© 1992 by ICES/CIEM International Council for the Exploration of the Sea/Conseil International pour l'Exploration de la Mer
Trends in biomass, density and diversity of North Sea macrofauna
Netherlands Institute of Ecology, Centre for Marine and Coastal Ecology Yerseke, The Netherlands
Marine Laboratory Aberdeen, Scotland
Alfred Wegener Institute Bremerhaven, Germany
Biologische Anstalt Helgoland Hamburg, Germany
Senckenberg Institute, Wilhelmshaven Germany
Institut für Meereskunde Kiel, Germany
Institute for Offshore Engineering, Heriot-Watt University Edinburgh, Scotland
Netherlands Institute for Sea Research Texel, The Netherlands
Institut de Biologie Marine Wimereux, France
Institüt für Hydrobiologie, University of Hamburg Germany
Total biomass and biomass of large taxonomic groups (polychaetes, molluscs, crustaceans, echinoderms) and species diversity of the macrofauna were determined for almost 200 North Sea stations sampled synoptically by seven vessels during Spring 1986 and for 120 additional stations sampled in earlier years by the Marine Laboratory in Aberdeen. There exists a clear and significant decreasing trend in biomass with latitude, both in total biomass and for the different taxonomic groups. Apart from latitude, sediment composition and chlorophyll a content of the sediment also infuence total biomass and biomass of most groups significantly. Biomass increases consistently in finer sediments and sediments with a higher chlorophyll a content. The same trends are found for the results within laboratories. Some interaction exists, indicating weak laboratory and zonal effects. Diversity, as measured by Hill's diversity index N1 = (exp H') shows a clear and significant trend with latitude. Towards the north of the North Sea diversity increases considerably. The trend is also found for laboratories separately and is everywhere equally strong. Also longitude and depth show an effect on diversity. Sediment variables have no clear influence on diversity. Other diversity measures show the same trend but are more variable than N1. Total density tends to increase towards the north, but sediment related variables have a larger influence. Mean individual weight becomes considerably smaller towards the northern part of the North Sea.
Keywords: macrobenthos, density, diversity, biomass, latitudinal gradients, North Sea
Received 23 May 1991; accepted 11 November 1991.
CiteULike 
Connotea 
Del.icio.us What's this?
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  M. R. Heath Changes in the structure and function of the North Sea fish foodweb, 1973-2000, and the impacts of fishing and climate ICES J. Mar. Sci., January 1, 2005; 62(5): 847 - 868. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
M. R. Heath Regional variability in the trophic requirements of shelf sea fisheries in the Northeast Atlantic, 1973-2000 ICES J. Mar. Sci., January 1, 2005; 62(7): 1233 - 1244. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|