Published December 30, 2022 | Version v1
Journal article Open

Assessment of the ecological state of the Danube delta coastal area (northwestern part of the Black Sea) based on meiobenthos and nematode assemblages

Authors/Creators

  • 1. Institute of Marine Biology NAS of Ukraine, Odessa, Ukraine

Description

The suitability of using meiobenthic communities and especially the nematodes-based indices to assess the ecological quality of the Ukrainian Danube delta coastal area was tested in one control and two sites impacted by dredging/dumping activities. The study is based on the results of benthic surveys carried out in November 2015 and August 2018 and 2020 in the area of the “Danube-Black Sea” navigable canal. The values of the taxonomic richness of the meiobenthos varied from 6 taxa in the dredging sites to 9 taxa at background stations. According to the species richness, the ecological quality in the dredging area fell into the Poor class (EQS), while the background and dumping areas into the Moderate class. TThe Shannon index (H‘) of the nematodes in the dredging sites varied from 0 to 1.8. Low values of these indices indicate Bad ecological status in the dredging sites and Poor in the rest. There was a high percentage of c-p2 (r-strategists) in all sites. Average values of the maturity index (MI) varied from 1.5 ± 0.2 in the dredging sites to 2.3 ± 0.1 at dumping and 2.6 ± 0.1 at background stations. The Maturity Index also indicates that the dredging site is in Bad condition, the dumping one is in Poor and the background stations are in Moderate. Non-selective deposit feeders (1B) dominated at most stations. According to the values of the trophic diversity index (ITD), the study area can be classified as Poor. For the study sites, species that can be considered potential biological indicators are evinced.

Files

02_KULAKOVA_c2_2022.pdf

Files (2.9 MB)

Name Size Download all
md5:0866436f70f0c6e18562ed1fbb849b41
2.9 MB Preview Download

