Author(s): El-Sammak A.A., Mostafa H.M. and Al-Ghadban A.N.
Article publication date: 2011-12-01
Vol. 29 No. 3/4 (yearly), pp. 168-181.
252
Keywords
Meiofauna; Macrofauna; heavy metals; total organic carbon; total suspended sediments;
Arabian Gulf; Kuwait.
Abstract
The special distributions of meiofaunal and macrofaunal groups of Az-Zour area, south of Kuwait were investigated. Sediment samples were collected during July, 2004 at equilateral distances comprising eight parallel transects perpendicular to the shore. A total of 25 species of meiofauna were identified. Generally, nematodes, crustaceans and polychaetes dominated the samples with other groups forming only a minor part. 31 species of macrofauna groups were recorded. Annelida macrofauna dominated the samples with 14 species followed by Mollusca (11 species), followed by crustaceans (5 species) and Echinodermata was represented with one species and was considered very rare. The infaunal communities of the study area could be grouped into three main groups, the active borrowers, the scrapers and the filter feeders. The present investigation showed that high abundance and species diversity of the infaunal groups were recorded in the middle zone of the study area. This could be related to different sediment characteristics such as sediments grain size, total organic carbon, heavy metal and water temperature that could enable meiofaunal enrichment for the middle zone.