Bathymetric distribution and temporal trends of macrobenthic communities of the continental shelf of Heraklion Bay (Crete-Greece)

This dataset includes species composition and abundances of macrobenthic faunal communities along three transects of Heraklion Bay (H2, H5, H7). The H2 transect is located in the wider marine area of the wastewater treatment plant of Heraklion city. Sampling was carried out during three different sampling surveys and periods — June 2010, June 2015, and August 2024 — at different depths (10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 100 and 200 m) along the soft-bottom continental shelf, as part of different research projects (MARBEFES, Marine Biology, Biotechnology Aquaculture, monitoring program). A detailed comparison of species composition and abundance of macrobenthic faunal diversity among different depths and sampling periods is given, thus contributing to understanding the spatial and temporal trends and changes due to multiple environmental and human-induced stress.

Default

IdentificationAbout this resource

Alternate Identifier

10.25607/s8k2pg

Alternate Identifier

10.15468/sp8a4a

Alternate Identifier

612f8af6-9fd2-415b-a957-63ff1ba6ba88

Alternate Identifier
http://ipt.medobis.eu/resource?r=macrosoft
Publication Date
2025-10-03
Title

Bathymetric distribution and temporal trends of macrobenthic communities of the continental shelf of Heraklion Bay (Crete-Greece)

Abstract

This dataset includes species composition and abundances of macrobenthic faunal communities along three transects of Heraklion Bay (H2, H5, H7). The H2 transect is located in the wider marine area of the wastewater treatment plant of Heraklion city. Sampling was carried out during three different sampling surveys and periods — June 2010, June 2015, and August 2024 — at different depths (10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 100 and 200 m) along the soft-bottom continental shelf, as part of different research projects (MARBEFES, Marine Biology, Biotechnology Aquaculture, monitoring program). A detailed comparison of species composition and abundance of macrobenthic faunal diversity among different depths and sampling periods is given, thus contributing to understanding the spatial and temporal trends and changes due to multiple environmental and human-induced stress.

Dataset Language

ENGLISH

 
Dataset Creator
Dataset Creator
Dataset Creator
Dataset Creator
Dataset Creator
Dataset Creator
Metadata Provider
Metadata Provider
Associated Party
Associated Party
Associated Party
Associated Party
Associated Party
Associated Party

CUSTODIAN_STEWARD
  HCMR-IMBBC - Dimitra Mavraki (Data manager)

Thalassocosmos, Former American Base

,

Heraklion

,

Crete

,

71003

,

GREECE

https://imbbc.hcmr.gr/
Associated Party
Associated Party
Dataset Contact
Keywords (n/a)

  • macrobenthos

Keywords (GBIF Dataset Type Vocabulary: http://rs.gbif.org/vocabulary/gbif/dataset_type_2015-07-10.xml)

  • Samplingevent

Keywords (GBIF Dataset Subtype Vocabulary: http://rs.gbif.org/vocabulary/gbif/dataset_subtype.xml)

  • Observation

Keywords (n/a)

  • soft-bottom

Keywords (n/a)

  • long-term monitoring

Keywords (n/a)

  • bathymetric distribution

Keywords (Marine Regions Gazetteer)

Geographic Coverage

Geographic Description

Three transects of seven stations (10, 20, 30, 40, 50 100 and 200 m depth) were selected as a study site. The first two stations of H2 transect are located close to the marine area of the wastewater treatment plant of Heraklion city.



The selection criteria for the specific stations were primarily based on the available data from different research projects and studies performed during previous years in order to investigate the bathymetric distribution of macrobenthic faunal communities in the wider marine area of the wastewater treatment plant of Heraklion city and along the continental shelf of Heraklion Bay (sampling surveys in June 2010 and 2015 within the framework of the monitoring program for the wastewater treatment plant of Heraklion city and Marine Biology, Biotechnology Aquaculture, respectively).

Bounding Box

West Bounding Coordinate

24.931

East Bounding Coordinate

25.486

North Bounding Coordinate

35.541

South Bounding Coordinate

35.28

Temporal Coverage

Single Date Time

2010-06-18

Temporal Coverage

Single Date Time

2015-06-16

Temporal Coverage

Range of Dates

Begin Date

2024-08-03

End Date

2024-08-05

Taxonomic Coverage

General Taxonomic Coverage

The dataset includes information on macrobenthic faunal taxa identified and their abundance found in the stations of the three sampling periods (June 2010, June 2015 and August 2024) belonging to the following five classes: Bivalvia, Gastropoda, Malacostraca, Polychaeta, Scaphopoda.

Taxonomic Classification

Taxonomic Rank Name

Class

Taxonomic Rank Value

Bivalvia

Taxonomic Classification

Taxonomic Rank Name

Class

Taxonomic Rank Value

Gastropoda

Taxonomic Classification

Taxonomic Rank Name

Class

Taxonomic Rank Value

Malacostraca

Taxonomic Classification

Taxonomic Rank Name

Class

Taxonomic Rank Value

Polychaeta

Taxonomic Classification

Taxonomic Rank Name

Class

Taxonomic Rank Value

Scaphopoda

resourceLicensesLicense Information

Intellectual Rights

This work is licensed under a

Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) 4.0 License

.

