International Journal of Marine Science 2016, Vol.6, No.54, 1-8
3
Data analysis
PRIMER (Plymouth Routines in Multivariate Ecological Research, Version 6.1.6) was used for univariate and
multivariate analysis of data (Clarke and Gorley, 2006). Faunal diversity was calculated using Shannon-Wiener
index (H’, log
2
). Variation pattern in community structure was evaluated by multivariate methods as a grouping
analysis (Cluster) based on Bray-Curtis’ similarity index, ordination through non-metric Multi-dimensional
Scaling (MDS) and Analysis of Similarity (ANOSIM).
Results
Sedimentology
In the summer months of August, the average sediment temperature of Kongsfjord ranged from 2.7 to 4.1
O
C. The
mean value of pH in the inner fjord was 6.92±0.294 and that of outer fjord was 7.27±0.126. The mean value of Eh in
the inner fjord was -294.33±59.28 mV and that of outer fjord was -183.75±56.68 mV. The mean value of sediment
moisture in the inner fjord was 4.99% and that of outer fjord was 6.5%. The total carbon in the inner fjord was
31.25±6.698 g/kg and that of outer fjord was 35.44±0.843g/kg. The inorganic carbon varied from a lowest value of
13.01 g/kg in station 2 to a highest value of 27.1 g/kg in station 1. Inorganic carbon in the inner fjord was 21.79±7.65
g/kg and that of outer fjord was 20.17 ±2.24g/kg. The total organic carbon varied from a lowest value of 8.69 g/kg
in station 1 to a highest value of 16.49 g/kg in station 7. The total organic carbon in the inner fjord was 9.47±0.967
g/kg and that of outer fjord was 15.28±1.42 g/kg (Table 2). The sediment fraction consists of silt, sand and clay. The
percentage fractions of the sediment are detailed in Table 2. The average silt fraction in the Kongsfjorden system
during the study period was 66.33 %, that of inner fjord was 70.33% and that of outer fjord was 63.33. The average
sand fraction in the entire system during the study period was 45.87 %, of which the inner fjord and outer fjords
were 49.93% and 42.83 % respectively. The average clay fraction in the system was 20.71 % of which the inner and
outer fjords were 21 % and 20.5 % respectively.
Table 2 Physio-chemical parameters of sediment in Kongsfjord
Benthic macro fauna
–
composition, abundance and diversity
The characteristic macro benthic fauna observed in the soft bottom glacial community included Foraminifera
(14.7%), Nematoda (21%), Polychaeta (59.18%), Bivalvia (1.84%), Amphipoda (1.98%), Calanoid copepoda
(0.57%) and Ostracoda (0.71%). Out of which, polychaetes (835 ind. / m
2
) and nematodes (296 ind. / m
2
) were the
numerically dominant taxon. Three polychaete families, Eunicidae (1.39%), Spionidae (0.90%) and Maldanidae
(0.57%) were abundant in most of the study stations. Lagenidae (44.2%) and Buliminidae (
Globobulimina
auriculata
) (27.8%) were the abundant families in Foraminifera (Fig. 2). The inner fjord fauna was dominated by
three families of polychaetes, Syllidae, Ampharetidae, and Capitellidae. The outer fjord was comprised of the
foraminiferan species,
Virgulina complanata
,
Virgulina proboscidea, Bolivina
sp.
, Reophax dentaliniformis
and
Cornuspira foliacea
. In the inner fjord the macrofaunal abundance was higher in station 1 (344 ind./m
2
) followed
by station 2 (225 ind./m
2
), having an average of 246 ind./m
2
, where the outer fjord had 168 ind./m
2
. The Shannon
Wiener index (H’) was higher in station 4 (1.895) followed by station 7(1.878) and that it was 1.36 in the inner fjord
Stations
TC
(g/kg)
TIC
(g/kg)
TOC
(g/kg)
Moisture (%)
pH
Eh
(mV)
Clay
(%)
Sand
(%)
Silt
(%)
1
35.79
27.1
8.69
4.56
6.66
-325
22.5
3
73.31
2
23.56
13.01
10.55
3.38
7.24
-226
20
18.58
60.79
3
34.41
25.25
9.16
7.02
6.86
-332
21.4
3.21
74.9
4
36.52
23.25
13.27
5.13
7.39
-262
19
9.6
69.87
5
35.35
19.29
16.06
5.29
7.1
-141
19.4
12
67.1
6
35.44
20.16
15.28
4.86
7.26
-189
23.1
11.65
64
7
34.46
17.97
16.49
10.72
7.34
-143
20
19.7
59
