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1.
Marine phanerogams are ecosystem engineers, as their presence induces major environmental changes that impact on the benthic fauna. Consequently, modifications to the structure of benthic communities would be expected to be associated with seagrass decline. Since 2005, Zostera noltii seagrass beds in Arcachon Bay (France), the largest in Europe, have undergone a severe decline. Twelve stations distributed throughout the lagoon were sampled in 2002, and all were found to be densely planted at that time. Subsequently, the same stations were revisited in 2010 and seagrass cover had drastically decreased by that time. Based on benthic macrofauna, multidimensional scaling (MDS) analysis identified four groups. Years were separated. In 2002, two groups were distinct in relation to the water body, since in 2010 separation between the two other groups was related to seagrass occurrence. When looking at community structure and dominant species there were moderate differences within and between years, independent of seagrass decline. Seagrass loss did not drastically modify the species composition as they were preserved in the remaining seagrass patches. However, there was a drop in macrofauna abundance in unvegetated muddy compared with abundance in the remaining seagrass areas. Epifauna was particularly affected by seagrass decline. Among biotic indicators based on macrofauna, multivariate indicator MISS (Macrobenthic Index in Sheltered Systems) was in agreement with the similarity of macrofauna structure among groups, while other tested indicators performed badly in relation to seagrass occurrence. However, no index detected seagrass loss, highlighting the necessity of maintaining a separate survey on seagrass cover.  相似文献   

2.
Studies of the δ13C of pore water dissolved inorganic carbon (δ13C-DIC) were carried out in shallow water carbonate sediments of the Great Bahamas Bank (GBB) to further examine sediment-seagrass relationships and to more quantitatively describe the couplings between organic matter remineralization and sediment carbonate diagenesis. At all sites studied δ13C-DIC provided evidence for the dissolution of sediment carbonate mediated by metabolic CO2 (i.e., CO2 produced during sediment organic matter remineralization); these observations are also consistent with pore water profiles of alkalinity, total DIC and Ca2+ at these sites. In bare oolitic sands, isotope mass balance further indicates that the sediment organic matter undergoing remineralization is a mixture of water column detritus and seagrass material; in sediments with intermediate seagrass densities, seagrass derived material appears to be the predominant source of organic matter undergoing remineralization. However, in sediments with high seagrass densities, the pore water δ13C-DIC data cannot be simply explained by dissolution of sediment carbonate mediated by metabolic CO2, regardless of the organic matter type. Rather, these results suggest that dissolution of metastable carbonate phases occurs in conjunction with reprecipitation of more stable carbonate phases. Simple closed system calculations support this suggestion, and are broadly consistent with results from more eutrophic Florida Bay sediments, where evidence of this type of carbonate dissolution/reprecipitation has also been observed. In conjunction with our previous work in the Bahamas, these observations provide further evidence for the important role that seagrasses play in mediating early diagenetic processes in tropical shallow water carbonate sediments. At the same time, when these results are compared with results from other terrigenous coastal sediments, as well as supralysoclinal carbonate-rich deep-sea sediments, they suggest that carbonate dissolution/reprecipitation may be more important than previously thought, in general, in the early diagenesis of marine sediments.  相似文献   

3.
A comparison of shallow water benthic macrofauna collected with hand-held cores and a suction sampler shoed that the core method provided the best estimate of macrofaunal density and composition. In a bare sand habitat, suction methods collected 72.8% fewer individuals per unit surface area of sediment. The difference was 32.6% in a seagrass (Halodule wrightii) habitat. At each site the number of species collected with the two devices was similar; however, population densities of numerically important species were underestimated with the suction device resulting in effects on community statistics. In addition to high sampling efficiency and statistical advantages associated with the use of the multiple cores, ease of operation and low construction cost make simple core tubes the preferred gear for sampling small macrobenthos in soft sediments, with or without vegetation.  相似文献   