Resource License

License Name

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International

URL
https://spdx.org/licenses/CC-BY-4.0.html
Identifier

CC-BY-4.0

 

Distribution

Online

URL
http://ipt.medobis.eu/archive.do?r=macrosoft
 

Additional Metadata

Metadata

GBIF Metadata Block

Date Stamp

2026-04-14T08:23:42Z

Citation

Koulouri P, Koumpaki E, Maidanou M, Chatzigeorgiou G, Arvanitidis C, Dounas C (2025). Bathymetric distribution and temporal trends of macrobenthic communities of the continental shelf of Heraklion Bay (Crete-Greece). Version 2.1. Hellenic Center for Marine Research. Sampling event dataset https://doi.org/10.25607/s8k2pg accessed via GBIF.org on 2026-04-14.

Logo URL
http://ipt.medobis.eu/logo.do?r=macrosoft
Collection

Bathymetric distribution and temporal trends of macrobenthic communities of the continental shelf of Heraklion Bay (Crete-Greece)

Speciment Preservation Method

ALCOHOL

 

Project

• Project

Title

MARBEFES: MARine Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning leading to Ecosystem Services; KRIPIS I: Marine Biology, Biotechnology Aquaculture; DEYAH: Monitoring program of the wastewater treatment plant of Heraklion city.

Personnel

Individual Name

Given Name

Panayota

Surname

Koulouri

Role

PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Personnel

Individual Name

Given Name

Eleni

Surname

Koumpaki

Role

AUTHOR

Personnel

Individual Name

Given Name

Maria

Surname

Maidanou

Role

CONTENT_PROVIDER

Personnel

Individual Name

Given Name

Georgios

Surname

Chatzigeorgiou

Role

CONTENT_PROVIDER

Personnel

Individual Name

Given Name

Ioannis

Surname

Rallis

Role

CUSTODIAN_STEWARD

Personnel

Individual Name

Given Name

Dimitra

Surname

Mavraki

Role

CUSTODIAN_STEWARD

Personnel

Individual Name

Given Name

Christos

Surname

Arvanitidis

Role

AUTHOR

Personnel

Individual Name

Given Name

Costas

Surname

Dounas

Role

CONTENT_PROVIDER

Abstract
Funding

This study has been financed under: the HEurope research and innovation programme HORIZON-CL6-2021-BIODIV-01-03 in the framework of the project “Marine Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning leading to Ecosystem Services” (Grant Agreement no 101060937); the Operational Programme of “Competitiveness Entrepreneurship” of the National Strategic Reference Framework (NSRF 2007-2013) in the framework of the project “Marine Biology, Biotechnology Aquaculture” (MIS 453278) by Greece and the European Union (European Regional Development Fund); the monitoring program of the wastewater treatment plant of Heraklion city by the Municipal water supply and sewage company of Heraklion. This publication has been supported by LifeWatch ERIC.

Study Area Description

Descriptor

H2 transect, Heraklion (Crete, Greece)

Design Description

Description

During this study, differences in macrobenthic communities were examined across two levels: a) temporal differences (three sampling periods) and b) bathymetric differences (seven depth stations).

 
 

Methods

• Method

Method Step

Description

1) Macrofauna

June 2010 (H2): five replicates per station

June 2015 (H2) August 2024 (H2): three replicates per station



2) Water Column Analysis

June 2015 (H2):

One replicate per station at the surface (2 m depth) and one near the bottom (1 m above the sediment).

Parameters: photosynthetic pigments, organic carbon, and nutrients



August 2024 (H2):

One replicate per station at the surface (2 m depth) and one near the bottom (1 m above the sediment).

Parameters: photosynthetic pigments, organic carbon, and nutrients



August 2024 (H5, H7):

One replicate per station near the bottom (1 m above the sediment).

Parameters: photosynthetic pigments, organic carbon, and nutrients



3) CTD Profiling

In situ measurements of temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, and photosynthetically active radiation (PAR)



4) Sediment Analysis

June 2010 (H2): three replicates per station.

Parameters: granulometry, photosynthetic pigments, organic carbon



June 2015 (H2): three replicates per station.

Parameters: granulometry, photosynthetic pigments, organic carbon



August 2024 (H2, H5, H7): one replicate per station.

Parameters: granulometry, photosynthetic pigments, organic carbon and in situ measurements of redox potential and temperature,

Sampling

Study Extent

Three transects (H2,H5,H7) of seven stations (10, 20, 30, 40, 50 100 and 200 m depth) were selected as a study site. The first two stations of H2 transect are located close to the marine area of the wastewater treatment plant of Heraklion city.



The selection criteria for the specific stations were primarily based on the available data from different research projects and studies performed during previous years in order to investigate the bathymetric distribution of macrobenthic faunal communities in the wider marine area of the wastewater treatment plant of Heraklion city and along the continental shelf of Heraklion Bay (sampling surveys in June 2010 and 2015 within the framework of the monitoring program for the wastewater treatment plant of Heraklion city and Marine Biology, Biotechnology Aquaculture, respectively).

Sampling Description

Three or five replicates of sediment samples were collected from each station using a Smith McIntyre grab (SMI, sampling surface: 0.1 m²) operated by the research vessel “PHILIA” of the Hellenic Centre for Marine Research. The position of each station was calculated using a FURUNO SFN-70 satellite navigator and depth was measured by SIMRAD K-400 echo sounder. In the field, the samples were sieved through a 0.5 mm sieve and preserved in 95% ethanol buffered with seawater. In the laboratory, they were rinsed again through a 0.5 mm sieve to remove any remaining fine sediment. Benthic organisms were then sorted from the sediment under a magnifying glass and then counted and identified to the lowest possible taxonomic level using a stereoscope and a microscope.

qualityControl

Description

All scientific names were standardized against the World Register of Marine Species using the Taxon Match tool ( http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=match) on 20-07-2025.