R.L. Whitman
E.L. Garza
2004
<p><span>The nearshore benthic environment of Lake Michigan represents a dynamic and little studied habitat. To explore the biology and response of this community to beach nourishment, Ponar samples were taken at 1.5, 3, and 6 m depths at 10 transects along the southern shore of Lake Michigan before and after beach nourishment. Forty taxa were identified, and two of these, </span><i>Chaetogaster diastrophus</i><span> and Nematoda, made up over 81% of all organisms collected. Shallow sites (≤ 3 m) were generally dominated by</span><i>C. diastrophus</i><span> and Nematoda, and these sites represent communities adapted to constant wave induced sediment disturbance. Deep (6 m) sites were generally dominated by Nematoda, but fair numbers of </span><i>C. diastrophus</i><span>, Amphichaeta leydigi, Paracladopelma spp., and other less abundant taxa were identified. Greater diversity at deeper sites may be related to the stability resulting from reduced wave disturbance. A notable decrease in mean invertebrate density (P < 0.01) from 2001 to 2002 downdrift from the site of beach nourishment suggests that sand placement affected invertebrate populations, although a more thorough understanding of this community's response to environmental variables is required to further support this conclusion.</span></p>
application/pdf
10.1016/S0380-1330(04)70334-2
en
Elsevier
The nearshore benthic invertebrate community of southern Lake Michigan and its response to beach nourishment
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