Structure of the artificial hard substrate assemblages in ports in Thermaikos Gulf (North Aegean Sea)

Abstract

The present study describes the hard substrate assemblages established on the concrete blocks of three ports placed in gradually longer distances from the main source of pollution in Thermaikos Gulf. The samplings were performed on a seasonal basis for a 2-year period. The data analysis indicates a clear separation of the assemblages from each port. Evenness and Shannon–Weaver diversity indices were calculated and their values were found to be quite high. This fact, combined with the seasonal pattern that these assemblages hold, reveals stability and a good adaptation of their faunistic components to local environmental conditions. A change due to the construction of a new block functioning as a surge barrier was detectable at the station of N. Michaniona. Once again, biomonitoring proves to be essential in order to obtain useful information about the water conditions. Emphasis was laid on the taxa of Polychaeta by analyzing their numerical abundance and their feeding guilds separately. The results were very similar, a fact that supports the opinion that a specific taxonomic group can be used for the description and the monitoring in many different cases.