ABSTRACT
Polychaetes play a key role in benthic functioning and organic matter recirculation. We performed a meta-analysis to investigate the effects of organic matter on polychaetes, considering its origin, type and measurement along the east coast of South America. We summarize 276 effect sizes, mostly representing the Tropical Southwestern Atlantic and Warm Temperate Southwestern Atlantic provinces. We observed that the effect of organic matter depends on its origin and type. We also reveal that the predominance of tolerant species of Capitellidae, Nereididae and Spionidae explains the great variability in effect sizes and non-significant effects. Organic matter negatively affected assessment of polychaete assemblages, such as aspects of diversity and trophic groups. This result suggests that the impact of organic matter can be more intense for communities than for individual species. We suggest that researchers should investigate more complex ecological scales to understand the overall effect of organic matter on polychaetes.
Subject(s)
Environmental Monitoring , Eutrophication , Polychaeta/classification , Water Pollution , Animals , Biodiversity , Biota , Cities , Estuaries , Geologic Sediments/chemistry , Seawater/chemistry , South AmericaABSTRACT
Six polychaete species belonging to the genera Namalycastis Hartman, 1959, Ceratocephale Malmgren, 1867, Laeonereis Hartman, 1945, and Rullierinereis Pettibone, 1970 were recorded as part of a systematic survey of the family Nereididae in estuaries, exposed sandy beaches, shelly soft bottoms, atolls and coral reefs of the Brazilian northeastern coast. Two new species, Rullierinereis auxiliadorae, from Ceará coast and Ceratocephale rocaensis, from Atol das Rocas, are described.