Journal
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
Volume 56, Issue 1, Pages 42-76Publisher
PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD
DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2007.08.018
Keywords
benthic foraminifera; macrofauna; eutrophication; bio-indicator; opportunistic taxa; Firth of Clyde
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By comparing benthic foraminiferal and macrofaunal responses to sewage sludge disposal in the Firth of Clyde (Scotland), we wanted to investigate the possibility of using foraminifera as bio-indicators of marine environmental degradation. Both groups present a similar distributional pattern, with poor faunas composed of species tolerant to strong oxygen depletion near to the disposal site, surrounded by high density of opportunistic species. Farther away, faunal density decreases and equilibrium taxa gradually replace opportunistic species. No more environmental impact is perceptible beyond 3 km. Nevertheless, some differences exist: foraminifera appear to be more impacted at the disposal site, probably as a consequence of the low pH, a supplementary stress factor for organisms provided with a calcareous test. At 3 kin west of the disposal site, macrofauna is comparable to the reference station, whereas foraminifera still indicate environmental degradation, suggesting their higher sensitivity to this type of pollution. It appears that benthic foraminifera may add valuable information to open marine environmental monitoring. (c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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