Additional details

References

  • Balsamo, M., Albertelli, G., Ceccherelli, V.U., Coccioni, R., Colangelo, M.A., Curini-Galletti, M., Danovaro, R., D'Addabbo, R., De Leonardis, C., Fabiano, M., Frontalini, F, Gallo. M, Gambi, C., Guidi, L., Moreno, M., Pusceddu, A., Sandulli, R., Semprucci, F., Todaro, M.A., Tongiorgi, P. (2010). Meiofauna of the Adriatic Sea: Present knowledge and future perspectives. Chemistry and Ecology, 26: 45-63. doi:10.1080/02757541003705492
  • Berlinsky, N., Bogatova, Y., Garkavaya, G. (2005). Estuary of the Danube. Handbook of Environmental Chemistry, 5: Water Pollution, 5: 233-264 (in Russian). doi: 10.1007/698_5_021
  • Berlinsky, N.A. (2012). Dynamics of technogenic impact on the natural complexes of the mouth area of the Danube: monograph. Odessa: Astroprint, 252 p. (in Russian).
  • Bezerra, T.N., Eisendle, U., Hodda, M., Holovachov, O., Leduc, D., Mokievsky, V., Peña Santiago, R., Sharma, J., Smol, N., Tchesunov, A., Venekey, V., Zhao, Z., Vanreusel, A. (2021). Nemys: World database of nematodes. http://dx.doi.org/10.14284/366, Accessed at http://nemys.ugent.be on 2021-05-11.
  • Bongers, T. (1990). The maturity index: An ecological measure of environmental disturbance based on nematode species composition. Oecologia, 83: 14-19. doi:10.1007/BF00324627.
  • Bongers, T., Alkemade, R., & Yeates, G. W. (1991). Interpretation of disturbance-induced maturity decrease in marine nematode assemblages by means of the Maturity Index. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 76: 135-142. doi:10.3354/meps076135.
  • Bongers, T., de Goede, R. G. M., Korthals, G. W., & Yeates, G. W. (1995). Proposed changes of c-p classification for nematodes. Russian Journal of Nematology, 3: 61-62.
  • Chislenko, L.L. (1968). Nomograms for determining the weight of aquatic organisms by body size and shape (marine mesobenthos and plankton). Leningrad: Nauka, 106 p. (in Russian).
  • Clarke, K. R. & Gorley, R. N. (2006). PRIMER v6: User Manual Tutorial. PRIMER-E Ltd. United Kingdom: Plymouth, 193 p.
  • Clarke, K.R., Warwick R.M. (1994). Changes in Marine Communities: An Approach to Statistical Analysis and Interpretation. Natural Environment Research Council. Plymouth Marine Laboratory, UK.
  • Coull, B.C., Chandler, G.T. (1992). Pollution and meiofauna: field, laboratory, and mesocosms studies. Oceanography and Marine Biology An: Annual Review, 30: 191-271.
  • Danovaro, R.; Gambi, C.; Mirto, S.; Sandulli, R.; Ceccherelli, V.U. (2004). Meiofauna. In Mediterranean marine benthos: a manual of methods for its sampling and study. In M.C. Gambi, M. Dappiano (Eds), Biologia Marina Mediterranea, 11: 55-97.
  • Danovaro, R., Gambi, C., Dell'Anno, A., Corinaldesi, C., Fraschetti, S., Vanreusel, A., Vincx, M., Gooday, A.J. (2008). Exponential decline of deep-sea ecosystem funcioning linked to benthic biodiversity loss. Current Biology, 18: 1-8.
  • De Leonardis C, Sandulli R, Vanaverbeke J, Vincx M, De Zio S. (2008). Meiofauna and nematode diversity in some Mediterranean subtidal areas of the Adriatic and Ionian Sea. Scientia Marina, 72: 5-13.
  • De Ley, P., Blaxter, M. (2001). Systematic position and phylogeny. In: Lee D.L, editor. Biology of nematodes. London: Harwood Academic Publishers, 1-30.
  • Filipjev, I.N. (1918-1921). Free-living marine nematodes of the Sevastopol area. Trudy Osob. Zool. Lab. i Sevastop. Biol. St. 4(2): 1-350 (1918); 351-614 (1921) (in Russian).
  • Garkavaya, G.P., Bogatova, Yu.I., Berlinsky, N.A. (1998). Peculiarities of the formation of hydrochemical conditions in the Ukrainian part of the Danube estuary region. Coastal ecosystem of the Ukrainian part of the Danube Delta. Odessa: Astroprint, 21-62 (in Russian).
  • Heip, C., Vincx, M., Smol, N., Vranken, G. (1982). The systematics and ecology of free-living marine nematodes. Helminthological Abstracts. Series B, 51: 1-31.
  • Heip, C., Vincx, M., Vranken, G. (1985). The ecology of marine nematodes. Oceanography and Marine Biology: An Annual Review, 23: 399- 489.
  • Hodda, M., Nicholas, W. L. (1985). Meiofauna associated with mangroves in the Hunter River estuary and Fullerton Cove, South-eastern Australia. Australian Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research, 36: 41-50.
  • Höss, S., Claus, E., Von der Ohe, P.C., Brinke, M., Güde, H., Heininger, P., Traunspurger, W. (2011). Nematode species at risk – a metric to assess pollution in soft sediments of freshwaters. Environment International, 37: 940-949.
