Community structure and intertidal zonation of the macroinfauna in intermediate sandy beaches in temperate latitudes: North coast of Spain

Nineteen intermediate exposed sandy beaches, located along the northern coast of Spain, were sampled during the summer 1999. Data from 10 of the beaches, located at the eastern part of this coast, were previously reported to evaluate environmental factors affecting benthic macrofauna. Data from nine of the beaches, located at the western part of this coast, were included to compare community structure and intertidal zonation of the macroinfauna on intermediate sandy beaches in temperate latitudes. Morphodynamic parameters such as Dean’s parameter (U), Beach State Index (BSI) and relative tide range (RTR) were estimated at each beach. Beach length, width, intertidal slope, medium grain size, sorting, swash amplitude and wave characteristics were also analyzed. The highest macroinfaunal densities and biomass occurred at the mid and lower shore levels of each beach. Crustaceans, mainly cirolanid isopods, were the dominant group found on these beaches, whereas molluscs were the least representative. In general, the relationship between community structure and beach morphodynamics was similar to that found for the macroinfauna worldwide suggesting that macroinfauna in intermediate sandy beaches is affected, in the same way, by the physical processes associated with different beach types. Histograms and kite diagrams representing the intertidal distribution of the macroinfauna and multivariate analysis were used to show the zonation pattern on these exposed beaches. Intertidal slope values and beach profile pattern were found similar in all the beaches sampled. We hypothesized that this particular beach profile could influence the pattern of macroinfauna zonation. All the 19 beaches have two zones in common: the supralittoral zone of air breathers present on all shores at and above the drift line and the littoral zone extending from the drift line down the midshore to just above the water table outcrop. Ordination analyses identified two possible zones within the lower beach levels on seven of the beaches, but this cannot be clearly established. The Monte Carlo permutation test was used to select beach slope, length and wave height as the best predictor variables of macroinfaunal characteristics and it seems that the species most affected by the main variables showed the clearest zonation on the beaches.