Polychaetes Key taxa for marine environmental quality monitoring

Pocklington, Patricia; Wells, Peter G.

doi:10.1016/0025-326x(92)90278-e

Cited by 162 publications

(79 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…On the other hand, polychaete group contains both sensitive and tolerant species and they are found along the whole gradient from pristine to heavily disturbed areas (Olsgard et al, 2003). Some species showed significantly greater numbers of individuals at the sewage affected site while other species densities showed no difference or in some cases even a decrease (Dauer and Conner, 1980).The presence or absence of specific polychaetes in marine sediments, therefore, provides an excellent indication of the condition or health of the benthic environment (Pocklington and Wells, 1992). Therefore the opportunistic polychaete/amphipod ratio worked as an indicator when studying the effects of sewage pollution.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Testing BOPA index in sewage affected soft-bottom communities in the north-western Mediterranean

de-la-Ossa-Carretero

Del‐Pilar‐Ruso

Casalduero

et al. 2009

Marine Pollution Bulletin

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a b s t r a c tThe implementation of the European directive (ELD) 2000/60/EC has produced the development of several biotic indices based in benthic communities. These indices try to summarise ecological quality status of different communities. However, a universal index that works in all situations is difficult to establish, because there are several sources of variation. Therefore, there is the need for testing and validation of these indices which is required for making management decisions on different scales, and in different regions and communities. In this study we test one of these indices, BOPA index, developed by Dauvin and Ruellet [Dauvin, J.C., Ruellet, T., 2007. Polychaete/amphipod ratio revisited. Marine Pollution Bulletin 55, 215-224] in five locations affected by sewage disposal. These disposals are often released via outfall into shallow subtidal habitats, leading to a common source of pollution in coastal marine environments. BOPA index provides a valuable overview of the gradient status of a benthic environment, discriminating between stations more affected by discharge. Nevertheless, BOPA index, used to establish the ecological quality status, seemed to overestimate the status and hence there is the need to calibrate the thresholds between EcoQs classes as defined for these medium-to-fine sand communities, which are characteristics of shallow sublittoral soft-bottoms of the north-western Mediterranean Sea.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Testing BOPA index in sewage affected soft-bottom communities in the north-western Mediterranean

de-la-Ossa-Carretero

Del‐Pilar‐Ruso

Casalduero

et al. 2009

Marine Pollution Bulletin

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“…Spionid and capitellid polychaetes in general, and the Capitella complex in particular, have largely been used as classical indicators of organically enriched sediments (REISH, 1972;TSUTSUMI, 1990;POCKLINGTON & WELLS, 1992). In Denmark, the dominance of C. capitata and Polydora ciliata Webster, 1879 among Mytilus edulis L., 1758 banks was related to the local hydrodynamics, affecting sedimentation or increasing faeces and pseudofaeces of mussels (SVANE & SETYOBUDIANDI, 1996).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This layer is biologically reactive and chemically active (RHOADS & BOYER, 1982). Polychaetes have been used in bioassays, to monitor toxic compounds, and as pollution indicators, from community or populational levels to species level (POCKLINGTON & WELLS, 1992;REISH & GERLINGER, 1997). The presence or absence of some indicator species or even families are currently known as pollution indicators, in particular the presence of Capitella ELÍAS, RIVERO & VALLARINO capitata (Fabricius, 1780) or some spionids (TSUTSUMI, 1990), or the absence of the genus Lumbrineris Blainville, 1828 (RYGGS, 1985).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sewage impact on the composition and distribution of Polychaeta associated to intertidal mussel beds of the Mar del Plata rocky shore, Argentina

Elías

Rivero

Vallarino

2003

Iheringia, Sér. Zool.

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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.

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“…They are numerical dominants in most Arctic soft-sediment shelf systems (Kendall et al 2003). Further, they are known to be good indicators of species richness and benthic community patterns as well as ecosystem condition (Pearson and Rosenberg 1978;Pocklington and Wells 1992;Olsgard and Somerfield 2000;Olsgard et al 2003;Giangrande et al 2005;Włodarska-Kowalczuk and Kędra 2007). Polychaetes play considerable and diverse roles in ecosystem functioning, not only because of their dominance, but also because of their diverse feeding modes and reproductive strategies (Fauchald and Jumars 1979;Snelgrove et al 1997).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Distribution patterns of polychaete fauna in an Arctic fjord (Hornsund, Spitsbergen)

et al. 2013

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Polychaetes are one of the most important groups of benthic organisms in marine ecosystems. They dominate on the Arctic shelf and play an important role in ecosystem functioning. This study focuses on the polychaete biodiversity and their distribution patterns in Hornsund, an open glacial fjord, in western Spitsbergen and provides important baseline data for future studies of temporal fluctuations in benthic fauna. The main aim of this study was to assess how the polychaete abundance, biomass, diversity, community structure, and function vary along the Hornsund fjord's axis, in relation to the environmental factors. Eighty-eight polychaete taxa were identified; an average density was 457 ind. m -2 ± 237.5 SD. Three assemblages were distinguished (INNER, MIDDLE, and OUTER) along the fjord axis, reflecting the intensity of glacial disturbance. A clear division between the highly disturbed inner part of the fjord (Brepollen) and the less impacted middle and outer parts was observed. Continuous gradients in abundance, biomass, and diversity were found with all those values diminishing toward the inner region of the fjord. The polychaete assemblages' indices were significantly correlated with bottom temperature, sediment characteristics (grain size), and distance to the glacier (longitude). No significant correlations were found with depth or total organic carbon content. Carnivore and motile surface deposit feeding polychaete species dominated in the areas close to the glaciers, while the OUTER community was dominated by carnivores and surface sessile and discretely motile species, and had more complex trophic structure, with multiple species representing different functional groups including carnivores, sessile, discretely motile, and motile surface deposit feeders and motile burrowers.

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Polychaetes Key taxa for marine environmental quality monitoring

Cited by 162 publications

References 26 publications

Testing BOPA index in sewage affected soft-bottom communities in the north-western Mediterranean

Testing BOPA index in sewage affected soft-bottom communities in the north-western Mediterranean

Sewage impact on the composition and distribution of Polychaeta associated to intertidal mussel beds of the Mar del Plata rocky shore, Argentina

Distribution patterns of polychaete fauna in an Arctic fjord (Hornsund, Spitsbergen)

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