Response to oxygen deﬁciency (depletion): Bivalve assemblages as an indicator of ecosystem instability in the northern Adriatic Sea

Nerlović, Vedrana; Dogan, Alper; Hrs-Brenko, Mirjana (2011) Response to oxygen deﬁciency (depletion): Bivalve assemblages as an indicator of ecosystem instability in the northern Adriatic Sea. Biologia, 66 (6). pp. 1114-1126. ISSN 0006-3088

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Abstract

Benthic communities represent a powerful tool for the detection of natural and anthropogenic disturbances, as well as for the assessment of marine ecosystem stability. This paper shows that bivalve assemblages could serve as excellent indicators of disturbance and ecosystem instability. The goal of this study was to compare two sets of data in order to determine the diﬀerences between two diﬀerent periods belonging to bivalve assemblage in the muddy detritic bottom of the northern Adriatic Sea in the post-anoxic period during December 1989, 1990, 1991 and quite a while later, during 2003, 2004 and 2005. Abundances of some indicator species such as Corbula gibba, Modiolarca subpicta and Timoclea ovata were detected during the post-anoxic period. Recruitment in the quality of bivalve assemblages was proved by the ecologic and biotic indexes during 2003, 2004 and 2005, during a period of relatively stable ecological conditions. Fluctuation in bivalve diversity due to the ecological quality of the marine ecosystem in the eastern part of the northern Adriatic Sea is also discussed

Item Type:

Article

Additional Information:

The final publication is available at link.springer.com

Uncontrolled Keywords:

hypoxia; bivalve assemblages; indicator species; soft bottoms; northern Adriatic Sea

Subjects:

NATURAL SCIENCES > Biology
NATURAL SCIENCES > Biology > Zoology
NATURAL SCIENCES > Interdisciplinary Natural Sciences > Marine Science

Divisions:

Center for Marine Research

Projects: