Salinity drives meiofaunal community structure dynamics across the Baltic ecosystem

Broman, Elias (author): Stockholms universitet,Institutionen för ekologi, miljö och botanik,Stockholms universitets Östersjöcentrum

Raymond, Caroline (author): Stockholms universitet,Institutionen för ekologi, miljö och botanik

Sommer, Christian (author): Södertörns högskola,Miljövetenskap,Baltic & East European Graduate School (BEEGS)

Gunnarsson, Jonas S. (author): Stockholms universitet,Institutionen för ekologi, miljö och botanik

Nascimento, Francisco J. A. (author): Stockholms universitet,Institutionen för ekologi, miljö och botanik,Stockholms universitets Östersjöcentrum

(creator_code:org_t)

2019-09-05
2019
English.
In: Molecular Ecology. - : Blackwell Publishing. - 0962-1083 .- 1365-294X. ; 28:16, s. 3813-3829

Related links:: https://doi.org/10.1...; show more...; https://doi.org/10.1...; https://su.diva-port... (primary) (Raw object); https://urn.kb.se/re...; https://doi.org/10.1...; https://urn.kb.se/re...; show less...

Abstract Subject headings

Coastal benthic biodiversity is under increased pressure from climate change, eutrophication, hypoxia, and changes in salinity due to increase in river runoff. The Baltic Sea is a large brackish system characterized by steep environmental gradients that experiences all of the mentioned stressors. As such it provides an ideal model system for studying the impact of on-going and future climate change on biodiversity and function of benthic ecosystems. Meiofauna (animals < 1 mm) are abundant in sediment and are still largely unexplored even though they are known to regulate organic matter degradation and nutrient cycling. In this study, benthic meiofaunal community structure was analysed along a salinity gradient in the Baltic Sea proper using high-throughput sequencing. Our results demonstrate that areas with higher salinity have a higher biodiversity, and salinity is likely the main driver influencing meiofauna diversity and community composition. Furthermore, in the more diverse and saline environments a larger amount of nematode genera classified as predators prevailed, and meiofauna-macrofauna associations were more prominent. These findings show that in the Baltic Sea, a decrease in salinity resulting from accelerated climate change will likely lead to decreased benthic biodiversity, and cause profound changes in benthic communities, with potential consequences for ecosystem stability, functions and services.

By the author/editor: Broman, Elias; Raymond, Carolin ...; Sommer, Christia ...; Gunnarsson, Jona ...; Creer, Simon; Nascimento, Fran ...

About the subject

NATURAL SCIENCES: NATURAL SCIENCES; and Earth and Relate ...; and Environmental Sc ...

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