Papers by Noelia Kandratavicius
Regional Studies in Marine Science
Zootaxa
Chromadoridae is a widespread family of mostly free-living marine nematodes. This systematic revi... more Chromadoridae is a widespread family of mostly free-living marine nematodes. This systematic review provides for each genus: a historical background, an updated diagnosis and a list of species. Our review recognizes 37 valid genera, 395 valid species, 57 descriptions without enough morphological information for accurate identification (species inquirenda) and 10 species incerta sedis. We also recognize 21 species as nomena nuda. Additionally, polytomous keys were constructed for the subfamilies and for the genera of the three major subfamilies (Chromadorinae, Euchromadorinae and Hypodontolaiminae) using the most important diagnostic characters. A phylogenetic analysis based on rDNA sequences of species available in the GenBank was also conducted. Phylogenetic trees based on the 18S and 28S rDNA confirmed the classification into three subfamilies (Spilipherinae, Hypodontolaiminae and Chromadorinae), despite the absence of defined synapomorphies. Phylogenetic relationships at lower ta...
Antarctic Science
Aliphatic and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (AHs and PAHs) were investigated in soil and meltw... more Aliphatic and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (AHs and PAHs) were investigated in soil and meltwater stream sediments near the Uruguayan Artigas Research Station (BCAA). Gas chromatography with flame ionization detection and gas chromatography mass spectrometry were used to determine the composition of AHs and PAHs, respectively. Total AH concentrations were in the range 0.57–2333 µg g-1, while total PAH concentrations were in the range 1.36–51 650 ng g-1. Based on AH and PAH concentrations, sites in the service area and next to the boat storeroom are highly contaminated, while the other sites sampled have moderate to low contamination levels or are not impacted. High unresolved complex mixture concentrations indicate the occurrence of previous petrogenic contamination, but the dominance of low molecular weight and alkyl PAHs indicate recent oil introductions. Anthropogenic hydrocarbons dominate and are related to diesel fuel and organic residue combustion, fuel storage and boat tr...
Marine and Freshwater Research
The benthic trophic status of Uruguayan coastal estuarine habitats (permanently open estuaries an... more The benthic trophic status of Uruguayan coastal estuarine habitats (permanently open estuaries and open or closed coastal lagoons) was evaluated, twice in 1 year and at different spatial scales, using the amount and biochemical composition of the sedimentary organic matter. Nested hierarchical ANOVAs were applied to evaluate differences at the habitat level, among sites for each type of estuarine habitat (three estuaries and three lagoons) and between sectors located at different distances from the sea (inner v. outer sectors). Morphological and hydrodynamic differences between the two types of habitats explained site-to-site variations in eutrophic conditions in the open or closed coastal lagoons and meso-oligotrophic conditions in permanently open estuaries. These differences followed the patterns found for sediment grain size, with inner sectors (lower-energy areas) favouring the accumulation of finer sediments and higher amounts of degraded–detrital organic matter. In autumn, bi...
Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 2015
ABSTRACT This study aimed to determine if estuarine meiofaunal communities of Uruguay (South Amer... more ABSTRACT This study aimed to determine if estuarine meiofaunal communities of Uruguay (South America) vary between permanently open estuaries and open/close coastal lagoons, or if they respond to the sediment composition. In Uruguay, estuaries and coastal lagoons vary in the degree of connectivity to the sea and in the sediment composition; sediments in estuaries are characterized by fine-medium sands but sediments vary from lagoon to lagoon (either fine-medium or coarse sand). Taxa richness (total = 16) showed less temporal variability in lagoons than in estuaries, due to patterns of presence/absence of the less abundant taxa. However, no major response to habitat was found in the most abundant groups: polychaetes (6% of total fauna) were on average 5% more abundant in lagoons than in estuaries. Some level of zonation, within estuaries and lagoons, was found in the most abundant groups, nematodes (63% of total fauna) and copepods (15%) in response to medium and fine sands. In addition, sediment type modulated seasonal patterns in the frequency of presence/absence in ostracods, polychaetes and oligochaetes. For instance, in polychaetes and ostracods the increase in the frequency of absences, occurring from summer to winter, was stronger in lagoons and estuaries dominated by fine sands. The lagoon habitat appears to ameliorate the effects of unfavorable (winter) conditions in less abundant meiofaunal taxa. In contrast, sediment fractions affect the average abundance of organisms (e.g. nematodes) or modulate the seasonal patterns of abundance and aggregation through changes in frequency of presence/absence (e.g. polychaetes).
