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Benthic diversity of coastal brackish‐water lagoons in western Greece
Author(s) -
Reizopoulou Sofia,
Nicolaidou Artemis
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
aquatic conservation: marine and freshwater ecosystems
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.95
H-Index - 77
eISSN - 1099-0755
pISSN - 1052-7613
DOI - 10.1002/aqc.653
Subject(s) - brackish water , benthic zone , oceanography , biodiversity , environmental science , diversity index , ecosystem , range (aeronautics) , benthos , sediment , waves and shallow water , geography , ecology , salinity , hydrology (agriculture) , geology , species richness , biology , paleontology , materials science , composite material , geotechnical engineering
Abstract1. Benthic community parameters were studied in six coastal brackish‐water lagoons located in western Greece (Ionian Sea). Five of the lagoons studied are around the coast of the Amvrakikos Gulf under the influence of the Rivers Louros and Arachthos and one lagoon is situated in northwest Peloponissos. 2. All the lagoons experienced a wide range of temperatures, salinities and dissolved oxygen due to their high degree of confinement and shallow depths. Confinement and sediment composition were the major factors affecting number of species and biodiversity of benthic communities. 3. The Shannon diversity index does not appear to be efficient in discriminating between natural stress and anthropogenic disturbance in lagoonal ecosystems. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.