Article: Benthic macrofaunal structure and secondary production in tropical estuaries on the Eastern Marine Ecoregion of Brazil

Tropical estuaries are highly productive and support diverse benthic assemblages within mangroves and tidal flats habitats. Determining differences and similarities of benthic assemblages within estuarine habitats and between regional ecosystems may provide scientific support for management of those ecosystems. Here we studied three tropical estuaries in the Eastern Marine Ecoregion of Brazil to assess the spatial variability of benthic assemblages from vegetated (mangroves) and unvegetated (tidal flats) habitats. A nested sampling design was used to determine spatial scales of variability in benthic macrofaunal density, biomass and secondary production. Habitat differences in benthic assemblage composition were evident, with mangrove forests being dominated by annelids (Oligochaeta and Capitellidae) whereas peracarid crustaceans were also abundant on tidal flats. Macrofaunal biomass, density and secondary production also differed between habitats and among estuaries. Those differences were related both to the composition of benthic assemblages and to random spatial variability, underscoring the importance of hierarchical sampling in estuarine ecological studies. Given variable levels of human impacts and predicted climate change effects on tropical estuarine assemblages in Eastern Brazil, our data support the use of benthic secondary production to address long-term changes and improved management of estuaries in Eastern Brazil.

Citing Articles

Transition of an estuarine benthic meiofauna assemblage 1.7 and 2.8 years after a mining disaster.

Coppo G, Pais F, Ferreira T, Halanych K, Donnelly K, Mazzuco A PeerJ. 2023; 11:e14992.

PMID: 36935931 PMC: 10022502. DOI: 10.7717/peerj.14992.

Contamination and oxidative stress biomarkers in estuarine fish following a mine tailing disaster.

Gabriel F, Hauser-Davis R, Soares L, Mazzuco A, Rocha R, Saint Pierre T PeerJ. 2020; 8:e10266.

PMID: 33194429 PMC: 7602685. DOI: 10.7717/peerj.10266.

Evaluating the boundaries of marine biogeographic regions of the Southwestern Atlantic using halacarid mites (Halacaridae), meiobenthic organisms with a low dispersal potential.

Pepato A, Vidigal T, Klimov P Ecol Evol. 2019; 9(23):13359-13374.

PMID: 31871650 PMC: 6912894. DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5791.

Chronic trace metals effects of mine tailings on estuarine assemblages revealed by environmental DNA.

Bernardino A, Pais F, Oliveira L, Gabriel F, Ferreira T, Queiroz H PeerJ. 2019; 7:e8042.

PMID: 31720128 PMC: 6842558. DOI: 10.7717/peerj.8042.

References

1.

Barros F, Carvalho G, Costa Y, Hatje V . Subtidal benthic macroinfaunal assemblages in tropical estuaries: generality amongst highly variable gradients. Mar Environ Res. 2012; 81:43-52. DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2012.08.006. View

2.

Bernardino A, de Oliveira Gomes L, Hadlich H, Andrades R, Correa L . Mangrove clearing impacts on macrofaunal assemblages and benthic food webs in a tropical estuary. Mar Pollut Bull. 2018; 126:228-235. DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2017.11.008. View

3.

Dittmann S . Abundance and distribution of small infauna in mangroves of Missionary Bay, north Queensland, Australia. Rev Biol Trop. 2002; 49(2):535-44. View

4.

Underwood A, Chapman M . Scales of spatial patterns of distribution of intertidal invertebrates. Oecologia. 2017; 107(2):212-224. DOI: 10.1007/BF00327905. View

5.

Servino R, de Oliveira Gomes L, Bernardino A . Extreme weather impacts on tropical mangrove forests in the Eastern Brazil Marine Ecoregion. Sci Total Environ. 2018; 628-629:233-240. DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.02.068. View

6.

Underwood , Chapman , Connell . Observations in ecology: you can't make progress on processes without understanding the patterns. J Exp Mar Biol Ecol. 2000; 250(1-2):97-115. DOI: 10.1016/s0022-0981(00)00181-7. View

7.

Edgar G . Measurement of the carrying capacity of benthic habitats using a metabolic-rate based index. Oecologia. 2017; 95(1):115-121. DOI: 10.1007/BF00649514. View

8.

Leite F, Turra A, Souza E . Population biology and distribution of the tanaid Kalliapseudes schubarti Mañé-Garzon, 1949, in an intertidal flat in southeastern Brazil. Braz J Biol. 2004; 63(3):469-79. DOI: 10.1590/s1519-69842003000300013. View

9.

de Oliveira Gomes L, Correa L, Sa F, Neto R, Bernardino A . The impacts of the Samarco mine tailing spill on the Rio Doce estuary, Eastern Brazil. Mar Pollut Bull. 2017; 120(1-2):28-36. DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2017.04.056. View

10.

Dolbeth M, Cardoso P, Ferreira S, Verdelhos T, Raffaelli D, Pardal M . Anthropogenic and natural disturbance effects on a macrobenthic estuarine community over a 10-year period. Mar Pollut Bull. 2007; 54(5):576-85. DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2006.12.005. View

11.

Costa T, Soares-Gomes A . Secondary production of the fiddler crab Uca rapax from mangrove areas under anthropogenic eutrophication in the Western Atlantic, Brazil. Mar Pollut Bull. 2015; 101(2):533-8. DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2015.10.061. View

Benthic Macrofaunal Structure and Secondary Production in Tropical Estuaries on the Eastern Marine Ecoregion of Brazil