The Diversity of the Zoobenthos Communities of the Lake Skadar/Shkodra Basin

Zoobenthos is an important component of the aquatic ecosystems of the Lake Skadar basin and represents a reliable bioindicator of environmental degradation. In Lake Skadar, the zoobenthos communities exhibit different patterns with regard to abundance and community composition in the nearshore and the open lake zones. The greatest diversity of benthic invertebrates was generally found in the nearshore environment. Oligochaeta, Chironomidae, and mollusks dominated in the macrozoobenthos of Lake Skadar. The lake meiobenthos is less studied and is dominated by ostracods, copepod, and cladoceran species. The current knowledge of the diversity of the 22 zoobenthic groups from Lake Skadar and its basin are summed up here. Lake Skadar has experienced gradual eutrophication and the impact of nonnative species over the past several decades that have affected the zoobenthos communities. Continuous monitoring of the zoobenthos communities is recommended for inclusion in the ongoing national and transboundary Lake Skadar assessment projects.