Estuarine Coastal and Shelf Science最新文献

{"title":"Global sea level and monsoon effects on terrigenous input and temperature in the north-western South China Sea during the last glacial","authors":"Michał Tomczak ,&nbsp;Jérôme Kaiser ,&nbsp;Jinpeng Zhang ,&nbsp;Maren Voss ,&nbsp;Łukasz Maciąg ,&nbsp;Zhou Yang ,&nbsp;Jakub Miluch ,&nbsp;Wenkai Huang ,&nbsp;Helge W. Arz","doi":"10.1016/j.ecss.2025.109296","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ecss.2025.109296","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>On glacial/interglacial timescales, sedimentation in shallow, near-coastal environments is mainly a function of climate, tectonics and global sea level changes, the latter two regulating changes in morphology and sedimentation space accommodation. Climatic fluctuations affect parameters of the ocean currents and primary production, as well as sediment inputs from terrestrial sources regulated by precipitation, weathering and runoff. Deciphering changes in the interplay of these different variables with time is primordial for environmental reconstruction. Here, the paleoenvironmental evolution of the north-western South China Sea (southwest of Hainan Island) has been investigated for the period 80–50 kyr BP, i.e. between Marine Stage Isotope (MIS) 5a and early MIS 3, which includes the formation of the Hainan paleo-delta. A combination of records based on bulk sediment parameters, molecular organic proxies and oxygen stable isotopes of benthic foraminifera suggests that terrigenous input was mainly controlled by changes in global sea level and summer monsoon intensity, and likely influenced primary production. Global sea level fluctuations probably triggered local changes in sea surface temperature and air temperature on the adjacent land through changes in the advection of water masses from the northern Pacific and periodic closing/opening of the Taiwan and Qiongzhou straits. Combining proxies based on both terrestrial and marine organic matter within the same sedimentary archive allows understanding the influence of both the global sea level and the East Asian Monsoon on the evolution of the sedimentary environment of the north-western South China Sea during the last glacial period.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50497,"journal":{"name":"Estuarine Coastal and Shelf Science","volume":"320 ","pages":"Article 109296"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-04-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143826355","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Application of functional diversity and hierarchical modelling to evaluate the macrobenthic community dynamics from river Thakuran, Sundarbans estuarine system","authors":"Snigdha Bhaumik,&nbsp;Ahmed Shahir,&nbsp;Sumit Mandal","doi":"10.1016/j.ecss.2025.109295","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ecss.2025.109295","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study investigates the impact of season-driven environmental shifts on macrobenthic assemblages from Sundarbans estuarine system using a combination of ordination and hierarchical modelling approaches. Hierarchical Modelling of Species Communities (HMSC) was applied to decipher species-environment and trait-environment relationships, assess functional traits, and species associations across pre-monsoon (PreM), monsoon (Mon), and post-monsoon (PM). Between class analysis depicted significant difference (<em>p</em> = 0.0001) in environmental parameters between seasons. A total of 119 macrobenthic species belonging to 6 phyla and 73 families were recorded during the faunistic survey. Polychaetes were observed as the most dominant taxa, comprising more than 50 % of the total species documented. Maximum macrobenthic species abundance of 21953 ind.m⁻² was observed during PreM that drastically reduced to 7948 ind.m⁻² and 7928 ind.m⁻² in Mon and PM respectively. Functional diversity indices displayed distinct spatio-temporal patterns, with higher values recorded in downstream stations (T7 and T8) during Mon. Furthermore, 20 functional traits in 5 categories were used to identify the prevalence of macrobenthic functional groups. Eight functional groups were identified, and mode of reproduction forming the node of divergence. Functional traits like large body size and deposit-feeder were prevalent during Mon, while suspension feeders and carnivores dominated during PreM and PM. According to HMSC results, fixed effects explained 96.7 % variance of species occurrence with percentage of clay and silt explaining most variance of 21.5 % and 12.2 % respectively. Furthermore, phosphate concentrations support species with asexual reproductive strategies and detritivorous feeding habits, at 0.80 support value. These findings highlight the importance of trait-based ecological modelling for understanding estuarine macrobenthic assemblages in response to seasonal dynamics.