Long-term zoobenthos variability in the Gulf of Riga in relation to climate variability

Macrozoobenthos data were collected three times a year from 1979 to 1996 in the Gulf of Riga, Eastern Baltic Sea. Interannual variability of the abundance and biomass of benthic fauna at coastal and offshore areas was related to climate variability using a multivariate regression model. The results suggest that the interannual variability of macrozoobenthos biomass at the offshore station in spring is controlled by the climate variability during winter-time. No correlations to large-scale climate pattern have been detected for other seasons and for the coastal region. An analysis of river runoff, nitrogen, and phosphorus data of the River Daugava indicates that the anthropogenic influence of eutrophication in the near coastal areas is overwhelming the signal of climate variability. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.