Seasonal Macrofaunal Diversity in the Shells of Dead <i>Pinna nobilis</i> Linnaeus, 1758 in Southern Istria
The shells of dead <i>Pinna nobilis</i> individuals are important habitats in sedimentary coastal ecosystems, yet their ecological role is poorly understood. This study investigated macrofaunal communities associated with 80 <i>P. nobilis</i> shells from Soline Bay and Valovi...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2025-05-01
|
| Series: | Oceans |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2673-1924/6/2/26 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1850165384156545024 |
|---|---|
| author | Petra Burić Neven Iveša Adrian Brajković Ante Žunec Iris Matulja Ines Kovačić Andrej Jaklin Gioconda Millotti Paolo Paliaga Emina Pustijanac Tin Matulja Moira Buršić |
| author_facet | Petra Burić Neven Iveša Adrian Brajković Ante Žunec Iris Matulja Ines Kovačić Andrej Jaklin Gioconda Millotti Paolo Paliaga Emina Pustijanac Tin Matulja Moira Buršić |
| author_sort | Petra Burić |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The shells of dead <i>Pinna nobilis</i> individuals are important habitats in sedimentary coastal ecosystems, yet their ecological role is poorly understood. This study investigated macrofaunal communities associated with 80 <i>P. nobilis</i> shells from Soline Bay and Valovine Bay, northern Adriatic, analyzing variations in species abundance and biodiversity between shell orientations (vertical and horizontal) and across seasons. Shell dimensions were recorded, with larger shells and higher faunal abundance observed in Soline Bay compared to Valovine Bay. A total of 2225 individuals representing 183 species across 19 taxonomic groups were identified, with Malacostraca, Bivalvia, and Polychaeta being the most abundant. Vertically positioned shells hosted significantly more organisms than horizontally positioned ones, likely due to greater available surface area for settlement. Seasonal changes influenced organism abundance, with peaks in winter for Valovine Bay and spring for Soline Bay, correlating with environmental factors such as eutrophication. The most frequent species associated with the shells of dead individuals were the polychaete <i>Sabella spallanzanii</i> and the bivalve <i>Rocellaria dubia</i>, which can impact shell degradation. Despite their temporary nature, the shells of dead <i>P. nobilis</i> provide vital refuge and enhance biodiversity. The findings underscore the ecological importance of <i>P. nobilis</i> shells as biodiversity hotspots and highlight the need for their conservation and further study. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-7bd20d536cc449b2b65198a9f772ea18 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2673-1924 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Oceans |
| spelling | doaj-art-7bd20d536cc449b2b65198a9f772ea182025-08-20T02:21:46ZengMDPI AGOceans2673-19242025-05-01622610.3390/oceans6020026Seasonal Macrofaunal Diversity in the Shells of Dead <i>Pinna nobilis</i> Linnaeus, 1758 in Southern IstriaPetra Burić0Neven Iveša1Adrian Brajković2Ante Žunec3Iris Matulja4Ines Kovačić5Andrej Jaklin6Gioconda Millotti7Paolo Paliaga8Emina Pustijanac9Tin Matulja10Moira Buršić11Faculty of Natural Sciences, Juraj Dobrila University of Pula, Zagrebačka 30, 52100 Pula, CroatiaFaculty of Natural Sciences, Juraj Dobrila University of Pula, Zagrebačka 30, 52100 Pula, CroatiaFaculty of Natural Sciences, Juraj Dobrila University of Pula, Zagrebačka 30, 52100 Pula, CroatiaFaculty of Natural Sciences, Juraj Dobrila University of Pula, Zagrebačka 30, 52100 Pula, CroatiaFaculty of Natural Sciences, Juraj Dobrila University of Pula, Zagrebačka 30, 52100 Pula, CroatiaFaculty of Natural Sciences, Juraj Dobrila University of Pula, Zagrebačka 30, 52100 Pula, CroatiaCenter for Marine Research, Ruđer Bošković Institute, 52210 Rovinj, CroatiaFaculty of Natural Sciences, Juraj Dobrila University of Pula, Zagrebačka 30, 52100 Pula, CroatiaFaculty of Natural Sciences, Juraj Dobrila University of Pula, Zagrebačka 30, 52100 Pula, CroatiaFaculty of Natural Sciences, Juraj Dobrila University of Pula, Zagrebačka 30, 52100 Pula, CroatiaFaculty of Engineering, University of Rijeka, Vukovarska 58, 51000 Rijeka, CroatiaFaculty of Natural Sciences, Juraj Dobrila