distances from the outfall. Syllis prolixa, S. gracilis, and Protoariciella uncinata reached their highest abundance at intermediate stations and were characteristic of the control site. Close to the outfall mussel density and dominance is low, and opportunist polychaetes successfully colonize organically enriched interstitial sediments. At intermediate distances from the outfall sediments retained by mussels reach their maximum values, and density of polychaetes is also high. The control station is characterized by monolayered mussel beds and very low diversity of polychaetes. Opportunistic polychaetes increase in response to shortterm increases of sewage discharge during the summer season (November-March).Keywords: polychaetes, intertidal, mussel beds, organic pollution, sewage, spatial and before-after summer season distribution, SW Atlantic. RESUMEN: PERTURBACIONES DEBIDAS A EFLUENTES DOMÉSTICOS EN POLIQUETOS ASOCIADOS A BANCOS DE BIVALVOS DEBRACHIDONTES RODRIGUEZII EN MAR DEL PLATA (ATLÁNTICO SUDOCCIDENTAL). -Perturbaciones contínuas y de corto período de tiempo debidas a efluentes domésticos afectan a los bancos de los bivalvos Brachidontes rodriguezii en Mar del Plata, Atlántico sudoccidental. Se investigaron sus efectos sobre los poliquetos que viven asociados dentro y sobre los bancos, tanto en la escala espacial como la temporal (corto plazo). Métodos multivariados mostraron que los poliquetos estuvieron relacionados al nivel de marea, al total de sedimentos acumulados entre los bivalvos, a la distancia al efluente, al carbono orgá-nico total de los sedimentos y al volumen de descarga antes y después del verano. Las variables ambientales de la columna de agua estuvieron en concordancia con un gradiente de enriquecimiento orgánico espacial y temporal. Capitella 'capitata' sp. mostró el típico comportamiento oportunista en relación al enriquecimiento orgánico, al igual que Neanthes succinea, siendo ambas especies numéricamente dominantes cerca del efluente. Cirratulus sp., Caulleriella alata y Boccardia polybranchia fueron comunes a distancias intermedias del efluente. Syllis...

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

The polychaete composition and distribution within mussel beds were studied in order to assess organic pollution due to domestic sewage in a rocky shore of Mar del Plata (Argentina) during 1997. Four stations and a control site were randomly sampled around the local effluent. Quantitative data on polychaetes, as well as sediment accumulated among mussels and its organic carbon content were measured. Polychaete distribution patterns are related to the organic matter gradient, being Capitella cf. capitata, Neanthes succinea (Frey & Leuckart, 1847) and Boccardia polybranchia (Haswell, 1885) the dominant indicator species close to the effluent. At medial distances, the cirratulids Caulleriella alata (Southern, 1914) and Cirratulus cirratus (Müller, 1776) are very important in abundance. The syllids Syllis prolixa Ehlers, 1901 and S. gracilis Grube, 1840 are distributed along the study area, but dominate at the medial stations and at the control site. The orbiniid Protoariciella uncinata Hartmann-Schröder, 1962 is subdominant at the control station.

No abstract

No abstract