title: Assessing sewage impact in a South-West Atlantic rocky shore intertidal algal community.
abstract: The spatial and seasonal variation of the specific composition and community parameters (abundance, diversity, richness and evenness) of the intertidal algal assemblages was studied at four coastal sampling sites, distributed along an environmental gradient from the sewage water outfall of Mar del Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina. Two of them were located close to the sewage outfall (<800m) (impacted area) and the two other were 8 and 9km distant (non-impacted area). The algal abundance was monthly analyzed from October 2008 to May 2009. The algal assemblages varied according to the pollution gradient in spring, summer and autumn, being autumn the season when the highest difference was observed. Ceramium uruguayense was recognized as an indicator species for the non-impacted areas, while Berkeleya sp. represented an indicator species for the sewage outfall impact. Ulva spp. did not reflect the typical pattern observed for other sewage pollution areas.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras (IIMyC), Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Deán Funes 3350, B 7602 AYL Mar del Plata, Argentina; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Av. Rivadavia 1917, C1033AAJ Buenos Aires, Argentina. Electronic address: mebecherucci@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Maria Eugenia
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Becherucci
authors.affiliation: Museo Municipal de Ciencias, Avenida Pellegrini, 4200 Olavarría, Argentina.
authors.forename: Lucerito
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Santiago
authors.affiliation: Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Desarrollo Pesquero, Paseo V. Ocampo N°1 B7602HSA, Mar del Plata, Argentina.
authors.forename: Hugo Rodolfo
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Benavides
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras (IIMyC), Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Deán Funes 3350, B 7602 AYL Mar del Plata, Argentina.
authors.forename: Eduardo Alberto
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Vallarino
mesh_terms: D001118:Argentina; D001267:Atlantic Ocean; D017377:Diatoms / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D012621:Seasons; D012624:Seaweed / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D012722:Sewage / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000032:analysis; D014876:Water Pollution / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D012722:Sewage
keywords: Algal indicators; Argentina; Coastal pollution; Mar del Plata; Sewage outfall