Response of trophic groups of macrobenthos to organically enriched sediments: A comparative study between temperate and tropical regions

www.macrothink.org/ast 16 This study is aimed to detect the level of environmental disturbance caused by farming activities using trophic groups of macrobenthic assemblages, with emphasizes the difference between temperate and tropical regions. The samples of macrobenthic assemblages were taken from 2 (two) farm sites, i.e. Southern Spencer Gulf, South Australia, where farming of southern bluefin tuna (Thunnus maccoyii) takes place, representing as a temperate region (Site I) and milk fish (Chanos chanos) farms and mangrove area at coastal region of Mngkang Kulon, Semarang, Central Java, Indonesia, representing as a tropical region (Site II). Macrobenthic abundance was categorised based on six major trophic groups. Macrobenthic assemblages dominated by all polychaetes, they are Capitellidae, Cirratullidae, Lumbrineridae, Nephtyidae, and Spionidae at Site I (temperate region), owing to their relatively tolerance to organic enrichment, both at the farm sites and at control sites. Surfac