Comparative studies on the usefulness of seven ecological indices for the marine coastal monitoring close to the shore on the Swedish East coast.

The simultaneous behaviour of seven ecological indices (Hurlbert's, Margalef's, Menhinick's, Shannon's, species number, Jaccard's and saprobic index) was studied based on phytoplankton data close to the shore on the East coast of Sweden during the summer 1998. The sampling stations had a similar eutrophication level and were located in bays. Standard phytoplankton databases were used in calculating the indices, which were later compared using cluster analysis. Hurlbert's, Margalef's, Menhinick's, Shannon's and species number indices, as measure of community diversity, produced similar trends which often differed from those based on Jaccard's index of similarity. However, the simultaneous use of these indices was found meaningful as a possible part of the monitoring close to the shore. The application of a saprobic index lead to erroneous conclusions in the studied case.