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Abstract
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Background: As the valuable ecosystems, mangroves play an important role in the biological stability of the coastal zone and ecosystem services to the marine environment. Environmental status of such habitats is closely related to the distribution and abundance of the inhabiting invertebrates so that it reflects the biotic and abiotic properties of their ecological niche. Aim: The objectives of this study were to investigate the spatial and temporal variations in the (a)biotic factors related to the benthic communities, their relationship, and the indirect effects of mangrove replantation on the ecological stability (through the calculation of the ecological indicators) of the intertidal habitats of the Bushehr coastal zone. Methodology: Sampling of the sediment and benthic assemblages and also measurement of the phisichemical properties during two seasons (winter 2018 and summer 2019) were done in 4 (three of them from the vegetated and one from non-vegetated, as the control) stations to collect samples randomly during the neap tide. The identification and counting of the taxa and individuals, sediment grain size and the total organic matter were carried out in the laboratory of marine environmental sciences, Persian Gulf institute. Spatiotemporal differences in the biotic and abiotic factors and correlation between them were examined. In addition, the ecological indicators (Shannon-Wiener species diversity, Simpson species dominance, and Pielou species evenness) were calculated based on the abundance and distribution of the benthic assemblages in different sampling seasons and stations. Results: The benthic assemblages identified in this study belonged to 42 taxa (including 4 phylums, 4 classes, 10 orders, 25 families, 13 genera, and 42species). Polychaetas as the most abundant benthic group included in 3 orders, 8 families, 13 genera, and 15 species. Decapods with the 5 families, 8 genera, and 10 species were the second one. Also, 3 orders, 5 families, 8 genera,
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