This dataset contains records of sandy-bottom macrofaunal assemblages collected in coastal habitats adjacent to rocky reefs on the south coast of São Miguel Island, Azores (Portugal, Northeast Atlantic). The study was designed to investigate patterns of spatial variation in benthic community structure in relation to proximity to rocky reefs and differences in sediment characteristics. Sampling was conducted in December 2008 at three coastal locations (Água d’Alto, São Roque, and Lagoa). At each location, sediment cores were collected both adjacent to rocky reefs and 15 m away on sandy substrates. Macrofaunal organisms were sorted, identified to the lowest practical taxonomic level, and quantified, while sediment samples were analysed for grain-size composition. The dataset includes species occurrence and abundance records together with sediment granulometry data, providing information on the composition, diversity, and spatial variability of soft-sediment benthic communities. It constitutes a valuable baseline for studies of habitat connectivity, benthic biodiversity, and ecological interactions between rocky reef and adjacent sandy-bottom ecosystems in the Azores.
","language":"eng","citation":{"text":"Faria J, Martins G, Neto A, Rubal M (2026). Sandy macrofaunal assemblages adjacent to rocky reefs on São Miguel Island (Azores, NE Atlantic). Version 1.4. Universidade dos Açores. Samplingevent dataset. https://ipt.gbif.pt/ipt/resource?r=macrofaunased&v=1.4 https://doi.org/10.15468/qznufx accessed via GBIF.org on 2026-10-14.","citationProvidedBySource":true},"contactsCitation":[],"lockedForAutoUpdate":false,"createdBy":"0a80feca-b411-428a-a34e-c5c2fa07cdba","modifiedBy":"crawler.gbif.org","created":"2026-06-17T13:15:58.117+00:00","modified":"2026-09-26T16:23:35.606+00:00","contacts":[{"key":7607152,"type":"ORIGINATOR","primary":true,"userId":[],"firstName":"João","lastName":"Faria","position":[],"email":["joao.fo.santos@uac.pt"],"phone":[],"homepage":[],"organization":"Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos (CIBIO-Açores)","address":["Rua Mãe de Deus"],"city":"Ponta 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incertae sedis","rank":{"verbatim":"order","interpreted":"ORDER"}},{"scientificName":"Echinodermata","rank":{"verbatim":"phylum","interpreted":"PHYLUM"}}]}],"geographicCoverages":[{"description":"This study was conducted on São Miguel Island, part of the Azores Archipelago (Portugal), located in the Eastern Group of the archipelago. Sampling was carried out at multiple coastal sites distributed around the island, targeting representative shallow subtidal sandy habitats.","boundingBox":{"minLatitude":37.714216,"maxLatitude":37.742709,"minLongitude":-25.64124,"maxLongitude":-25.490671,"globalCoverage":false}}],"temporalCoverages":[{"@type":"range","start":"2012-12-01T00:00:00.000+00:00","end":"2012-12-31T00:00:00.000+00:00"}],"keywordCollections":[{"thesaurus":"NA","keywords":["benthic macrofauna","habitat connectivity","sediment granulometry","Azores","soft-bottom habitats"]},{"thesaurus":"GBIF Dataset Type Vocabulary: http://rs.gbif.org/vocabulary/gbif/dataset_type_2015-07-10.xml","keywords":["Samplingevent"]}],"project":{"title":"Linkages between rocky reefs and soft-bottom habitats: Effects of predation and granulometry on sandy macrofaunal assemblages","contacts":[{"type":"ADMINISTRATIVE_POINT_OF_CONTACT","primary":false,"userId":[],"firstName":"João","lastName":"Faria","position":[],"email":[],"phone":[],"homepage":[],"address":[]},{"type":"ADMINISTRATIVE_POINT_OF_CONTACT","primary":false,"userId":[],"firstName":"Gustavo","lastName":"Martins","position":[],"email":[],"phone":[],"homepage":[],"address":[]},{"type":"ADMINISTRATIVE_POINT_OF_CONTACT","primary":false,"userId":[],"firstName":"Marcos","lastName":"Rubal","position":[],"email":[],"phone":[],"homepage":[],"address":[]},{"type":"ADMINISTRATIVE_POINT_OF_CONTACT","primary":false,"userId":[],"firstName":"Ana","lastName":"Neto","position":[],"email":[],"phone":[],"homepage":[],"address":[]},{"type":"ADMINISTRATIVE_POINT_OF_CONTACT","primary":false,"userId":[],"firstName":"Afonso","lastName":"Prestes","position":[],"email":[],"phone":[],"homepage":[],"address":[]},{"type":"ADMINISTRATIVE_POINT_OF_CONTACT","primary":false,"userId":[],"firstName":"João","lastName":"Brum","position":[],"email":[],"phone":[],"homepage":[],"address":[]},{"type":"ADMINISTRATIVE_POINT_OF_CONTACT","primary":false,"userId":[],"firstName":"Nuno","lastName":"Álvaro","position":[],"email":[],"phone":[],"homepage":[],"address":[]}],"funding":"This