The ecology of sandy beaches in Natal

Abstract

Data from an ecological survey of four sandy beaches on the Natal coast of South Africa are presented. Physical parameters such as beach profile, particle size, moisture, Eh and carbonate content, as well as abundance, composition, biomass and distribution of both macrofauna and meiofauna were investigated. A survey of the surf and swash zone mysids was also made. Natal beaches may be divided into two general types: (i) moderately exposed beaches of medium sand north of Blythdale with diverse meiofauna and typical sand beach macrofauna communities, and (ii) very exposed beaches of coarse sand south of Blythdale with true intertidal macrofauna often absent and a meiofauna dominated by large archiannelids.