Desalination plants generate notable quantities of hypersaline brine which potentially affect the biological communities in the receiving area. In conjunction with my colleagues from CIMA- Canarias, an outstanding consulting company from Tenerife, we assessed whether proximity to a brine discharge point located off Gran Canaria altered patterns in the abundance and assemblage structure of subtidal, soft-bottom, meiofauna. Lowest meiofaunal abundances were observed at 0 m than at 15 and 30 m away from the brine discharge point. This pattern was particularly notable for the most conspicuous meiofaunal groups: nematodes and copepods, and meiofaunal assemblage structure also differed with varying proximity to the brine discharge point. Hence, meiofauna can be considered a suitable tool to monitor environmental impacts derived from the discharge of hypersaline effluents on subtidal, soft-bottom, assemblages if potential confounding drivers are accounted for to avoid possible confusing interpretations. The full reference is: R. Riera, Tuya, F., Sacramento, A., Ramos, E., Rodríguez, M., Monterroso, O. 2011. The effects of brine disposal on a subtidal meiofauna community. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 93: 359-365.
