“…Molluscs are second in abundance to polychaetes, while crustaceans are least and also have the fewest species. Although crustaceans may be proportionally more abundant in sandy beaches subjected to strong, frequent wave action (Dexter, 1983(Dexter, , 1984McLachlan et al, 1993), their species richness is still generally low (up to 16 species) (McLachlan et al, 1981;Dexter, 1984;McLachlan, 1990;Defeo et al, 1992;Jaramillo et al, 1993;McLachlan, 1996). Studies in sheltered environments are rare and generally conducted in estuaries, where salinity varies widely and where input of sediment and nutrients is constant.…”