Diversity of benthos and total organic matter in Ao Nok, amphor Thaimai, Chanthaburi province

Abstract

The objectives of this study were to studied benthos biodiversity and total organic matter in Ao – Nok,
Chanthaburi Province. The study area had been divided into 6 stations from mangrove forest to Kham – Nu
Estuary. Four phyla and 26 families of benthos organisms were found as follow: Annelida, Arthropoda, Mollusca,
Echinodermata that percentage of benthos were 87.79, 8.50, 3.45 and 0.26, respectively. Station 5 had signifi cantly
higher (P < 0.05) density of benthos as 185.03 ± 146.52 individual/ m2 than other stations. Station 4 had the highest
diversity index as 0.66 ± 0.48 and signifi cantly greater (P < 0.5) diversity index of benthos than station 5 and 6. The study refl ected that the water quality in Ao Nok Bay were within the Thailand National Water Quality Classifi cation for coastal purposes. Thus in the future environmental monitoring program in Ao Nok Bay should include both water quality and sediment properties as well as the benthic communities.