Use of pitfall traps for sampling marine benthic arthropods on soft substrate

Abstract

AbstractEcological monitoring is a prerequisite for ecosystem-based management and conservation. There is a need for developing an efficient and non-destructive method for monitoring marine benthic arthropods on soft substrate, as the currently applied methods are often inadequate. Pitfall trapping has been used extensively to sample terrestrial arthropods, but has not been seriously considered yet in the marine environment. In this study, the effectiveness of pitfall traps for monitoring marine benthic arthropods was assessed through a case study in the shallow sublittoral zone of Kalloni Gulf, Lesvos Island, Greece. Two different trap types were installed in August 2016 at five depths, during two 12 h periods (day and night). Pitfall traps performed well, collecting a large number of individuals. The hermit crabDiogenes pugilatordominated the catches. The catch of this species significantly differed by trap type, while the interaction between depth and period was also found significant. Further research is needed to evaluate the efficiency of different types of pitfall traps and field protocols in the marine environment.