Benthic biotope index for classifying estuarine habitats

An integration of sediment physical, chemical, biological, and toxicity data is necessary for a meaningful interpretation of the complex sediment conditions in the marine environment. Assessment of benthic community is a vital component for that interpretation, yet their evaluation is complex and re...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Caeiro, S. (author)
Other Authors: Costa, Maria H. (author), Goovaerts, Pierre (author), Martins, Flávio Augusto Bastos da Cruz (author)
Format: article
Language:eng
Published: 2009
Subjects:
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/10400.1/166
Country:Portugal
Oai:oai:sapientia.ualg.pt:10400.1/166
Description
Summary:An integration of sediment physical, chemical, biological, and toxicity data is necessary for a meaningful interpretation of the complex sediment conditions in the marine environment. Assessment of benthic community is a vital component for that interpretation, yet their evaluation is complex and requires a large expenditure of time and funds. Thus, there is a need for new tools that are less expensive and more understandable for managers. This paper presents a benthic biotope index to predict from physical and chemical variables the occurrence of macrobenthic habitats, applied to Sado Estuary, as a case of study.