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Benthic Ecology in Coastal and Brackish Systems
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Benthic Ecology in Coastal and Brackish Systems

A special issue of Journal of Marine Science and Engineering (ISSN 2077-1312). This special issue belongs to the section "Marine Ecology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2024 | Viewed by 6998

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Panagiotis D. Dimitriou

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Marine Ecology Laboratory, Department of Biology, University of Crete, GR 70013 Heraklion, Greece
Interests: benthic ecology; macrofauna; ecological status assessment; anthropogenic effects

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

A significant proportion of marine anthropogenic activities take place in the coastal zone, thereby inducing changes in marine communities and ecosystems. In order to maintain the goods and services provided by coastal ecosystems, monitoring indicators and management schemes have been adopted in different parts of the world, such as the European Water Framework Directive or the Clean Water Act in North America. All these regulatory frameworks aim to provide the tools for the assessment of ecosystem condition or health based on the measurement of different abiotic or biotic elements (e.g., nutrients, chlorophyll a, benthic macrofauna, angiosperms, chemical contamination, bacteria). On the other hand, it is understood that benthic ecological possesses are of great importance for the maintenance of ecosystem health in coastal ecosystems. Although both issues (ecological status indicators and ecological processes) have been extensively studied in the scientific literature, the quantitative link between the two has not been adequately addressed.

The primary aim of this special issue is to explore the relation between ecosystem health as quantified by monitoring tools developed in the context of different directives and benthic ecosystem processes, functions, and geochemical variables in the coastal zone. Specifically, we invite field studies or experiments linking ecosystem health and functions, both of which may be assessed via different tools, organisms, elements, or analyses, as long as the link between the two is described and quantified. The status of the ecosystems should not be the result of the study, but it can be used as a "factor" in different types of analyses, and then geochemical variables, fluxes, or other types of ecological processes should be compared between different levels of ecological status. The assessment of ecological status may be based on different methodologies, depending on the characteristics and objectives of the study.

Dr. Panagiotis D. Dimitriou
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Journal of Marine Science and Engineering is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • ecological status
  • ecosystem health
  • benthic ecology
  • anthropogenic effects
  • biological trait analysis
  • marine biodiversity
  • marine functional diversity
  • benthic indicators

