Macrozoobenthic community structure in a high-arctic East Greenland fjord

A macrozoobenthic community study was conducted in an East Greenlandic fjor d (Young Sound, 74 degrees 18'N; 20 degrees 15'W) during the ice-free perio d from July to August in 1996. Grab samples as well as underwater photograp hy were used for quantifying the macrozoobenthos at water depths between 20 and 85 m. Abundance decreased with depth from 2700 ind.(.)m(-2) at 20 m to 900 ind.(.)m(-2) at 85 m. At a time series station at 35 m, abundance incr eased from 700 ind.(.)m(-2) in mid-July to 1400 ind.(.)m(-2) in mid-August. Poly chaetes dominated in grab samples but bivalves constituted an importa nt part of the benthic fauna, especially at the shallow part of the depth g radient. Photographs revealed high abundances of large epifaunal species, e specially brittle stars. Diversity was generally high, with around 45 speci es per 201 individuals, as calculated by Hurlbert's rarefaction term. A gra dual change in community structure with depth was observed, which could be related to variation in sediment composition and disturbance intensity.