DETERMINANT DRIVERS FOR THE COMMUNITY STRUCTURE OF BENTHIC MACROINVERTEBRATES IN COASTAL LAGOONS AT THE RESTINGA DE JURUBATIBA NATIONAL PARK, IN THE STATE OF RIO DE JANEIRO STATE (BRAZIL)

This study aimed to characterize and evaluate factors driving the structure of the benthic macroinvertebrate community in coastal lagoons at the Restinga de Jurubatiba National Park. Sixteen lagoons were sampled in July 2010 during the dry season. At each lagoon, three samples were taken in the central region and three samples were taken near the sandbar. At each point, the limnological variables and the benthic community were collected. Richness and abundance were calculated for each sample. The correlations among the environmental parameters were tested using Pearson's correlation. A Principal Component Analysis using environmental variables was performed to visualize the similarity among samples. Simple regressions were used to assess the correlation between macroinvertebrates' metrics and environmental parameters. A redundancy test was performed to link environmental parameters to the community structure of macroinvertebrates. A total of 1,719 macroinvertebrates were identified in 25 taxa groups that were classified as exclusive marine taxa, five as brackish/marine taxa, seven as freshwater taxa, and two taxa as groups with marine and freshwater representatives. The most abundant taxa were Leonereis sp., Heleobia australis, and Kalliapseudidae. Richness and abundance were negatively related to salinity. The redundancy test indicated pH, salinity, coarse grain size, and dissolved oxygen as the environmental variables explaining the macroinvertebrate community structure variation among the lagoons. Understanding the drives and dynamics which guide the macroinvertebrates communities' turnover in coastal lagoons is a relevant tool to subsidize environmental management decisions due to the increasing threats around the park.