Estudi de les comunitats d'heterobranquis a dos hàbitats

Abstract

Heterobranchs are a taxonomy subclass with scientific interest for its adaptations, its feeding and for metabolic compounds that synthesize or can storage. Useful compounds for cancer studies have been discovered. Habitat plays an important role in the ecology of heterobranch, but little is known in the Mediterranean. In this study, evaluation two different habitats where heterobranch inhabitat, seagrass meadows of Posidonia oceanica and rocky littoral, will be evaluated. Will also be studied the effect of depth factor on population abundance and species richness of heterobranch in posidonia seagrass meadows. Heterobranch distribution is linked with its feeding and consequently with its habitat. Posidonia seagrass meadows are recognized in several scientific studies because they can offer habitat to many benthic and nektonic fauna and flora. Posidonia meadows are included in the Habitats Directive as a habitat of interest and they are protected. Rocky littoral is a habitat with high availability of nutrients and light that is idoneal for sponge colonies, cnidaria colonies, algae and tunicate. In my study I found that despite light intensity in marine ecology is linked with depth, this factor is not linked to heterobranch abundance and richness in posidonia seagrass meadows. Habitat factor is significative: higher abundance and richness have been found on rocky littoral than posidonia meadows. Identification of heterobranch species is difficult due to its size, therefore photographic support can be helpful. My study shows a photography of all species inventory to facilitate its identification, as well as its habitat and the feeding of heterobranch in order to create a technical sheet that facilitate its location in future studies. The methodology used in this study for heterobranch inventory is innovative and can be useful for further studies in the future