Variations in the intertidal and subtidal macrofauna and sediments along a salinity gradient in the upper Forth estuary
McLusky, D.S.; Hull, S.C.; Elliot, M. (1993). Variations in the intertidal and subtidal macrofauna and sediments along a salinity gradient in the upper Forth estuary. Neth. J. Aquat. Ecol. 27(2-4): 101-109. https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF02334773 In: Netherlands Journal of Aquatic Ecology. Kluwer Academic Publishers/Netherlands Society of Aquatic Ecology: Bilthoven. ISSN 1380-8427; e-ISSN 2214-7098, more Also appears in:Meire, P.; Vincx, M. (Ed.) (1993). Marine and estuarine gradients: ECSA 21: Proceedings of the 21st symposium of the Estuarine and Coastal Sciences Association held in Gent, 9-14 september 1991. Netherlands Journal of Aquatic Ecology, 27(2-4). Netherlands Society of Aquatic Ecology: Bilthoven. 496 pp., more |  |
| Keywords | Marine/Coastal; Brackish water |
| Authors | | Top | - McLusky, D.S.
- Hull, S.C.
- Elliot, M., more
| | |
| Abstract | The intertidal and sub-tidal soft-sediment macrofauna of the upper Forth estuary, eastern Scotland, UK has been examined. The intertidal fauna was collected in 1977, and again in 1988/89, at up to 12 stations along the salinity gradient. The subtidal fauna was sampled in 1982 and 1988/89 at up to 15 stations. The stations span the region of the freshwater-seawater interface, and area of the turbidity maximum. Large spatial and temporal variations in macrofaunal abundance and species composition were observed. Sites at the head of the estuary with low salinity were dominated by oligochaetes, but more saline areas were characterised by a depauparate estuarine fauna. The area has historically received large quantities of organic waste both from sewage and industrial discharges which supported very high abundances of oligochaetes of up to 500,000m-2 in the upper reaches of the estuary. Reductions in the organic inflow to the area since the early - 1980's have begun to cause reductions in oligochaete populations and also allowed the further penetration intertidally of non-oligochaete species into the upper and middle reaches of the estuary. No comparable upstream penetration by the non-oligochaete subtidal fauna has been observed, possibly on account of the greater sediment instability in the estuary's main channel. |
|
