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Spatial distribution of the infaunal benthic communities of the Ría de Muros, north-west Spain

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Abstract

Benthic samples were collected at 13 stations in the Ría de Muros, north-west Spain. There are three major communities: (1) in the southern and outer part of the ría, an Amphiura filiformis—Thyone fusus community, inhabiting sandy sediments with low organic content; (2) in the middle part of the ría, and Amphiura chiajei—Maldane glebifex community, inhabiting muddy sediments that are not anoxic (sulphide not detected); (3) in Muros Bay and the inner part of the ría, a Spiochaetopterus costarum community, inhabiting anoxic sediments with high organic content. Biomass is very high (up to 46.2 g ash-free dry wt) in the first two communities. In the Spiochaetopterus costarum community, biomass and diversity are much lower, probably because of oxygen deficiency.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centro Costero de La Coruña, Instituto Español de Oceanografía, Apartado 130, La Coruña, Spain

    E. López-Jamar

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  1. E. López-Jamar
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Communicated by J. M. Pérès, Marseille

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López-Jamar, E. Spatial distribution of the infaunal benthic communities of the Ría de Muros, north-west Spain. Mar. Biol. 63, 29–37 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00394660

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00394660

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