4.
Water column optical properties of Greater Florida Bay were investigated in the context of their impacts on seagrass distribution. Scattering played an important role in light attenuation throughout the shallow water system. The northwest region was characterized by an absence of seagrasses and the highest scattering by particles, mostly from resuspended carbonate sediments. Higher seagrass densities were observed in the open waters just north of the Florida Keys, where absorption coefficients were dominated by colored dissolved organic material and scattering was lower than in the northwest region. Patchy dense seagrass meadows were observed in the clear waters south of the Keys where scattering and absorption were low and contributed equally to light attenuation. In general, seagrasses were observed in areas where >7.5% of surface irradiance reached the plants and where optical properties were not dominated by scattering. Although the prevention of eutrophication and nuisance algal blooms may be necessary for preserving seagrass meadows in this system, our observations and model calculations indicate that nutrient control alone may be insufficient to permit seagrass recolonization if optical properties are dominated by particulate scattering from resuspended sediments.  相似文献   

5.
Pore-water dissolved organic carbon (PWDOC) concentrations were examined in vegetated and bare sediments of aHalodule wrightii seagrass bed, and in a mud bottom sediment of a southern Texas estuary. Temporal variability was examined at diel (dawn and noon) and bimonthly time scales. Distribution patterns of PWDOC were compared with physical, chemical, and biological factors thought to exert control on PWDOC. Concentration of PWDOC, bacterial production, and resultant PWDOC turnover times displayed statistically significant spatial and temporal variability. Concentration of PWDOC ranged from 14 mg C 1?1 to 107 mg C 1?1 of pore water, or 9–71 μg C cm?3 wet sediment. PWDOC was more variable and was approximately 5 times higher than DOC concentrations in the water column. Low PWDOC concentrations (mean = 14.6 μg C cm?3) and high bacterial production rates (mean = 1.92 μg C cm?3 h?1) were observed at the mud station, whereas PWDOC concentrations were high (mean = 24.6 μg C cm?3) and bacterial production rates were low (mean = 0.43 μg C cm?3 h?1) at the bare station. PWDOC turnover times (Tt), assuming 50% bacterial growth efficiency (1–840 h) were shortest at the mud station (mean=13 h) and longest at the bare station (mean=180 h). In the overlying water column, Tt values were longer, ranging from 1,000–10,000 h. PWDOC concentrations were 25% higher in vegetated sediments than in neighboring bare sediments. This difference was probably due to inputs of labile photosynthetic excretia, since bacterial production rates in vegetated sediments displayed significant diel variability and were 4 times greater than that of bare sediments. Based upon the entire data set, PWDOC was significantly related to macrofaunal biomass, sediment POC, sediment C:N ratios, and oxygen metabolism, but was significantly correlated only to the latter two variables in stepwise multiple regression. Our findings suggest that organism activities and detrital quality are the major determinants controlling variability in PWDOC.  相似文献   

6.
Our modeling objective was to better define the relationship between subtropical seagrass and potential water column and sediment stressors (light, organic and particle sedimentation, sediment nutrients, and the porewater sulfide system). The model was developed and optimized for sediments inThalassia testudinum seagrass beds of Lower Laguna Madre, Texas, U.S., and is composed of a plant submodel and a sediment diagenetic submodel. Simulations were developed for a natural stressor (harmful algal bloom,Aureoumbra lagunensis) and an anthropogenic, stressor (dredging event). The observed harmful algal bloom (HAB) was of limited duration and the simulations of that bloom showed no effect of the algal bloom on biomass trends but did suggest that sediment sulfides could inhibit growth if the bloom duration and intensity were greater. To examine this hypothesis we ran a simulation using data collected during a sustained 4-yr bloom in Upper Laguna Madre. Simulations suggested that light attenuation by the HAB could cause a small reduction inT. testudinum biomass, while input of organic matter from the bloom could promote development of a sediment geochemical environment toxic toT. testudinum leading to a major reduction in biomass. A 3-wk dredging event resulted in sedimentation of a layer of rich organic material and reduction of canopy light for a period of months. The simulations suggested that the seagrass could have recovered from the effects of temporary light reduction but residual effects of high sulfides in the sediments would make the region inhospitable for seagrasses for up to 2.5 yr. These modeling exercises illustrate that both natural and anthropogenic stressors can result in seagrass losses by radically altering the sedimentary geochemical environment.  相似文献   

