Characteristic Size Distributions of Integral Benthic Communities

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Abstract
Uniform size spectra comprising bacteria through macrofauna characterize 6 intertidal communities when biomass concentration is expressed as a function of logarithmic intervals of organism size. Although total community biomass ranged from 70-1283 cm3/m2, biomass distribution patterns are consistent over the entire size spectrum. Three biomass peaks, at 0.5-1 .mu.m equivalent spherical diameter (29-81 cm3/m2), 64-125 .mu.m (0.5-4 cm3/m2) and > 2 mm (2.4-1283 cm3/2), were separated by typically low biomasses near 8 .mu.m (0-0.4 cm3/m2) and 500 .mu.m-1 mm (0-1.5 cm3/m2). The peaks correspond to bacteria, interstitial meiofauna and macrofaulna, respectively. Size discontinuities between grain colonizers and interstitial microfauna or epibenthic microflora near 8 .mu.m, and between interstitial meiofauna and burrowing or sedentary macrofauna near 500-1000 .mu.m, are reflected in low biomass values in these size intervals. Comparison of the data with recast published data for other locales shows that similar size distributions characterize a wide variety of benthic communities, including estuarine to abyssal. This study is the 1st to describe quantitatively, in detail, the size composition of marine benthic communities.