Succession in an intertidal benthic community affected by untreated sewage effluent: A case of study in the SW Atlantic shore

BECHERUCCI MARIA EUGENIA; LLANOS ELIZABETH; GARAFFO GRISELDA; VALLARINO EDUARDO

MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN

PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD

Lugar: Amsterdam; Año: 2016 vol. 109 p. 95 - 103

0025-326X

A study of benthic succession related with sewage pollution was conducted in a warm-temperate coastal area of Mar del Plata city, Argentina. The effect of nutrient enrichment and starting period of the succession was tested after cleared space in the intertidal rocky shore benthic community. The time ofrecovery after a disturbance in enriched sites was considerably lower (20-29 weeks) than in non enriched sites based on the diatom Berkeleya sp. and the polychaete Boccardia proboscidea developed in the early succession stage, and Brachidontes rodriguezii or B. proboscidea occurring with Polysiphonia sp., P.fascia and Ulva spp. developed in the late succession stage of the enriched sites. The very low time at which the community recovered in the enriched environments turned out to be one of the assets of the present study and this parameter can be used as a quick indicator of sewage pollution in the area.