Preprint volume - SIBM

Pre-print Volume - Posters
BENTHOS COMMITEE
separate shallow and deep meadows and to create differences between dates. Values of
the total abundance of organisms per sample were higher in shallow meadows only in
dates corresponding to spring-summer period; in deep assemblages, no important
differences were detected among dates.
50
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
S1 S2 S3 S4 D1 D2 D3 D4
Fig. 1 - Abundance of Crustacea in P. oceanica medows. S=shallow, D= deep; numbers are referred
to the sampling dates.
Abbondanza di crostacei nelle preterie di P. oceanica. S=limite superiore, D=limite inferiore;
i numeri si riferiscono alle date di campionamento.
Conclusions – The present study confirms the importance of Crustacea assemblages in
the vagile fauna of Posidonia oceanica meadows. Results showed that assemblages
changed in relation to a depth gradient, in agreement with previous studies carried out
in different geographical areas (Mazzella et al., 1989; Gambi et al., 1992); however,
this pattern was not consistent among different periods within one year. Moreover,
deep assemblages appeared steady throughout the year, while significant differences in
species composition and abundance were highlighted in shallow assemblages.
References
ANDERSON M.J. (2001) - A new method for a non-parametric multivariate analysis of variance.
Austr. Ecol., 26: 32-46.
GAMBI M.C., DAPPIANO M. (2003) – Manuale di metodologie di campionamento e studio del
benthos marino mediterraneo. Biol. Mar. Mediterr., 10 (Suppl.): 1-638.
GAMBI M.C., LORENTI M., RUSSO G.F., SCIPIONE B., ZUPO V. (1992) – Depth and seasonal
distribution of some groups of the vagile fauna of the Posidonia oceanica leaf stratum: structural
and trophic analyses. PSZNI Mar. Ecol., 13: 17-39.
LEDOYER M. (1966) – Ecologie de la faune vagile des biotopes méditerranées accessibles en
scaphandre autonome II Données analytiques sur les herbiers de Phanérogames. Rec Trav. St.
Mar. Endoume, 57: 135-295.
LEDOYER M. (1968) – Ecologie de la faune vagile des biotopes méditerranées accessibles en
scaphandre autonome IV Synthèse de l’étude écologique. Rec Trav. St. Mar. Endoume, 60: 125-
295.
MAZZELLA L., SCIPIONE B., BUIA M.C. (1989) – Spatio-temporal distribution of algae and
animal communities in a Posidonia oceanica meadow. PSZNI Mar. Ecol., 10: 107-129.
41 st S.I.B.M. CONGRESS Rapallo (GE), 7-11 June 2010
261