Taxonomic and functional diversity of benthic macrofauna associated with rhodolith beds in SE Brazil

PeerJ

article

Patricia Sarcinelli Stelzer¹  Ana Carolina A. Mazzuco¹  Luiz Eduardo Gomes¹  João Martins²  Sergio Netto²  Angelo F. Bernardino¹ 

[1] Department of Oceanography, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo;Laboratório de Ciências Marinhas, Universidade do Sul de Santa Catarina

关键词: Rhodolith;    Benthos;    Ecology;    South Atlantic;    Macrofauna;   

DOI  :  10.7717/peerj.11903

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: Inra

【 摘 要 】

500 µm) structure on rhodolith beds (nodule epifauna) and within unconsolidated sediments (sediment infauna) under high and low-density beds to test whether rhodolith bed density and nodule morphology influenced macrofaunal assemblages. We observed that macrofaunal density on nodules (2538 ± 288.7 ind·m−2) was 15-fold higher when compared to sediments under those beds (166 ± 38.8 ind·m−2). Rhodolith bed density was positively related to macrofaunal density, composition, and functional diversity on the rhodoliths. Low-density beds (61 ± 27.1 nodules·m−2) with discoid-shape nodules were dominated by peracarid crustaceans whereas high-density beds (204 ± 18.7 nodules·m−2) with spheroidal nodules were dominated by Annelid polychaetes. The sediment macrofauna was also positively influenced by the density of rhodolith nodules, which increased sediment carbonate and organic quality (protein and lipids) under high-density beds. Macrofaunal functional diversity was generally higher on rhodoliths, with low similarity (low nestedness) and high taxa turnover between macrofaunal assemblages of rhodoliths and sediments. These findings indicate that rhodolith beds provide an unique habitat for benthic macrofaunal communities, with exclusive functional and taxonomic richness that are likely not typical in the unconsolidated sediment below these beds in SE Brazil. This study highlights the importance of protecting rhodolith beds from multiple sources of anthropogenic disturbance and exploration on continental shelves.

【 授权许可】

CC BY