Functional changes in benthic communities along a salinity gradient– a western Baltic case study

Darr, Alexander; Gogina, Mayya; Zettler, Michael L.

doi:10.1016/j.seares.2013.06.003

Cited by 66 publications

(46 citation statements)

References 37 publications

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“…Similar correlation between the salinity and the species richness and abundance of encrusting assemblages was noted for other taxonomic and functional groups (e.g. Darr et al, 2014;Zettler et al, 2014). Among the environmental variables we studied (including temperature, mean rock size, wave exposure or percent coverage by fauna), salinity showed the strongest relationship with the large-scale pattern of encrusting assemblages.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 72%

Spatial pattern of hydrolittoral rock encrusting assemblages along the salinity gradient of the Baltic Sea

Grabowska

Kukliński

2015

Hydrobiologia

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This study compared the diversity parameters and structures of encrusting assemblages in two habitats situated at two levels of shallow rocky shore: hydrolittoral and littoral along the Baltic Sea system. We investigated the variability and level of distinctiveness of the hydrolittoral encrusting fauna based on species biodiversity and distribution, and compared these features with those of communities inhabiting the adjacent shallow littoral zone (3-m depth). Structural similarities and differences between the encrusting assemblages from adjacent hydrolittoral and littoral zones were studied within 14 locations distributed along the northern coastline of the Baltic Sea. Multivariate analysis indicates that salinity had the greatest influence on the structure of the investigated assemblages. Most of the observed hydrolittoral assemblages contained the same species as the littoral zone. This result indicated a shared common species pool with similar large-scale patterns of species distributions with some variability in the dominating species between zones. The similarity between species composition of the hydrolittoral and littoral assemblages decreased with increase of salinity. Additionally, with higher species richness and the occurrence of marine specialists adapted to hydrolittoral conditions, the role of the rock size in the frequency of species occurrence and assemblage diversity was less significant.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 72%

Spatial pattern of hydrolittoral rock encrusting assemblages along the salinity gradient of the Baltic Sea

Grabowska

Kukliński

2015

Hydrobiologia

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“…This concept is built on the macrozoobenthos distribution in the southwestern Baltic Sea, but a same trend has also been observed in different geographic regions and taxon groups (e.g. Nehring, ; McLusky and Elliott, ; Palmer et al, ; Boets et al, ; Darr et al ., ). Remane's ‘Artenminimum’ concept was, however, recently challenged for microorganisms (Herlemann et al ., ; Telesh et al ., ; Pavloudi et al ., ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

A fundamental difference between macrobiota and microbial eukaryotes: protistan plankton has a species maximum in the freshwater‐marine transition zone of the Baltic Sea

Filker

Kühner

Heckwolf

et al. 2019

Environmental Microbiology

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Summary Remane's Artenminimum at the horohalinicum is a fundamental concept in ecology to describe and explain the distribution of organisms along salinity gradients. However, a recent metadata analysis challenged this concept for protists, proposing a species maximum in brackish waters. Due to data bias, this literature‐based investigation was highly discussed. Reliable data verifying or rejecting the species minimum for protists in brackish waters were critically lacking. Here, we sampled a pronounced salinity gradient along a west–east transect in the Baltic Sea and analysed protistan plankton communities using high‐throughput eDNA metabarcoding. A strong salinity barrier at the upper limit of the horohalinicum and 10 psu appeared to select for significant shifts in protistan community structures, with dinoflagellates being dominant at lower salinities, and dictyochophytes and diatoms being keyplayers at higher salinities. Also in vertical water column gradients in deeper basins (Kiel Bight, Arkona and Bornholm Basin) appeared salinity as significant environmental determinant influencing alpha‐ and beta‐diversity patterns. Importantly, alpha‐diversity indices revealed species maxima in brackish waters, that is, indeed contrasting Remane's Artenminimum concept. Statistical analyses confirmed salinity as the major driving force for protistan community structuring with high significance. This suggests that macrobiota and microbial eukaryotes follow fundamentally different rules regarding diversity patterns in the transition zone from freshwater to marine waters.

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“…Attrill et al (1996) identified a local (relative) hotspot in the Thames estuary with over 200 invertebrate species in a heterogeneous subtidal substrate. Darr et al (2014a) identified a number of hotspots of high bivalve biomass in the Baltic Sea, each related to specific environmental conditions. This suggests the potential importance of specific areas for estuarine functioning, e.g., for providing a habitat for macrofauna and fish, and more generally for increasing the health and resilience of the estuary.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Hydrodynamic conditioning of diversity and functional traits in subtidal estuarine macrozoobenthic communities

Wal

Lambert

Ysebaert

et al. 2017

Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science

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2 Highlights: Richness of subtidal estuarine macrofauna depended on currents and sediment properties  Community composition and functional traits shifted with currents and sediment properties  Salinity, water depth and distance from tidal flats had a minor effect  Hydrodynamic models can predict hotspots and coldspots in ecological richness 3 ABSTRACTVariations in abundance and diversity of estuarine benthic macrofauna are typically described along the salinity gradient. The influence of gradients in water depth, hydrodynamic energy and sediment properties are less well known. We studied how these variables influence the distribution of subtidal macrofauna in the polyhaline zone of a temperate estuary (Westerschelde). Macrofauna density, biomass and species richness, combined in a so-called ecological richness, decreased with current velocities and median grain-size and increased with organic carbon of the sediment, in total explaining 39% of the variation. The macrofauna community composition was less well explained by the three environmental variables (ca 12-15% in total, with current velocity explaining ca 8%). Salinity, water depth and distance to the intertidal zone had a very limited effect on both ecological richness and the macrofauna community.The proportion of (surface) deposit feeders (including opportunistic species), decreased relative to that of omnivores and carnivores with increasing current velocity and sediment grain-size. In parallel, the proportion of burrowing sessile benthic species decreased relative to that of mobile benthic species that are able to swim. Correspondingly, spatial variations in hydrodynamics yielded distinct hotspots and coldspots in ecological richness. The findings highlight the importance of local hydrodynamic conditions for estuarine restoration and conservation. The study provides a tool based on a hydrodynamic model to assess and predict ecological richness in estuaries.

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Functional changes in benthic communities along a salinity gradient– a western Baltic case study

Cited by 66 publications

References 37 publications

Spatial pattern of hydrolittoral rock encrusting assemblages along the salinity gradient of the Baltic Sea

Spatial pattern of hydrolittoral rock encrusting assemblages along the salinity gradient of the Baltic Sea

A fundamental difference between macrobiota and microbial eukaryotes: protistan plankton has a species maximum in the freshwater‐marine transition zone of the Baltic Sea

Hydrodynamic conditioning of diversity and functional traits in subtidal estuarine macrozoobenthic communities

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