MF22278Biodiversity patterns of macrofauna associated with Halodule wrightii (Ascherson) in meadows of north-eastern Brazil
The macrofauna associated with Halodule wrightii meadows had a positive relationship between taxonomic and functional diversities, increasing from the least to the most complex habitats. The most prominent differences were in the composition of functional characteristics. We attribute the high macrofaunal diversity to a high species turnover among and within meadows, which synergises with shifts in environmental factors (e.g. organic-matter content). Our results suggest that the loss of complexity in Brazilian seagrass meadows results in changes in community composition and the ecological functions performed by the organisms.