7.
Ten Spartina alterniflora plants were sampled monthly in a Louisiana estuary to determine the abundance and species composition of stem-dwelling meiofauna and small macrofauna. Most organisms were associated with epiphytic algae found relatively high on standing stems; one harpacticoid copepod, Leptocaris brevicornis, was associated with vascular tissue. Only 15% of the stem fauna was found within 6 cm of the sediment surface. Highest abundance of total meiofauna (>8,000 individuals per 100 cm2 stem surface) occurred in July. The overall seasonal average was 1,563 individuals per 100 cm2 (about 800 per stem). Nematodes (24% of the total) and harpacticoids (adults and copepodites 19%, and nauplii 15%), were abundant and omnipresent taxa. Rotifers (30%) were limited to the summer months, but were extremely abundant when present, 5,037 individuals per 100 cm2 in July. Mites were common (10%) while several groups, for example, amphipods, isopods, polychaetes, and insect larvae, were rare. The stem harpacticoid assemblage was not diverse; four sediment-dwelling and three species reported only from stems were recorded. Overall, abundance was low from December to May, and high from June through November. Winter and spring minima may have resulted from several factors. Estuarine water levels in the Gulf of Mexico are lowered by as much as 25 cm in the winter, and stems likely were desiccated. Highest rhizomatic growth occurs in the spring, and the resulting reduced epiphyte populations may have influenced meiofauna. The density of stem meiofauna above the sediment surface averaged about 225 individuals per 10 cm2 sediment surface, but frequently exceeded that in the surrounding sediments.  相似文献   

8.
Community Oxygen and Nutrient Fluxes in Seagrass Beds of Florida Bay, USA   总被引：1，自引：0，他引：1  
We used clear, acrylic chambers to measure in situ community oxygen and nutrient fluxes under day and night conditions in seagrass beds at five sites across Florida Bay five times between September 1997 and March 1999. Underlying sediments are biogenic carbonate with porosities of 0.7–0.9 and with low organic content (<1.6%). The seagrass communities always removed oxygen from the water column during the night and produced oxygen during daylight, and sampling date and site significantly affected both night and daytime oxygen fluxes. Net daily average fluxes of oxygen (?4.9 to 49 mmol m?2 day?1) ranged from net autotrophy to heterotrophy across the bay and during the 18-month sampling period. However, the Rabbit Key Basin site, located in the west-central bay and covered with a dense Thalassia testudinum bed, was always autotrophic with net average oxygen production ranging from 4.8 to 49 mmol m?2 day?1. In November 1998, three of the five sites were strongly heterotrophic and oxygen production was least at Rabbit, suggesting the possibility of hypoxic conditions in fall. Average ammonium (NH4) concentrations in the water column varied widely across the bay, ranging from a mean of 6.9 μmol l?1 at Calusa in the eastern bay to a mean of 0.6 μmol l?1 at Rabbit Key for the period of study. However, average NH4 fluxes by site and date (?240 to 110 μmol m?2 h?1) were not correlated with water column concentrations and did not vary in a consistent diel, seasonal, or spatial pattern. Concentrations of dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) in the water column, averaged by site (15–25 μmol l?1), were greater than mean NH4 concentrations, and the range of day and night DON fluxes (?920 to 1,300 μmol m?2 h?1), averaged by site and date, was greater than the range of mean NH4 fluxes. Average DON fluxes did not vary consistently from day to night, seasonally or spatially. Mean silicate fluxes ranged from ?590 to 860 μmol m?2 h?1 across all sites and dates, but mean net daily fluxes were less variable and most of the time contributed small amounts of silicate to the water column. Mean concentrations of filterable reactive phosphorus (FRP) in the water column across the bay were very low (0.021–0.075 μmol l?1); but site average concentrations of dissolved organic phosphorus (DOP) were higher (0.04–0.15 μmol l?1) and showed a gradient of increasing concentration from east to west in the bay. A pronounced gradient in average surficial sediment total phosphorus (1.1–12 μmol g DW?1) along an east-to-west gradient was not reflected in fluxes of phosphorus. FRP fluxes, averaged by site and date, were low (?5.2 to 52 μmol m?2 h?1), highly variable, and did not vary consistently from day to night or across season or location. Mean DOP fluxes varied over a smaller range (?8.7 to 7.4 μmol m?2 h?1), but also showed no consistent spatial or temporal patterns. These small DOP fluxes were in sharp contrast to the predominately organic phosphorus pool in surficial sediments (site means?=?0.66–7.4 μmol g DW?1). Significant correlations of nutrient fluxes with parameters related to seagrass abundance suggest that the seagrass community may play a major role in nutrient recycling. Integrated means of net daily fluxes over the area of Florida Bay, though highly variable, suggest that seagrass communities might be a source of DOP and NH4 to Florida Bay and might remove small amounts of FRP and potentially large amounts of DON from the waters of the bay.  相似文献   

