Coastal areas have been intensively urbanized in Asia, causing changes to the structure and function of intertidal macrobenthic communities. In this study, the intertidal assemblages on two natural rocky shores, two rocky shores disturbed by construction works, and two shores with mixed artificial seawalls and mudflats in the Dongtou Islands were studied. We examined the influence of coastal engineering by comparing macrobenthic community structures in different transects. The statistical results revealed significant differences between macrobenthic community structures in natural and influenced transects, although all the high tidal zones shared common species. The most common species on mudflats were opportunistic polychaetes; however, historical evidence suggests that the mudflats in Dongtou used to be dominated by Mollusca. We inferred that this change in community structure occurred when the seawalls were constructed five5 years previously. The macrobenthic community does not appear to have subsequently recovered. We also observed an absence of habitat-forming macroalgae in our study area, although similar investigation results revealed that they still prevail on an uninhabited island in Dongtou. The increasing disturbance caused by construction work may explain the decline in brown algae, which are mainly distributed in the low tidal zone.

中文翻译：

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海岸工程对洞头群岛潮间带大型底栖生物群落的影响

亚洲沿海地区已经高度城市化，导致潮间带大型底栖生物群落的结构和功能发生变化。本研究对洞头群岛两处天然岩岸、两处受施工扰动的岩岸和两处人工海堤与泥滩混合岸上的潮间带组合进行了研究。我们通过比较不同样带中的大型底栖生物群落结构来研究海岸工程的影响。统计结果显示，尽管所有高潮带都有共同的物种，但自然和受影响的样带中大型底栖动物群落结构之间存在显着差异。泥滩上最常见的物种是机会性多毛类动物。然而，历史证据表明，洞头的泥滩曾经以软体动物为主。我们推断，这种群落结构的变化发生在 55 年前建造海堤时。大型底栖动物群落随后似乎没有恢复。我们还观察到在我们的研究区域没有形成栖息地的大型藻类，尽管类似的调查结果表明它们仍然在洞头的一个无人居住的岛屿上盛行。施工作业造成的干扰增加可能解释了褐藻减少的原因，褐藻主要分布在低潮带。尽管类似的调查结果显示，它们仍然在洞头的一个无人岛上盛行。施工作业造成的干扰增加可能解释了褐藻减少的原因，褐藻主要分布在低潮带。尽管类似的调查结果显示，它们仍然在洞头的一个无人岛上盛行。施工作业造成的干扰增加可能解释了褐藻减少的原因，褐藻主要分布在低潮带。