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50497,"journal":{"name":"Estuarine Coastal and Shelf Science","volume":"319 ","pages":"Article 109295"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-04-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143799137","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Ecological adaptability: Size-dependent foraging of European perch at the coastal-freshwater interface of the Baltic Sea","authors":"Nicholas A. Heredia,&nbsp;Natalija Suhareva,&nbsp;Rita Poikāne,&nbsp;Juris Aigars,&nbsp;Matīss Žagars","doi":"10.1016/j.ecss.2025.109294","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ecss.2025.109294","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Elucidating the feeding ecology of predatory fish in coastal-freshwater ecosystems is crucial for effective conservation and management, especially considering ever-changing predator-prey relationships. This study explores the dietary patterns and trophic interactions of European perch (<em>Perca fluviatilis</em>, hereafter “perch”) in the coastal-freshwater environments of the Baltic Sea. We combined stomach content and stable isotope analyses to examine the foraging strategies and habitat use of perch populations inhabiting the interface between coastal marine and inland freshwater lagoon-like environments, characteristic of the southeastern Baltic Sea. Our findings indicate that perch in these ecosystems exhibit significant dietary variability and occupy distinct trophic positions, influenced by the differing ecological characteristics of lake and sea habitats. The freshwater environment exhibits more consistent feeding patterns for perch, while the marine environment appears to offer a more dynamic food supply influenced by the migratory patterns of marine prey. This research highlights the ecological importance of habitat diversity in supporting perch populations and the need for targeted conservation strategies to preserve these vital ecosystems. Further studies are recommended to enhance our understanding of the long-term ecological dynamics and the impact of environmental changes on perch foraging behavior and habitat use.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50497,"journal":{"name":"Estuarine Coastal and Shelf Science","volume":"319 ","pages":"Article 109294"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-04-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143807905","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Distribution of surfactants in the sea surface microlayer across a tropical estuarine system in Caribbean Colombia","authors":"Karen Moreno-Polo ,&nbsp;Diomer Tobón-Monsalve ,&nbsp;Lennin Florez-Leiva ,&nbsp;Carola Lehners ,&nbsp;Oliver Wurl ,&nbsp;Wilberto Pacheco ,&nbsp;Mariana Ribas-Ribas","doi":"10.1016/j.ecss.2025.109291","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ecss.2025.109291","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The sea surface microlayer is the ocean–atmosphere interface (≤1000 μm thick), is ubiquitous on the ocean surface, and is characterized by the accumulation of surfactants that influence the exchange of climate-relevant gases, such as CO₂. This study on the sea surface microlayer in the Gulf of Urabá, Caribbean Sea, intended to determine the influence of fluvial input on the surfactant concentration distribution and the enrichment factor in a tropical estuarine system. For this purpose, samples were collected in the fluvial and marine zones of the Gulf of Urabá. A glass plate was used to sample the sea surface microlayer. No differences were found in the concentration of surfactants and their enrichment factor between zones. The sea surface microlayer was enriched in surfactants, whose concentration was significantly higher in the sea surface microlayer than in the underlying water. All stations had surfactant concentrations higher than 200 μg Teq L⁻¹, a value above which reductions of up to 23 % in the rate of ocean–atmosphere CO₂ transfer was found. About 55 % of the concentrations corresponded to the high regime of surfactants and 28 % to slick zones, and together with the enrichment factor, these were higher than those of other studies conducted in coastal and oceanic areas. Our results offer valuable insights into the ocean–atmosphere interface in tropical biogeochemical cycles and provide new information about the sea surface microlayer in tropical regions where such data are scarce.