9.
A broad-scale survey of seagrass species composition and distribution along Florida's central Gulf Coast (known as the Big Bend region) was conducted in the summer of 2000 to address growing concerns over the potential effects of increased nutrient loading from adjacent coastal rivers. Iverson and Bittaker (1986) originally surveyed seagrass distribution in this region between 1974–1980. We revisited 188 stations from the original survey, recording the presence or absence of all seagrass species. Although factors such as accuracy of station relocation, differences in sampling effort among studies, and length of time between surveys preclude statistical comparisons, several interesting patterns emerged. While the total number of stations occupied by the three most common seagrass species,Thalassia testudinum, Syringodium filiforme, andHalodule wrightii, was similar between the two time periods, we observed a change in the number of records of each species as well as changes in distribution with depth.T. testudinum andHalophila engelmanni occurrence declined in the deepest areas of the region, while the number of stations occupied byS. filiforme andH. wrightii increased in nearby areas. We observed several localized areas of seagrass loss, frequently associated with the mouths of coastal rivers. These results suggest that increased nutrient loading to coastal rivers that discharge into the Big Bend area may be affecting seagrasses by increasing phytoplankton abundance in the water column, thus changing water clarity characteristics of the region.  相似文献   

10.
From 1989 to 2007, a severe decline in Zostera noltii meadows was reported in the Arcachon Bay, with an accelerated regression after 2005. We investigated the inter-annual variability of the biogeochemistry of the sediment in an area affected by seagrass decline. In late summer and in winter of the years 2006, 2010, and 2011, sediment cores were collected at low tide on vegetated and adjacent non-vegetated sediments located in the eastern part of the Arcachon Bay. The geochemical analyses of sediment solid-phase organic carbon, reactive P and Fe, and the pore water concentrations of Fe2+, DIP, and NH4 + are presented. The changes in the chemistry of sediment and pore water between 2006 and 2010 are interpreted as a consequence of the decrease in the Z. noltii biomass between 2006 and 2010. The absence of significant seasonal variations in biomass throughout the growth period (March–September) in 2011 is most likely related to the regression of Z. noltii meadow that strongly affects the study area. In contrast to the healthy meadow in 2006, the declining meadow favored the dissolution of sedimentary particulate phosphorus in winter. In late summer, the low biomass of seagrass resulted in a net release of ammonium in the pore water of the upper 20 cm of sediment. This study clearly shows that seagrass decay may enhance nutrient release in sediments, resulting in a significant supply of phosphorus to the water column of a magnitude comparable to annual inputs to the lagoon from the rivers and the tidal pump.  相似文献   

11.
The capacity of seagrass canopies to directly retain sestonic particles was tested by quantifying the rate at which suspended fluorescent tracer particles were retained within a tropical Philippine seagrass meadow and by examining whether the test particles lost from the water column were later bound to seagrass leaves or inside epibionts. The particle loss rates in the presence of seagrass canopies were up to 4 times higher than those in unvegetated and plankton controls. The seagrass canopies trapped particles with a maximum rate of 0.73 (±0.24) h?1. As much as 5% of the particles trapped by the seagrass leaves were physically adhered to the leaf surfaces following rinsing. Particles were also observed to be ingested by protozoa (ciliates and amoeba-like organisms), residing on the surface of the leaves, and may be the dominant particle trapping mechanism by seagrass leaves. These processes should provide an efficient mechanism for the transfer of planktonic production to the benthos, adding to the high organic carbon input maintained by the high production of the seagrass themselves.  相似文献   

