Benthic biotope index for classifying habitats in the sado estuary: Portugal

• Published in: Marine environmental research Vol. 60; no. 5; pp. 570 - 593
• Main Authors: Caeiro, S., Costa, M.H., Goovaerts, P., Martins, F.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01-12-2005; Elsevier
• Subjects: Animal and plant ecology; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Animals; Benthic habitat; Biological and medical sciences; Biotope gradients; Brackish; Discriminant Analysis; Ecosystem; Environmental Monitoring - methods; Estuaries; Food Chain; Forecasting; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Geologic Sediments; Index; Invertebrates; Marine; Pollution effects; Portugal; Sea water ecosystems; Sediment quality assessment; Synecology; Water Movements; Portugal; Europe; ANE, Portugal, Setubal, Sado Estuary; ANE, Portugal; Estuaries; Biotope gradients; Index; Benthic habitat; Pollution effects; Sediment quality assessment; Marine environment; Brackish water environment; Biotope; Pollution; Habitat; Sediments
• ISSN: 0141-1136; 1879-0291
• DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2005.04.002

An integration of sediment physical, chemical, biological, and toxicity data is necessary for a meaningful interpretation of the complex sediment conditions in the marine environment. Assessment of benthic community is a vital component for that interpretation, yet their evaluation is complex and requires a large expenditure of time and funds. Thus, there is a need for new tools that are less expensive and more understandable for managers. This paper presents a benthic biotope index to predict from physical and chemical variables the occurrence of macrobenthic habitats. Parameters such as sediment type, organic matter, depth, and hydrodynamic parameters were selected, through a discriminant analysis, to compute the index. Other authors have used multivariate methods to determine the benthic biotopes for Sado Estuary. The index proved to be a valid tool to classify and assess the spatial patterns of benthic habitat and to synthesize stress biotope gradients.