title: Evaluation of potential relationships between benthic community structure and toxic metals in Laizhou Bay.
abstract: The objective of the present study was to examine the relationships between benthic community structure and toxic metals using bivariate/multivariate techniques at 17 sediment locations in Laizhou Bay, North China. Sediment chemical data were evaluated against geochemical background values and sediment quality guidelines, which identified Cu and As as contaminants of concern with a moderate potential for adverse effects. Benthic community data were subjected to non-metric multidimensional scaling, which generated four groups of stations. Spearman rank correlation was then employed to explore the relationships between the major axes of heavy metals and benthic community structure. However, weak and insignificant correlations were found between these axes, indicating that contaminants of concern may not be the primary explanatory factors. Polychaeta were abundant in southern Laizhou Bay, serving as a warning regarding the health status of the ecosystem. Integrated sediment quality assessment showed sediments from northern central locations were impaired, displaying less diverse benthos and higher metal contamination.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Marine Ecology and Environmental Science, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, PR China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, PR China.
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Marine Ecology and Environmental Science, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, PR China. Electronic address: jmsong@ms.qdio.ac.cn.
authors.forename: Jinming
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Song
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Marine Ecology and Environmental Science, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, PR China.
authors.forename: Xuegang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D061006:Bays / Q000737:chemistry*; D002681:China; D017753:Ecosystem; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000737:chemistry*; D000075322:Heavy Metal Poisoning; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000737:chemistry*; D011041:Poisoning; D011077:Polychaeta / Q000187:drug effects*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D019216:Metals, Heavy; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
keywords: Laizhou Bay; Macroinvertebrate; Multivariate analysis; Sediment; Toxic metals