Journal of Sea Research, 2014
ABSTRACT Estuaries vary considerably in geomorphology, hydrology and in the properties of sedimen... more ABSTRACT Estuaries vary considerably in geomorphology, hydrology and in the properties of sediments. Structure of benthic communities may respond to the interaction of these estuarine characteristics, resulting in between site differences. This work evaluated several hypothetical scenarios to explain variation in macrofaunal communities in permanently open estuaries and open/closed coastal lagoons of the coast of Uruguay, South America. Of particular relevance were three hypothetical scenarios: (1) that sediment characteristics, temperature or conductivity may explain variation in fauna between estuarine habitat types (estuaries vs. lagoons), (2) that fauna may not vary between habitat types, but may vary among sites in response to environmental variables and (3) that fauna differed between habitat types but patterns were not clearly being mediated by the measured environmental variables. Scenario 1 was discarded because none of the observed environmental variables showed a significant habitat effect. Patterns of species richness differed between lagoons and estuaries in accordance with scenario 3; richness was higher in open/closed lagoons than in estuaries. The abundance of three important infaunal species supported scenario 2: these species varied considerably among sites in response to the proportion of different sand fractions. Fine sands, common in all estuaries and in a lagoon, were characterised by polychaetes (Laeonereis acuta and Alitta succinea) whereas coarse sands, found in two lagoons were characterised by a bivalve, Erodona mactroides. Another three species responded to sediment but did not show clear site to site variation in abundance. Lagoons differ from estuaries in their higher site to site variation in sediment composition and in the diversity of community variants: lagoons may therefore increase regional diversity as compared to estuaries. We conclude that sediment type played a strong role in explaining variations in macrofaunal abundance among estuaries and lagoons.
Journal of Sea Research, 2014
ABSTRACT Estuaries vary considerably in geomorphology, hydrology and in the properties of sedimen... more ABSTRACT Estuaries vary considerably in geomorphology, hydrology and in the properties of sediments. Structure of benthic communities may respond to the interaction of these estuarine characteristics, resulting in between site differences. This work evaluated several hypothetical scenarios to explain variation in macrofaunal communities in permanently open estuaries and open/closed coastal lagoons of the coast of Uruguay, South America. Of particular relevance were three hypothetical scenarios: (1) that sediment characteristics, temperature or conductivity may explain variation in fauna between estuarine habitat types (estuaries vs. lagoons), (2) that fauna may not vary between habitat types, but may vary among sites in response to environmental variables and (3) that fauna differed between habitat types but patterns were not clearly being mediated by the measured environmental variables. Scenario 1 was discarded because none of the observed environmental variables showed a significant habitat effect. Patterns of species richness differed between lagoons and estuaries in accordance with scenario 3; richness was higher in open/closed lagoons than in estuaries. The abundance of three important infaunal species supported scenario 2: these species varied considerably among sites in response to the proportion of different sand fractions. Fine sands, common in all estuaries and in a lagoon, were characterised by polychaetes (Laeonereis acuta and Alitta succinea) whereas coarse sands, found in two lagoons were characterised by a bivalve, Erodona mactroides. Another three species responded to sediment but did not show clear site to site variation in abundance. Lagoons differ from estuaries in their higher site to site variation in sediment composition and in the diversity of community variants: lagoons may therefore increase regional diversity as compared to estuaries. We conclude that sediment type played a strong role in explaining variations in macrofaunal abundance among estuaries and lagoons.
Journal of Sea Research, 2014
ABSTRACT Estuaries vary considerably in geomorphology, hydrology and in the properties of sedimen... more ABSTRACT Estuaries vary considerably in geomorphology, hydrology and in the properties of sediments. Structure of benthic communities may respond to the interaction of these estuarine characteristics, resulting in between site differences. This work evaluated several hypothetical scenarios to explain variation in macrofaunal communities in permanently open estuaries and open/closed coastal lagoons of the coast of Uruguay, South America. Of particular relevance were three hypothetical scenarios: (1) that sediment characteristics, temperature or conductivity may explain variation in fauna between estuarine habitat types (estuaries vs. lagoons), (2) that fauna may not vary between habitat types, but may vary among sites in response to environmental variables and (3) that fauna differed between habitat types but patterns were not clearly being mediated by the measured environmental variables. Scenario 1 was discarded because none of the observed environmental variables showed a significant habitat effect. Patterns of species richness differed between lagoons and estuaries in accordance with scenario 3; richness was higher in open/closed lagoons than in estuaries. The abundance of three important infaunal species supported scenario 2: these species varied considerably among sites in response to the proportion of different sand fractions. Fine sands, common in all estuaries and in a lagoon, were characterised by polychaetes (Laeonereis acuta and Alitta succinea) whereas coarse sands, found in two lagoons were characterised by a bivalve, Erodona mactroides. Another three species responded to sediment but did not show clear site to site variation in abundance. Lagoons differ from estuaries in their higher site to site variation in sediment composition and in the diversity of community variants: lagoons may therefore increase regional diversity as compared to estuaries. We conclude that sediment type played a strong role in explaining variations in macrofaunal abundance among estuaries and lagoons.
