title: Meiofauna and its sedimentary environment as an integrated indication of anthropogenic disturbance to sandy beach ecosystems.
abstract: The accuracy and applicability of the Nematode/Copepod index (N/C) in monitoring the effects of environmental disturbances is controversial. In this study, we used an integrated approach that includes both meiofauna and the sedimentary environment to demonstrate a tourism-induced disturbance gradient among sampled beaches. We also analysed the relationships between meiofauna and environmental factors. The results showed that disturbed beaches were characterised by high values of meiofauna abundance, chlorophyll a content, total organic carbon content and N/C but lower levels of dissolved oxygen. The chlorophyll a and dissolved oxygen contents were found to be the most important factors for explaining the disturbance gradient amongst the beaches. The N/C index had a positive relationship with chlorophyll a and a negative relationship with dissolved oxygen. There was no significant relationship between N/C index and total organic carbon content.
authors.affiliation: College of Marine Life Science, Ocean University of China, 5 Yushan Road, Qingdao 266003, China.
authors.forename: Xinyu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: College of Marine Life Science, Ocean University of China, 5 Yushan Road, Qingdao 266003, China. Electronic address: hzhou@ouc.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: College of Marine Life Science, Ocean University of China, 5 Yushan Road, Qingdao 266003, China.
authors.forename: Er
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hua
authors.affiliation: College of Marine Life Science, Ocean University of China, 5 Yushan Road, Qingdao 266003, China.
authors.forename: Shuhui
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: College of Marine Life Science, Ocean University of China, 5 Yushan Road, Qingdao 266003, China.
authors.forename: Bingqing
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Cong
authors.affiliation: College of Marine Life Science, Ocean University of China, 5 Yushan Road, Qingdao 266003, China.
authors.forename: Zhinan
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001493:Bathing Beaches; D002734:Chlorophyll / Q000032:analysis; D000077194:Chlorophyll A; D033342:Copepoda / Q000502:physiology; D017753:Ecosystem; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000737:chemistry; D007448:Invertebrates; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009348:Nematoda / Q000502:physiology; D011156:Population Density; D012621:Seasons; D014872:Water Movements
chemical_list: D002734:Chlorophyll; D000077194:Chlorophyll A
keywords: Anthropogenic disturbance; Meiofauna; Nematode/Copepod index; Principal components analysis; Sandy beach