RT journal article
T1 Salt marsh macrofauna: An overview of functions and services
A1 Bhuiyan, Md Khurshid Alam
A1 Godoy del Olmo, Oscar
A1 González Ortegón, Enrique
A1 Billah, M.M.
A1 Franco Rodil, Iván
A2 Biología
K1 Blue carbon habitat
K1 Macroinvertebrates
K1 Coastal wetlands
K1 Trophic interactions
K1 Bioturbation
K1 Carbon sequestration
K1 Nutrient cycling
K1 Invasive species impacts
K1 Climate change
K1 Ecosystem processes
AB Salt marshes are globally important blue carbon ecosystems, providing essential services such as coastal protection, carbon sequestration, nutrient cycling, and biodiversity support. Among their key inhabitants, macrofauna play critical roles in sustaining ecosystem health and resilience through processes like bioturbation,nutrient cycling, organic matter turnover, and trophic interactions, which in turn support ecosystem servicessuch as fisheries and coastal community livelihoods. Despite their contributions, no comprehensive review hasyet focused exclusively on the diverse roles and services of salt marsh macrofauna. This review aims to addressthis gap by synthesizing current research, supported by a bibliometric analysis revealing significant growth instudies since the year 2000, especially those addressing ecosystem services and climate resilience. We provide anin-depth assessment of macrofaunal functions in bioturbation, nutrient cycling, organic matter dynamics,greenhouse gas regulation, primary and secondary production, and food web interactions. Additionally, weexamine the ecosystem services provided, such as provisioning, regulating, and cultural services, and explore theimpact of environmental stressors on macrofaunal communities. Finally, this review identifies significantknowledge gaps, offering strategic insights for future research and serving as a vital reference for advancingcoastal management and salt marsh conservation strategies.
PB Elsevier
SN 1879-0291
YR 2025
FD 2025-01-22
LK http://hdl.handle.net/10498/36400
UL http://hdl.handle.net/10498/36400
LA eng
DS Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Cádiz
RD 13-nov-2026