Characteristics of macrofaunal assemblages and their relationships with environmental factors in a semi-enclosed bay

Abstract

Characteristics of macrofaunal assemblages and their relationships with environmental factors in a semi-enclosed bay were studied seasonally in China. A total of 251 species were identified, including polychaetes (104 species), crustaceans (73 species), mollusks (51 species), and other phyla (23 species). Mean values of macrofaunal abundance were 1210, 2483, 3209, 3600 ind./m2 while those of biomass were 56.88, 176.15, 136.28, 265.55 g/m2, respectively. Ranges of species richness index, evenness index, Shannon-Wiener index were 1.54–8.16, 0.17–0.90, 0.69–4.78, respectively. The diversity indices were affected by bottom water salinity and pH. BIOENV analysis showed that water depth, phaeophorbide, and silt-clay proportion had important impacts on macrofaunal assemblages while abundance and biomass were affected by bottom water temperature, salinity, and water depth. Compared with historical data, macrofaunal species number, abundance and biomass showed a slight increasing trend, which may be due to the water quality improvement of this bay.