S, while by Bezzia nobilis in freshwater ones. Densities of marine
S, when by Bezzia nobilis in freshwater ones. Densities of marine organisms were higher only in brackish lakes in summer. In lakes permanently connected using the sea, essentially the most abundant marine species was Hydrobia ulvae, whereas in periodically connected ones, Gammarus oceanicus. Benthic fauna reached the highest density in a brackish lake (Resko) and was the lowest within a transitional 1 (Kopan) (Figure four). The abundance of benthic organisms was the highest in brackish costal lakes (x = 760 indiv. m-2 ), exactly where the marine component of fauna were identified. As a result of greatest instability of environmental circumstances, the lowest abundance (x = 300 indiv. m-2 ) was discovered in lakes periodically linked with all the sea (transitional). Important differences in density had been found involving brackish and transitional lakes (R = 0.060, p = 0.027) and freshwater and transitional lakes (R = 0.053, p = 0.029). Opposing salinity regimes (freshwater vs. brackish water) resulted in comparable Animals 2021, 11, x FOR PEER Critique 10 of 15 benthic fauna density values.Figure 4. Density (103 3 indiv. m-2) of benthic fauna for every lake. Bar chart (standard error of mean) and dashed red line– Figure four. Density (10 indiv. m-2 ) of benthic fauna for every lake. Bar chart (regular error of imply) and dashed red typical density for a lake sort. line–average density for any lake type.The all round data analysis (Figure five) confirmed a higher significance of your patterns In individual lake kinds, significant seasonal variations in the abundance of benassociated had been the amount of environmental changes autumn, within all FAUC 365 Description groups: brackish thic fauna with observed only involving spring and imply species richness (R = 0.37, p = 0.0001) andpmean density (R = 0.ten, p= 0.11, p was negatively correlated with thep = 0.003). (R = 0.070, = 0.024), transitional (R = 0.001) = 0.003), and freshwater (R = 0.12, variation in salinity, expressed as common highest densities in brackishwithinin autumn, lakes for Opportunistic species reached the deviation of salinity values lakes the study in transieach sample. Within the and in freshwater lakes in summer Mouse site season. tional lakes in spring, case of -diversity, salinity gradient also strongly affected the variation general data animal communities (R = 0.55,high significance from the patterns assoThe in benthic analysis (Figure five) confirmed a p = 0.0001). On the other hand, correlations amongst other degree of environmental and mean salinity values were=not statistically ciated using the benthos descriptors changes imply species richness (R 0.37, p = 0.0001) considerable. density (R = 0.ten, p = 0.001) was negatively correlated together with the variation in and meansalinity, expressed as normal deviation of salinity values inside the study lakes for eachAnimals 2021, 11,ten ofsample. In the case of -diversity, salinity gradient also strongly affected the variation in benthic animal communities (R = 0.55, p = 0.0001). On the other hand, correlations betweenof 15 other Animals 2021, 11, x FOR PEER Assessment 11 benthos descriptors and mean salinity values weren’t statistically significant.Figure 5. Imply diversity (H’), mean variety of species (S) and mean abundance (N) versus salinity Figure 5. Imply diversity (H’), imply variety of species (S) and imply abundance (N) versus salinity variance more than the sampling occasions, blue lines indicate 95 self-assurance interval. variance over the sampling occasions, blue lines indicate 95 self-assurance interval.4. Discussion Contributions of various predictors to shaping th.