MACROBENTHOS COMPOSITION FROM THE RIO LAGARTOS HYPERHALINE COASTAL LAGOON SYSTEM, YUCATAN, MEXICO

Incidence data of the macrobenthic species in the Río Lagartos coastal lagoon system, Yucatan, Mexico, was recorded from samplings performed at the end of each climatic season (rainy, northerly winds, and dry season). This 80 km-long lagoon runs parallel to the coast and is hyperhaline through much of its length, with a strong salinity gradient from the head, to the east, where salinity reaches values >100, to the mouth, located at its westernmost side, where salinity reaches seawater values (ca. 34). The macrobenthos community was sampled in 16 stations distributed throughout the lagoon, at depths between ca. 0.5 – 1 m, and two replicates per sample were obtained. Most of the macrobenthic taxa were classified to genus or species level and the incidence of the different taxa is included in this material. Additionally, the salinity values recorded at each station are provided. These data were collected as part of the Salinity Gradient Energy project of the CEMIE-Océano (Mexican Centre for Innovation in Ocean Energy), to increase the knowledge on the biodiversity present in ecosystems with Salinity Gradient Energy potential. For the use of the full dataset, it is recommended to contact the data provider