Inter-annual changes in the biodiversity and community structure of the macrobenthos in Tees Bay and the Tees estuary, UK, associated with Local and regional environmental events

摘要

Abundances of macrobenthic species were monitored twice yearly(March and Septem- ber)at 6 locations in Tees Bay, UK, between 1973 and 1996, and once yearly at 4 stations in the outer Tees estuary and 7 stations in the inner estuary between 1980 and 1999. In the Bay, multivariate Analysis revealed a serial pattern of community change over years for all areas, but with a major shift In community composition between 1986 and 1988. Inter-annual variability in community composi- Tion was significantly greater after 1987 than before 1987 in all areas. Overall, inter-annual variabil- Ity was greater in areas near the estuary mouth than in areas farther away, although the direction of Community change and the timing of the discontinuity were the same in all areas.