Deciphering the synergistic impact of elevated temperature and oil pollution on meiobenthic community structure: A benthocosm study.

Deciphering the synergistic impact of elevated temperature and oil pollution on meiobenthic community structure: A benthocosm study. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf. 2021 Jan 01;207:111549 Authors: Ghosh M, Mandal S Abstract Meiobenthos has been considered as an excellent tool for biomonitoring assessment. Elevated temperature and oil pollution are considered as the most pervasive aspects of global environmental changes and matter of concern for contemporary society. Presently, very limited information is available about the synergistic effect of these stressors on meiobenthic community structure and tolerance potential from tropical intertidal environment. Here, we assessed their impacts on meiobenthic community by conducting a 60 days long benthocosm experiment selecting three sets of temperature (25°, 30° and 35 °C) and two sets of diesel oil (low and high) combinations. Gradual changes in their community composition were revealed discernibly with exposures to both the disturbances after 30 and 60 days of experimental period. Diversity profiles for the nematodes were less affected, but copepods showed a graded response of decreasing density with increasing dose of both the stressors. Other meiobenthic taxa such as halacarid mite, turbellaria and polycheate juveniles were adversely affected and eliminated from the treatments, howbeit abundance of ostracods, foraminiferans and bivalve settlers varied significantly. A 3-factor PERMANOVA i...
Source: Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety - Category: Environmental Health Authors: Tags: Ecotoxicol Environ Saf Source Type: research