Impacts of organic enrichment on macrobenthic production, productivity, and transfer efficiency: What can we learn from a gradient of sewage effluents?. (September 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Vesal, Seyed Ehsan; Auriemma, Rocco; Libralato, Simone; Nasi, Federica; Negro, Paola Del
• Is Part Of: Marine pollution bulletin. Volume 182(2022)
• Publication Date: 2022-09
• Subjects: Benthic ecology -- Sewage discharge -- Production -- Productivity -- Transfer efficiency -- Marine coastal areas; Marine pollution -- Periodicals; Marine Biology -- Periodicals; Water Pollution -- Periodicals; Mer -- Pollution -- Périodiques; Publications périodiques; Pollution des mers; Lutte antipollution; Electronic journals; 363.7394
• DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.113972
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0025-326X

Abstract

Abstract: We studied the macrobenthic invertebrate biomass (B), production (P), productivity (P/B̅-ratio), and transfer efficiency (TE) influenced by sewage effluents discharge in a diffusion zone. Our results indicated a clear distribution pattern of macrofauna communities along the sewage discharge gradient where biological factors (B, P, P/B̅, and TE) were driven by changes observed in community structure, composition, and the influence of environmental variables. The lowest B, P, and P/B̅ were observed at the stations sampled close to the pipelines. Abundance, biomass, production, and productivity increased with increasing distance from the pipelines toward stations placed at 100 m distance and then decreased toward the stations placed at >200 m, where there was a negative relationship between TE and B of macrofauna at sampling stations. Overall, there was a clear influence of the sewage discharge on macrofauna communities, but surrounding environment was influenced moderately by organic impact and discharges had no negative impacts. Highlights: The benthic community was affected moderately by organic impact. Production and productivity displayed higher values at 100 m distance. Analyses distinguished a negative relationship between transfer efficiency and biomass. Biomass was lowest values at the high impacted stations situated at <5 m distance. The highest values of transfer efficiency were observed at the high impacted stations.