Composition and distribution of sublittoral zoobenthos in Kemskaya Bay of the White Sea

Abstract

Data on the distribution of the zoobenthos in Kemskaya Bay (the Kem’ River estuary and the White Sea), which is subject to the strong influence of the river discharge, are presented. The number of species at the sampling stations varied from 4 to 65. The density of the communities and the zoobenthos biomass ranged from 342 ± 68 to 4293 ± 96 ind./m2 and from 0.418 ± 0.081 to 1975.22 ± 494.36 g/m2, respectively. The Shannon index values varied between 1.19 to 4.7 bit/ind. At the upper part of the estuary, detritivores dominated, while, in the central part and at outlets, sestonophages prevailed. The changes in the quantitative indices of the zoobenthos along the gradient of the water salinity were traced, and the relations of these indices with seven more environmental factors were revealed. It was found that the species composition, the biodiversity, and the trophic structure of the zoobenthos significantly correlate with some of the above mentioned parameters. Multiple regression analysis was used to assess the combined effect of the factors, and it revealed which of them play a determining role in Kemskaya Bay: for the species composition, these are the depth, the water color, and the content of total suspended matter; for the number, these are the contents of pelite and Corg in the bottom sediments. The biomass depends on the water salinity, the water chromaticity, and the Corg contents in the sediments and suspended matter. The Shannon index value is determined by the water color, the Corg contents in the sediments, and the pelite content. The calculations of the ecological stress values revealed two zones with an unstable state of the zoobenthos.