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Spatial distribution of macrofaunal assemblages along the English Channel

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 June 2008

S.G. Bolam ,
J. Eggleton ,
R. Smith ,
C. Mason ,
K. Vanstaen  and
H. Rees
S.G. Bolam*
Affiliation:
Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas), Remembrance Avenue, Burnham-on-Crouch, Essex, CM0 8HA, UK
J. Eggleton
Affiliation:
Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas), Remembrance Avenue, Burnham-on-Crouch, Essex, CM0 8HA, UK
R. Smith
Affiliation:
Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas), Remembrance Avenue, Burnham-on-Crouch, Essex, CM0 8HA, UK
C. Mason
Affiliation:
Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas), Remembrance Avenue, Burnham-on-Crouch, Essex, CM0 8HA, UK
K. Vanstaen
Affiliation:
Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, Pakefield Road, Lowestoft, Suffolk, NR33 0HT, UK
H. Rees
Affiliation:
Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas), Remembrance Avenue, Burnham-on-Crouch, Essex, CM0 8HA, UK
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: S.G. Bolam Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture ScienceRemembrance Avenue, Burnham-on-Crouch Essex, CM0 8HA, UK email: [email protected]
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Abstract

The present study investigates the species distribution patterns and macrofaunal assemblages along the English Channel and the environmental factors contributing to observed patterns. Seven distinct macrofaunal assemblages were identified based on Hamon grab samples. In the western Channel, an Echinocyamus/Nemertea assemblage dominated, giving way to an Abra/Scalibregma assemblage in inshore waters. A Verruca/Sabellaria assemblage was identified to occupy large regions of the mid-Channel while those of the east Channel were more spatially variable. While variations in depth, sediment particle size and wave and tidal stress were significantly related to variations in assemblage structure, temperature did not appear to be greatly influential. In addition, acoustic data obtained for each station sampled allowed us to determine how representative the observed biological communities are over spatial scales somewhat larger than the sampling points. In contrast to earlier comparable studies using anchor dredges, the biological communities sampled in this study did not exhibit a large east–west distinction; the most abundant species and key assemblages were found to be present along the length of the Channel. The possible reasons for these differences with earlier studies are discussed.

Keywords

macrofaunaspatial distributioncommunity assemblagesEnglish Channelenvironmental variablesbaseline
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom , Volume 88 , Issue 4 , August 2008 , pp. 675 - 687
Copyright
Copyright © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 2008

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