Journal of Tropical Oceanography ›› 2025, Vol. 44 ›› Issue (4): 119-135.doi: 10.11978/2024188

• Marine Ecology • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Structure of macrobenthic community in the seaweed beds of Lvhua Island waters and its response to environmental factors

SUN Jianing1(), WANG Yuqing1, ZHANG Shouyu1,2,3, WANG Kai1,2,3()   

  1. 1. College of Oceanography and Ecological Science, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China
    2. Engineering Technology Research Center of Marine Ranching, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China
    3. Marine Ranching Comprehensive Workstation of the East China Sea, Expert Advisory Committee of Marine Ranching Construction, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Shanghai 201306, China
  • Received:2024-10-08 Revised:2024-11-05 Online:2025-07-10 Published:2025-07-31
  • Contact: WANG Kai
  • Supported by:
    National Key Research and Development Program of China(2018YFD0900904); National Key Research and Development Program of China(2019YFD0901303); National Natural Science Foundation of China(41876191)

Abstract:

To explore the factors influencing the population dynamics of macroalgae and benthic fauna in the marine area surrounding Lvhua Island, this study conducted field ecological surveys employing the index of relative importance (IRI), biodiversity indices, and canonical correspondence analysis (CCA). These methods were applied across three macroalgal growth stages in the algal beds: seedling (August-September 2021), growth (November-December 2021), and flourishing (May-June 2022), to analyze the community composition, biodiversity, and environmental factors associated to macrobenthic population changes in Lvhua Island and its adjacent waters. The results revealed the following: (1) A total of 113 macrobenthic species were identified in the algal beds of Lvhua Island and its neighboring waters, including 49 species of benthic fauna and 64 macroalgal species, belonging to nine phyla. Among them, Mollusca and Rhodophyta had the highest number of species, with Rhodophyta dominating species diversity across all observed periods. The dominant species included Sargassum vachellianum, Sargassum horneri, Chlorostoma rustica, and Anthocidaris crassispina. The average abundance of the nine phyla across the three growth stages was 30 ind·m-2, and the average biomass was 23.83 g·m-2. (2) Species richness varied by growth stage, peaking during the seedling stage. Abundance and biomass fluctuations were closely tied to periodic water temperature changes, with abundance ranked as seedling stage (36 ind·m-2) > flourishing stage (30 ind·m-2) > growth stage (23 ind·m-2), and biomass following a similar trend: seedling stage (25.40 g·m-2) > flourishing stage (23.88 g·m-2) > growth stage (22.20 g·m-2). Principal coordinates analysis (PCoA) indicated significant differences in macrobenthic community structure across different growth stages (P<0.05). (3) The Mentoushan station recorded the highest species richness, abundance, biomass, and biodiversity, while Menduishan station exhibited the lowest diversity, and the Xilvhua station had the fewest species. Dominant and important species showed minimal variation at Donglvhua South station, where both biomass and abundance were lowest, whereas the mussel farming area displayed relatively low overlap between dominant and important species. (4) Except for salinity, water temperature (P=0.009), pH (P=0.001), and dissolved oxygen (P=0.002) significantly influenced macrobenthic distribution in Lvhua Island waters, while salinity (P=0.149) had no significant effect. Organismal adaptability to environmental factors varied by station: Mentoushan and Menduishan stations showed positive correlations with all four environmental factors, whereas Yibeidi, Xilvhua, and Donglvhua North stations exhibited negative correlations. Among the nine phyla, Phaeophyta correlated negatively with all environmental factors, while Cnidaria showed a positive correlation with salinity. This study enhances understanding of the regulatory role of macrobenthic organisms in algal bed ecosystems and provides a scientific foundation for biological resource conservation, algal bed construction, and ecological restoration in the study area.

Key words: Lvhua Island, seaweed beds, macroalgae, macrozoobenthos, growth stages, environmental factors

CLC Number: 

  • P735