Bioassessment of a Northwest Florida Estuary Using Benthic Macroinvertebrates.

ABSTRACT: Benthic invertebrate community composition was surveyed across the salinity gradient of the Pensacola Bay Estuary in Florida during summer 2016. Macrofauna densities ranged from 1000 to 9300 individuals m^-2 , with highest densities occurring at the upper estuary and the lowest in the mid- and lower estuary. Taxonomic richness and Shannon diversity were lowest in the upper estuary and increased along the salinity gradient. Small-bodied, near-surface infaunal polychaete species (e.g., Mediomastus ambiseta and Paraprionospio alata) dominated the macrofaunal community in fine sediment areas. We calculated the Gulf of Mexico Benthic Index of Biological Integrity for each site and compared the index scores with those from Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program - Estuaries, an

SUBMITTER: Nestlerode JA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7941259 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature