Research Article Community Structure and …downloads.hindawi.com/archive/2014/547395.pdfMollusca...

Research ArticleCommunity Structure and Distribution Pattern of IntertidalInvertebrate Macrofauna at Some Anthropogenically InfluencedCoasts of Kathiawar Peninsula (India)

Poonam Bhadja1 Paresh Poriya2 and Rahul Kundu2

1 Gujarat Arts and Science College Ellisbridge Ahmedabad Gujarat 380006 India2Department of Biosciences Saurashtra University Rajkot Gujarat 360005 India

Correspondence should be addressed to Rahul Kundu rskundusauuniernetin

Received 28 April 2014 Revised 9 July 2014 Accepted 16 July 2014 Published 6 August 2014

Academic Editor CalumMacNeil

Copyright copy 2014 Poonam Bhadja et alThis is an open access article distributed under the Creative CommonsAttribution Licensewhich permits unrestricted use distribution and reproduction in any medium provided the original work is properly cited

Present communication reports the community structure and distribution pattern of intertidal invertebrate macrofauna at fourshores of theKathiawar peninsular coastline off theArabian Sea (India)The selected shores have different levels of human activitiesPresent report tests three hypotheses that is (i) distribution of invertebrate macrofauna in these shores is influenced by space andtime (ii) abiotic factors have a profound influence on the distribution pattern of intertidalmacrofaunal assemblages and (iii) humanactivities influence the community structure of the intertidal invertebrate macrofauna at these shores To test these hypothesesspatiotemporal variations in different ecological indices were studied A total of 60 species from six phyla were considered for thestudy High species diversity was recorded during winter and monsoon seasons in almost all the shores studied It was also evidentthat a few environmental factors had a cumulative influence on the distribution pattern of intertidal macrofauna Significant spatialvariations in the species diversity and evenness were also observed Though the shores studied have similar coast characteristicsand climatic conditions they face different levels of human activities Therefore the observed variations in the intertidal faunalassemblage were possibly caused by anthropogenic stress

1 Introduction

Rocky shores are the most extensive littoral habitats exposedto eroding waves and thus are ecologically very impor-tant [1] Among that invertebrate communities of rockyshores function as integrators of ecological processes overtime scale [2 3] The communities act as a bioindicatorand may be monitored to assess ecological change due toanthropogenic actions [4 5] Anthropogenic stress is theresponse of biological entity of any individual populationor community to an anthropogenic disturbance This stressat one level of organization may also have an impact onanother level Since it is difficult to detect the effects ofanthropogenic stress at the individual organismic level theyare more often investigated at a population or communitylevel [1] Pielou [6] and Magurran [7] reported that themeasures of species diversity play a central role in ecology and

conservation biology Benthic habitat is complex and manyof the environmental factors that influencemacroinvertebrateassemblage structure are interrelated [8 9] thus identifyinga single environmental factor as most important in structur-ing assemblages is challenging Intertidal invertebrates andmacroalgae occupy low trophic levels and are respondingquicker to alterations in climate than species at higher trophiclevels [10] They often show the first response in a cascade ofeffects up the food chain and are therefore important sentinelsof climate change impacts [11] In addition to temperatureseveral other climate-related drivers are also impacting andhave adverse effects upon coastal habitats including sea levelrise increases in relative wave height and storminess andthe associated secondary effects arising from adaptation andmitigation activities in coastal regions [12]

Macrobenthic invertebrates are useful bioindicators pro-viding a more accurate understanding of changing aquatic

Hindawi Publishing CorporationAdvances in EcologyVolume 2014 Article ID 547395 11 pageshttpdxdoiorg1011552014547395

2 Advances in Ecology

conditions than chemical and microbiological data whichat least give short-term fluctuations [4ndash9 13] Their com-position abundance and distribution can be influenced bywater quality [14 15] They all stated that variations in thedistribution of macrobenthic organisms could be a resultof differences in the local environmental conditions [15]However the composition abundance and distribution ofinvertebrate macrofauna in the rocky intertidal zones aregenerally influenced by water quality [5 16 17] Under-standing the relative importance of environmental factorsin structuring assemblages is important because benthicmacroinvertebrates are used more than any other organismsto assess the condition of streams and identifying the factorsprimarily associated with altered macroinvertebrate assem-blages is necessary before restoration action can begin

The coastline of Kathiawar Peninsula is significantlyrocky with irregular patches of sand or mud Veraval andMangrol are the two developed fishing ports with alliedinstallations which handle 62 of fish catch for several exportoriented fish processing units located in the vicinity Apartfrom existing ports that facilitate import or export of fish andfishery products this coastal area is also dominated by largeindustries like rayon cement food and fodder processingfertilizers salt cement soda ash and lime stone associatedindustries Tourism is also another related human activitywhich directly affects the intertidal zones of the KathiawarPeninsula Thus studies on the current ecological status ofthe macrofaunal assemblage in this industrially significantcoastline are very important from ecological and conserva-tion points of view Therefore the present communication isrelevant not only for this particular region but also for anyother coastline with similar conditions

The present communication reports the ecological statusof various intertidal invertebrate faunal groups of the rockyand rocky-muddy intertidal areas at South Saurashtra coast-line off the Arabian Sea It also reports the community struc-ture of the intertidal zones in relation to abiotic factors andanthropogenic activities Present report tests the hypothesesthat (i) there is a spatiotemporal influence on the distributionpattern of different invertebrate phyla at the selected shoresalong this continuous coastline (ii) abiotic factors influencethe intertidal macrofaunal assemblages of the shores that areon the open sea coastline and (iii) human activities have aprofound influence on the gross community structure of theintertidal faunal assemblages at these open sea shores

2 Materials and Methods

21 Study Location For this study four sampling sitesnamely Dwarka (22∘131015840N 68∘581015840E) Mangrol (21∘071015840N70∘071015840E) Veraval (20∘531015840N 70∘261015840E) and Kodinar (20∘461015840N70∘ 461015840E) were selected (Figure 1) These sites were chosenon the basis of their strategic locations for industries andrelated infrastructural facilities and different anthropogenicactivities along the entire coastal area Dwarka is a majorHindu pilgrim town and a tourist place with low humanactivities on the coast The intertidal belt of Dwarka consistsof large rocks and boulders causing resistance to upcoming

Gujarat

Dwarka

MangrolVeraval

Kodinar

Arabian Sea

N

Figure 1Map showing the study locations along the South Saurash-tra coastline off the Arabian Sea

wave and hence generates harsh water splash Mangrol isa small hamlet with a fish landing jetty and few small scalefisheries related industries This site is experiencing mediumanthropogenic pressure on the coast The entire intertidalbelt of Mangrol is interspersed with numerous tide poolspuddles crevices and channels with intermittent sandypatches On the other hand Veraval is the largest fish landingsite of India surrounded by many fish processing plants andlarge industrial units The substratum of the intertidal zonesat Veraval is mainly rocky-sandy with few muddy patchesKodinar is a small industrial town with large cement andsugar industries located near the coastline The intertidalzone of Kodinar is made up of hard flat rocky substratumhaving small sized depressions interspersed with pools andpuddles Veraval and Kodinar shores are considered as highanthropogenic pressure zones

22 Field Sampling Studies on themacrofaunal diversity andseawater quality (in triplicate) from the intertidal regions ofthese sites were carried during November 2008 to October2009 The entire intertidal belt of each sampling site wassubdivided into three vertical zones The macrofaunal diver-sity and distribution in the intertidal belt at each stationwere studied during the low tide by quadrat method [18]Quadrat of 025m2 was laid along the employed line transectat every 10m interval on the intertidal region A minimumof ten quadrates were laid in a criss-cross direction at theintertidal belt to cover the maximum exposed area For waterquality previously published data of different seawater qualityparameters were considered [17]

23 Data Analysis Each study site was sampled monthly forquantitative analysis of intertidal macrofauna The monthlydata from the study sites were integrated as a seasonaldataset as the weather condition of this part of the peninsularIndia typically represents the periods of winter (Decemberto February) summer (March to May) monsoon (Juneto August) and post-monsoon (September to November)seasons Diversity of the macrofauna was determined using

Advances in Ecology 3

Seasons

200

210

220

230

240

250

260

270

Winter Summer Monsoon Post-monsoon

Tem

pera

ture

(∘C)

(a)

805

810

815

820

825

830

835

840


pH

Seasons

(b)

37

41

45

49

53

57


Turb

idity

NTU

Seasons

(c)

315

325

335

345

355

365

Winter Summer Monsoon Post-monsoonSeasons

Salin

ity (permil

)

(d)

Dwarka MangrolVeraval Kodinar

54

56

58

60

62

64

66


DO

(mg

L)

(e)

105

110

115

120

125

130

135


Chlo

roph

yll (

mg

m3)


(f)

Figure 2 Seasonal variations in the seawater quality parameters of the coasts studied Error bars represent standard deviation over meanvalues

Shannon-Wiener index [19] and Pieloursquos index (119869) of evennessand Menhinick index (119889) of species richness was applied tocalculate the diversity as per Odum [20] The Shannon Index(1198671015840) was calculated by the formula 1198671015840 = minus(Pi times ln Pi)where Pi is the fraction of the 119894th species of total faunaPieloursquos evenness (1198691015840) was calculated by the formula 1198691015840 =1198671015840

ln 119878 where 1198671015840 is the Shannon index as defined aboveand 119878 is the number of species observed Species richness (119889)is based on the number of species present in a community(119878) and incorporates the total number of individuals in the

community (119873) The species richness was calculated by theformula 119889 = 119878radic119873

Two-factor analysis of variance (ANOVA) was employedto estimate the spatiotemporal variations in diversity even-ness and richness values Correlation coefficients analysiswas also done to assess the influence of abiotic factorson the macrofaunal community structure [21] Bray-Curtissimilarity analysis was performed on the species diversitydata to detect multivariate spatial similarities All statisticalanalyses were done as per Sokal and Rohlf [22]


00 05 10 15 20 25

Mangrol

00 05 10 15 20

Kodinar

Post-monsoon MonsoonSummer Winter


00 05 10 15 20

Porifera

Coelenterata

Annelida

Arthropoda

Mollusca

Echinodermata

Veraval

Dwarka

00 05 10 15 20 25

Porifera

Coelenterata

Annelida

Arthropoda

Mollusca

Echinodermata

H998400 (Shannon-Wiener index)




Figure 3 Seasonal variations in the Shannon-Wiener diversity (1198671015840) of major intertidal phyla from all three littoral zones Note the change ofscale in different coasts studied

3 Results

31 Abiotic Factors Seasonal changes in various physico-chemical parameters of seawater at the four selected locationsare shown in Figure 2 Regarding the measures taken for theenvironmental parameters it was observed that amongst theabiotic factors highest meanwater temperature was recordedduring summer at all the coasts studied (Figure 2(a)) ThepH value showed a similar trend and was found low duringthe monsoon (Figure 2(b)) The salinity was found to behigh during summer and low during the winter at almost allthe sampling sites (Figure 2(d)) Dissolved oxygen level washigh during the post-monsoon season (614 to 638mgL) atalmost all the sampling sites Relatively lower dissolved oxy-gen level was observed during winter than the post-monsoon(Figure 2(e)) The seawater turbidity was relatively constantduring monsoon to post-monsoon ranging from 45 to 51NTU at all the sampling sites (Figure 2(c)) High chlorophylllevel was observed during winter which decreased to theminimum during summer (Figure 2(f))

32 Macrofaunal Community Structure In the present studya total of 60 different invertebrate macrofaunal species wereidentified from the intertidal regions of the sampling sitesThese species belonged to different groups like 3 species ofPorifera 8 species of Coelenterata 5 species of Annelida 6species of Arthropoda 35 species of Mollusca and 3 speciesof Echinodermata Molluscan forms were the most commonand dominant species followed by Coelenterate Arthropodaand Annelida at all the sampling stations (Figure 6) Thelevels of diversity richness and evenness indices of all theseinvertebrate groups were analyzed and given in Figures 3ndash5Diversity (Shannon-Wiener index [19]) values ranged from001 during winter to 209 during summer at Mangrol Thevalue of diversity indices of phylum Porifera varied from 007to 027 during summer and monsoon seasons at Mangroland Kodinar respectively In general the species diversityof phylum Coelenterata was comparatively low at almost allthe sampling sites However it showed moderate diversityvalues at Dwarka during monsoon season Highest speciesdiversity of this group was recorded at Veraval during winter


000 050 100 150 200 250 300 350

Kodinar

000 050 100 150 200 250 300 350

Porifera

Coelenterata

Annelida

Arthropoda

Mollusca

Echinodermata

Veraval

d (species richness) d (species richness)

d (species richness)d (species richness)000 050 100 150 200 250 300

Porifera

Coelenterata

Annelida

Arthropoda

Mollusca

Echinodermata

Dwarka

000 050 100 150 200 250 300

Mangrol



Figure 4 Seasonal variations in the species richness (119889) of major intertidal phyla from all three littoral zones

season (Figure 3) Shannon 1198671015840 values were high at Mangroland Dwarka during winter and summer seasons but werefound to be low at other locations Significant temporalvariations in the total species diversity were observed inthree groups (phyla Annelida Arthropoda and Mollusca)(Table 1) The total diversity of phylum Echinodermata didnot show any significant variations possibly due to the factthat these animals generally prefer the lower littoral zonewhich is comparatively less affected by the changing envi-ronmental factors Similarly Porifera and Arthropoda alsoshowed significant temporal variations in species richness(Table 1) However when the diversity values of all macro-fauna from all phyla are pooled together significant spatialvariations are shown The observed spatial variations inthe species evenness (1198691015840) were found to be more duringthe post-monsoon followed by the monsoon and winterseasons (Figure 5) The minimum evenness was observed inEchinodermata duringwinter andmaximumevenness was inCoelenterata during monsoon season Though high speciesrichness was observed in echinoderms its evenness was thelowest amongst all groups studied (Figures 4 and 5) High

species richness and evenness were observed in Molluscafollowed by annelids sponges and arthropods (Figures 4and 5) Results of the two-factor ANOVA showed signifi-cant temporal variations in species richness of Porifera andArthropoda (Table 1) Similarly spatiotemporal variations inthe species evenness were observed only in phylumMolluscawhereas only temporal variations were observed in caseof phylum Arthropoda (Table 1) Similar results were alsoobserved in the dendrogram showing the similarity in themacrofaunal diversity of all species combined between theselected shores (Figure 7)

4 Discussion

Anthropogenic disturbances can affect the physiological stateof the animals which may result in changes of processessuch as rates of growth [23 24] and disturbances affectrecruitment [25 26] or mortality [25 27] and thereforeare most easily identified as differences in the numbersand types of animals found in disturbed or undisturbedsites [28ndash30] In the long history of the marine biological


00 01 02 03 04 05 06

Porifera

Coelenterata

Annelida

Arthropoda

Mollusca

Echinodermata

Dwarka

00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07

Mangrol

00 01 02 03 04 05 06

Porifera

Coelenterata

Annelida

Arthropoda

Mollusca

Echinodermata

Veraval

00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07

Kodinar

J998400 (evenness)

J998400 (evenness)

J998400 (evenness)

J998400 (evenness)



Figure 5 Seasonal variations in the species evenness (1198691015840) of major intertidal phyla from all three littoral zones

Table 1 Results of the two-way ANOVA (without replication) of the mean seasonal Shannon-Wiener diversity (1198671015840) richness (119889) andevenness (1198691015840) values of the six invertebrate phyla sampled at the four stations

Animal group Source of variation 119865 values1198671015840

119889 1198691015840

Porifera Station 1832lowast 309 455lowast

Season 791lowast 525lowast 157

Coelenterata Station 765lowast 252 230Season 771lowast 093 240

Annelida Station 117 211 289Season 608lowast 282 1311lowast

Arthropoda Station 072 295 365Season 1130lowast 1090lowast 1014lowast

Mollusca Station 349 136 417lowast

Season 1867lowast 312 1483lowast

Echinodermata Station 075 209 017Season 173 315 125

lowastSignificant at 119875 = 005 level tabulated 119865 value at df 15 = 386


00

05

10

15

20

25


Dwarka

00

05

10

15

20

25


Mangrol

00

05

10

15

20

25


Veraval

00

04

08

12

16

20


SeasonsSeasons

Kodinar

MolluscaOther than mollusca


Shan

non-

Wie

ner d

iver

sity

Shan

non-

Wie

ner d

iver

sity

Shan

non-

Wie

ner d

iver

sity

Shan

non-

Wie

ner d

iver

sity

Figure 6 Comparative histograms showing Shannon-Wiener diversity (1198671015840) values between phylum Mollusca and all other phyla pooledtogether

Table 2 Results of single factor ANOVA for the Shannon diversity (1198671015840) richness (119889) and evenness (1198691015840) of major macrofaunal phyla at fourshores studied

119865 values1198671015840

119889 1198691015840

Porifera 14851 34466 08312Coelenterata 28945 06714 18127Annelida 58276lowast 22063 88955lowast

Arthropoda 121567lowast 73309lowast 60997lowast

Mollusca 115069lowast 28561 82687lowast

Echinodermata 18437 24773 15767Total 89924lowast 19827 10613lowastSignificant at 119875 = 005 level tabulated 119865 value = 349

research together with habitat structure food availabilityand predation physicochemical parameters like temperaturepH conductivity BOD COD and so forth are determiningfactors in structuring different marine assemblages [31ndash34]The environmental factors as the highest surface water tem-perature was recorded during summer are influenced by theintensity of solar radiation evaporation freshwater influxand cooling summer peaks and monsoon troughs in air andwater temperature were found similar to reported values for

west coast of India by Arthur [35] The low pH value duringthe monsoon was probably due to the cumulative influenceof freshwater influx dilution of saline water with rain andreduction of salinity and temperature Seasonal variationsin the salinity observed in the present study influencedthe fauna and thus were the limiting factor for the distri-bution of living organisms in the intertidal region [36ndash38]Higher dissolved oxygen level might be due to the rough


Kodinar

Veraval

Mangrol

Dwarka

100

Similarity ()93

Figure 7 Dendrogram showing similarity in the macrofaunaldiversity of all species combined between the selected shores

weather conditions during monsoon season [39 40] how-ever lower dissolved oxygen level observed during winteris typical for the coastline studied [5 17 41] The seawaterturbidity was constant during monsoon possibly due to themixing of rainwater runoff with seawater during monsoonseason prevailing in this area [42] High turbidity might haveaffected the species composition and community structureof marine macrobenthos in the intertidal region [42] Thetrend of higher chlorophyll level was possibly in associationwith the northern Arabian Sea winter cooling phenomena[17 43 44]

The results indicated that wide substratum preferenceadaptational capabilities against changing environmentalconditions and mobility to avoid harsh conditions haveplayed possible roles [42] The results of the two-factorANOVA showed that only two faunal groups (Porifera andCoelenterata) showed spatiotemporal variations in the totaldiversity (Table 1) possibly due to fluctuations in the environ-mental factors and changing anthropogenic pressure Khanet al [45] reported higher Shannon diversity index in therange of 25ndash35 as a healthy condition for this coastline Inthe present study the diversity indices were comparativelylow at Veraval and Kodinar during the study period possiblydue to the fluctuations in the environmental conditions andhigh human interference in the coastal area It is possible thatbeing predominantly rocky the selected coasts harbor morespecies of the dominant phyla having moderate to high levelof species richness typical for rocky intertidal assemblage[46] Results of the present investigation showed high speciesrichness and low species evenness in almost all the selectedsampling sites However the observed low species evenness(Figure 5) was possibly due to the flatness of the intertidalareas exposed during low tide [41] It is apparent from thepresent study (Table 2) that the species richness and evennesswere influenced by environmental factors and were inverselycorrelated with anthropogenic disturbances [5] High speciesrichness recorded during the winter season at some of thestudy sites might be due to stable environmental factors thatplay an important role in faunal distribution [47ndash49]

The correlation coefficient analysis between the speciesrichness and abiotic factors showed variations amongst

different groups as well as within different parametersSignificant variations in the species richness of annelidswith salinity were observed at Veraval and Kodinar (119903 =096 and 094 resp) possibly due to influx of freshwaterrunoff in these shores duringmonsoonMolluscan forms andsponges were correlated with variations in DO at Mangrol(119903 = 097 and 099 resp) and Kodinar (119903 = 095 and098 resp) Variations in the salinity dissolved oxygen andturbidity were reported to affect the near shore environment[50ndash54] The variations in the abiotic factors and humaninterference thus lead to the presence of a diverse rangeof habitats in these waters which are often characterized bydistinct faunal assemblages [55ndash59] Ingram and Lin [53]reported that species diversity directly correlates with theconcentration of chlorophyll In this study Annelida werefound to be associated with different levels of chlorophyllat Dwarka Veraval and Kodinar (119903 = 092 092 and096 resp) In case of species evenness the macrofaunalgroups were clearly influenced by few abiotic factors In thepresent study high correlation coefficient was observed incase of sponges at Veraval (119903 = 093) and Kodinar (119903 =097) possibly due to the industrial effluents and sewagedisposal which might have influenced the pH level of thearea under study Similar observations were evident in caseof Coelenterata (119903 = 096) and Arthropoda (119903 = 097) atVeraval and Echinodermata (119903 = 096) at Mangrol Therewas a significant positive correlation between the dissolvedoxygen level and species richness of sponges at Mangrol (119903 =096) and Kodinar (119903 = 096) and in case of Arthropodaat Dwarka (119903 = 098) and Kodinar (119903 = 093) Theresults of the correlation coefficient clearly indicated thatthe species richness and evenness were lowest at sites thatalso had the highest anthropogenic activities [41] Amongstthe four coasts studied Veraval and Kodinar were highlyinfluenced by anthropogenic pressure whereas in Dwarkaand Mangrol the human influence was less (Figure 7)[17 60ndash62]

5 Conclusions

Results of the present study indicated that there were nosignificant spatial variations in the species diversity of majormacrofaunal phyla This is possibly due to the fact thatthe shores studied are situated along the same continuouscoastline and share common coast characteristics Significanttemporal variations in the faunal diversity of few phyla wereobserved indicating that the varying environmental factorsdo have a cumulative influence on the distribution pattern ofthe benthic organisms Interestingly significant variations inthe species diversity richness and evenness were observedin Veraval and Kodinar where the coast characteristicsand climatic conditions were almost identical Thereforeit may be possible that though the selected four shoresshare similar coast characteristics and climatic conditionsthe variations in the intertidal assemblage were influencedby human activities It appears that Veraval and Kodinarcoasts were highly affected by the anthropogenic pressurefollowed by Mangrol and Dwarka coasts where the human


influences on the intertidal were minimum Appropriateconservational strategies should be taken to minimize theanthropogenic pressure on the affected coastal areas tomaintain the rich and diverse rocky intertidal biota of thisregion

Conflict of Interests

The authors declare that there is no conflict of interestsregarding the publication of this paper

Acknowledgments

The authors are thankful to the UGC Government of India(DSACAS Programme) and Government of Gujarat (India)for support through a Research Oriented Programme inMarine Biology The senior author is thankful to UGCGovernment of India for a Meritorious Research Fellow-ship One of the authors (Paresh Poriya) is thankful toGovernment of Gujarat (India) supported Major ResearchOriented Programme in Marine Biology Various relatedgovernment agencies and nongovernmental organizationsare also acknowledged for extending their support and activehelp during the study

References

[1] T P Crowe R C Thompson S Bray and S J HawkinsldquoImpacts of anthropogenic stress on rocky intertidal commu-nitiesrdquo Journal of Aquatic Ecosystem Stress and Recovery vol 7no 4 pp 273ndash297 2000

[2] I Kroncke J W Dippner H Heyen and B Zeiss ldquoLong-term changes in macrofaunal communities off Norderney (EastFrisia Germany) in relation to climate variabilityrdquo MarineEcology Progress Series vol 167 pp 25ndash36 1998

[3] F Beuchel B Gulliksen andM L Carroll ldquoLong-term patternsof rocky bottom macrobenthic community structure in anArctic fjord (Kongsfjorden Svalbard) in relation to climatevariability (1980ndash2003)rdquo Journal of Marine Systems vol 63 no1-2 pp 35ndash48 2006

[4] R B Ikomi F O Arimoro and O K Odihirin ldquoCompositiondistribution and abundance of macroinvertebrates of the upperreaches of River EthiopeDelta State NigeriardquoTheZoologist vol3 pp 68ndash81 2005

[5] A Vaghela P Bhadja J Ramoliya N Patel and R Kundu ldquoSea-sonal variations in the water quality diversity and populationecology of intertidal macrofauna at an industrially influencedcoastrdquo Water Science and Technology vol 61 no 6 pp 1505ndash1514 2010

[6] E C Pielou Ecological DiversityWiley-Interscience NewYorkNY USA 1975

[7] A E Magurran Ecological Diversity and Its MeasurementCroom Helm Ltd London UK 1988

[8] C F Rabeni and G W Minshall ldquoFactors affecting microdis-tribution of stream benthic insectsrdquo Oikos vol 29 pp 33ndash431977

[9] J SGray ldquoThemeasurement ofmarine species diversity with anapplication to the benthic fauna of the Norwegian continentalshelfrdquo Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology vol250 no 1-2 pp 23ndash49 2000

[10] S Jenouvrier C Barbraud and H Weimerskirch ldquoEffects ofclimate variability on the temporal population dynamics ofsouthern fulmarsrdquo Journal of Animal Ecology vol 72 no 4 pp576ndash587 2003

[11] C R Johnson S C Banks N S Barrett et al ldquoClimate changecascades shifts in oceanography speciesrsquo ranges and subtidalmarine community dynamics in eastern Tasmaniardquo Journal ofExperimental Marine Biology and Ecology vol 400 no 1-2 pp17ndash32 2011

[12] N Mieszkowska L Firth and M Bentley ldquo Impacts of climatechange on intertidal habitatrdquo Marine Climate Change ImpactsPartnership Science Review vol 4 pp 180ndash192 2013

[13] O Ravera ldquoUtility and limits of biological and chemicalmonitoring of the aquatic environmentrdquoAnnali di Chimica vol88 no 11-12 pp 909ndash913 1998

[14] APHA AWWA and WEF Standard Methods for the Exam-ination of Water and Wastewater American Public HealthAssociation Washington DC USA 19th edition 1995

[15] W O Odiete Environmental Physiology of Animals and Pollu-tion Diversified Resources Lagos Nigeria 1999

[16] A D I George J F N Abowei and J F Alfred-OckiyaldquoThe distribution abundance and seasonality of benthic macroinvertebrate in Okpoka creek sediments Niger Delta NigeriardquoResearch Journal of Applied Sciences Engineering and Technol-ogy vol 2 no 1 pp 11ndash18 2010

[17] P Bhadja and R Kundu ldquoStatus of the seawater quality at fewindustrially important coasts ofGujarat (India) offArabian SeardquoIndian Journal of Marine Sciences vol 41 no 1 pp 954ndash9612012

[18] R Misra Ecology Work Book Oxford and IBH PublishingCalcutta India 1968

[19] C E Shannon and W Weaver The Mathematical Theory ofCommunication University of Illinois Press Urbana Ill USA1963

[20] E P Odum Fundamentals of Ecology WB Saunders Philadel-phia Pa USA 3rd edition 1971

[21] T R E Southwood Ecological Methods Chapman amp HallLondon UK 1978

[22] R R Sokal and F J Rohlf Biometry W H Freeman SanFrancisco Calif USA 1969

[23] A Tablado J J Lopez Gappa and N H Magaldi ldquoGrowthof the pulmonate limpet Siphonaria lessoni (Blainville) in arocky intertidal area affected by sewage pollutionrdquo Journal ofExperimental Marine Biology and Ecology vol 175 no 2 pp211ndash226 1994

[24] T Y T Ng andM J Keough ldquoDelayed effects of larval exposureto Cu in the bryozoanWatersipora subtorquatardquoMarine EcologyProgress Series vol 257 pp 77ndash85 2003

[25] E L Johnston and M J Keough ldquoField assessment of effects oftiming and frequency of copper pulses on settlement of sessilemarine invertebratesrdquoMarine Biology vol 137 no 5-6 pp 1017ndash1029 2000

[26] E L Johnston and M J Keough ldquoDirect and indirect effectsof repeated pollution events on marine hard-substrate assem-blagesrdquo Ecological Applications vol 12 no 4 pp 1212ndash12282002

[27] G W Bryan P E Gibbs L G Hummerstone and G RBurt ldquoThe decline of the gastropod Nucella lapillus aroundsouth-west England evidence for the effect of tributylin fromantifouling paintsrdquo Journal of the Marine Biological Associationof the United Kingdom vol 66 no 3 pp 611ndash640 1986


[28] S D A Smith ldquoImpact of domestic sewage effluent versusnatural background variability an example from Jervis BayNew South Walesrdquo Australian Journal of Marine amp FreshwaterResearch vol 45 no 6 pp 1045ndash1064 1994

[29] S D A Smith ldquoThe macrofaunal community of Eckloniaradiata holdfasts variation associated with sediment regimesponge cover and depthrdquo Australian Journal of Ecology vol 21no 3 pp 144ndash153 1996

[30] M G Chapman A J Underwood and G A Skilleter ldquoVari-ability at different spatial scales between a subtidal assemblageexposed to the discharge of sewage and two control assem-blagesrdquo Journal of ExperimentalMarine Biology andEcology vol189 no 1-2 pp 103ndash122 1995

[31] W K Dodds ldquoCommunity interactions between the filamen-tous algaCladophora glomerata (L) Kuetzing its epiphytes andepiphyte grazersrdquo Oecologia vol 85 no 4 pp 572ndash580 1991

[32] M J Gibbons ldquoThe impact of sediment accumulations relativehabitat complexity and elevation on rocky shore meiofaunardquoJournal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology vol 122no 3 pp 225ndash241 1988

[33] J E Duffy and M E Hay ldquoFood and shelter as determinants offood choice by an herbivorous marine amphipodrdquo Ecology vol72 no 4 pp 1286ndash1298 1991

[34] P Dauby Y Scailteur and C De Broyer ldquoTrophic diversitywithin the EasternWeddell Sea amphipod communityrdquoHydro-biologia vol 443 pp 69ndash86 2001

[35] R Arthur ldquoCoral bleaching and mortality in three Indian reefregions during an El Nino southern oscillation eventrdquo CurrentScience vol 79 no 12 pp 1723ndash1729 2000

[36] RNGibson ldquoRecent studies on the biology of intertidal fishesrdquoOceanography and Marine Biology An Annual Review vol 20pp 363ndash414 1982

[37] R Balasubramanian and L Kannan ldquoPhysico-chemical char-acteristics of the coral reef environs of the Gulf of Mannarbiosphere reserve Indiardquo International Journal of Ecology andEnvironmental Sciences vol 31 no 3 pp 265ndash271 2005

[38] R Sridhar T Thangaradjou S Senthil Kumar and L KannanldquoWater quality and phytoplankton characteristics in the PalkBay southeast coast of Indiardquo Journal of Environmental Biologyvol 27 no 3 pp 561ndash566 2006

[39] HM Faragallah A I AskarMAOkbah andHMMoustafaldquoPhysico-chemical characteristics of the open MediterraneanSea water for about 60 km from Damietta harbor EgyptrdquoJournal of Ecology and the Natural Environment vol 1 no 5pp 106ndash119 2009

[40] S Kundu N Mondal P S Lyla and S Ajmal Khan ldquoBio-diversity and seasonal variation of macro-benthic infaunalcommunity in the inshore waters of Parangipettai CoastrdquoEnvironmental Monitoring and Assessment vol 163 no 1ndash4 pp67ndash79 2010

[41] S N De Souza and R Sen Gupta ldquoVariations of dissolvedoxygen in Mandovi and Zuari estuariesrdquo Indian Journal ofMarine Science vol 15 pp 67ndash71 1986

[42] S Misra and R Kundu ldquoSeasonal variations in populationdynamics of key intertidal molluscs at two contrasting loca-tionsrdquo Aquatic Ecology vol 39 no 3 pp 315ndash324 2005

[43] C Raghunathan A Tewari H V Joshi V G S Kumar R HTrivedi and Y Khambhaty ldquoImpact of turbidity on intertidalmacrofauna at GopnathMahuva andVeraval coasts (west coastof India)rdquo Indian Journal of Marine Sciences vol 32 no 3 pp214ndash221 2003

[44] S Dey and R P Singh ldquoComparison of chlorophyll distri-butions in the northeastern Arabian Sea and southern Bayof Bengal using IRS-P4 Ocean Color Monitor datardquo RemoteSensing of Environment vol 85 no 4 pp 424ndash428 2003

[45] S A Khan P Murugesan P S Lyla and S Jaganathan ldquoAnew indicator macro invertebrate of pollution and utility ofgraphical tools and diversity indices in pollution monitoringstudiesrdquo Current Science vol 87 no 11 pp 1508ndash1510 2004

[46] A J Underwood ldquoExperimental ecology of rocky intertidalhabitats what are we learningrdquo Journal of Experimental MarineBiology and Ecology vol 250 no 1-2 pp 51ndash76 2000

[47] Z A Ansari B S Ingole G Banerjee and A H ParulekarldquoSpatial and temporal changes in benthic macrofauna fromMandovi andZuari estuaries ofGoaWest coast of Indiardquo IndianJournal of Marine Science vol 15 pp 223ndash229 1986

[48] R S Kumar ldquoMacrobenthos in the mangrove ecosystem ofCochin backwaters Kerala (southwest coast of India)rdquo IndianJournal of Marine Sciences vol 24 no 2 pp 56ndash61 1995

[49] R Sunil Kumar ldquoIntertidal zonation and seasonality of benthosin a tropical mangroverdquo International Journal of Ecology andEnvironmental Sciences vol 27 no 3-4 pp 199ndash208 2001

[50] F Baldo J A Cuesta C Fernandez-Delgado and P DrakeldquoEffect of the regulation of freshwater inflow on the physical-chemical characteristics ofwater and on the aquaticmacrofaunain the Guadalquivir estuaryrdquoCienciasMarinas vol 31 no 3 pp467ndash476 2006

[51] B M Gillanders and M J Kingsford ldquoImpacts of changes inflow of freshwater on estuarine and open coastal habitats andthe associated organismsrdquo Oceanography and Marine BiologyAn Annual Review vol 20 pp 233ndash309 2002

[52] M Incera S P Cividanes M Lastra and J Lopez ldquoTemporaland spatial variability of sedimentary organic matter in sandybeaches on the northwest coast of the Iberian PeninsulardquoEstuarine Coastal and Shelf Science vol 58 pp 55ndash61 2003

[53] B L Ingram and J C Lin ldquoGeochemical tracers of sedimentsources to San Francisco Bayrdquo Geology vol 30 pp 575ndash5782002

[54] M O Tanaka and F P P Leite ldquoSpatial scaling in the distri-bution of macrofauna associated with Sargassum stenophyllum(Mertens) Martius analyses of faunal groups gammarid lifehabits and assemblage structurerdquo Journal of ExperimentalMarine Biology and Ecology vol 293 no 1 pp 1ndash22 2003

[55] P R Teske and T H Wooldridge ldquoWhat limits the distributionof subtidalmacrobenthos in permanently open and temporarilyopenclosed South African estuaries Salinity vs sedimentparticle sizerdquo Estuarine Coastal and Shelf Science vol 57 no1-2 pp 225ndash238 2003

[56] MDWildsmith I C Potter F J Valesini andM E Platell ldquoDothe assemblages of benthic macroinvertebrates in nearshorewaters of Western Australia vary among habitat types zonesand seasonsrdquo Journal of the Marine Biological Association of theUnited Kingdom vol 85 no 2 pp 217ndash232 2005

[57] T Lasiak ldquoThe putative impact of exploitation on rocky infrati-dal macrofaunal assemblages a multiple-area comparisonrdquoJournal of the Marine Biological Association of the UnitedKingdom vol 79 no 1 pp 23ndash34 1999

[58] T Lasiak ldquoThe susceptibility andor resilience of Rocky Littoralmolluscs to stock depletion by the indigenous coastal people ofTranskei Southern Africardquo Biological Conservation vol 56 no3 pp 245ndash264 1991


[59] T Lasiak ldquoSpatial variation in density and biomass of patellidlimpets inside and outside a marine protected areardquo Journal ofMolluscan Studies vol 72 no 2 pp 137ndash142 2006

[60] B Gohil and R Kundu ldquoEcological status of Cellana radiataat Dwarka Coast Gujarat Indiardquo Research Journal of RecentSciences vol 2 pp 1ndash5 2013

[61] B Gohil and R Kundu ldquoEcological status of Cerethiumcaeruleum at Dwarka coast Gujarat (India)rdquo Indian Journal ofGeo-Marine Science vol 42 pp 481ndash486 2013

[62] M N Prasad and A P Mansuri ldquoPopulation density of theLimpet Cellana radiata (Born) in polluted waters at PorbandarWest coast of Indiardquo Indian Journal of Marine Science vol 11pp 180ndash181 1982

Submit your manuscripts athttpwwwhindawicom

Forestry ResearchInternational Journal of

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Environmental and Public Health

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Applied ampEnvironmentalSoil Science

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OceanographyInternational Journal of


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ClimatologyJournal of


conditions than chemical and microbiological data whichat least give short-term fluctuations [4ndash9 13] Their com-position abundance and distribution can be influenced bywater quality [14 15] They all stated that variations in thedistribution of macrobenthic organisms could be a resultof differences in the local environmental conditions [15]However the composition abundance and distribution ofinvertebrate macrofauna in the rocky intertidal zones aregenerally influenced by water quality [5 16 17] Under-standing the relative importance of environmental factorsin structuring assemblages is important because benthicmacroinvertebrates are used more than any other organismsto assess the condition of streams and identifying the factorsprimarily associated with altered macroinvertebrate assem-blages is necessary before restoration action can begin

The coastline of Kathiawar Peninsula is significantlyrocky with irregular patches of sand or mud Veraval andMangrol are the two developed fishing ports with alliedinstallations which handle 62 of fish catch for several exportoriented fish processing units located in the vicinity Apartfrom existing ports that facilitate import or export of fish andfishery products this coastal area is also dominated by largeindustries like rayon cement food and fodder processingfertilizers salt cement soda ash and lime stone associatedindustries Tourism is also another related human activitywhich directly affects the intertidal zones of the KathiawarPeninsula Thus studies on the current ecological status ofthe macrofaunal assemblage in this industrially significantcoastline are very important from ecological and conserva-tion points of view Therefore the present communication isrelevant not only for this particular region but also for anyother coastline with similar conditions

The present communication reports the ecological statusof various intertidal invertebrate faunal groups of the rockyand rocky-muddy intertidal areas at South Saurashtra coast-line off the Arabian Sea It also reports the community struc-ture of the intertidal zones in relation to abiotic factors andanthropogenic activities Present report tests the hypothesesthat (i) there is a spatiotemporal influence on the distributionpattern of different invertebrate phyla at the selected shoresalong this continuous coastline (ii) abiotic factors influencethe intertidal macrofaunal assemblages of the shores that areon the open sea coastline and (iii) human activities have aprofound influence on the gross community structure of theintertidal faunal assemblages at these open sea shores

2 Materials and Methods

21 Study Location For this study four sampling sitesnamely Dwarka (22∘131015840N 68∘581015840E) Mangrol (21∘071015840N70∘071015840E) Veraval (20∘531015840N 70∘261015840E) and Kodinar (20∘461015840N70∘ 461015840E) were selected (Figure 1) These sites were chosenon the basis of their strategic locations for industries andrelated infrastructural facilities and different anthropogenicactivities along the entire coastal area Dwarka is a majorHindu pilgrim town and a tourist place with low humanactivities on the coast The intertidal belt of Dwarka consistsof large rocks and boulders causing resistance to upcoming

Gujarat

Dwarka

MangrolVeraval

Kodinar

Arabian Sea

N

Figure 1Map showing the study locations along the South Saurash-tra coastline off the Arabian Sea

wave and hence generates harsh water splash Mangrol isa small hamlet with a fish landing jetty and few small scalefisheries related industries This site is experiencing mediumanthropogenic pressure on the coast The entire intertidalbelt of Mangrol is interspersed with numerous tide poolspuddles crevices and channels with intermittent sandypatches On the other hand Veraval is the largest fish landingsite of India surrounded by many fish processing plants andlarge industrial units The substratum of the intertidal zonesat Veraval is mainly rocky-sandy with few muddy patchesKodinar is a small industrial town with large cement andsugar industries located near the coastline The intertidalzone of Kodinar is made up of hard flat rocky substratumhaving small sized depressions interspersed with pools andpuddles Veraval and Kodinar shores are considered as highanthropogenic pressure zones

22 Field Sampling Studies on themacrofaunal diversity andseawater quality (in triplicate) from the intertidal regions ofthese sites were carried during November 2008 to October2009 The entire intertidal belt of each sampling site wassubdivided into three vertical zones The macrofaunal diver-sity and distribution in the intertidal belt at each stationwere studied during the low tide by quadrat method [18]Quadrat of 025m2 was laid along the employed line transectat every 10m interval on the intertidal region A minimumof ten quadrates were laid in a criss-cross direction at theintertidal belt to cover the maximum exposed area For waterquality previously published data of different seawater qualityparameters were considered [17]

23 Data Analysis Each study site was sampled monthly forquantitative analysis of intertidal macrofauna The monthlydata from the study sites were integrated as a seasonaldataset as the weather condition of this part of the peninsularIndia typically represents the periods of winter (Decemberto February) summer (March to May) monsoon (Juneto August) and post-monsoon (September to November)seasons Diversity of the macrofauna was determined using


Seasons

200

210

220

230

240

250

260

270


Tem

pera

ture

(∘C)

(a)

805

810

815

820

825

830

835

840


pH

Seasons

(b)

37

41

45

49

53

57


Turb

idity

NTU

Seasons

(c)

315

325

335

345

355

365


Salin

ity (permil

)

(d)


54

56

58

60

62

64

66


DO

(mg

L)

(e)

105

110

115

120

125

130

135


Chlo

roph

yll (

mg

m3)


(f)







00 05 10 15 20 25

Mangrol

00 05 10 15 20

Kodinar



00 05 10 15 20

Porifera

Coelenterata

Annelida

Arthropoda

Mollusca

Echinodermata

Veraval

Dwarka

00 05 10 15 20 25

Porifera

Coelenterata

Annelida

Arthropoda

Mollusca

Echinodermata






3 Results




000 050 100 150 200 250 300 350

Kodinar

000 050 100 150 200 250 300 350

Porifera

Coelenterata

Annelida

Arthropoda

Mollusca

Echinodermata

Veraval



Porifera

Coelenterata

Annelida

Arthropoda

Mollusca

Echinodermata

Dwarka

000 050 100 150 200 250 300

Mangrol






4 Discussion



00 01 02 03 04 05 06

Porifera

Coelenterata

Annelida

Arthropoda

Mollusca

Echinodermata

Dwarka

00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07

Mangrol

00 01 02 03 04 05 06

Porifera

Coelenterata

Annelida

Arthropoda

Mollusca

Echinodermata

Veraval

00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07

Kodinar

J998400 (evenness)

J998400 (evenness)

J998400 (evenness)

J998400 (evenness)






119889 1198691015840











00

05

10

15

20

25


Dwarka

00

05

10

15

20

25


Mangrol

00

05

10

15

20

25


Veraval

00

04

08

12

16

20


SeasonsSeasons

Kodinar



Shan

non-

Wie

ner d

iver

sity

Shan

non-

Wie

ner d

iver

sity

Shan

non-

Wie

ner d

iver

sity

Shan

non-

Wie

ner d

iver

sity



119865 values1198671015840

119889 1198691015840








Kodinar

Veraval

Mangrol

Dwarka

100

Similarity ()93






5 Conclusions






Acknowledgments


References





































































Journal of












Volume 2014

Advances in









Geophysics















Seasons

200

210

220

230

240

250

260

270


Tem

pera

ture

(∘C)

(a)

805

810

815

820

825

830

835

840


pH

Seasons

(b)

37

41

45

49

53

57


Turb

idity

NTU

Seasons

(c)

315

325

335

345

355

365


Salin

ity (permil

)

(d)


54

56

58

60

62

64

66


DO

(mg

L)

(e)

105

110

115

120

125

130

135


Chlo

roph

yll (

mg

m3)


(f)







00 05 10 15 20 25

Mangrol

00 05 10 15 20

Kodinar



00 05 10 15 20

Porifera

Coelenterata

Annelida

Arthropoda

Mollusca

Echinodermata

Veraval

Dwarka

00 05 10 15 20 25

Porifera

Coelenterata

Annelida

Arthropoda

Mollusca

Echinodermata






3 Results




000 050 100 150 200 250 300 350

Kodinar

000 050 100 150 200 250 300 350

Porifera

Coelenterata

Annelida

Arthropoda

Mollusca

Echinodermata

Veraval



Porifera

Coelenterata

Annelida

Arthropoda

Mollusca

Echinodermata

Dwarka

000 050 100 150 200 250 300

Mangrol






4 Discussion



00 01 02 03 04 05 06

Porifera

Coelenterata

Annelida

Arthropoda

Mollusca

Echinodermata

Dwarka

00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07

Mangrol

00 01 02 03 04 05 06

Porifera

Coelenterata

Annelida

Arthropoda

Mollusca

Echinodermata

Veraval

00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07

Kodinar

J998400 (evenness)

J998400 (evenness)

J998400 (evenness)

J998400 (evenness)






119889 1198691015840











00

05

10

15

20

25


Dwarka

00

05

10

15

20

25


Mangrol

00

05

10

15

20

25


Veraval

00

04

08

12

16

20


SeasonsSeasons

Kodinar



Shan

non-

Wie

ner d

iver

sity

Shan

non-

Wie

ner d

iver

sity

Shan

non-

Wie

ner d

iver

sity

Shan

non-

Wie

ner d

iver

sity



119865 values1198671015840

119889 1198691015840








Kodinar

Veraval

Mangrol

Dwarka

100

Similarity ()93






5 Conclusions






Acknowledgments


References





































































Journal of












Volume 2014

Advances in









Geophysics















00 05 10 15 20 25

Mangrol

00 05 10 15 20

Kodinar



00 05 10 15 20

Porifera

Coelenterata

Annelida

Arthropoda

Mollusca

Echinodermata

Veraval

Dwarka

00 05 10 15 20 25

Porifera

Coelenterata

Annelida

Arthropoda

Mollusca

Echinodermata






3 Results




000 050 100 150 200 250 300 350

Kodinar

000 050 100 150 200 250 300 350

Porifera

Coelenterata

Annelida

Arthropoda

Mollusca

Echinodermata

Veraval



Porifera

Coelenterata

Annelida

Arthropoda

Mollusca

Echinodermata

Dwarka

000 050 100 150 200 250 300

Mangrol






4 Discussion



00 01 02 03 04 05 06

Porifera

Coelenterata

Annelida

Arthropoda

Mollusca

Echinodermata

Dwarka

00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07

Mangrol

00 01 02 03 04 05 06

Porifera

Coelenterata

Annelida

Arthropoda

Mollusca

Echinodermata

Veraval

00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07

Kodinar

J998400 (evenness)

J998400 (evenness)

J998400 (evenness)

J998400 (evenness)






119889 1198691015840











00

05

10

15

20

25


Dwarka

00

05

10

15

20

25


Mangrol

00

05

10

15

20

25


Veraval

00

04

08

12

16

20


SeasonsSeasons

Kodinar



Shan

non-

Wie

ner d

iver

sity

Shan

non-

Wie

ner d

iver

sity

Shan

non-

Wie

ner d

iver

sity

Shan

non-

Wie

ner d

iver

sity



119865 values1198671015840

119889 1198691015840








Kodinar

Veraval

Mangrol

Dwarka

100

Similarity ()93






5 Conclusions






Acknowledgments


References





































































Journal of












Volume 2014

Advances in









Geophysics















000 050 100 150 200 250 300 350

Kodinar

000 050 100 150 200 250 300 350

Porifera

Coelenterata

Annelida

Arthropoda

Mollusca

Echinodermata

Veraval



Porifera

Coelenterata

Annelida

Arthropoda

Mollusca

Echinodermata

Dwarka

000 050 100 150 200 250 300

Mangrol






4 Discussion



00 01 02 03 04 05 06

Porifera

Coelenterata

Annelida

Arthropoda

Mollusca

Echinodermata

Dwarka

00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07

Mangrol

00 01 02 03 04 05 06

Porifera

Coelenterata

Annelida

Arthropoda

Mollusca

Echinodermata

Veraval

00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07

Kodinar

J998400 (evenness)

J998400 (evenness)

J998400 (evenness)

J998400 (evenness)






119889 1198691015840











00

05

10

15

20

25


Dwarka

00

05

10

15

20

25


Mangrol

00

05

10

15

20

25


Veraval

00

04

08

12

16

20


SeasonsSeasons

Kodinar



Shan

non-

Wie

ner d

iver

sity

Shan

non-

Wie

ner d

iver

sity

Shan

non-

Wie

ner d

iver

sity

Shan

non-

Wie

ner d

iver

sity



119865 values1198671015840

119889 1198691015840








Kodinar

Veraval

Mangrol

Dwarka

100

Similarity ()93






5 Conclusions






Acknowledgments


References





































































Journal of












Volume 2014

Advances in









Geophysics















00 01 02 03 04 05 06

Porifera

Coelenterata

Annelida

Arthropoda

Mollusca

Echinodermata

Dwarka

00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07

Mangrol

00 01 02 03 04 05 06

Porifera

Coelenterata

Annelida

Arthropoda

Mollusca

Echinodermata

Veraval

00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07

Kodinar

J998400 (evenness)

J998400 (evenness)

J998400 (evenness)

J998400 (evenness)






119889 1198691015840











00

05

10

15

20

25


Dwarka

00

05

10

15

20

25


Mangrol

00

05

10

15

20

25


Veraval

00

04

08

12

16

20


SeasonsSeasons

Kodinar



Shan

non-

Wie

ner d

iver

sity

Shan

non-

Wie

ner d

iver

sity

Shan

non-

Wie

ner d

iver

sity

Shan

non-

Wie

ner d

iver

sity



119865 values1198671015840

119889 1198691015840








Kodinar

Veraval

Mangrol

Dwarka

100

Similarity ()93






5 Conclusions






Acknowledgments


References





































































Journal of












Volume 2014

Advances in









Geophysics















00

05

10

15

20

25


Dwarka

00

05

10

15

20

25


Mangrol

00

05

10

15

20

25


Veraval

00

04

08

12

16

20


SeasonsSeasons

Kodinar



Shan

non-

Wie

ner d

iver

sity

Shan

non-

Wie

ner d

iver

sity

Shan

non-

Wie

ner d

iver

sity

Shan

non-

Wie

ner d

iver

sity



119865 values1198671015840

119889 1198691015840








Kodinar

Veraval

Mangrol

Dwarka

100

Similarity ()93






5 Conclusions






Acknowledgments


References





































































Journal of












Volume 2014

Advances in









Geophysics















Kodinar

Veraval

Mangrol

Dwarka

100

Similarity ()93






5 Conclusions






Acknowledgments


References





































































Journal of












Volume 2014

Advances in









Geophysics


















Acknowledgments


References





































































Journal of












Volume 2014

Advances in









Geophysics























































Journal of












Volume 2014

Advances in









Geophysics














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