Responses of biological traits of macrobenthic fauna to a eutrophication gradient in a semi-enclosed bay, China

Abstract

The impacts of eutrophication on benthic ecological functions are of increasing concern in recent years. In order to assess the response of macrobenthic fauna to increasing eutrophication, two field sampling surveys were conducted during the summer (July–August 2020) and autumn (October–November 2020) from offshore, nearshore to estuarine sediments in Bohai Bay, northern China. Biological trait analysis was employed for the assessment of macrofaunal samples. The results indicated that there was an increase in the proportion of benthic burrowering or tube-dwelling sediment feeders and taxa with higher larval dispersal ability, but a decrease in the proportion of taxa showing high motility in areas with higher nutrient levels. Seasonal differences were also noted in the shift in biological traits, with a significantly lower similarity among the sampling areas in summer and a higher proportion of carnivorous taxa in autumn. The findings suggested that long-term disturbance can lead to the dominance of smaller body-sized benthic species and reduced sediment quality, impeding ecological recovery of benthic organisms under such harsh environment.