Distribution and abundance of macrozoobenthos in a subtidal marine microbasin from the Strait of Magellan, Chile.
Distribution and abundance of macrobenthic organisms were studied in a central microbasin of the Strait of Magellan named Paso Ancho. Analysis were done using data from 76 corer samples collected at 11 stations with a multibox-corer. The samples were obtained during the Joint Magellan-German and Italian " VICTOR HENSEN" campaign to the Magellan waters, carried out during 12th Oct. and 25th Nov. 1994.A total of 26 major taxa of invertebrates were identified. Mean abundance ranged between 409 to 1,727 ind m-2. In terms of biomass, figures ranged from 16.9 to 392.8 g wet weight m-2. Polychaetes were the numerically most abundant taxon with a contribution of 53 %to the total, followed by molluscs and crustaceans. Bivalves were the most important group in terms of biomass. By means of a cluster analysis performed with the data of numerical abundance, two groups of stations could be separated which were related to depth and sediment structure. Finally the results suggest that the study area represents a transitional zone between Atlantic and Pacific macrozoobenthic components.