Benthic crustacean assemblages in disturbed areas influenced by phosphogypsum discharge in the central Mediterranean...

The composition and spatial distribution of benthic crustacean assemblages were investigated in three ecologically disturbed coastal zones in the Gulf of Gabès (Central Mediterranean Sea) over four consecutive seasons from October 2023 to July 2024. These coastal areas are subject to multiple anthropogenic stressors, particularly the discharge of phosphogypsum and inherent pollutants. The present study examined how environmental variables, including pH, organic matter, and heavy metal concentrations such as cadmium, lead, and phosphates shape the diversity, structure and spatial distribution of crustacean communities. Three distinct crustacean assemblages were identified in the three perturbed zones, their diversity and distribution were found to be mainly influenced by several environmental factors and pollution gradient. Multivariate analyses (BIOENV, Spearman correlations and PCA analysis) confirmed strong associations between pollution gradients and community shifts. Clear symptoms of perturbation, mainly in the disturbed stations undergoing anthropogenic inputs, notably a low number of species and abundance of crustacean communities. This study offers an important baseline data that can be used as a long-term reference framework and integrated into future management and national conservation plans.