Ref ID : 2316
Philip G. Carey and Maeda Masachika; Horizontal distribution of psammophilic ciliates in fine sediments of the Chichester Harbour area. J.Natural History 19:555-574, 1985
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The distribution of 28 species of psammophilic ciliates isolated from the fine sands of Chichester harbour was correlated with gradients of ecological factors running horizontally in a granulometrically uniform sediment. Six sampling stations were situated on a single transect that ran parallel to the shoreline for a distance of 987 metres. Sediment analysis indicated that the substrate was homogeneous with respect to grain size but detrial material increased from 0.01% to 1.15% in a continuous gradient around the headland. Gymnostome and hypotrich ciliates dominated the samples. Eight species were new records for the British coast, thus bringing the total for Britain to 178; each species displayed its own distribution pattern along the transect. Some species were encountered at every station while others were restricted to a short length of coastline. Species diversity was greatest at stations adjacent to saltmarshes where interactions between detrital deposition and wave exposure appeared particularly favorable for the development of the microfauna. The existence of horizontal distributions running parallel to the shoreline taken together with previous knowledge of species diversity in both horizontal and vertical planes, gives a more complete picture of the three dimensional distribution of a population of psammophilic ciliates inhabiting a marine beach habitat.