Conde, AnxoPacheco, JoanaMarques, Sónia CotrimAfonso, André S.Leandro, SérgioMaranhão, Paulo2020-07-152020-07-152020Conde, A., Pacheco, J., Marques, S., Afonso, A.S., Leandro, S. & Maranhão, P. (2020). Ecological features of a rocky intertidal community exposed to sewage effluent. Marine Pollution Bulletin 158 (2020) 111391. doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2020.1113910025-326Xhttp://hdl.handle.net/10400.8/5007The authors acknowledge the support of Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT), through the strategic project UID/MAR/04292/2019 granted to MARE. The authors also wish to acknowledge the Integrated Programme of SR&TD “Smart Valorization of Endogenous Marine Biological Resources Under a Changing Climate” (reference Centro-01- 0145-FEDER-000018), co-funded by Centro 2020 program, Portugal 2020, European Union, through the European Regional Development Fund.Sewage is among the largest components of coastal pollution, showing a variable scale and size when causing an impact. In this study, temporal and spatial sewage-related gradients were identified using univariate and multivariate methods. Phosphates and nitrogen-based nutrients, except nitrate, were associated to sewage. Abundance and species richness decrease with distance from the sewage outfall while evenness increased. Filterfeeder bivalves and grazer crustaceans showed preference for the sewage discharge site. Gastropods were more abundant at an intermediate distance, likely reflecting primary production enhancement by sewage. Beta diversity was lower at the location and time with highest sewage loadings. The turnover component of beta diversity expressed as an absolute or proportional value was also useful to detect temporal and spatial sewagerelated gradients. Highly energetic hydrodynamics contributes to ameliorate sewage impacts, yet not enough to veil the effect of pollution in this study.engPollution gradientGastropodsOpportunistic speciesMultivariate dispersionTurnoverBeta diversityEcological features of a rocky intertidal community exposed to sewage effluentjournal articledoi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2020.111391