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1.
The abundances of the xanthid crabsPanopeus herbstii andEurypanopeus depressus were examined relative to surface oyster shell cover, surface oyster cluster volume, subsurface shell content, substrate sand and silt composition, and oyster reef elevation. During August 1986 through July 1987, xanthid crabs were collected monthly from twelve 0.25 m2×15 cm deep quadrats, during low tide, from intertidal oyster reefs in Mill Creek, Pender County, North Carolina, USA, with respective quadrat details recorded. The abundance ofP. herbstii, and to a lesser degreeE. depressus, was positively correlated with surface shell cover. The abundance ofE. depressus, and to a lesser degreeP. herbstii, was positively correlated with surface cluster volume. The majority ofP. herbstii inhabited the subsurface stratum of the oyster reef, whereas the majority ofE. depressus inhabited the cluster stratum. Seasonality (i.e., temperature) appeared to influence the strata habitation of both species, with a higher incidence of cluster habitation during warmer months and a lower incidence during colder months. Crab abundance was not related to other factors examined, such as subsurface shell, substrate sand and silt composition, or elevation within the oyster reef. The analyses show thatP. herbstii andE. depressus have partitioned the intertidal oyster reef habitat, withE. depressus exploiting surface shell clusters andP. herbstii the subsurface stratum.  相似文献   

2.
Crabs (Grapsidae,Sesarma) are the dominant macrofaunal group of mangrove forest soils in northern Australia. Little is known about the ecology of these crabs or the factors that influence their distribution in mangrove forests. Pitfall traps were used to sample grapsid crabs in the Murray River estuary in north Queensland. Sampling was conducted at five sites along a salinity gradient from <1‰ at upstream sites to >35‰ at the river mouth. At each site, trapping was done in both low and high intertidal forests. We characterized the sediments at each site by measuring percent sand, silt, clay and organic matter, Eh, pH, and soil pore-water salinity. Four species of grapsids dominated the crab fauna along the Murray River (Sesarma semperi-longicristatum, S. messa, S. brevicristatum, andS. brevipes). Distinct zonation patterns were found along the salinity gradient and between high and low intertidal forests.S. messa was dominant in high intertidal, downstream forests, high and low intertidal forests in the middle to downstream portion of the river, and in low intertidal forests in the central reach of the river.S. brevipes was dominant in both low and high intertidal zone forests at low salinity upstream sites.S. brevicristatum was most abundant in the central reaches of the river and only in the high intertidal zone.S. semperi-longicristatum was found only in the low intertidal zone, downstream forest. Subsequently, tests of salinity tolerances of these crabs were carried out in the laboratory. These indicated very wide tolerances over salinities from completely fresh to hypersaline (60‰). The osmoregulatory abilities of the crabs were also found to vary. However, neither their salinity tolerance nor osmoregulatory ability adequately explain the zonation patterns were measured in the field. For example,S. brevicristatum had the most restricted distribution, but it had the second broadest salinity tolerance and osmoregulatory ability. Sediment characteristics explained a significant amount of the variation in abundance for two of the crab species. Pore-water salinity provided no explanatory power for any of the species. Individual species abundances are probably influenced by additional factors such as interspecific competition and predation.  相似文献   

3.
Temperature acclimation influenced the desiccation tolerance of the marine snail Ilyanassa obsoleta (Nassarius obsoletus). I. obsoleta acclimated to 35‰ seawater at 18°C could survive for 116 hours, and tolerate a 57% loss of body water when desiccated at 15 °C in air with a relative humidity of 35%. In contrast, I. obsoleta acclimated to 3°C seawater survived for only 76 hours, and could not tolerate more than a 37% loss of body water. These results were used to support the proposition that freezing and desiccation tolerance are closely related in I. obsoleta.  相似文献   

