Changes in benthic community structure along an environmental pollution gradient

Seasonal sampling of the benthic fauna in the Saronikos Gulf was undertaken during 1989 along three transects with increasing distance from the Great Collector outfall. The faunistic composition, descriptive measures and Cluster and Abundance/Biomass Comparison analyses were all used to assess the different degrees of pollution around the study area. The results of the above univariate and multivariate analyses indicate that the area can be divided into three zones according to the degree of pollution affecting the communities.