TY - JOUR
T1 - Classification of the ecological quality of the Aysen and Baker Fjords (Patagonia, Chile) using biotic indices
AU - Quiroga, Eduardo
AU - Ortiz, Paula
AU - Reid, Brian
AU - Gerdes, Dieter
N1 - Funding Information:
This research was funded by FONDECYT 11075105 (CONICYT). Additional funds were provided by COPAS Sur-Austral program, PFB 31/2007, CIEP-CONICYT project SS-2008-05 and SS-2008-13, and CORFO INNOVA (Aysen, Chile). We thank Juan Ramón Velasquez, Rodrigo Mansilla and Jorge Arratia (LC Halet) for help with sample sorting and outstanding field support. We also are grateful for the comments of Dra. Maritza Palma (Universidad del Bio Bio), who helped to improve previous versions of this manuscript.
PY - 2013/3/15
Y1 - 2013/3/15
N2 - The AZTI's marine biotic index (AMBI), an ecological indicator for managing estuarine and coastal waters worldwide, was tested in two fjords in Chilean Patagonia. The Aysen Fjord (42° Lat. S) supports intensive salmon farming in coastal ecosystems, while the Baker Fjord (48° Lat. S) is currently just beyond the limit of the southern expansion of salmon concessions. The ecological status of the Aysen Fjord was classified as good, while the status of the Baker Fjord was classified as high and unbalanced. These differences were consistent with our expectations, illustrating the effect of local environmental conditions and human activities, combined with river inputs into semi-confined fjords. This method is appropriate for the evaluation of the ecological status of the fjords, but requires a sufficient amount of data for the robust environmental assessment as proposed by the Water Framework Directive (WFD).
AB - The AZTI's marine biotic index (AMBI), an ecological indicator for managing estuarine and coastal waters worldwide, was tested in two fjords in Chilean Patagonia. The Aysen Fjord (42° Lat. S) supports intensive salmon farming in coastal ecosystems, while the Baker Fjord (48° Lat. S) is currently just beyond the limit of the southern expansion of salmon concessions. The ecological status of the Aysen Fjord was classified as good, while the status of the Baker Fjord was classified as high and unbalanced. These differences were consistent with our expectations, illustrating the effect of local environmental conditions and human activities, combined with river inputs into semi-confined fjords. This method is appropriate for the evaluation of the ecological status of the fjords, but requires a sufficient amount of data for the robust environmental assessment as proposed by the Water Framework Directive (WFD).
KW - Macrofauna
KW - River-fjord interaction
KW - Soft-bottom communities
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84875279490&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2012.11.041
DO - 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2012.11.041
M3 - Article
C2 - 23375509
AN - SCOPUS:84875279490
SN - 0025-326X
VL - 68
SP - 117
EP - 126
JO - Marine Pollution Bulletin
JF - Marine Pollution Bulletin
IS - 1-2
ER -
