Potential use of marine arenicolous ascomycetes as bioindicators of ecosystem disturbance on sandy Cancun beaches: Corollospora maritima as a candidate species

Abstract

We developed a quantitative scale for estimating disturbance level on 10 public-access tourist beaches. For this purpose, we estimated frequency of occurrence values for sand-inhabiting obligate ascomycetes annually through 10 years (2000–2009). In particular, we determined the presence of Corollospora maritima on each beach. A positive correlation between sandy beach disturbance level and fungal species frequencies of occurrence was demonstrated. Progressively higher frequencies of occurrence for C. maritima were obtained from increasingly less disturbed beaches. Hence, intertidal autochthonous species have potential use as bioindicators, and we selected C. maritima to represent this group of marine obligate fungi as a bioindicator of sand beach degradation.