Polychaete in the northern Amur Bay (Peter the Great Bay, Japan Sea): taxocenes composition, structure and distribution
Composition, structure and distribution of polychaete taxocenes in the northern Amur Bay are explored in 2005. Hydrological regime, fractional composition and organic carbon content of bottom sediments are the main factors controlling these patterns. Chemical contamination is rather low and does not influence on the polychaetes associations. Long-term changes in polychaete fauna since 1930s are analyzed on the base of surveyed and cited data. The most significant changes of their species composition occurred in the period from the middle 1970s to early 1980s, most likely because of the sea bottom silting. Recently the taxocenes are influenced by organic pollution that possibly causes eutrophication of the Bay.