Marine Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning
EU Network of Excellence

 
Main Menu

· Home
· Contacts
· Data Systems
· Documents
· FAQ
· Links
· MarBEF Open Archive
· Network Description
· Outreach
· Photo Gallery
· Quality Assurance
· Register of Resources
· Research Projects
· Rules and Guidelines
· Training
· Wiki
· Worldconference

 

Register of Resources (RoR)

 People  |  Datasets  |  Literature  |  Institutes  |  Projects 

[ report an error in this record ]basket (0): add | show Print this page

Spatial and temporal variability of the epi-, hyper- and endobenthos of nine sandy beaches along the Ecuadorian coast
Vandepitte, L. (2004). Spatial and temporal variability of the epi-, hyper- and endobenthos of nine sandy beaches along the Ecuadorian coast. MSc Thesis. University of Gent: Gent. 24 pp.

Thesis info:

Available in  Author 
Document type: Dissertation

Keywords
    Aquatic communities > Benthos
    Coastal zone
    Epibionts
    Sedimentary structures > Bed forms > Banks (topography) > Sand banks
    Spatial variations
    Temporal variations
    Topographic features > Beach features > Surf zone
    ISE, Ecuador [Marine Regions]
    Marine/Coastal

Author  Top 
  • Vandepitte, L., more

Abstract
    Nine sandy beaches along the Ecuadorian coast were sampled for epi-, hyper- and endobenthos on four occasions (August 1999, November 1999, February 2000 and May 2000). Spatial and temporal patterns within and in between these three benthic groups were investigated, as well as abiotic factors possibly structuring the communities. Within the endo- and hyperbenthos, five geographically distinct communities could be observed, which were different for both groups. Endobenthic communities were primarily distinguished based on differences in abiotic factors such as gravel content, chlorophyll a, salinity and beach morphology. Within the defined communities, temporal patterns could subsequently be distinguished. Hyperbenthic communities on the other hand, mainly seemed to be structured by seasonal trends. Abiotic factors however, were not as a decisive factor as for the endobenthos. Within the epibenthos, there could only be made a clear distinction between anthropogenically and non-anthropogenically influenced beaches, based on total densities and species richness. A comparison of the endo-, hyper- and epibenthos, shows that the endobenthos is characterised by the highest total densities (on average 745 ind./m² per sample), whereas the hyperbenthos showed the highest species richness (on average 15 higher taxonomic groups or 43 morphospecies per sample). The epibenthos was characterised by the lowest total densities (on average 0.04 ind./m² per sample) and an average species richness equal to that of the endobenthos (5 species per sample). The extremely low total densities of the epibenthos require some caution when interpreting the data. Dominant taxa varied considerably per beach and per sampling period. Combining the three benthic groups into “macrobenthos” gave a total 111 observed taxa, with an average of 28 taxa per beach. The only pattern found within the macrobenthos was the grouping of two beaches that are under anthropogenic influences of tourism and waste water dumping, thereby concluding that human disturbance cannot be ignored when investigating the benthos of Ecuadorian sandy beaches. When studying Ecuadorian surf zone systems more in detail, for example within the framework of the effect of climate changes on the benthos, one should bear in mind that (1) different benthic groups show different spatial and temporal patterns, (2) temporal patterns are not the same between beaches and (3) the structuring function of environmental variables and the impact of human disturbance can differ considerably between the benthic subgroups.

All data in the Integrated Marine Information System (IMIS) is subject to the VLIZ privacy policy Top | Author 


If any information here appears to be incorrect, please contact us
Back to Register of Resources
 
Quick links

MarBEF WIKI

Erasmus Mundus Master of Science in Marine Biodiversity and Conservation (EMBC)
Outreach

Science
Responsive Mode Programme (RMP) - Marie Nordstrom, copyright Aspden Rebecca

WoRMS
part of WoRMS logo

ERMS 2.0
Epinephelus marginatus Picture: JG Harmelin

EurOBIS

Geographic System

Datasets

 


Web site hosted and maintained by Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ) - Contact data-at-marbef.org