International Journal of Research in Environmental Studies
ISSN: 2059-1977
Vol. 6(1), pp. 1-13, February 2019
doi.org/10.33500/ijres.2019.06.001

Spatial distributions of macrozoobenthic community and environmental condition of Manfredonia Gulf; South Adriatic, Mediterranean Sea

T. Scirocco*, L. Cilenti, A. Specchiulli, S. Pelosi, R. D’Adamo and F. Urbano

National Research Council - Institute for Biological Resources and Marine Biotechnology (IRBIM) uos of Lesina (FG), Via Pola 4, 71010 Lesina (FG), Italy.

*To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: tommaso.scirocco@fg.ismar.cnr.it.

Received 05 November, 2018; Received in revised form 10 December, 2018; Accepted 13 December, 2018.

Abstract

Keywords:
Macrozoobenthic community, Spatial distribution, ABC index, Mediterranean Manfredonia Gulf.

This study conducted in spring 2014 describes the spatial distribution of the macrozoobenthic community and the environmental condition of the Manfredonia Gulf (South Adriatic, Mediterranean Sea) through the application of the abundance-biomass-comparison (ABC). The surface sediments of the Manfredonia Gulf were mostly Silt-Clay and Clayey-Silt. A total of 56 species was identified. The crustaceans had the highest number of species (16 species) followed by Polychaeta with 14 species who possessed the highest number of individuals (57% of total specimens). The Crustacea Apseudopsis latreillii and the Polychaeta Capitellidae and Maldanidae family dominated the area. The abundance and wet biomass of the macrozoobenthic fauna was ranged respectively from 132 ± 0.00 at 4605 ± 2950.27 and from 2 ± 2.03 at 460.64 ± 664.43. The resulting ABC index (W = 0.32 ± 0.26) indicated that the Manfredonia Gulf is a moderately disturbed area. This first ecological survey has revealed that the area presents a general condition of disturbance that deserves to be carefully monitored even in the context of the current global climate change.