Usefulness of meiofauna at high taxonomic levels as a tool to assess harbor quality status. Marina del Este Harbor (Granada, Spain) as a case study

Authors

  • Francisco Sedano Universidad de Sevilla, Spain
  • Daniel Marquina Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain
  • Free Espinosa Universidad de Sevilla, Spain

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15359/revmar.6.7

Keywords:

Harbor, meiofauna, Alboran Sea, environmental quality, environmental monitoring

Abstract

Meiofaunal communities from a harbor with low levels of disturbance (Marina del Este Harbor) and a control area (Galera Beach) at the subtropical coast of Almuñecar (Spain) were compared to evaluate the usefulness of meiofauna as a tool for environmental monitoring at high taxonomic levels in harbors. Three sites were sampled at the control area with different granulometries (Fine, Medium and Coarse). A mixture of fine and medium sands were found in the Medium granulometry site, which had the same granulometric composition as the Harbor Site. Al, Ba, Ca, Mg, Mn and Ni concentrations at the harbor site were twice as high as those found in the Medium Control Site, which correlates with the highest organic content. Results of the one-way ANOVA and the multivariate analysis showed significant differences regarding the meiofauna abundance
between the Medium and Harbor Sites. In conclusion, the study of meiofaunal communities at high taxonomic levels can detect low levels of disturbance in harbors, which makes it a useful tool for preliminary assessment of environmental quality and, therefore, can be implemented in management policies.

Author Biographies

Francisco Sedano, Universidad de Sevilla

Laboratorio de Biología Marina,Avda. Reina Mercedes 6. 41012. Sevilla

Daniel Marquina, Universidad Complutense de Madrid

Departamento de Zoología y Antropología Física, Ciudad Universitaria.28040. Madrid.

Free Espinosa, Universidad de Sevilla

Laboratorio de Biología Marina, Avda. Reina Mercedes 6. 41012. Sevilla

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Published

2014-10-18

How to Cite

Sedano, F., Marquina, D., & Espinosa, F. (2014). Usefulness of meiofauna at high taxonomic levels as a tool to assess harbor quality status. Marina del Este Harbor (Granada, Spain) as a case study. Journal of Marine and Coastal Sciences, 6, 103-113. https://doi.org/10.15359/revmar.6.7

Issue

Section

Scientific articles

How to Cite

Sedano, F., Marquina, D., & Espinosa, F. (2014). Usefulness of meiofauna at high taxonomic levels as a tool to assess harbor quality status. Marina del Este Harbor (Granada, Spain) as a case study. Journal of Marine and Coastal Sciences, 6, 103-113. https://doi.org/10.15359/revmar.6.7

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