University of Pula, Zagrebačka 30, 52100 Pula, CroatiaThe shells of dead <i>Pinna nobilis</i> individuals are important habitats in sedimentary coastal ecosystems, yet their ecological role is poorly understood. This study investigated macrofaunal communities associated with 80 <i>P. nobilis</i> shells from Soline Bay and Valovine Bay, northern Adriatic, analyzing variations in species abundance and biodiversity between shell orientations (vertical and horizontal) and across seasons. Shell dimensions were recorded, with larger shells and higher faunal abundance observed in Soline Bay compared to Valovine Bay. A total of 2225 individuals representing 183 species across 19 taxonomic groups were identified, with Malacostraca, Bivalvia, and Polychaeta being the most abundant. Vertically positioned shells hosted significantly more organisms than horizontally positioned ones, likely due to greater available surface area for settlement. Seasonal changes influenced organism abundance, with peaks in winter for Valovine Bay and spring for Soline Bay, correlating with environmental factors such as eutrophication. The most frequent species associated with the shells of dead individuals were the polychaete <i>Sabella spallanzanii</i> and the bivalve <i>Rocellaria dubia</i>, which can impact shell degradation. Despite their temporary nature, the shells of dead <i>P. nobilis</i> provide vital refuge and enhance biodiversity. The findings underscore the ecological importance of <i>P. nobilis</i> shells as biodiversity hotspots and highlight the need for their conservation and further study.https://www.mdpi.com/2673-1924/6/2/26noble pen shellhabitat-forming speciesbiodiversitymacrofaunanorthern Adriatic |
| spellingShingle | Petra Burić Neven Iveša Adrian Brajković Ante Žunec Iris Matulja Ines Kovačić Andrej Jaklin Gioconda Millotti Paolo Paliaga Emina Pustijanac Tin Matulja Moira Buršić Seasonal Macrofaunal Diversity in the Shells of Dead <i>Pinna nobilis</i> Linnaeus, 1758 in Southern Istria Oceans noble pen shell habitat-forming species biodiversity macrofauna northern Adriatic |
| title | Seasonal Macrofaunal Diversity in the Shells of Dead <i>Pinna nobilis</i> Linnaeus, 1758 in Southern Istria |
| title_full | Seasonal Macrofaunal Diversity in the Shells of Dead <i>Pinna nobilis</i> Linnaeus, 1758 in Southern Istria |
| title_fullStr | Seasonal Macrofaunal Diversity in the Shells of Dead <i>Pinna nobilis</i> Linnaeus, 1758 in Southern Istria |
| title_full_unstemmed | Seasonal Macrofaunal Diversity in the Shells of Dead <i>Pinna nobilis</i> Linnaeus, 1758 in Southern Istria |
| title_short | Seasonal Macrofaunal Diversity in the Shells of Dead <i>Pinna nobilis</i> Linnaeus, 1758 in Southern Istria |
| title_sort | seasonal macrofaunal diversity in the shells of dead i pinna nobilis i linnaeus 1758 in southern istria |
| topic | noble pen shell habitat-forming species biodiversity macrofauna northern Adriatic |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2673-1924/6/2/26 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT petraburic seasonalmacrofaunaldiversityintheshellsofdeadipinnanobilisilinnaeus1758insouthernistria AT nevenivesa seasonalmacrofaunaldiversityintheshellsofdeadipinnanobilisilinnaeus1758insouthernistria AT adrianbrajkovic seasonalmacrofaunaldiversityintheshellsofdeadipinnanobilisilinnaeus1758insouthernistria AT antezunec seasonalmacrofaunaldiversityintheshellsofdeadipinnanobilisilinnaeus1758insouthernistria AT irismatulja seasonalmacrofaunaldiversityintheshellsofdeadipinnanobilisilinnaeus1758insouthernistria AT ineskovacic seasonalmacrofaunaldiversityintheshellsofdeadipinnanobilisilinnaeus1758insouthernistria AT andrejjaklin seasonalmacrofaunaldiversityintheshellsofdeadipinnanobilisilinnaeus1758insouthernistria AT giocondamillotti seasonalmacrofaunaldiversityintheshellsofdeadipinnanobilisilinnaeus1758insouthernistria AT paolopaliaga seasonalmacrofaunaldiversityintheshellsofdeadipinnanobilisilinnaeus1758insouthernistria AT eminapustijanac seasonalmacrofaunaldiversityintheshellsofdeadipinnanobilisilinnaeus1758insouthernistria AT tinmatulja seasonalmacrofaunaldiversityintheshellsofdeadipinnanobilisilinnaeus1758insouthernistria AT moirabursic seasonalmacrofaunaldiversityintheshellsofdeadipinnanobilisilinnaeus1758insouthernistria |