Assessment of biodiversity and environmental quality using macrozoobenthos communities in the seagrass meadow (Gulf of Gdańsk, southern Baltic)

This study shows the macrozoobenthic biodiversity and the quality status of the Zostera marina meadow in the Gulf of Gdansk. To our knowledge, this is the first study focused on the assessment of environmental quality based on macrofauna occurring on such a small and specific habitat as a seagrass meadow.

The meadow is dominated by Zostera marina, but also Zanichellia palustris and Potamogeton pectinatus are present. Compared to the soft bottom macrofauna in the southern Baltic, the biodiversity of macrozoobenthos is very high, which is reflected in 33 taxa observed during the whole research, while the mean number of taxa was 12. There were also some taxa found only on the bottom overgrown with vegetation, e.g. Idotea balthica or even taxa that are currently rarely observed in the Gulf of Gdansk, e.g. Gammarus locusta or Gammarus ineaquicauda. Nineteen percent of the stations were classified into the very good quality status and 50% into the good quality status, so the environmental status of this meadow based on the BQI index is assessed as good. Given these results, this is probably one of the best preserved meadows in the southern Baltic.