Short-term responses of the macrobenthic community to stock enhancement in the mangrove areas of Yueqing Bay, East China Sea

Stock enhancement is recognized as a vital strategy for achieving sustainable development, and the assessment of short-term effects following such enhancements is essential. In this study, we conducted an ecological survey in the mangrove areas of Yueqing Bay (East China Sea) prior to stock enhancement (October 2021), followed by post-enhancement monitoring from January to October 2022. This provided macrobenthos data across five seasons, enabling an analysis of changes in the macrobenthic community structure and evaluation of the short-term effects of stock enhancement. The results revealed that stock enhancement increased the species number, abundance, and biomass of macrobenthos; improved the similarity and secondary productivity of the macrobenthic community; and enhanced the benthic ecological quality. The main contributor to the average dissimilarity in the macrobenthic community before and after stock enhancement was Pseudomphala latericea . The increased population of Phascolosoma esculenta (detritivores) provides more organic matter for P. latericea (omnivores) while reducing predation on P. latericea by carnivores. These combined effects led to differences in the macrobenthic community before and after stock enhancement. Importantly, mangrove areas are particularly susceptible to human activities. Therefore, effective management following stock enhancement is crucial.