12.
Spencer Gulf is a large (ca 22 000 km2), shallow (<60 m water depth) embayment with active heterozoan carbonate sedimentation. Gulf waters are metahaline (salinities 39 to 47‰) and warm‐temperate (ca 12 to ?28°C) with inverse estuarine circulation. The integrated approach of facies analysis paired with high‐resolution, monthly oceanographic data sets is used to pinpoint controls on sedimentation patterns with more confidence than heretofore possible for temperate systems. Biofragments – mainly bivalves, benthic foraminifera, bryozoans, coralline algae and echinoids – accumulate in five benthic environments: luxuriant seagrass meadows, patchy seagrass sand flats, rhodolith pavements, open gravel/sand plains and muddy seafloors. The biotic diversity of Spencer Gulf is remarkably high, considering the elevated seawater salinities. Echinoids and coralline algae (traditionally considered stenohaline organisms) are ubiquitous. Euphotic zone depth is interpreted as the primary control on environmental distribution, whereas seawater salinity, temperature, hydrodynamics and nutrient availability are viewed as secondary controls. Luxuriant seagrass meadows with carbonate muddy sands dominate brightly lit seafloors where waters have relatively low nutrient concentrations (ca 0 to 1 mg Chl‐a m?3). Low‐diversity bivalve‐dominated deposits occur in meadows with highest seawater salinities and temperatures (43 to 47‰, up to 28°C). Patchy seagrass sand flats cover less‐illuminated seafloors. Open gravel/sand plains contain coarse bivalve–bryozoan sediments, interpreted as subphotic deposits, in waters with near normal marine salinities and moderate trophic resources (0·5 to 1·6 mg Chl‐a m?3) to support diverse suspension feeders. Rhodolith pavements (coralline algal gravels) form where seagrass growth is arrested, either because of decreased water clarity due to elevated nutrients and associated phytoplankton growth (0·6 to 2 mg Chl‐a m?3), or bottom waters that are too energetic for seagrasses (currents up to 2 m sec?1). Muddy seafloors occur in low‐energy areas below the euphotic zone. The relationships between oceanographic influences and depositional patterns outlined in Spencer Gulf are valuable for environmental interpretations of other recent and ancient (particularly Neogene) high‐salinity and temperate carbonate systems worldwide.  相似文献   

13.
The spatial and temporal variations of meiofaunal communities in mangrove systems were examined. Replicated cores were taken in mudflats between prop roots ofRhizophora mangle at five locations within the Gulf of Batabanó, Cuba, during 3 mo. There was a clear seasonality in the water column, but measured abiotic variables did not show obvious relations with meiofaunal patterns. The magnitude of change in salinity for each location appears to influence the meiofauna more than absolute values per se. The meiofauna from southern Pinar del Rio showed a higher variation in community structure, suggesting higher levels of stress in comparison with locations in eastern Isla, possibly due to the presence of human settlements, runoff from land, and apparent deterioration of mangroves. The considerable variation in the density and community structure estimates on global (geographical regions) and local (locations in the Gulf of Batabanó) scales could be caused by the high spatial variability in the mangrove microenvironment, coupled with associated methodological differences in the sampling. There was a low density of meiofauna (mean: 101 animals 10 cm−2) compared to other shallow tropical habitats. Mangroves from subtropical and temperate regions showed consistently higher meiofaunal densities than tropical mangroves, but causes of this putatively latitudinal pattern require further study. Future strategies for meiofaunal studies in mangrove systems should increase the temporal and spatial replication, include designed field experiments to test ecological hypotheses, and apply a species level approach with regards to nematode assemblages.  相似文献   

