Abstract
A research on the assemblages of benthic macro faunal community in the coastal areas of Bangladesh was conducted during February-March, 2015 following the standard methods to assess the status of environmental pollution. The abundance (r=0.846) and species richness (r=0.864) of the macrobenthic communities were significantly influenced by the water salinity of the sampling sites (p ≤ 0.05). Both the study areas namely the Bakkhali River Estuary and the Meghna River Estuary showing the highest (3909 ± 540 ind./m2) and lowest (2236 ± 689 ind./m2) density of benthic macrofaunal abundance respectively might be considered as moderately polluted areas according to the results obtained from Shannon-Wiener index of species diversity (2.69 ± 0.13 and 2.00 ± 0.11 respectively) and Margalef's species richness (2.21 ± 0.43 and 1.36 ± 0.11 respectively). Therefore, it is plausible that the macrobenthic community explained in the present study might be a key future outline to assess the status of coastal water pollution of those concerned areas of Bangladesh.
Highlights
IntroductionBenthic communities are usually dominated by different species of polychaete, oligochaete worms, gastropods, bivalvia and various minor insect larvae
Benthos is the organism that inhabit in bottom of an aquatic body
The abundance of macrobenthos was studied during February to March, 2015 in the Bakkhali river estuary situated in Cox’s Bazar district and the Meghna river estuary situated at Chairman Ghat in Noakhali district
Summary
Benthic communities are usually dominated by different species of polychaete, oligochaete worms, gastropods, bivalvia and various minor insect larvae. Benthic organisms such as macro, meio and micro fauna and flora play an important role in food chains in an aquatic ecosystem [1]. Various physical and chemical conditions of the water body such as depth, current of the water, organic contents of the sediments, contaminations of bed sediments environment, toxicity of sediments influence the abundance and distribution of macrobenthos [5]. It is evident that macrobenthos play an important role in improving and preserving water quality through mineralization and recycling of organic matters [7,8]. That’s why benthic macro-invertebrates make ideal subject for biological assessment of water quality [11]
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