Document of bibliographic reference 351259

BibliographicReference record

Type

Bibliographic resource

Type of document

Journal article

BibLvlCode

AS

Title

Ecological quality status assessment of tropical estuaries with benthic indices using differently derived reference conditions

Abstract

Setting appropriate reference conditions (RCs) is critical for classifying the Ecological Quality Status (EcoQS) which is extremely challenging, considering the present-day estuaries. The EcoQS of three tropical estuaries was assessed by applying five different RCs to identify the best applicable method for the area. The AZTI's indices (AMBI and M-AMBI) categorised areas with sharper pollution gradient with ease, while classification of moderate-low polluted areas was ambiguous. Indices responded to chemical stressors more clearly in the impacted estuary compared to the less polluted estuaries. Ecological status assigned by the default RC (lowest AMBI and highest diversity and richness values) were more accurate than those obtained on application of other four types of RCs, owing to various estuarine constraints that are discussed herewith. Thus, prior to application, caution should be exercised while setting area-specific RCs. The inclusion of combination of AZTI's indices with professional judgment for successful appraisal of ecosystem is recommended.

WebOfScience code

https://www.webofscience.com/wos/woscc/full-record/WOS:000793341500005

Bibliographic citation

Dias, H.Q.; Sukumaran, S.; Mulik, J.; Janakiram, P. (2022). Ecological quality status assessment of tropical estuaries with benthic indices using differently derived reference conditions. Mar. Pollut. Bull. 177: 113457. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.113457

Is peer reviewed

true