TY - JOUR AU - Mariyam Mendonça, Vanda AU - Raffaelli, David George AU - Boyle, Peter AU - Hoskins, Steve PY - 2008/06/30 Y2 - 2024/03/29 TI - Spatial and temporal characteristics of benthic invertebrate communities at Culbin Sands lagoon, Moray Firth, NE Scotland, and impacts of the disturbance of cockle harvesting JF - Scientia Marina JA - Sci. mar. VL - 72 IS - 2 SE - Articles DO - 10.3989/scimar.2008.72n2265 UR - https://scientiamarina.revistas.csic.es/index.php/scientiamarina/article/view/823 SP - 265-278 AB - In the present study, Culbin Sands lagoon, a protected site in NE Scotland, was surveyed every 2 to 4 weeks during a three-year period (1994-1996) to study benthic invertebrate communities. Beds of <em>Mytilus edulis</em> covered 18000 m<sup>2</sup>. 53 macroinfaunal species were identified outside these areas. The most conspicuous were: the lugworm <em>Arenicola marina</em> (mean up to 55 casts m<sup>-2</sup>); and bivalves <em>Cerastoderma edule</em> (mean up to 158 ind. m<sup>-2</sup>) and <em>Macoma balthica</em> (mean up to 79 ind. m<sup>-2</sup>) after settlement. The standing stock ranged from 20 to 32 g AFDW m<sup>-2</sup> yr<sup>-1</sup> respectively from more exposed to more sheltered areas. Most species showed a clear recruitment peak in autumn, but others (e.g. <em>Capitella capitata</em>, and Spionidae) displayed several peaks in a year. Communities were also compared between the sampling sites before and after an incidental disturbance caused by cockle <em>Cerastoderma edule</em> harvesting, which took place in June 1995. One site showed –0.7% variation in the total standing stock, but +22% for smaller-cockles, as larger filter-feeding cockles were removed therefore enhancing their own larval settlement. Polychaete Spionidae populations also increased after larger cockles were removed. The polychaete <em>Arenicola marina</em> population returned to its normal activities just after the dramatic disturbance of the sediment. ER -