Recolonization and succession of subtidal macrobenthic infauna in sediments contaminated with cadmium.
Recolonization and succession of macrobenthic infauna in defaunated sediment contaminated with Cd were studied over a period of 14 months. Trays with defaunated sediment contaminated with cadmium, and trays with defaunated (control) sediment, were exposed at the subtidal in a subtropical environment. Macrobenthic succession exhibited different patterns in Cd-contaminated and control sediments. Abundance and species number were significantly higher in Cd-contaminated sediment during early succession, suggesting that cadmium may facilitate recolonization of certain species of macrobenthos. Cadmium also led to a significant change in species composition in initial colonization and subsequent succession. No significant difference in abundance, species number, diversity and species composition was found between Cd-contaminated and control sediments at the end of experiment, suggesting a stable benthic community was arrived within 14 months.
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Center for Coastal Pollution and Conservation, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China.
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D000818:Animals; D002104:Cadmium; D019015:Geologic Sediments; D006723:Hong Kong; D007220:Industrial Waste; D012623:Seawater; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D013045:Species Specificity; D013997:Time Factors; D015048:Zooplankton / Q000254:growth & development*
D007220:Industrial Waste; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D002104:Cadmium