Mangrove-mudflat connectivity shapes benthic communities in a tropical intertidal system

Understanding the connectivity among seascape habitats is an important emerging topic in marine ecology and coastal management. Mangroves are known to provide many ecosystem services such as protection carbon cycling, but their functional relationships with adjacent benthic intertidal communities less clear. We examined how spatial adjacency mangroves affects macrobenthic of mudflats a tropical estuarine ecosystem. In Bijagós Archipelago, Guinea-Bissau, macrofauna assemblages were compared sampling locations different connectivities between mangrove stands. explored single index (MCI), combining tidal basin size distance edge, affected composition, this effect sediment properties. addition, we used structural equation modelling (SEM) ordination determine environmental predictors directly indirectly communities. MCI strongly composition species abundance, SEM revealed that contained both direct component indirect through mudflat NDVI (normalized difference vegetation index, indicator for microphytobenthos). Sediment properties (grain size, organic matter) macrobenthos independently from MCI, nevertheless also by MCI. show importance accounting structure basins when investigating mudflats. As key food source endangered fish waders these systems, our findings strong arguments integrative conservation at scale.