study was produced with support from the Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT, Portugal) through the post-doctoral fellowships SFRH/BPD/63040/2009 and SFRH/BPD/81567/2011. Additional support was provided through the strategic research project PEst-C/MAR/LA0015/2011, funded by FCT and co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) through the COMPETE – Operational Competitiveness Programme.","awards":[],"studyAreaDescription":"São Miguel Island belongs to the Eastern Group of the Azores archipelago and is located in the North Atlantic Ocean, approximately 1,600 km west of mainland Europe. The island is of volcanic origin and is characterized by a coastline composed of rocky reefs interspersed with sandy-bottom habitats. The study was conducted at three locations (Água d’Alto, São Roque, and Lagoa) along the southern coast of the island, where sandy substrates occur adjacent to shallow subtidal rocky reefs. These soft-bottom habitats are primarily composed of volcanic-derived sediments that vary in grain size and are influenced by local hydrodynamic conditions and their proximity to rocky reef systems. The resulting habitat mosaic supports diverse benthic macrofaunal assemblages and provides an ideal setting for investigating ecological connectivity and spatial variation across reef–sand interfaces in Azorean coastal ecosystems.","designDescription":"Sampling was conducted at three locations (Água d’Alto, São Roque, and Lagoa) on the south coast of São Miguel Island to investigate sandy-bottom macrofaunal assemblages in relation to proximity to rocky reefs. At each location, nine replicate sediment cores (10 cm diameter × 10 cm depth) were collected within 1 m of a basaltic rocky reef and nine replicate cores were collected 15 m away from the reef in adjacent sandy subtidal habitat. In the laboratory, samples were sieved through a 500 μm mesh to retain macrofaunal organisms, which were subsequently sorted, identified, and counted. Sediment samples were dried at 60 °C until constant weight and analysed for grain-size composition. Macrofaunal abundance values were standardized to the volume of sediment sampled (individuals per cubic centimetre of sediment), allowing comparisons among locations and habitats.","relatedProjects":[],"abstract":"This dataset was generated as part of a research project investigating ecological connectivity between rocky reef and adjacent soft-sediment habitats in the Azores. The project aimed to understand how the proximity of rocky reefs influences the composition, diversity, and spatial variability of sandy-bottom macrofaunal assemblages, and to identify the ecological processes underlying these patterns. By examining relationships between benthic communities, sediment characteristics, and habitat boundaries, the project contributed to a broader understanding of habitat connectivity and ecosystem functioning in coastal marine environments. The results provide valuable information for biodiversity conservation and the ecosystem-based management of heterogeneous coastal habitats in oceanic island systems."},"samplingDescription":{"studyExtent":"The study encompasses three coastal locations (Água d’Alto, São Roque, and Lagoa) on the southern coast of São Miguel Island, the largest island of the Azores archipelago, situated in the Northeast Atlantic Ocean. Surveys were conducted in shallow subtidal sandy habitats adjacent to basaltic rocky reefs, where volcanic-derived sediments form extensive soft-bottom areas. These habitats are influenced by local hydrodynamic conditions, sediment grain size, and their proximity to rocky reef systems, creating environmental gradients that shape benthic macrofaunal assemblages. The study area is representative of the reef–sand habitat mosaics commonly found along the Azorean coastline.","sampling":"Sampling was conducted in December 2008 during SCUBA dives at three coastal locations on the south coast of São Miguel Island. At each location, sediment samples were collected using cylindrical cores (10 cm diameter × 10 cm depth) from sandy subtidal habitats located either within 1 m of a basaltic rocky reef or 15 m away in adjacent soft-bottom areas. Nine replicate cores were collected for each distance category. Samples were carefully retrieved, transported to the laboratory, and processed through a 500 μm mesh sieve to retain macrofaunal organisms. Retained fauna were sorted, identified to the lowest practical