Effect of nutrient enrichment on seagrass associated meiofauna in Tanzania

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dc.contributor.authorDaudi, Lilian Nduku
dc.contributor.authorLugomela, Charles Venance
dc.contributor.authorUku, Jacqueline Nduku
dc.contributor.authorDe Troch, Marleen
dc.date.accessioned2015-12-15T12:48:16Z
dc.date.available2015-12-15T12:48:16Z
dc.date.issued2012
dc.description.abstractAbundance, diversity and community structure of meiofauna, with special emphasis on epiphytic harpacticoid copepods, occurring in Tanzanian seagrass beds under various nutrient inputs was determined. All measured parameters for epiphytic meiofauna and diatoms (fucoxanthin) were negatively affected by nutrient input and this was detected even at the higher taxonomic levels of meiofauna, supporting the validity of higher taxon surrogacy in environmental impact studies. However, benthic meiofauna and other biofilm characteristics (chlorophyll a) did not show any difference between sites suggesting that nutrient enrichment had less impact on these variables. This indicates a differential impact of pollution on epiphytic vs. benthic communities. Consequently, different trophic levels will be impacted in various ways and hence the effects of pollution on the overall ecosystem functioning of seagrass beds are complex and not straightforward. Although the seagrass plants themselves don’t show any major changes under different nutrient input, associated organisms that guarantee energy flow at basal levels of the food web in this ecosystem can be largely impacted.en_US
dc.description.sponsorshipThis work was funded by VLIR-UOS under the South-South mobility allowance (2009)en_US
dc.identifier.citationDaudi, L.N., Lugomela, C., Uku, J.N. and De Troch, M. 2012. Effect of nutrient enrichment on seagrass associated meiofauna in Tanzania. Marine Environmental Research 82 (2012) 49e58en_US
dc.identifier.otherhttp://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.marenvres.2012.09.005
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/123456789/132
dc.language.isoenen_US
dc.publisherElsevier Ltden_US
dc.subjectEpiphytic meiofaunaen_US
dc.subjectHarpacticoid copepodsen_US
dc.subjectDiversityen_US
dc.subjectCommunity structureen_US
dc.subjectNutrient enrichmenten_US
dc.subjectSeagrass ecosystemen_US
dc.titleEffect of nutrient enrichment on seagrass associated meiofauna in Tanzaniaen_US
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