Specific oceanographic conditions reflect meiofaunal communities: the case of a semi-enclosed gulf (Pagasitikos Gulf, Eastern Mediterranean)

IF 2.1 3区地球科学 Q2 OCEANOGRAPHY

Continental Shelf Research Pub Date : 2025-04-05 DOI:10.1016/j.csr.2025.105470

K. Voulgaris, D. Vafidis

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Semi-enclosed gulfs exhibit distinct oceanographic conditions, influencing the inhabiting organisms and communities. Analyzing samples from 55 stations taken at 10 cm sediment depth in spring 2023 and belonging to three zones with different nutrient profiles, the meiofaunal communities in Pagasitikos gulf were examined, while their relationship with sediment properties, water chemistry and oceanographic conditions were investigated. Highest meiofaunal densities were observed in the internal gulf (458–1538 ind/10 cm²) near the main urban area, with lowest reported for the upper external gulf (36–594 ind/10 cm²). Two stations showed unusually high ciliate densities (454 and 598 ind/10 cm²) that could not be explained by any of the examined parameters. Highest richness but lowest evenness, Shannon and Simpson indices were reported for the internal gulf, followed by the lower external gulf, while the upper external zone showed lowest values. Multivariate analyses showed that all three nutrient zones are associated with distinct meiofaunal communities, with depth and sand content being the most important factors influencing the meiofaunal communities, while also discussing the potential effect of anthropogenic activities. Total organic carbon did not explain differences in meiofaunal composition, stressing the need for more precise measurements. This study showcases that gulf-specific oceanographic conditions such as water and nutrient stratification and hydrodynamics can play a key role in shaping meiofaunal communities.

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来源期刊

Continental Shelf Research 地学-海洋学

CiteScore

4.30

自引率

4.30%

发文量

136

审稿时长

6.1 months

期刊介绍： Continental Shelf Research publishes articles dealing with the biological, chemical, geological and physical oceanography of the shallow marine environment, from coastal and estuarine waters out to the shelf break. The continental shelf is a critical environment within the land-ocean continuum, and many processes, functions and problems in the continental shelf are driven by terrestrial inputs transported through the rivers and estuaries to the coastal and continental shelf areas. Manuscripts that deal with these topics must make a clear link to the continental shelf. Examples of research areas include: Physical sedimentology and geomorphology Geochemistry of the coastal ocean (inorganic and organic) Marine environment and anthropogenic effects Interaction of physical dynamics with natural and manmade shoreline features Benthic, phytoplankton and zooplankton ecology Coastal water and sediment quality, and ecosystem health Benthic-pelagic coupling (physical and biogeochemical) Interactions between physical dynamics (waves, currents, mixing, etc.) and biogeochemical cycles Estuarine, coastal and shelf sea modelling and process studies.