Environmental drivers of meiofaunal natural variability, Egypt, Southeastern Mediterranean

Mitwally, Hanan M.; Hamdan, Amira M.

doi:10.1007/s10661-021-08927-0

Cited by 2 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 72 publications

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“…Trait analysis, herein, discriminated between the high salinity and moderately-sorted fine-grained sand (HPHE and CHE) vs. low water salinity and well-sorted coarse particles (HPLE, Tables 1, 2), revealing two data groupings (Figs. 5A, 6A, 7A), indicating the potential of water salinity and sand particles driving the traits, consistent with Mitwally and Hamdan (2021). Despite the explained proportion (53.8%, Fig.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 73%

“…Besides, the current results are comparable with North-Western Mediterranean data (Moreno et al 2006), where seven typical sandy shared genera Axnolaimus sp., Oncholaimus sps, Theristus sp., Enoploides sp., Enoplolaimus sps, and Epsilonema sp. In contrast to Gheskiere et al (2005), nematode richness herein is low, probably due to long-term beach deterioration (Mitwally and Hamdan 2021) and the low productivity dominating eastern Mediterranean basins in general (Pruskia et al 2021).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 61%

“…The current study applied the same stratified random sampling design as Mitwally and Hamdan (2021) to examine three sandy beaches; Abo-Qir Bay, highly polluted with high energy (HPHE), El-Mex Bay, highly polluted beach with low energy (HPLE), and the North West Coast, a clean beach with high energy (CHE). Our design is three sandy beaches, each composed of four profiles and five stations nested in with two replicates equal to 120 observations during March 2014.…”

Section: Sampling Designmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Many studies summarize the advantages and disadvantages of using meiofauna in monitoring programs (Danovaro et al 1995;Moreno et al 2011;Semprucci et al 2015a, b). Mitwally and Hamdan (2021) assess the ecological status of Alexandrian sandy beaches, Egypt. They found that meiofaunal natural variability was driven by salinity and sand grain sizes.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A comparison of physical disturbance and pollution stressors in sandy beaches using nematode functional biological traits

Mitwally

2022

J Coast Conserv

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Nematode functional traits and community structure approaches are receiving attention and being debated regarding the similarity in gained information. This work applied two nematode methods (i.e. functional traits, community structure) and sex ratios to investigate sandy beaches experiencing physical disturbances and anthropogenic stressors along the Alexandrian coast of Egypt. It is the first study to identify the Egyptian marine benthic nematodes to genus level yielding fourteen genera. This study addressed the following questions. (A) Which analyses of functional traits, community structure, or sex ratio could distinguish beaches experiencing natural disturbances from anthropogenic stressors? (B) What are the driving forces that govern nematode assemblages? Designated beaches were high pollution and energy (HPHE), high pollution but low energy (HPLE), and clean high energy (CHE). The study was conducted in March 2014, applying a stratified random sampling design and advanced multivariate analyses. Results revealed significant discrimination among and within beaches based on functional traits, community structure, and sex ratio. The functional traits (FBM) grouped data into two main groupings, predators and scavengers. Predators and cylindrical shape-tail types were found in high salinity moderately-sorted fine-grained sand dominant at HPHE and CHE. Scavengers and a variety of tail-shape types inhabited low saline water with well-sorted coarse sediment at HPLE. The community structure (CSM) revealed three groupings, as each beach had a specific assemblage based on its response to the measured physiochemical factors (salinity, pH, and temperature). Three genera were responsible for the high contribution across each beach Graphonema sp (HPHE), Enoplolaimus sp. (HPLE), and Oncholaimus sp. (CHE), as well as the co-sharing of Axnolaimus sp at HPLE. However, Axnolaimus sp and Oncholaimus sp showed the highest dissimilarity among beaches. The contribution of the measured factors was 53.8% (FBM) and 35.7% (CSM). Trophic guilds were anthropogenic stressors dependent and tail-shape type physically disturbing-related. However, nematode genera were species-specific to habitat type. The sex ratio was male-biased, and Juvenile-stages seemed to be temperature-dependent. The dissimilarity in the functional trait and community structure data recommend their application in biomonitoring and coastal restoration programs.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 73%