Spionidae (Polychaeta) as bioindicators of organic enrichment in soft sediment

AGUSTINA FERRANDO; DIEZ M. E.; PASTOR, C.; ESTEVES J.L.

HYDROBIOLOGIA

SPRINGER

Lugar: Berlin; Año: 2019 vol. 827 p. 379 - 389

0018-8158

The abundance of certain spionid species can be closely linked to environmental disturbances producing quantifiable changes in community structure. We hypothesize that in stress conditions, the spionids would tend to localize in the upper level of the sedimentary column near to the sediment-water interface. The aim of this work was to analyze, through an ex situ experiment, the effect produced by two concentrations of crude oil on the spionids at different depths of the sedimentary column and identify possible pollution indicators. A simulated oil spill at two input levels was carried out in the laboratory for 30 days. The effect of the adding of crude oil was significant only in the superior level of the sedimentary column. The differences in the abundance between levels by experimental conditions were significant in all the cases. Sensitive species like Scolelepis (Parascolelepis) sp. and Rhynchospio glutaea disappeared while other species like Boccardia proboscidea had a higher resistance to the addition of crude oil. This study constitutes the first characterization of spionid assemblages of the Patagonian coasts altered by crude oil in sediments, and the first identification of species, which can be useful pollution indicators.