COSTECH Integrated Repository

Effect of nutrient enrichment on seagrass associated meiofauna in Tanzania

Show simple item record

dc.creator Daudi, Lilian Nduku
dc.creator Lugomela, Charles Venance
dc.creator Uku, Jacqueline Nduku
dc.creator De Troch, Marleen
dc.date 2015-12-15T12:48:16Z
dc.date 2015-12-15T12:48:16Z
dc.date 2012
dc.date.accessioned 2021-05-03T13:36:17Z
dc.date.available 2021-05-03T13:36:17Z
dc.identifier Daudi, 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) 49e58
dc.identifier http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.marenvres.2012.09.005
dc.identifier http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/132
dc.identifier.uri http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/47584
dc.description Abundance, 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.
dc.description This work was funded by VLIR-UOS under the South-South mobility allowance (2009)
dc.language en
dc.publisher Elsevier Ltd
dc.subject Epiphytic meiofauna
dc.subject Harpacticoid copepods
dc.subject Diversity
dc.subject Community structure
dc.subject Nutrient enrichment
dc.subject Seagrass ecosystem
dc.title Effect of nutrient enrichment on seagrass associated meiofauna in Tanzania


Files in this item

Files Size Format View

There are no files associated with this item.

This item appears in the following Collection(s)

Show simple item record

Search COSTECH


Advanced Search

Browse

My Account