Spatial Variation Ecological Quality Assessment of Live and Dead Molluscan Assemblages in the Aegean Sea

For accurate estimation and correct identification of species of EcoQS for macrozoobenthos in MSFD, the distinction between dead and living molluscan specimens is significant. In this study, EcoQS values of Turkish Aegean Sea coasts were calculated separately based on live and dead + live molluscan communities using Shannon–Wiener Indices, Bentix, AMBI, M-AMBI and TUBI biotic indices. A total of 219 mollusks species and 76,170 ind.m−2 were found but only 57 species and 2227 ind.m−2 of them were encountered as live and 2 species (Turbonilla sinuosa and Alvania zaraensis) of dead individuals were identified as new records for the Turkish coasts. Stations with rare live molluscan species numbers have lower ecological qualities than the indices made with dead + live. However, in the presence of opportunistic species among dead + living species, the situation is reversed. In this study, we discuss the results of the aggregation of dead molluscan individuals, and the differences and correlations between the indices according to the different molluscan data sets. Thanks to the aggregation of dead molluscan individuals obtained in the sampling area, information about the anthropogenic disturbances in the recent past can be obtained. While there is a correlation between EcoQS of indices of the dead + live mollusk species, this correlation is not found in only living individuals. Also a similarity was found between M-AMBI and TUBI, which used the Shannon–Wiener index in their calculation.