taxonomic level, and counted, while sediment samples were dried and analysed for grain-size composition.","qualityControl":"Field sampling was conducted by experienced scientific divers following standardized procedures for sediment collection and handling. Sediment cores were collected consistently across locations and distance categories to ensure comparability among samples. In the laboratory, samples were processed using a standardized workflow, including sieving through a 500 μm mesh, sorting under a dissecting microscope, and identification of macrofaunal organisms to the lowest practical taxonomic level using appropriate taxonomic literature and specialist expertise. Taxonomic nomenclature was reviewed and standardized to ensure consistency throughout the dataset. Quality assurance procedures included verification of sampling metadata, sample identifiers, taxonomic records, abundance data, and sediment granulometry measurements, minimizing transcription errors and ensuring the reliability and reproducibility of the dataset.","methodSteps":["Fieldwork and Laboratory Procedures: Sampling was conducted in December 2008 in shallow subtidal sandy habitats adjacent to rocky reefs at Água d’Alto, São Roque, and Lagoa on the south coast of São Miguel Island, Azores. All fieldwork was carried out by trained scientific divers using SCUBA. At each location, sediment samples were collected using cylindrical cores (10 cm diameter × 10 cm depth) from two habitat categories: within 1 m of a basaltic rocky reef and 15 m away in adjacent sandy-bottom habitat. Nine replicate cores were collected for each distance category and carefully transported to the laboratory for processing.\nIn the laboratory, samples were fixed and sieved through a 500 μm mesh to retain macrofaunal organisms. Retained fauna were sorted under a dissecting microscope, identified to the lowest practical taxonomic level, and counted. Sediment samples were dried at 60 °C until constant weight and subsequently separated into grain-size fractions using a series of manually stacked sieves of decreasing mesh size. Each sediment fraction was weighed to characterize sediment granulometry.","Data Preparation and Standardization: Macrofaunal abundance data and sediment granulometry measurements were compiled into a structured dataset organized by location, habitat category, and replicate sample. Taxonomic names were reviewed and standardized according to accepted nomenclature, and abundance values were standardized to the volume of sediment sampled (individuals per cubic centimetre of sediment) to ensure comparability among samples. Quality control procedures included verification of sampling metadata, taxonomic records, abundance values, and sediment measurements."]},"countryCoverage":[],"collections":[],"dataDescriptions":[],"dataLanguage":"eng","acknowledgements":"The authors acknowledge funding by FEDER funds through the Operational Programme for Competitiveness Factors-COMPETE and by National Funds through FCT - Foundation for Science and Technology under the projects UID/BIA/50027/2020 and UID/50027/2025-Rede de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Biologia Evolutiva, as well as Azorean regional funds through DRCID (M1.1.A/FUNC.UI&D/015/2025/RTF/001/Apoio UI&D). Funding to put data open access in AZORES BIOPORTAL was obtained from the project “Upgrading the Azorean Biodiversity Portal Infrastructure (AZORES BIOPORTAL-PORBIOTA) to Boost Biodiversity Research, Management, and Education - PORBIOTA” (DRCID, ACORES2030-FEDER-03420600). Data transformation and publication was funded by the European Union under the Horizon Europe Programme with Grant Agreement No. 101112823 (DTO-BioFlow) through an FSTP call.
","additionalInfo":"Publications that have used the current data: Martins GM, Faria J, Rubal M, Neto AI (2013) Linkages between rocky reefs and soft-bottom habitats: Effects of predation and granulometry on sandy macrofaunal assemblages. Journal of Sea Research 81: 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.seares.2013.03.007","pubDate":"2026-09-26T00:00:00.000+00:00","maintenanceUpdateFrequency":"AS_NEEDED","maintenanceDescription":"","license":"http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode","dwca":{"coreType":"http://rs.tdwg.org/dwc/terms/Event","extensions":["http://rs.iobis.org/obis/terms/ExtendedMeasurementOrFact","http://rs.tdwg.org/dwc/terms/Occurrence"],"modified":"2026-09-26T16:23:35.506+00:00"},"approximateCounts":{"occurrenceCount":3240}}