14.
An isotopic survey was made of organic carbon in phytoplankton, sediments, Zooplankton, larval fish, and benthic fauna from Narragansett Bay and the Marine Ecosystems Research Laboratory, Rhode Island; the results quantify the extent of variability in a phytoplankton-based ecosystem and elucidate some of its causes. Carbon from primary producers (phytoplankton) varied with taxon and size, ranging from ?20.3 ± 0.6%. (mean ± 1 s.d.) for diatoms (primarily Skeletonema costatum) to ?22.2 ± 0.6%. for nanoplankton (primarily microflagellates and non-motile ultraplankton). Planktonic isotope ratios varied little with either water temperature (0 to 20°C) or degree of preservation (up to 2-year aerobic diagenesis in sea water). Isotopically, sediments from East and West Passages of the bay were homogeneous with location and depth, with a mean (?21.8 ± 0.6%.) similar to a mixture of carbon from diatoms and nanoplankton. Providence River sediments reflected terrigenous and anthropogenic carbon (sewage) in their isotopic ratios (?24.2 ± 0.7%.). Ratios of macrozooplankton (> 150 μm) were statistically separable from those of concurrently collected phytoplankton, being, on average, 0.5 to 0.6%. more positive. Secondary consumers in the water column (shrimp and larval fish) were 2.4%. heavier than diatoms. Thirty-four taxa of benthic fauna had relatively positive isotope ratios (?18.1 ± 1.5%.) which may indicate preferential use of carbon originally from diatoms rather than nanoplankton. The wide range of benthic ratios (?22.7 to ?14.9%.) resulted from both intraspecific variability (mean range = 3%.) and the variety of trophic positions occupied. Some of the intraspecific variability could be related to size. Among species, the isotope ratios increased from meiofauna (?19.5 ± 0.4%.) to macrofaunal non-carnivores (?18.6 ± 1.3%.) and carnivores (?16.6 ± 0.8%.).  相似文献   

15.
Three quarters of the global human population will live in coastal areas in the coming decades and will continue to develop these areas as population density increases. Anthropogenic stressors from this coastal development may lead to fragmented habitats, altered food webs, changes in sediment characteristics, and loss of near-shore vegetated habitats. Seagrass systems are important vegetated estuarine habitats that are vulnerable to anthropogenic stressors, but provide valuable ecosystem functions. Key to maintaining these habitats that filter water, stabilize sediments, and provide refuge to juvenile animals is an understanding of the impacts of local coastal development. To assess development impacts in seagrass communities, we surveyed 20 seagrass beds in lower Chesapeake Bay, VA. We sampled primary producers, consumers, water quality, and sediment characteristics in seagrass beds, and characterized development along the adjacent shoreline using land cover data. Overall, we could not detect effects of local coastal development on these seagrass communities. Seagrass biomass varied only between sites, and was positively correlated with sediment organic matter. Epiphytic algal biomass and epibiont (epifauna and epiphyte) community composition varied between western and eastern regions of the bay. But, neither eelgrass (Zostera marina) leaf nitrogen (a proxy for integrated nitrogen loading), crustacean grazer biomass, epifaunal predator abundance, nor fish and crab abundance differed significantly among sites or regions. Overall, factors operating on different scales appear to drive primary producers, seagrass-associated faunal communities, and sediment properties in these important submerged vegetated habitats in lower Chesapeake Bay.  相似文献   

16.
Theoretical diffusive flux rates for dissolved reactive phosphate (DRP) were determined for sediments in a small area of the Indian River, Florida for the period March–May 1982. Flux rates from the sediment varied from 29 to 70 × 10?6g per m2 per day in seagrass associated sediments to 3–25 × 10?6g per m2 per day for an area devoid of seagrass. Simultaneous measurements of groundwater seepage velocities indicated greater velocities in seagrass associated sediments (1.03 × 10?6m per sec) than an area devoid of grass (0.77 × 10?6m per sec). Measured seepage flux accounted for more than 99% of the combined estimated diffusive and seepage flux of DRP for nearshore seagrass sediments. Also noted was an apparent direct relationship between tidal height, DRP and seepage velocity in nearshore sediments (25 m from shore) which further demonstrates the importance of hydrogeologic variables to these areas.  相似文献   