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50497,"journal":{"name":"Estuarine Coastal and Shelf Science","volume":"320 ","pages":"Article 109291"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-04-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143815214","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Turtle bycatch from trawlers: What modelling is telling us in the southern Adriatic sea","authors":"Pierluigi Carbonara ,&nbsp;Matteo Chiarini ,&nbsp;Giovanni Romagnoni ,&nbsp;Lola Toomey ,&nbsp;Alessandro Lucchetti ,&nbsp;Cosmidano Neglia ,&nbsp;Maria Teresa Spedicato ,&nbsp;Walter Zupa ,&nbsp;Amaia Astarloa","doi":"10.1016/j.ecss.2025.109293","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ecss.2025.109293","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Southern Adriatic Sea (Geographical Sub-Area GSA18) is intensively exploited by bottom trawling and it is also an important foraging ground for both juvenile and adult loggerhead sea turtles (<em>Caretta caretta</em>). The risk of unwanted catches of sea turtles with trawling is therefore high in this area, demanding tailored insights on this issue. In this study, we investigated the patterns and potential drivers of loggerhead sea turtle bycatch in this area, using generalized linear and generalized additive models. We analyzed data collected by observers onboard and logbooks. Results indicated that the likelihood of turtle bycatch is significantly higher during the day, likely due to the turtles' diel foraging patterns. Seasonal variations revealed an increased bycatch rate in summer and autumn, coinciding with the turtles' southward migration to warmer waters. Additionally, the generalized additive model provided spatiotemporal insights, identifying two bycatch hotspots around the Gargano promontory and off the coast of Brindisi, areas recognized for their high suitability as foraging habitats. Depth and distance from the coast were also significant key factors, with most bycatch occurring in shallow and coastal waters. The drivers of bycatch identified in this study provide crucial insights for shaping initiatives to reduce bycatch of loggerhead sea turtles. These findings emphasize the need for tailored conservation measures to mitigate bycatch, such as temporal and spatial fishing restrictions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50497,"journal":{"name":"Estuarine Coastal and Shelf Science","volume":"319 ","pages":"Article 109293"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-04-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143785712","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Biological features for a minimum conservation reference size revision – case of Ruditapes philippinarum in Arcachon Bay (French Atlantic coast)","authors":"N. Caill-Milly ,&nbsp;N. Bru ,&nbsp;X. de Montaudouin ,&nbsp;C. Dang ,&nbsp;T. Briaudeau ,&nbsp;F. Sanchez","doi":"10.1016/j.ecss.2025.109288","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ecss.2025.109288","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Minimum Conservation Reference Size (MCRS) for marine resources ensure that individuals can mature and reproduce at least once before being caught. For management purposes, MCRS should be revised for specific populations in given areas. In Arcachon Bay (southwest France), fishers have repeatedly requested a review of the MCRS for <em>R. philippinarum</em>. In 2020, a joint recommendation, supported by France, was addressed to the European Commission suggesting a possible reduction in the MCRS of <em>R. philippinarum</em> from 35 mm to 32 mm for Arcachon Bay. This paper provides an overview of the biological features that need to be considered to support such a review, primarily focusing on sexual maturity, individual growth and natural mortality. The reproductive cycle and size at first maturity, estimated at 26.7 mm for the Bay, were found to be similar to other locations in France and in Portugal. The greatest length at which growth slowdown occurred ranges between 24.0 and 31.5 mm with few differences among sites and no significant differences within each site (at hypsometric levels). The natural mortality coefficients were high with 0.67 yr⁻¹ and 0.51 yr⁻¹ for juveniles and adults, respectively. Regarding productivity (resulting from growth and mortality processes) and all methods combined, the optimal balance between individual growth and natural mortality above 30 mm was found at a mean length of 32.2 mm for the intra-lagoon sites and at a mean length of 36.8 mm for the oceanic sites. Based on available information, reducing the MCRS to 32 mm would not threaten population viability. However, the European Commission has raised warning points, which are discussed in light of current regulations in Arcachon Bay.