Journal
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
Volume 196, Issue -, Pages 12-20Publisher
ELSEVIER SCI LTD
DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2014.09.017
Keywords
Biodiversity; Pollution; Introduced species; Metals; Nutrients; Bioindicators
Categories
Funding
- Bluescope Steel
- NSW Marine Parks Authority
- ARC Linkage Grant [LP0990640]
- Australian Research Council [LP0990640] Funding Source: Australian Research Council
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Ecosystems modified by human activities are generally predicted to be biologically impoverished. However, much pollution impact theory stems from laboratory or small-scale field studies, and few studies replicate at the level of estuary. Furthermore, assessments are often based on sediment contamination and infauna, and impacts to epibiota (sessile invertebrates and algae) are seldom considered. We surveyed epibiota in six estuaries in south-east Australia. Half the estuaries were relatively pristine, and half were subject to internationally high levels of contamination, urbanisation, and industrialisation. Contrary to predictions, epibiota in modified estuaries had greater coverage and were similarly diverse as those in unmodified estuaries. Change in epibiota community structure was linearly correlated with sediment-bound copper, and the tubeworm Hydroides elegans showed a strong positive correlation with sediment metals. Stressors such as metal contamination can reduce biodiversity and productivity, but others such as nutrient enrichment and resource provision may obscure signals of impact. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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