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

20 pages, 1675 KiB  
Article
Untangling Coastal Diversity: How Habitat Complexity Shapes Demersal and Benthopelagic Assemblages in NW Iberia
by Marisa A. Gomes, Catarina M. Alves, Fábio Faria, Jesus S. Troncoso and Pedro T. Gomes
J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2024, 12(4), 538; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse12040538 - 24 Mar 2024
Viewed by 834
Abstract
Understanding species–habitat relationships is essential for ecosystem-based conservation. This study explores the significance of habitat characteristics and complexity for demersal and benthopelagic communities within a patchwork of coastal habitats, including rocky seabed, macroalgae formations, sandy bottoms, and a combination of rock and sand [...] Read more.
Understanding species–habitat relationships is essential for ecosystem-based conservation. This study explores the significance of habitat characteristics and complexity for demersal and benthopelagic communities within a patchwork of coastal habitats, including rocky seabed, macroalgae formations, sandy bottoms, and a combination of rock and sand areas. Species and habitats were surveyed along the north-west (NW) Iberian continental shelf area of Viana do Castelo using baited remote underwater video stations (BRUVS). We found significant differences (p < 0.05) in species assemblages across habitats, with rocky substrates showing the highest diversity and abundance. Sand habitats showed the lowest species richness and abundance, underscoring the importance of habitat complexity to support marine life. Our study also emphasises the role of specific species in shaping the communities, identifying key species such as Trisopterus luscus, Diplodus vulgaris, and Ctenolabrus rupestris as the three most abundant in the region and significant contributors to the observed dissimilarities between habitats. By elucidating the impact of habitat complexity on marine life, our results offer essential baseline data, which serve as a kick-start point to inform sustainable management and conservation strategies for the long-term health and productivity of these vital ecological systems in the North-East Atlantic. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Benthic Ecology in Coastal and Brackish Systems)
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20 pages, 6588 KiB  
Article
Using Benthic Indices to Assess the Ecological Quality of Sandy Beaches and the Impact of Urbanisation on Sandy Beach Ecosystems
by Jian Liang, Meng-Yuan Shu, Hai-Rui Huang, Chae-Woo Ma and Seon-Kyu Kim
J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2024, 12(3), 487; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse12030487 - 14 Mar 2024
Viewed by 692
Abstract
As the global population continues to grow, sandy beaches, one of the most valuable ecosystems, have been widely impacted by human activities. Therefore, to develop policies for the conservation and management of sandy beaches, the impact of human activities on sandy beaches must [...] Read more.
As the global population continues to grow, sandy beaches, one of the most valuable ecosystems, have been widely impacted by human activities. Therefore, to develop policies for the conservation and management of sandy beaches, the impact of human activities on sandy beaches must be accurately assessed. We used seven benthic indices to evaluate the ecological quality of sandy beaches in Anmyeon Island, Korea. However, these seven indices were found to either over- or underestimate their ecological quality. Moreover, despite incorporating beach morphodynamics into our study, these indices did not respond to the pressure of urbanisation on beaches. Given the suboptimal performance of benthic indices in reflecting the actual state of Korean beaches, our study indicates that beaches without human interference but with the same morphodynamics must be selected as control groups to further explore the effectiveness of these indices. This is critical for advancing our conservation efforts and managing sandy beach ecosystems under increasing human influence. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Benthic Ecology in Coastal and Brackish Systems)
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13 pages, 2241 KiB  
Article
A Report on the Artificial Reef Use in Grenada, West Indies
by Brianna LeFebre, Phil Saye and James S. Henkel
J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2024, 12(2), 253; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse12020253 - 31 Jan 2024
Viewed by 557
Abstract
Coral reef rehabilitation in the Caribbean is of major ecological and economic importance in the West Indies. Local organizations in Grenada constructed a cement pyramid artificial reef structure with rugosity (termed “The Pyramid”) and placed a number of these artificial reefs in a [...] Read more.
Coral reef rehabilitation in the Caribbean is of major ecological and economic importance in the West Indies. Local organizations in Grenada constructed a cement pyramid artificial reef structure with rugosity (termed “The Pyramid”) and placed a number of these artificial reefs in a shallow marine area fringing two major natural reefs in the southwest coastal region of Grenada. Benthic data for two nearby natural reefs were compared to the benthic evaluation of the artificial reef pyramids. This comparison demonstrated that the artificial reef pyramids were similar in many respects to the natural reefs but were significantly different in macro- and coralline algae cover, two key indicators of reef health. This report is the first benthic evaluation of an artificial reef through comparison to natural reefs in Grenada. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Benthic Ecology in Coastal and Brackish Systems)
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13 pages, 1420 KiB  
Article
The Effect of Environmental Dredging of Muck on an Assemblage of Benthic Amphipods
by Nayan Mallick, Kevin B. Johnson and Charles A. Jacoby
J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2023, 11(2), 444; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse11020444 - 17 Feb 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1557
Abstract
To yield environmental benefits, fine sediments with ~10% organic matter, termed muck, were dredged from a tributary to the Indian River Lagoon. Key changes were documented by sampling amphipods, sediments, and the water column near the bottom before dredging, and approximately one month [...] Read more.
