Ecological status of dominant gastropod Pirenella cingulata in coastal mangrove of northern Persian Gulf (Hormozgan province)

This study aimed to investigate the status of Pirenella cingulata in the coastal areas of mangrove forests in the Hara Biosphere Reserve in the Persian Gulf. Seasonal sampling was conducted from winter of 2019 to autumn of 2019 using a metal quadrat with dimensions of 25x25 cm in three areas on Qeshm Island and two areas in Bandar Khamir in the low tide. At each sampling station, Environmental parameters including (temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen and pH), the total organic matter and sediment grain size were also measured. Environmental parameters showed significant differences between seasons. While no significant difference was between different sampling areas. In contrast, sediment grain size differed only between different regions. The total organic matter showed a significant difference between seasons and the sampling areas, Abundance and biomass (wet- weight) of P. cingulata did not show significant differences between different regions and seasons. However, the lowest abundance and biomass were recorded in autumn and the highest abundance and biomass were recorded in spring and winter, respectively. According to the Kendall correlation coefficient, there was no correlation between the abundance and biomass of this species with other environmental parameters, which indicates that seasonal and regional changes do not affect this species. Given that this species is one of the most abundant gastropods in mangrove forests, the results of the present study help to better understand the status of this species and its effects on mangrove ecosystems.