17.
Flow-through seagrass core microcosms were used to examine responses of species and processes to a logarithmic gradient of dosing with14C-labeled tributyltin-chloride (TBT-CI). Experiments involved delivery of TBT-CI to the water column of replicate cores of a treatment (n=16) once per week; one-half of the cores were sacrificed after 3 wk of dosing, the others were dosed for 6 wk. Initial water column concentrations for the three treatments averaged 0.205, 2.23, and 22.21 μg I?1, expressed as the TBT+ cation, but these concentrations dropped rapidly. Retained14C tracer, an estimate of total organotin species, was distributed to sediments, plants, and other biological tissues, all of whose tracer concentrations increased with time. Measures to indicate responses of both autotrophic and heterotrophic organisms were made; in general, treatment effects were demonstrable statistically only at the highest dose level. Accumulation of chlorophyll and biomass on glass slides was highest when suspended for the entire experiment in the water of the highest treatment; this unexpected result was perhaps an indirect effect related to reduced grazing activity in the microcosms. The highest dose of TBT-CI resulted in virtual population mortality of a few macrobenthic species and decreased loss of plant material in litter bags, both demonstrated within the first 3 wk of dosing. Reduced litter loss was coincident with mortality of an amphipod (Cymadusa compta) capable of shredding plant material, and a causal relation between the two effects is plausible. Thus, if concentrated to similar levels in aThalassia bed, TBT+ may have direct species-level effects and process-level effects, potentially causing ecosystem change via disruption of a species-process linkage influential in seagrass detrital food web dynamics.  相似文献   

18.
Structural equivalence between seagrass restoration sites and adjacent natural seagrass beds on the mid Texas coast was assessed six times between April 1995 and May 1997. Throw traps and corers were used for quantitative sampling. Restoration sites were 2.7 to 6.6 yr old when first sampled and 3.7 to 8.2 yr old when last sampled. There were few significant differences in water column, seagrass, or sediment characteristics, in fish and decapod (nekton) densities, or in nekton and benthos community compositions between restored and natural seagrass habitats at any time during the study period. Differences in densities of dominant benthic invertebrates were regularly observed, with greater densities of more taxa observed in natural seagrasses than in restored beds. Densities of Class Oligochaeta and the polychaetePrionospio heterobranchiata are proposed as potential indicators of structural equivalence in restored seagrasses. This study indicates that seagrass restorations in the vicinity of Corpus Christi, Texas, exhibit minimal quantitative differences in community structure (except for benthos) relative to adjacent natural seagrass beds after 3 to 5 yr.  相似文献   

19.
Monitoring of small-scale distribution patterns of benthic invertebrates has demonstrated distinct trends in faunal abundances with position relative to individual culms of saltmarsh cordgrass,Spartina alterniflora, at Tar Landing Bay Marsh, near Morehead City, North Carolina. Samples containing culms ofSpartina yielded significantly higher abundances (at least three times) than did samples without them. Among common species, onlyNereis succinea did not show this effect. Matrix-arranged and randomly placed sets of samples have confirmed a positive relationship between cross-sectional area of culms in a sample (at the sediment-water interface) and contained numbers of macrofauna, juvenile macrofauna and meiofauna. These patterns occurred despite a decreased volume of sediment in samples containing culms. Heightened abundances of benthic invertebrates associated with structural elements at the sediment-water interface may result from either nonrandom recruitment (either active via recruit selectivity or passive through hydrogeographic effects of culms) or differential post-recruitment mortality (resulting from inhibition of epibenthic predators or from variable habitat quality).  相似文献   

20.
Studies of seagrass meadows have shown that the production of algal epiphytes attached to seagrass blades approaches 20% of the seagrass production and that epiphytes are more important as food for associated fauna than are the more refractory seagrass blades. Since epiphytes may compete with seagrasses for light and water column nutrients, excessive epiphytic fouling could have serious consequences for seagrass growth. We summarize much of the literature on epiphytegrazer relationships in seagrass meadows within the context of seagrass growth and production. We also provide insights from mathematical modeling simulations of these relationships for a Chesapeake BayZostera marina meadow. Finally we focus on future research needs for more completely understanding the influences that epiphyte grazers have on seagrass production.  相似文献   

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