Abstract
Multibeam swath bathymetry, sediment and benthos samples (including both epifauna and infauna) and submarine images were explored to characterize benthic communities in a subaqueous dune field on the Mar Menor middle shelf (western Mediterranean). The dunes are 2–5 m high and spaced 400–1100 m apart, with a predominant NE-SW orientation oblique to the shoreline. The benthic communities show high spatial variability in diversity. Three types of habitat showing a different species composition are distinguished in the subaqueous dune field.
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Acknowledgments
This work was funded by the FORMED project (CGL2012-33989). The crew of the R/V García del Cid are thanked for their help and enthusiasm during the sample cruise. The authors thank S. de Juan for useful comments on an early draft. R. Durán is supported by a CSIC JAE-Doc contract co-funded by the FSE.
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Demestre, M. et al. (2017). Characterization of Benthic Communities in a Subaqueous Dune Field on the Continental Shelf (Mar Menor, Western Mediterranean). In: Guillén, J., Acosta, J., Chiocci, F., Palanques, A. (eds) Atlas of Bedforms in the Western Mediterranean. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-33940-5_32
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-33940-5_32
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