Brazilian Journal of Oceanography, 2015
Wave action is a severe physical stress for many organisms of rocky intertidal ecosystems. We ana... more Wave action is a severe physical stress for many organisms of rocky intertidal ecosystems. We analyzed the effects of wave exposure on morphological variation in the blue mussel (Mytilus edulis platensis), a dominant species of rocky intertidal zones along the Atlantic Uruguayan coast. We analyzed the effects of wave exposure on 1036 individuals, by comparing morphological traits of mussels in zones exposed to wave action vs. protected zones in three sites. We found that wave exposure affected the size distribution of mussels such that mussels in wave protected zones were larger in size and body weight. Although an increase in the mass of byssus threads was expected under wave exposure to reduce the likelihood of dislodgement, we found no difference in byssus mass between protected and exposed zones. While our results confirm the importance of wave exposure for spatial variation in blue mussel morphology, they suggest that the effects of wave exposure may be more complex than expect...
Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 2015
ABSTRACT This study aimed to determine if estuarine meiofaunal communities of Uruguay (South Amer... more ABSTRACT This study aimed to determine if estuarine meiofaunal communities of Uruguay (South America) vary between permanently open estuaries and open/close coastal lagoons, or if they respond to the sediment composition. In Uruguay, estuaries and coastal lagoons vary in the degree of connectivity to the sea and in the sediment composition; sediments in estuaries are characterized by fine-medium sands but sediments vary from lagoon to lagoon (either fine-medium or coarse sand). Taxa richness (total = 16) showed less temporal variability in lagoons than in estuaries, due to patterns of presence/absence of the less abundant taxa. However, no major response to habitat was found in the most abundant groups: polychaetes (6% of total fauna) were on average 5% more abundant in lagoons than in estuaries. Some level of zonation, within estuaries and lagoons, was found in the most abundant groups, nematodes (63% of total fauna) and copepods (15%) in response to medium and fine sands. In addition, sediment type modulated seasonal patterns in the frequency of presence/absence in ostracods, polychaetes and oligochaetes. For instance, in polychaetes and ostracods the increase in the frequency of absences, occurring from summer to winter, was stronger in lagoons and estuaries dominated by fine sands. The lagoon habitat appears to ameliorate the effects of unfavorable (winter) conditions in less abundant meiofaunal taxa. In contrast, sediment fractions affect the average abundance of organisms (e.g. nematodes) or modulate the seasonal patterns of abundance and aggregation through changes in frequency of presence/absence (e.g. polychaetes).
Marine Biodiversity, 2014
The majority of studies have advocated that diversity of marine nematodes increases with increasi... more The majority of studies have advocated that diversity of marine nematodes increases with increasing sediment grain size, although the opposite trend has also been suggested. The controversy is partially caused by not taking into account the effect of density on patterns of diversity and by analyzing datasets from different environments. The present study investigated nematode assemblages from sediments varying from very fine sand (mean grain size of 0.12 mm) to very coarse sand (1 mm) in shallow sublittoral marine environments. Contrary to previous studies, species richness was constant along the granulometric spectrum, despite significant changes in composition. The dominant genera were separated into five groups according to their optimum distribution and there was little overlap between these groups. Concepts from the niche theory explain to some extent the observed patterns. For instance, some of the coexisting genera were from different feeding types.
