Effects of physical disturbance, isolation and key macrozoobenthic species on community development, recolonisation and sedimentation processes

The relative effect of physical disturbance, isolation and key macrozoobenthic species on community development and sedimentation processes were studied in an in situ factorial field mesocosm experiment in the northern Baltic Sea. Differences in abundance and biomass structure of recolonising invertebrates were due to exposure and isolation. The initial invertebrate communities had a negligible effect on the final communities. However, the organic matter content of the sediment in isolated cages increased with the initial number of invertebrate species. The main conclusion of the study: physically driven fluxes override the effects of biological interactions in shallow water systems of the northern Baltic Sea.