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50497,"journal":{"name":"Estuarine Coastal and Shelf Science","volume":"320 ","pages":"Article 109288"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-04-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143833691","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Mortality event of the Mediterranean Invasive Sea Urchin Diadema setosum from Gökova Bay (Southern Aegean Sea)","authors":"Menekse Didem Demircan ,&nbsp;Elif Özlem Arslan-Aydogdu ,&nbsp;Cem Dalyan ,&nbsp;Vahap Eldem ,&nbsp;Onur Gönülal ,&nbsp;İnci Tüney","doi":"10.1016/j.ecss.2025.109290","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ecss.2025.109290","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The mass mortality of the long-spined sea urchin <em>Diadema setosum</em>, which has become invasive in the eastern Mediterranean and is originally common in tropical seas, was observed along the Mediterranean coast of Türkiye in the summer of 2022. The mass mortality event led to a significant decline in the sea urchin population in Gökova Bay, with over 90 % mortality. The culture method monitored pathogenic bacteria, while the diversity of bacteria, fungi, and protozoa was monitored metagenomically. <em>Vibrio alginolyticus</em> and <em>Vibrio diabolicus</em> were isolated as dominant bacteria in diseased individuals. The metabarcoding analysis confirmed a high presence of the genus <em>Vibrio</em> in diseased sea urchins. Although pathogenic species among the fungal species were detected, it was determined that the distribution of these species did not constitute a significant difference between healthy and diseased individuals. However, <em>Philaster apodigitiformis</em> ciliate genome was detected only in diseased individuals. Detecting different pathogenic agents in sea urchins may suggest that more than one agent could plays a role in mass mortality. Furthermore, environmental changes, including temperature variations and degraded water quality, likely heightened the susceptibility of sea urchins to infections. This study underscores the critical importance of understanding the pathogenic factors contributing to mass mortality events in marine species, with a particular focus on the impact of climate change on aquatic ecosystems. Further research, including histological examinations and experimental tests, is needed to comprehensively assess the role of specific pathogens in these events.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50497,"journal":{"name":"Estuarine Coastal and Shelf Science","volume":"319 ","pages":"Article 109290"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143785713","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Global drifters: the ecological role of non-native macroalgae as beach wrack subsidies","authors":"Iván F. Rodil ,&nbsp;Filipa Bessa ,&nbsp;Alexandra Baeta ,&nbsp;Francisco Arenas","doi":"10.1016/j.ecss.2025.109289","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ecss.2025.109289","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Wrack macroalgae play a key ecological role in beach ecosystems, recycling nutrients, reinforcing trophic linkages between sea and land, and strongly shaping consumer populations and food web dynamics. However, the consequences of changing wrack resources for macroinvertebrate communities remain uncertain. We manipulated <em>in situ</em> the availability of eight macroalgae species of different origin (natives <em>vs</em> non-native) and morphological structures (simple <em>vs</em> complex) to test hypotheses about how changes in the type and number of macroalgae contributing to wrack detrital resources might affect beach macroinvertebrate assemblages. Wrack-associated macrofauna assemblages and total abundance were not affected by the presence of non-native wrack. We highlight that the ecological relevance of non-native wrack in the beach ecosystem functioning is potentially equivalent to their native counterparts. The structural complexity of the wrack patches was the main factor driving differences between the wrack-associated macrofauna assemblages. Our study suggests that the aggregation of terrestrial invertebrates in structurally simple wrack represents a general ecological pattern in sandy beach ecosystems. The typical wrack consumer <em>Talitrus saltator</em> showed specific responses to particular macroalgae species, avoiding the less palatable macroalgae. The diversity response of the macrofauna community is more linked to the biochemical composition of the specific macroalgae, such as phenol concentrations than to the morphological structure or the origin of the macroalgae. By providing more diverse habitat conditions and food sources, the mixture of different wrack species showed a synergistic effect enhancing macrofauna abundance and the number of taxa compared to wrack monocultures. Understanding the ecological role of the different types of beach wrack, especially the non-native inputs, is important to develop clear and ecologically sustainable strategies for management responses to beach wrack accumulations.