The impact of implanted whale carcass on nematode communities in shallow water area of Peter the Great Bay (East Sea)

• Published in: Ocean science journal Vol. 44; no. 3; pp. 181 - 188
• Main Authors: Pavlyuk, Olga N., Trebukhova, Yulia A., Tarasov, Vitalyi G.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Springer Korean Ocean Research and Development Institute and The Korean society of Oceanography 01.09.2009; 한국해양과학기술원
• Subjects: Aquatic Pollution; Balaenoptera; Balaenoptera acutorostrata; Earth and Environmental Science; Earth Sciences; Marine; Marine & Freshwater Sciences; Nematoda; Oceanography; Waste Water Technology; Water Management; Water Pollution Control; 해양학; INW, Russia, Primorskiy, Petra Velikogo Bay; INW, Russia, Bolshoi Pelis I; macrobenthos; whale carcass; meiobenthos; density; marine nematodes
• ISSN: 1738-5261; 2005-7172
• DOI: 10.1007/s12601-009-0016-1

In May, 2007 we sank the remains of a Minke whale ( Balaenoptera acutorostrata ) in the East Sea, Peter the Great Bay, at 30 m of water near the coast of Big Pelis Island. In the present study we describe the nematode communities in sediments under the implanted whale carcass. Abundance of nematodes increased with the distance from the carcass. Dominant trophic group was non-selective deposit feeders. The highest values of indexes of a specific diversity and evenness were noted in sediments under the whale, while domination index occurred at the highest distance from the whale. The suggestion is made that the cause of low density of nematodes in sediments under the whale is an extreme increase in number of macrofaunal animals, and predation and food competition between macro- and meiofauna. The changes noted in nematode assemblages living in an implanted whale in shallow waters are similar to those in deep-sea assemblages.