engleski

Preliminary investigation oh Bryozoa in the National park "Mljet" (Adriatic Sea, Croatia)

In 1995 the benthic bryozoan species were collected on the outer southwestern cliffs in the National park "Mljet". The island od Mljet is 36 km long and developed at outer rim of the Adriatic shelf. The coast is mainly low and rocky, and cliffs are developed mostly along the southwestern coast of the island. The research was primarly focused on the vertical cliff and steep sloped hard bottom habitats. According to field and preliminary laboratory results the area surveyed is specific in its benthic community compositions and distributional patterns still unaffected by antropogenic agents. The investigated area is exposed to the open sea influence and characterized by beautifully formed coralligenous biocenosis. Including the great abundance of bryozoans and sponges, particulary well developed are colonies of calcareous algae Rhodophyceae Pseudolithophyllum expansum. The usual coralline elements, corals Alcyonaria and Gorgonaria, do not occur in that area. Seven underwater stations down to 40 meters of depth were investigated by SCUBA diving. On each station one profile has been determined and samples of Bryozoa were collected at every 5 meters of depth. After inspecting 308 samples, a total of 20 bryozoan species were determined, belonging to 19 genera and 17 families. The vertical distribution patterns of benthic bryozoans have been examined. It was noticed that bryozoan species are the most often present from 20 to 25 meters of depth. The most frequent species of the Bryozoa at the investigated cliffs were: Scrupocellaria reptans Linnaeus, 1758 ; Schizobrachiella sanguinea (Norman, 1868) and Cellepora pumicosa (Pallas, 1766).

Benthic Bryozoa; Adriatic sea

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