Abstract
The aim of the present study was to assess the heavy metal pollution and benthic macrofauna distribution in central Red sea coast of Saudi Arabia. Sediment samples were collected from four stations around the Jeddah harbour during October 2018 and November 2019 for the analysis of heavy metals such as Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn. The distribution of macrobenthic communities was also analysed from the samples. The results indicated that the concentrations of Cd, Cu and Pb were high at stations near to the harbour. Metal content in sediment samples showed significant variation between the sampling stations. The density of bivalves showed a significant negative correlation with the concentration of Cu, Pb and Cd in the sediment. Polychaetes were abundant in stations which recorded high concentration of heavy metals such as Cu, Pb and Cd. Further, amphipods exhibited a positive relationship with Pb concentration of the sediment. In conclusion, this study outlined the significance of heavy metal pollution on structuring benthic biodiversity of the coastal ecosystems.