Meiobenthic gradients with special reference to Plathelminthes and Polychaeta in an estuarine salt marsh creek—a small-scale model for boreal tidal coasts?

Abstract

Environmental conditions in salt marsh creeks are intermediate between the open tidal coast and estuaries. A large salt marsh creek at the island of Sylt (North Sea) was studied in order to test whether its fauna is more similar to that of the open tidal coast or to that of estuaries. Because of a sandy bar at the seaward opening, the tidal range is only 10 cm in the creek, and the water level never drops below the level of the sand bar. Zoobenthos in the sandy bottom and on the sandy shores was studied at both ends and in the middle of the creek. Polychaeta and Plathelminthes were determined to species level. On an average, 2115 metazoans were found below 10 cm² of surface area. At the seaward end of the creek, abundance and taxonomic composition are similar to that of the adjoining Wadden area. Nematoda are the dominant taxon, followed by Copepoda, Plathelminthes and Oligochaeta. Taxonomic composition is different at the landward end. Plathelminthes and Nematoda are most abundant followed by Copepoda. Both Oligochaeta and Polychaeta are scarce at these newly eroded sites. Plathelminth abundance at the landward end of the creek is exceptionally high (770–935·10 cm⁻²). Contrary to what is generally found in estuaries, the species density of Plathelminthes shows a significant increase toward the land. The species composition of Polychaeta and Plathelminthes indicates that the sites below mean high tide level of the creek correspond to the adjacent eulittoral Wadden area while the fauna of the supralittoral sites of the creek is similar to the fauna of supralittoral tidal coasts. Typical sublittoral species did not occur in the salt marsh creek. Thus, salt marsh creeks may be regarded as a small-scale model for the tidal coast. In context with the results obtained, the definition of estuaries is discussed.