Soft-bottom macrobenthic communities surrounding a terminal of liquefied natural gas on the coast of central Peru

Morales Pino L.A.; Velez-Zuazo X.; Vildoso B.; Guardales P.; Pacheco A.S. · Marine Environmental Research (2025) · DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2025.107527

Resumen

Despite the increasing development of coastal terminals, the influences of coastal infrastructure on macrobenthic communities have been explored little along the Southeast Pacific coast. Shallow soft-bottom macrobenthic communities are usually monitored to detect ecosystem impacts of infrastructure development on marine environments. We assessed the spatial and temporal variability in diversity and community structure of shallow soft-bottom benthic communities surrounding a liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal on the central coast of Peru, after its construction. We expected differences in the diversity, abundance, and community structure of macrobenthic communities between sites near the terminal versus control sites. We collected and analyzed the macrobenthic community and physical-chemical parameters from sediment samples twice a year, at both warm and cold seasons, from 2011 to 2020. Samples were obtained at depths of 8, 10, 12, and 15 m adjacent to the terminal and control sites, located 4 km north and 3 km south of the port. Species richness, abundance, and diversity exhibited year-specific variability without clear trends of increasing or decreasing over time. Granulometry and redox potential showed significant differences along the depth gradient, while community structure exhibited both seasonal and depth-related significant changes. Overall, most community parameters were similar between the direct terminal influence and control zones, except for year-specific differences in abundance. Additionally, communities did not undergo significant changes despite the occurrence of weak El Niño and La Niña events, suggesting that persistent shallow-water benthic communities existed near and away from the marine terminal. However, continued monitoring is encouraged to detect changes that could occur at decadal scales or indirect anthropogenic influence.

Instituciones: Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos; Universidad Científica del Sur