Large-scale dynamics of sandy beach ecosystems in transitional waters of the Southwestern Atlantic Ocean: Species turnover, stability and spatial synchrony

Transitional waters (TW) are interfaces between the terrestrial and freshwater environments and the sea. These ecotones are characterized by highly dynamic physico-chemical and hydro-morphologic conditions, resulting in a mosaic of habitats in which species are particularly well adapted to variability. However, sandy beach ecotones occurring along estuarine gradients are rarely addressed from the TW perspective. We conducted a 2-yr study to assess the seasonal dynamics of environmental and macrofaunal descriptors in 16 sandy beaches of the Uruguayan coast in TW defined by the widest estuary of the world (Rio de la Plata). A strong variability in environmental conditions was found at inner estuarine beaches, reflecting the seasonal dynamics of the estuarine discharge. The greatest abundance and species richness found in dissipative oceanic beaches were also characterized by their lowest temporal variability, indicating that macrofaunal communities were more stable towards oceanic conditions, where environmental variability was also lowest. Spatial synchrony was reflected in changes across seasons in the species richness in the TW system. A high turnover of species along spatio-temporal gradients occurring within the TW ecotone was observed. Mollusca and Polychaeta were absent in highly-variable estuarine beaches, irrespective of the morphodynamic state. A functional equivalence between species was found at the extremes of the salinity gradient. The environmental variables that best explained community patterns differed among seasons: in summer and autumn, salinity, wave period and beach width were the main explanatory factors, whereas temperature had a primary influence in winter and morphodynamic variables exerted a major influence in autumn. We highlight the need to consider concurrent variations in estuarine and morphodynamic variables when assessing the spatial distribution of macrofaunal species richness and abundance in sandy beaches occurring along TW.