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50497,"journal":{"name":"Estuarine Coastal and Shelf Science","volume":"319 ","pages":"Article 109289"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143767944","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Paleo-shoreline changes in the northwestern Persian Gulf during the Holocene","authors":"Reza Shahbazi ,&nbsp;Sahar Maleki ,&nbsp;Razieh Lak ,&nbsp;Sadat Feiznia ,&nbsp;Hasan Ahmadi","doi":"10.1016/j.ecss.2025.109286","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ecss.2025.109286","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Persian Gulf and the fertile plains of Mesopotamia are the subject of archaeological, sedimentological, and sea-level studies for more than two centuries. However, the complex tectonic setting and coastal morphology around the Persian Gulf have led to conflicting estimation of relative sea-level changes in this region during the Holocene. We analyzed the lithological and geochemical characteristics of several sediment cores from the Lower Khuzestan plains, northwest of the Persian Gulf, to reconstruct the regional facies and environmental changes, and eventually sea-level evolution during the Holocene. Our results show that sedimentary environments changed with transgression and regression phases and the migration of paleo-shorelines, forming internal water bodies, wetlands, flood basins, and playas. We find four distinct relative sea level micro-sequences, during the early Holocene until about 9000 years before present (9 ka BP), early to mid-Holocene between about 9 and 7 ka BP, mid-Holocene between 7 and 4 ka BP, and late Holocene since ∼4 ka BP. Maximum sea-level during these micro-sequences reached −10 m above sea-level (masl), −3 masl, +1 masl, and +3 masl, respectively. Our study underscores the role of local sedimentation processes in modulating the effect of relative sea level changes, and ultimately in shaping the Holocene landscape of southeastern Mesopotamia.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50497,"journal":{"name":"Estuarine Coastal and Shelf Science","volume":"319 ","pages":"Article 109286"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-03-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143785714","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Eukaryote biodiversity in supratidal microbialite pools: A foundational environmental DNA assessment","authors":"Arsalan Emami-Khoyi ,&nbsp;Claudia M. Schnelle ,&nbsp;Dave R. Clark ,&nbsp;Silke Laakmann ,&nbsp;Peter R. Teske ,&nbsp;Gavin M. Rishworth","doi":"10.1016/j.ecss.2025.109284","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ecss.2025.109284","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Coastlines are a mosaic of habitats, including rocky shores, sandy beaches, estuaries, and artificial substrata. Although modern microbialite pool formations were only recently discovered as an additional coastal habitat along the southern African coastline, they are now known to be surprisingly common to this region. These ecosystems function similarly to estuaries, where seawater and freshwater mix, but with groundwater as the freshwater source instead of river flow. Traditional community assessments from morphological identifications have revealed some similarities between the organisms inhabiting microbialite pools to those of nearby estuaries, but no systematic comparison has so far been undertaken. Here, we used molecular methods based on environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding to characterise the eukaryote assemblages within and between three coastal southern African microbialite pools. We hypothesised that the three sites are taxonomically analogous to one another, which would support the existence of similar core ecological communities. Three genetic markers, one for metazoans (COI) and two for algae (rbcL and the V2+V3 regions of 18S rRNA) were targeted for metabarcoding. Our results show that the biodiversity of the pools was dominated by diatoms (particularly of the genera <em>Navicula</em> and <em>Nitzschia</em>) and, among the metazoans, by malacostracans, rotifers and nematodes. Although the three microbialite pools had similar broadscale community compositions at higher taxonomic levels (class and family), distinct community structure at lower taxonomic levels was observed, which may be a result of numerous opportunistic species being present in addition to the core organisms. The macroinvertebrate fauna of microbialite pools (e.g. peracarid crustaceans, polychaetes and insects) is well documented, although most are still missing from the DNA barcoding reference library. In contrast, the meiofauna (e.g. rotifers, nematodes and ostracods) is understudied. It remains unclear whether the two dominant diatom genera are the primary contributors to microbialite formation, or if other yet-undescribed species also contribute to the process. This study serves as an initial step in uncovering the hidden level of biodiversity within the unique microbialite ecosystems along the southern African coastline.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50497,"journal":{"name":"Estuarine Coastal and Shelf Science","volume":"319 ","pages":"Article 109284"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-03-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143783575","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}