Marine Biodiversity, 2014
In the current study we provide a reviewed list of valid genera and species of Xyalidae, a widesp... more In the current study we provide a reviewed list of valid genera and species of Xyalidae, a widespread family of mostly marine free-living nematodes. Comments are added about the historic background and taxonomic situation of the family, all valid genera and, when necessary, diagnostic characters are given. Additionally, information about distribution and geographical location of species recorded along the Brazilian coast is provided. Our review recognized 46 valid genera, 450 valid species and 73 descriptions without enough morphological information for identification (species inquerendae). Nearly 80 % of the species inquerendae belong to Daptonema and Theristus. To avoid homonymies, two Daptonema species were renamed, Daptonema biwaensis (Tsalolikhin, 2002) new name (former Mongolotheristus timoshkini) and Daptonema vietnamensis (Gagarin and Thu, 2008) new name (former D. curvatum sensu Gagarin and Thu, 2008). Cenolaimus sapeloensis is transferred to Xyala sapeloensis comb. nov. Along the Brazilian coast 28 genera and 41 species have been recorded. The
Journal of Sea Research, 2014
ABSTRACT Estuaries vary considerably in geomorphology, hydrology and in the properties of sedimen... more ABSTRACT Estuaries vary considerably in geomorphology, hydrology and in the properties of sediments. Structure of benthic communities may respond to the interaction of these estuarine characteristics, resulting in between site differences. This work evaluated several hypothetical scenarios to explain variation in macrofaunal communities in permanently open estuaries and open/closed coastal lagoons of the coast of Uruguay, South America. Of particular relevance were three hypothetical scenarios: (1) that sediment characteristics, temperature or conductivity may explain variation in fauna between estuarine habitat types (estuaries vs. lagoons), (2) that fauna may not vary between habitat types, but may vary among sites in response to environmental variables and (3) that fauna differed between habitat types but patterns were not clearly being mediated by the measured environmental variables. Scenario 1 was discarded because none of the observed environmental variables showed a significant habitat effect. Patterns of species richness differed between lagoons and estuaries in accordance with scenario 3; richness was higher in open/closed lagoons than in estuaries. The abundance of three important infaunal species supported scenario 2: these species varied considerably among sites in response to the proportion of different sand fractions. Fine sands, common in all estuaries and in a lagoon, were characterised by polychaetes (Laeonereis acuta and Alitta succinea) whereas coarse sands, found in two lagoons were characterised by a bivalve, Erodona mactroides. Another three species responded to sediment but did not show clear site to site variation in abundance. Lagoons differ from estuaries in their higher site to site variation in sediment composition and in the diversity of community variants: lagoons may therefore increase regional diversity as compared to estuaries. We conclude that sediment type played a strong role in explaining variations in macrofaunal abundance among estuaries and lagoons.
Journal of Sea Research, 2011
A study on the benthic ecosystem health was performed to assess the environmental quality of Mont... more A study on the benthic ecosystem health was performed to assess the environmental quality of Montevideo coastal zone, in view of the construction of a new sanitation system. Data were compared to previous research undertaken 10 years ago, and biochemical composition of organic matter, heavy metals, organic matter, phytopigments, benthic diatoms, macrofauna community structure and a biotic index (AMBI) were used as proxies. Results indicate an environmental quality-gradient, with the worst conditions within the inner stations of Montevideo Bay and an improvement towards the adjacent coastal zone. Higher levels of chromium, lead, phaeopigments, organic biopolymers and poor benthic macrofauna and diatom communities, characterised the hypertrophic innermost portion of Montevideo Bay. Data indicated a clear deterioration of the adjacent coastal zone comparatively to that observed 10 years ago. The complementary use of approaches not applied before (benthic diatoms and organic biopolymers) with those formerly applied improve our assessment of the trophic status and the environmental health of the area.
Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 2012
Keywords: estuarine sediments particulate organic matter biopolymers benthic trophic status Rio d... more Keywords: estuarine sediments particulate organic matter biopolymers benthic trophic status Rio de la Plata Uruguay a b s t r a c t
Ecological Indicators, 2012
Biotic indices based on benthic communities have become an important tool in the assessment and m... more Biotic indices based on benthic communities have become an important tool in the assessment and monitoring of marine pollution. These communities vary at several spatial and temporal scales giving rise to scale-dependent patterns of distribution, being of particular importance because results from the application of ecological indices, and the subsequent classification of communities, could reflect these variations at several scales. We test some of the most widely applied indices for the evaluation of coastal benthic communities, using a hierarchical spatio-temporal sampling design, within two sets of estuarine habitats in the Atlantic coastal zone of Uruguay. Results showed that ecological indices can vary at different spatial scales, with important variation at small scales. So, independently from the used index, an appropriate sampling design should be taken into account considering different scales (both spatial and temporal). At some of the scales studied, indices appear to reflect natural variations in disturbance through currents rather than variation in anthropogenic effects. At the large scale, variation is low consistent with a preliminary classification of sites according to the putative levels of human activity. The low level of similarity between all indices could be denoting some degree of inconsistency in the assignment of the categories to an ecological status.
Marine and Freshwater Research, 2013
We studied the changes in geochemical variables in the middle section of Río de la Plata estuary ... more We studied the changes in geochemical variables in the middle section of Río de la Plata estuary during the 2009-2010 El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) event. Protein, organic matter, chlorophyll-a and phaeopigment content of surface sediments were significantly correlated with the increased continental freshwater input associated with high total monthly rainfall. During the warm-phase ENSO event, river flow was 5-fold larger than average historical levels, which led to a steady decrease in salinity values and the highest levels of geochemical variables. The evidence presented herein suggests that warm-phase ENSO events increase the trophic state of the sediments because of the increased freshwater input. Thus, our findings may be useful to anticipate potential eutrophication episodes in the study area.
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Papers by Noelia Kandratavicius