FAS Abstracts 2004 Meeting Page

Biological Sciences (BIO C): BIO-23

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Spionid polychaetes as environmental indicators: an analysis of Tampa Bay monitoring data.  D.J. KARLEN, T.L. DIX, S.A. GRABE, B.K. GOETTING, C.M. HOLDEN, and S.E. MARKHAM.  Environmental Protection Commission of Hillsborough County, Tampa, FL  33605. The polychaete family spionidae is one of the most ubiquitous taxa in estuaries, occupying a diverse range of habitats and are considered good indicators of stressed environments. The Environmental Protection Commission of Hillsborough County, under the auspices of the Tampa Bay Estuary Program, has been collecting samples throughout Tampa Bay and its tributaries since 1993. Samples were collected annually from August to mid-October.  Over 1,500 samples were collected between 1993-2001 and analyzed for benthic species composition. A total of 31 species of spionids were identified, with the six most abundant taxa accounting for 90% of the cumulative abundance for this family. These taxa included: Carazziella hobsonae (25.9%), Prionospio perkinsi (23.1%), Paraprionospio pinnata (14.9%), Streblospio gynobranchiata (14.6%), Prionospio heterobranchia (6.7%) and Spio pettiboneae (4.0%). Prionospio perkinsi and Paraprio-nospio pinnata were dominant throughout Tampa Bay, while Streblospio gynobranchiata dominated in lower salinity habitats. The other abundant taxa were dominant in different segments of Tampa Bay.  Species distributions were influenced by depth, salinity, dissolved oxygen and percent silt/clay. Spionids in Tampa Bay apparently have some utility in characterizing environmental habitats as well as detecting changes in disturbance or recovery of degraded habitats.