Functional variations of mollusks along an environmental gradient in a coastal lagoon of the Southern Gulf of Mexico

Despite mollusk species play important ecological functions in estuaries, most studies of their assemblage's variations are based on traditional taxonomical approaches. Biological trait analysis is used in the present work to explore the relationships of the functional composition of mollusks with the environmental gradient along a coastal lagoon of the Southern Gulf of Mexico. Sampling was conducted monthly during a year in soft bottoms and subtidal stilt roots of red mangrove at six sampling sites along the lagoon. In total 24 mollusc species were collected and fitted to a particular category of three biological traits. Spatio-temporal variability of the functional composition of molluscs and their relationships with environmental variables were assessed using three approaches. Functional variations of the molluscan assemblages were detected along the lagoon using the three approaches, showing significant correlations to salinity. Nonetheless, the functional groups (FG) and the community weighed (CWM) mean traits approaches showed a clearer spatial pattern of the functional composition than the functional diversity (FD) approach The FG and the CWM approaches used in the present study could help to broadening the ecological studies of the estuarine systems of the Gulf of Mexico, particularly those aimed to assess the relations between the biological components and environmental variables in order to assess functioning of these ecosystems. (C) 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

This study used biological trait analysis to explore the relationship of functional composition of mollusks with environmental gradient along a coastal lagoon of the Southern Gulf of Mexico. The results showed significant correlations to salinity and spatial patterns of functional composition were clearer with FG and CWM approaches than with FD approach. The study broadened ecological studies of estuarine systems in the Gulf of Mexico and provided insights into the relations between biological components and environmental variables.