Hypoxia, salinity and temperature as structuring factors for marine benthic communities in a eutrophic area
Rosenberg, R.; Loo, L.-O.; Möller, P. (1992). Hypoxia, salinity and temperature as structuring factors for marine benthic communities in a eutrophic area. Neth. J. Sea Res. 30: 121-129. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0077-7579(92)90051-F
In: Netherlands Journal of Sea Research. Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ): Groningen; Den Burg. ISSN 0077-7579; e-ISSN 1873-1406, more
Also appears in:
Heip, C.H.R.; Nienhuis, P.H.; Pollen-Lindeboom, P.R. (Ed.) (1992). Proceedings of the 26th European Marine Biology Symposium: Biological effects of disturbances on estuarine and coastal marine environments, 17-21 September 1991, Yerseke, The Netherlands. European Marine Biology Symposia, 26. Netherlands Journal of Sea Research, 30. 299 pp., more
During 1983 to 1990 the benthic macrofauna was studied at eight stations along a depth gradient from 5 to 53 m in the SE Kattegat on the Swedish west coast. The area is almost non-tidal and characterized by a strong halocline at about 15 m with brackish water (S=12 to 25) at the surface and oceanic water (S=32 to 34) below the halocline. Increasing eutrophication of the area has caused annual periodic below-halocline oxygen deficiency in the 1980s. In this paper, we present spatial and temporal benthic-community structural differences between the fauna above, around and below the halocline. As a consequence of the extensive and severe hypoxia below the halocline, especially in autumn 1988, significant reductions of the benthic fauna were recorded. We conclude that the salinity variation around the halocline in combination with oxygen stress at these depths and just below the halocline have great impact on the benthic faunal structure and biomass. Our long-term field observations suggest that benthic sub-littoral communities can survive lower oxygen concentrations than previously presented.
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