Nematodes as Sensitive Indicators of Change at Dredged Material Disposal Sites

• Published in: Estuarine, coastal and shelf science Vol. 51; no. 6; pp. 805 - 819
• Main Authors: Boyd, S.E., Rees, H.L., Richardson, C.A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Elsevier Ltd 01.12.2000; Elsevier
• Subjects: Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Applied ecology; Biological and medical sciences; British Isles; Daptonema tenuispiculum; dredgings disposal; Ecotoxicology, biological effects of pollution; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Marine and brackish environment; monitoring; Nematoda; nematodes; Sabatieria pulchra; Sabatieria pulchra breviseta; Sabatieria pulchra punctata; U.K. coast; Great Britain; Europe; Atlantic Ocean; England; United Kingdom; North Atlantic; Irish Sea; ANE, British Isles; monitoring; U.K. coast; nematodes; dredgings disposal; Materials; Dredging; Biological indicator; Disturbed ecosystem; Marine environment; Animal community; Helmintha; Nemathelminthia; Water pollution; Bay; Invertebrata; Environmental monitoring; Nematoda; Deposition
• ISSN: 0272-7714; 1096-0015
• DOI: 10.1006/ecss.2000.0722

Demonstration of the recovery of marine habitats from perturbation, or of the effectiveness of protective measures, is dependent on the sensitivity of the target group in responding to change. This paper highlights the utility of the nematode component of the meiofauna as a tool for assessing disturbance from dredgings disposal. Transect surveys were conducted at three major dredged material disposal sites around the U.K. coast. Both gross effects due to the direct impact of dredgings within the disposal sites and lesser consequences arising from the transport of material away from the sites were evident with nematode community analyses. The same nematode species, Sabatieria pulchra group (both breviseta andpunctata ) and Daptonema tenuispiculum were found to dominate at all disposal sites, despite appreciable environmental differences between locations and variability in the nature of the deposited dredged material. These studies have established that nematode communities can provide a sensitive indicator of change in response to dredged material disposal at a variety of locations and have introduced a new monitoring tool for a practice that has a wide significance around the U.K. coast. The implications of the findings for the future monitoring of dredged material disposal and other waste inputs are discussed.