  • Konstantinov A.S. (1979). General hydrobiology. M.: Vyssh. shkola. 480 p
  • Kulakova, I.I. (2002). Features of distribution of free-living nematodes in the northwestern part of the Black Sea. Thesis for PhD degree. Institute of Biology of the Southern Seas. Sevastopol, 21 p. (in Russian) http://referatu.net.ua/referats/7569/145609
  • Kulakova, I.I. (2006). Free-living nematodes of the north-western part of the Black Sea. In: North-western part of the Black Sea: biology and ecology (1967-2003). Responsible Ed. Zaitsev Yu.P., Aleksandrov B.G., Minicheva G.G. K.: Naukova Dumka, 2(6.2): 254- 260; 3(1.4): 358-422 (in Russian).
  • Kulakova, I.I. (2020). Fauna of free-living nematodes of the Ukrainian part of the mouth of the Danube in the modern period. Visnyk of ONU. Biology, 25(issue 2 – 47): 97-111 (in Ukrainian). https://doi.org/10.18524/2077-1746.2020.2(47).204214
  • Lambshead, P.J.D. (1986). Sub-catastrophic sewage and industrial waste contamination as revealed by marine nematode faunal analysis. Marine Ecology Progress Series 29: 247-260.
  • Lambshead, P.J.D., Platt, H.M., Shaw, K.M. (1983). The detection of differences among assemblages of marine benthic species based on an assessment of dominance and diversity. Journal of natural History, 17(6): 859-874.
  • Liu, X.S., Xu, W.Z., Cheung, S.G., Shin, P.K.S. (2008). Subtropical meiobenthic nematode communities in Victoria Harbour, Hong Kong. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 56: 1491-1497
  • Lorenzen, S. (1978). The system of Monthysteridae (Nematodes) – a new approach // Zoologische Jahrbücher. Abteilung fur Systematik, Ökologie und Geographie der Tiere. Bd. 105: 515-536.
  • McIntyre, A.D. (1969). Ecology of marine meiobenthos. Biological Reviews, 44: 245-290.
  • Moens, T., Verbeeck, L., De Maeyer, A., Swings, J., Vincx, M. (1999). Selective attraction of marine bacterivorous nematodes to their bacterial food. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 176: 165-178.
  • Moreno, M., Vezzulli, L., Marin, V., Laconi, P., Albertelli, G., Fabiano, M., (2008). The use of meiofauna diversity as an indicator of pollution in harbours. ICES. Journal of Marine Science, 65: 1428-1435.
  • Moreno, M., Semprucci, F., Vezzulli, L., Balsamo, M., Fabiano, M., Albertelli, G. (2011). The use of nematodes in assessing ecological quality status in the Mediterranean coastal ecosystems. Ecological Indicators, 11: 328-336, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2010.05.011
  • Muresan, M., Teaca, A. (2019). The free-living nematode community structure within the Romainan circalittotal habitats. Geo-EcoMarina, 25: 7-13.
  • Muresan, M., Teaca, A., Popa, A., Begun, T. (2019). Free-living marine nematodes community structural changes within a post-dredging site at the Romanian. Journal of Environmental Protection and Ecology, 20(2): 753-760.
  • Muthumbi, A.W., Vanreusel, A., Vincx, M. (2011). Taxon-related diversity patterns from the continental shelf to the slope: A case study on nematodes from the Western Indian Ocean. Marine Ecology 32: 453-467, doi:10.1111/j.1439-0485.2011.00449.x
  • Paerl, W. H. (2006). Assessing and managing nutrient-enhanced eutrophication in estuarine and coastal waters: Interactive effects of human and climatic perturbations. Ecological Engineering, 26: 40-54.
  • Platonova, T.A. (1968). Class roundworms – Nematoda Rudolphi, 1808. Key to the fauna of the Black and Azov Seas, Kyiv: Nauk. Dumka, I: 111-183 (in Russian).
  • Sandulli, R., F. Semprucci, F., Balsamo, M. (2014). Taxonomic and functional biodiversity variations of meiobenthic and nematode assemblages across an extreme environment: a study case in a Blue Hole cave. Italian Journal of Zoology, 81(4): 508-516.
  • Schratzberger, M., Warwick, R.M. (1998). Effects of the intensity and frequency of organic enrichment on two estuarine nematode communities. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 164: 83-94
  • Schratzberger, M., Whomersley, P., Kilbride, R., Rees, H. L. (2004). Structure and taxonomic composition of subtidal nematode and macrofauna assemblages at four stations around the UK coast. Journal of the marine Biological Association of the UK, 84: 315-322.
  • Schratzberger, M., Warr, K., & Rogers, S.I. (2006). Patterns of nematode populations in the southwestern North Sea and their link to other components of the benthic fauna. Journal of Sea Research, 55: 113-127.
