TY - JOUR
T1 - Responses of biological traits of macrobenthic fauna to a eutrophication gradient in a semi-enclosed bay, China
AU - Shi, Yifeng
AU - He, Yixuan
AU - Shin, Paul K.S.
AU - Guo, Yu
AU - Zhang, Guodong
AU - Wen, Yujian
AU - Zhang, Guicheng
AU - Xu, Wenzhe
AU - Sun, Jun
PY - 2023/7
Y1 - 2023/7
N2 - The impacts of eutrophication on benthic ecological functions are of increasing concern in recent years. In order to assess the response of macrobenthic fauna to increasing eutrophication, two field sampling surveys were conducted during the summer (July–August 2020) and autumn (October–November 2020) from offshore, nearshore to estuarine sediments in Bohai Bay, northern China. Biological trait analysis was employed for the assessment of macrofaunal samples. The results indicated that there was an increase in the proportion of benthic burrowering or tube-dwelling sediment feeders and taxa with higher larval dispersal ability, but a decrease in the proportion of taxa showing high motility in areas with higher nutrient levels. Seasonal differences were also noted in the shift in biological traits, with a significantly lower similarity among the sampling areas in summer and a higher proportion of carnivorous taxa in autumn. The findings suggested that long-term disturbance can lead to the dominance of smaller body-sized benthic species and reduced sediment quality, impeding ecological recovery of benthic organisms under such harsh environment. © 2023 Elsevier Ltd
AB - The impacts of eutrophication on benthic ecological functions are of increasing concern in recent years. In order to assess the response of macrobenthic fauna to increasing eutrophication, two field sampling surveys were conducted during the summer (July–August 2020) and autumn (October–November 2020) from offshore, nearshore to estuarine sediments in Bohai Bay, northern China. Biological trait analysis was employed for the assessment of macrofaunal samples. The results indicated that there was an increase in the proportion of benthic burrowering or tube-dwelling sediment feeders and taxa with higher larval dispersal ability, but a decrease in the proportion of taxa showing high motility in areas with higher nutrient levels. Seasonal differences were also noted in the shift in biological traits, with a significantly lower similarity among the sampling areas in summer and a higher proportion of carnivorous taxa in autumn. The findings suggested that long-term disturbance can lead to the dominance of smaller body-sized benthic species and reduced sediment quality, impeding ecological recovery of benthic organisms under such harsh environment. © 2023 Elsevier Ltd
KW - Anthropogenic disturbances
KW - Benthic ecosystem
KW - Biological trait analysis
KW - Bohai Bay
KW - Ecological function
KW - Macrofauna
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85163184901&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - https://www.scopus.com/record/pubmetrics.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85163184901&origin=recordpage
U2 - 10.1016/j.marenvres.2023.106072
DO - 10.1016/j.marenvres.2023.106072
M3 - RGC 21 - Publication in refereed journal
C2 - 37385085
SN - 0141-1136
VL - 189
JO - Marine Environmental Research
JF - Marine Environmental Research
M1 - 106072
ER -