Ecological Responses of Meiofauna to a Saltier World—A Case Study in the Van Uc River Continuum (Vietnam) in the Dry Season

Increasing intensity of storms, typhoons, and sea level rise in conjunction with high water demand, especially for agriculture, in dry seasons in the Red River Delta may have led to seawater intruding deeper into the rivers’ estuaries. Given that losses of agricultural productivity and shortages of...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Water (Basel) 2023-04, Vol.15 (7), p.1278
Main Authors: Nguyen, Hien Thanh, Gourdon, Lucie, Bui, Hoi Van, Dao, Duong Thanh, Mai, Huong, Do, Hao Manh, Nguyen, Thanh Vu, Ouillon, Sylvain
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Agricultural production
Aquatic ecosystems
Biodiversity
Bioindicators
Case studies
Chemical analysis
Climate change
Coasts
Community structure
Distribution patterns
Dry season
Ecosystems
Environmental economics
Environmental Sciences
Estuaries
Estuarine ecosystems
Fresh water
Freshwater resources
Groundwater
Indicators (Biology)
Laboratories
Marine biology
Meiofauna
Nutrients
Pore water
River ecology
Rivers
Saline water
Salinity
Salinity effects
Salinization
Sea level rise
Sea-water
Seasons
Seawater
Sediments
Soils, Salts in
Surface water
Typhoons
United Kingdom
Vietnam
Water analysis
Water conductivity
Water demand
Water quality
Water salinity
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Summary:Increasing intensity of storms, typhoons, and sea level rise in conjunction with high water demand, especially for agriculture, in dry seasons in the Red River Delta may have led to seawater intruding deeper into the rivers’ estuaries. Given that losses of agricultural productivity and shortages of freshwater resources are projected, a reliable early warning of salinity invasion is, therefore, crucially needed. To evaluate the impact of salinity variations on riverine ecosystems, distribution patterns of meiofauna were examined at 20 stations along the Van Uc River continuum in the dry season. Meiofaunal richness indices were higher in the estuary and slightly decreased upriver. Nematoda was the most dominant taxon in salty stations, while Rotifera was more abundant in the less salty ones. A multiple variate analysis showed a strong interplay among salinity, nutrients, and pore water conductivity, which shaped the meiofaunal distribution. The inclusion of pore water salinity, nutrients, and meiofaunal community structure indicated a greater extent of the saline ecosystem in the estuary, posing a greater risk of freshwater salinization. Our results highlight the potential role of meiofauna as bioindicators but also call for a reformation of salinity assessment for better freshwater conservation and management.
ISSN:2073-4441
2073-4441
DOI:10.3390/w15071278