To yield environmental benefits, fine sediments with ~10% organic matter, termed muck, were dredged from a tributary to the Indian River Lagoon. Key changes were documented by sampling amphipods, sediments, and the water column near the bottom before dredging, and approximately one month and one year after dredging. Overall, muck yielded the fewest taxa, muck or sediments in creeks that were dredged yielded a moderate number of taxa, and undisturbed sediments in the lagoon yielded the highest number of taxa. Amphipods did not appear in areas with muck until one month and one year after dredging. In contrast, amphipods in sediments that were not muck decreased after dredging. Increases in the occurrence of amphipods paralleled increases in concentrations of dissolved oxygen and decreases in the water, silt/clay, and organic content of sediments. Overall, results indicated that conditions for amphipods were improved by removing muck, and that dredging sandier sediment led to decreased taxonomic richness and numbers of amphipods, which resembled the effects of navigational dredging. Thus, this study suggested that managers should consider the type of sediment to be dredged when permitting projects. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Benthic Ecology in Coastal and Brackish Systems)
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14 pages, 1553 KiB  
Article
Exploring Benthic Scavenger Assemblages, a Multi-Habitat Approach in NW Iberian Peninsula
by Diego Carreira-Flores, Puri Veiga, Jesús Fernández-Gutiérrez, Pedro T. Gomes and Marcos Rubal
J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2023, 11(1), 184; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse11010184 - 11 Jan 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1426
Abstract
Scavenging fauna plays an integral role in ecosystem functioning, nutrient cycling and circulating organic matter. Thus, baseline data of scavenger assemblages on the NW coast of the Iberian Peninsula that provides information on the abundance of species in different habitats is crucial to [...] Read more.
Scavenging fauna plays an integral role in ecosystem functioning, nutrient cycling and circulating organic matter. Thus, baseline data of scavenger assemblages on the NW coast of the Iberian Peninsula that provides information on the abundance of species in different habitats is crucial to understanding the distribution of this understudied group. Two different types of baited traps, to capture scavenging megafaunal and scavenging benthopelagic macrofaunal assemblages, were deployed to compare them among rocky, pebbled and sandy bottoms at shallow subtidal on the northern coast of Portugal. Results showed significant differences in the structure of scavenger assemblages. Scavenging megafaunal assemblages differed between sandy and the other two studied habitats, whereas benthopelagic macrofaunal assemblages differed between pebbles and rocky habitats. This suggests that different drivers seem to shape the structure of benthopelagic macrofauna and megafauna. Regarding megafauna, the dominance of Tritia gastropods in sand habitats in comparison with its absence in rock and its very low abundance in pebbles was mainly responsible for the differences. However, in benthopelagic macrofauna, differences in assemblages between pebbles and rock were more related to changes in the relative abundance of crustacean species (Cirolana cranchii and Socarnes erythrophthalmus) that were less abundant in pebbles. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Benthic Ecology in Coastal and Brackish Systems)
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22 pages, 3994 KiB  
Article
Application and Validation of an Ecological Quality Index, ISEP, in the Yellow Sea
by Jae-Won Yoo, Yong-Woo Lee, Mi-Ra Park, Chang-Soo Kim, Sungtae Kim, Chae-Lin Lee, Su-Young Jeong, Dhongil Lim and Sung-Yong Oh
J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2022, 10(12), 1908; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse10121908 - 05 Dec 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1356
Abstract
An ecological index of macrobenthic communities is an important tool for assessing the biological quality of habitats and ecosystems. We tested the performance of the inverse function of the Shannon–Wiener evenness proportion (ISEP) with data from the entire west coast of Korea, seasonally [...] Read more.
An ecological index of macrobenthic communities is an important tool for assessing the biological quality of habitats and ecosystems. We tested the performance of the inverse function of the Shannon–Wiener evenness proportion (ISEP) with data from the entire west coast of Korea, seasonally sampled from 2006 to 2008. Two validations were performed: (1) examination of the relationship between ISEP and environmental factors and (2) correspondence between the ISEP and the Pearson–Rosenberg (P-R) model for the species-abundance-biomass (SAB) patterns and taxonomical variations. The ISEP was significantly correlated with suspended solids but independent of other natural habitat conditions due to their low to moderate contamination levels. From this, ISEP performed as expected in transitional zones of low salinity and applications across habitats of various sediments. The SAB patterns and taxonomic variations along the ISEP grades showed marked similarities to the P-R model. The only departure was biomass, which increased after the normal status. The increase was interpreted as reflecting a healthier and more mature status. Taxonomic variation patterns and the taxa composition that characterized either poor or healthy status corresponded well with the P-R model. The conformity to the P-R model indicates the capability and potential applicability of the ISEP to other coastal systems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Benthic Ecology in Coastal and Brackish Systems)
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Planned Papers

The below list represents only planned manuscripts. Some of these manuscripts have not been received by the Editorial Office yet. Papers submitted to MDPI journals are subject to peer-review.

Title: Effect of industrial thermal disturbance on benthic ecosystem processes in areas with good ecological status
Authors: Lampa M., Manolaki S. M., Chatzivasileiou D., Dimitriou P. D., and Karakassis I.
Affiliation: Department of Biology, Marine Ecology Laboratory, University of Crete,

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