The sediment was washed over sieves with meshes of
0.5 and 1.0 mm, and the macrofauna retained were fixed in
4% formaldehyde, preserved in 70% ethanol, and then
identified and counted. Part of the biological material is
stored in the Laboratory of Marine Molluscs of the State
University of Santa Cruz (UESC), and another part is
deposited in the Museum of Zoology, University of São
Paulo (MZUSP, São Paulo). The organic-matter content of
sediment was estimated by the method described by Dean
(1974). The particle-size analysis was done by the sieving
method described by Suguio (1973) and classified according
to Folk & Ward (1957), with the values expressed on the
phi scale (Φ), the base 2 negative logarithm of the size in
mm. The statistical parameters of particle size were
calculated using the program SYSGRAN 2.0. The index of
constancy was used to classify the frequency of occurrence
of species in the samples (Dajoz 1971). One-factor analysis
of variance (ANOVA) and an a posteriori LSD (Least
Square Difference) test were used to compare the variation
of abiotic factors (temperature, salinity, grain size, organic
matter, and percentage of fine granules) and biotic (species
richness and abundance) among sampling stations. For