Benthic biotope index for classifying habitats in the Sado Estuary: Portugal.
An integration of sediment physical, chemical, biological, and toxicity data is necessary for a meaningful interpretation of the complex sediment conditions in the marine environment. Assessment of benthic community is a vital component for that interpretation, yet their evaluation is complex and requires a large expenditure of time and funds. Thus, there is a need for new tools that are less expensive and more understandable for managers. This paper presents a benthic biotope index to predict from physical and chemical variables the occurrence of macrobenthic habitats. Parameters such as sediment type, organic matter, depth, and hydrodynamic parameters were selected, through a discriminant analysis, to compute the index. Other authors have used multivariate methods to determine the benthic biotopes for Sado Estuary. The index proved to be a valid tool to classify and assess the spatial patterns of benthic habitat and to synthesize stress biotope gradients.
Caeiro
S
S
IMAR, Department of Exact and Technological Sciences of the Portuguese Distance Learning University, R. Escola Politecnica, 147, 1269-001 Lisbon, Portugal. scaeiro@univ-ab.pt
Costa
M H
MH
Goovaerts
P
P
Martins
F
F
D000818:Animals; D016002:Discriminant Analysis; D017753:Ecosystem; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods; D020387:Food Chain; D005544:Forecasting; D019015:Geologic Sediments; D007448:Invertebrates; D011174:Portugal; D014872:Water Movements