A comparison of benthic community structure in Ghazaleh and Ghanam Estuaries as bioindicators of pollution

Macrobenthos are important elements of the sea ecosystems living in the sediments and include Polychaeta, Decapoda and Mollusca. Some species of this group are considered as biological indicators for aquatic ecosystems. Macrobenthos are mostly sedentary which can be used as indexes of ecological conditions. We studied and compared benthic community structure as bioindicators of pollution in Ghazaleh and Ghanam estuaries, east and west of Moosa Estuary. Six groups of macrobenthos were identified and isolated of which the abundant groups were Decapoda with 23.3% and Gastropoda with 21.6%. The highest abundance of macrobenthos (1932 individual m2) was recorded at the extreme end of Ghanam estuary, and the lowest of (818 individual m2) was recorded of the front part of Ghazaleh estuary. Of the most significant contaminating factors in the region were pollutants from urban and industrial waste water, waste materials from oil leakage, and ship balance water. The results indicated that Ghazal.....