Assessing the ecological quality status of arid mangroves in the Gulf of Oman, Iran, using benthic indices of AMBI, M-AMBI, and BENTIX

Mohadeseh Miri; Jafar Seyfabadi; Mehdi Ghodrati Shojaei; Hassan Rahimian

doi:10.22034/ijab.v11i2.1837

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Mohadeseh Miri Department of Marine Biology, Faculty of Natural Resources and Marine Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Noor, Iran.
Jafar Seyfabadi
[email protected]
Department of Marine Biology, Faculty of Natural Resources and Marine Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Noor, Iran.
Mehdi Ghodrati Shojaei Department of Marine Biology, Faculty of Natural Resources and Marine Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Noor, Iran.
Hassan Rahimian School of Biology, College of Science, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.

Vol. 11 No. 2 (2023): April

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April 25, 2023

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Polychaetes are suitable indicators to evaluate the benthic ecological status and respond to natural and anthropogenic. We evaluated the ecosystem health of the mangroves of Azini and Gwadar based on benthic indices including AMBI, M-AMBI, and BENTIX using polychaete communities. The results showed that in both regions, EcoQ classifications ranged from "high" to "moderate" in BENTIX, "good" to "excellent" in AMBI, and "good" in M-AMBI. The M-AMBI was significantly correlated with sediment variables, including total organic matter (TOM), total organic carbon (TOC), and silt/clay. The result revealed a significant correlation between the biotic indices and the TOC content of sediments. According to the results, TOC can be used as a descriptor and indicator to evaluate the health of mangrove ecosystems in relation to benthic indices. In addition, it is necessary to combine several indices to assess the status of ecosystems.

Miri, M., Seyfabadi, J., Ghodrati Shojaei , M., & Rahimian, H. (2023). Assessing the ecological quality status of arid mangroves in the Gulf of Oman, Iran, using benthic indices of AMBI, M-AMBI, and BENTIX. International Journal of Aquatic Biology, 11(2), 141–150. https://doi.org/10.22034/ijab.v11i2.1837

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