Ecological quality assessment of estuarine macrobenthic communities using an integrative approach

Marujo Neves, Joana; Martins, Marta; Adão, Helena; Mil-Homens, Mário; Costa, Maria Helena; Lobo-Arteaga, Jorge

http://hdl.handle.net/10362/179715

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Macrobenthic communities play a crucial role in the functioning of estuarine ecosystems and serve as bioindicators of environmental quality. This study assessed the ecological quality of an estuarine system using the AMBI and M-AMBI indices. The following parameters were considered: (i) environmental factors (total organic matter, organic carbon, grain size, calcium carbonate), (ii) sediment trace metals (Pb, Zn, Cu, Cr, Co, Ni, Hg, Li, As), (iii) species composition (morphological and molecular identification), and (iv) anthropogenic activities. The results demonstrated notable differences between study areas, reflecting hydrodynamic processes and human activities. The AMBI index indicated that all areas exhibited conditions classified as “slightly disturbed.” However, the composition of the ecological groups and M-AMBI results differed according to the identification method. This approach allowed for a more complete understanding of communities, by integrating the influence of anthropogenic activities on the sediment and macrobenthic communities, highlighting the importance of using both identification methodologies.

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Funding Information: This work was funded by Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT, Portugal), through the strategic projects: D4Ss (ALT20-03-0145-FEDER-029400), UIDB/04292/2020 (doi:10.54499/UIDB/04292/2020) and UIDP/04292/2020 (doi:10.54499/UIDP/04292/2020) granted to MARE - Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, and the project LA/P/0069/2020 (doi:10.54499/LA/P/0069/2020) granted to the Associate Laboratory ARNET - Aquatic Research Network. Joana M. Neves was supported by a PhD fellowship (UI/BD/150954/2021) from FCT. Publisher Copyright: © 2024 The Authors

Palavras-chave

AMBI index Anthropogenic activities Marine biodiversity Metabarcoding Monitoring Trace metals Oceanography Aquatic Science Pollution SDG 14 - Life Below Water