  • Seinhorst, J.W. (1959). A rapid method for the transfer of nematodes from fixative to anhydrous glycerine. Nematologica 4: 67-69. doi:10.1163/187529259X00381.
  • Semprucci, F., Colantoni, P., Baldelli, G., Rocchi, M., Balsamo, M. (2010). The distribution of meiofauna on back-reef sandy platforms in the Maldives (Indian Ocean), Marine Ecology, 31(4): 592-607.
  • Semprucci, F., Balsamo, M. (2012). Free-living Marine Nematodes as Bioindicators: Past, Present and Future Perspectives. Environmental Research Journal, 6(1): 18-35
  • Semprucci, F., Balsamo, M. (2014). Free-living Marine Nematodes as Bioindicators: Past, Present and Future Perspectives. Trends Environ. Sci. 6: 17-36.
  • Semprucci, F., Balsamo, M., Frontalini, F. (2014a). The nematode assemblage of a coastal lagoon (Lake Varano, southern Italy): ecology and biodiversity patterns. Scientia Marina, 78: 579-588, doi:10.3989/scimar.04018.02A
  • Semprucci, F., Colantoni, P., Sbrocca, C., Baldelli, G., & Balsamo, M. (2014b). Spatial patterns of distribution of meiofaunal and nematode assemblages in the Huvadhoo lagoon (Maldives, Indian Ocean). Journal of Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, 94: 1377-1385.
  • Semprucci, F., Sbrocca, C., Rocchi, M., Balsamo, M. (2015a). Temporal changes of the meiofaunal assemblage as a tool for the assessment of the ecological quality status. J. Mar. Biol. Assoc. UK, 95: 247-254.
  • Semprucci F., Losi V., Moreno M. (2015b). A review of Italian research on free-living marine nematodes and the future perspectives in their use as Ecological Indicators (EcoInd). Mediterranean Marine Science, 16(2): 352-365.
  • Semprucci, F., Facca, C., Ferrigno, F., Balsamo, M., Sfriso, A., Sandulli, R. (2019). Biotic and abiotic factors affecting seasonal and spatial distribution of meiofauna and macrophytobenthos in transitional coastal waters. Estuar. Coast. Shelf Sci., 219: 328-340
  • Soetaert, K., Heip, C. (1995). Nematode assemblages of deep-sea and shelf break sites in the North Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 125: 171-183, doi:10.3354/meps125171
  • Soetaert, K., Vincx, M., Wittoeck, J., Tulkens, M. & Van Gansbeke, D. (1994). Spatial patterns of Westerschelde meiobenthos. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 39: 367-388.
  • Tietjen, J.H. (1977). Population distribution and structure of the freeliving nematodes of Long Island Sound. Marine Biology, 43: 123- 136
  • Tietjen, J.H. (1977). Population distribution and structure of the freeliving nematodes of Long Island Sound. Marine Biology, 43: 123- 136
  • Ürkmez, D., Sezgin, M., Bat, L. (2014). Use of nematode maturity index for the determination of ecological quality status: A case study from the Black Sea. Journal of the Black Sea / Mediterranean Environment, 20: 96-107
  • Vanaverbeke, J., Merckx, B., Degraer, S. & Vincx, M. (2011). Sedimentrelated distribution patterns of nematodes and macrofauna: two sides of the benthic coin? Marine Environmental Research, 71: 31-40.
  • Vincx, M. (1996). Meiofauna in marine and freshwater sedimenst. In: Hall G.S. (ed). Methods for the examination of organismal diversity in soils and sediments. Cambridge: University Press, 187-195.
  • Vorobyova, L.V. (1999). Meiobenthos of the Ukrainian shelf of the Black and Azov Seas. Kyiv: Nauk. Dumka, 300 p. (in Russian).
  • Vorobyova, L.V., Kulakova, I.I. (1998). Spatio-temporal variability of the meiobenthos of the Zhebriyanskaya Bay. In: Ecology of the seaside of the Ukrainian Danube Delta. Odessa: Astroprint, 238- 249 (in Russian).
  • Vorobyova, L.V., Kulakova, I.I. (2009). Contemporary state of the meiobenthos in the western Black Sea / translation from Russian V. I. Lisovskaya, PhD, OB IBSS senior research associate. Odessa: Astroprint, 126 p. (in Russian), http://hdl.handle.net/1834/9742
  • Vorobyova, L., Kulakova, I., Bondarenko, O., Portyanko, V., Uzun, E. (2016). Meiofauna of the periphytal of the Odessa coast Ukraine // J. Black Sea/Mediterranean Environment, 22(1): 60-73.
  • Warwick, R. M. (1986). A new method for detecting pollution effects on marine macrobenthic communities. Marine Biology, 92: 557- 562.
  • Warwick, R. M., Clarke, K. R. (1994). Relearning the ABC: taxonomic changes and abundance/biomass relationships in disturbed benthic communities. Marine Biology, 118: 739-744.
  • Wieser, W. (1953). Die Beziehung zwishen Mundhölen gestalt, Ernährungsweise und Vorkommen bei freilebenden marine Nematodeneine ökologisch- morphologische Studie. Arkiv för Zoologi, 4: 439-483