4.
Oyster cultch was added to the lower intertidal marsh-sandflat fringe of three previously createdSpartina alterniflora salt marshes. Colonization of these created reefs by oysters and other select taxa was examined. Created reefs supported numerous oyster reef-associated faunas at equivalent or greater densities than adjacent natural reefs. Eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) settlement at one site of created reef exceeded that of the adjacent natural reefs within 9 mo of reef creation. After only 2 yr, harvestable-sizeC. virginica (>75 mm) were present in the created reefs along with substantial numbers ofC. virginica clusters. The created reefs also had a higher number of molluscan, fish, and decapod species than the adjacent natural reefs. After 2 yr the densities ofC. virginica, striped barnacle (Balanus amphitrite), scorched mussel (Brachidontes exustus), Atlantic ribbed mussel (Geukensia demissa), common mud crab (Panopeus herbstii), and flat mud crab (Eurypanopeus depressus) within the created reefs were equivalent to that of adjacent natural reefs. From these data it is evident that created oyster reefs can quickly acquire functional ecological attributes of their natural counterparts. Because the demand for oysters continues to increase in the face of dwindling natural resources, habitat creation techniques need to evolve and these approaches need to consider the ancillary ecological benefits reef creation may provide. Reef function as well as physical and ecological linkages of oyster reefs to other habitats (marsh, submerged aquatic vegetation, and bare bottom) should be considered when reefs are created in order to provide the best use of resources to maintain the integrity of estuarine systems.  相似文献   

5.
The European green crab (Carcinus maenas) is a highly successful marine invader, having established populations in a number of areas outside its natural range in the last 100 years. In South Australia,C. maenas can be abundant on intertidal mud flats, which are used by juveniles of the native blue swimmer crab (Portunus pelagicus) and could have the potential to cause substantial negative effects on this species. The influence of adult blue and green crabs on habitat selection by juvenile blue crabs was tested to determine if they responded to both predators in a similar fashion. The presence of predators did not influence habitat selection by juvenile blue crabs in either laboratory or field experiments, but juvenile behavior in the selected habitat did differ between the two adult species. Many more crabs buried themselves beneath the substrate when adult conspecifics were present than when adult green crabs were present. Burying in the presence of adult green crabs was no more frequent than when predators were absent. It remains to be determined if this makes juvenile blue crabs more vulnerable to predation by green crabs than by adults of their own species, or if the difference in response is because green crabs pose a different or lesser threat.  相似文献   

6.
In the Grays Harbor estuary, juvenile Dungeness crab (Cancer magister Dana) are found at higher densities in epibenthic shell deposits compared to open mud flat. Differences in predation rate between habitats have been suggested to be due to habitat preference and differential survival. Megalopae preferred shell over open space in still-water conditions. However, it is not known whether megalopae are able to select shell in flowing water since larval preference is known to differ between still and flowing water. Here we report the first experimental study of swimming behavior of Dungeness crab megalopae in a range of current velocities (0–40 cm s?1) equivalent to natural flow in Grays Harbor estuary. Experiments were conducted in daylight using a recirculating flume. Megalopae swimming speeds ranged from 8.5 cm s?1 (8 body lengths s?1) in still water to 44.8 cm s?1 (44 body lengths s?1) at flow speeds of 40 cm s?1, Neither swimming behavior nor sheltering behavior in shells showed any flow-related pattern. Megalopae spent a large proportion of time swimming against the current and made headway upstream against all current velocities tested. The results suggest that Dungeness crab megalopae are able to maneuver and actively search for settlement sites under current velocities found in natural habitats, including intertidal shell deposits, and support the hypothesis of active selection of shell by megalopae.  相似文献   

7.
Seagrasses are a critical marine habitat and are in decline worldwide. Previous studies have demonstrated that factors such as sediment conditions, resource availability, and desiccation can influence life history transitions and morphology in intertidal eelgrass (Zostera marina L.) and therefore potential for recovery after a disturbance. We combined these factors in an exploratory path model linking environmental conditions to eelgrass vegetative (shoot size and density) and reproductive traits (branching, flowering, seedling recruitment). In this construction, significant path coefficients reveal factors influencing recovery potential. To test the path model, we collected abiotic and eelgrass data at 17 sites in the southern Salish Sea (Washington, USA) and assessed model fit with structural equation modeling. Significant path coefficients linked sediment organic content to shoot size and seedling recruitment, tidal amplitude to reduced flowering, and shoot size and density were inversely correlated. We found no significant links between any morphological or life history trait and nutrient availability, possibly reflecting consistently high nutrients across sites. Variable rates of asexual reproduction and a trade-off between shoot size and density may reflect light limitation in eelgrass’ intertidal range, where light is not expected to be strongly limiting. Overall, structural equation modeling identified organic-rich sediments as relatively more important than desiccation and nutrient conditions for resilience potential of intertidal eelgrass populations in this region. Life history and morphological traits provide eelgrass with recovery mechanisms from disturbance where sediments are muddy, which has implications for both conservation and restoration.  相似文献   

8.
We assessed the suitability of intertidal habitats for spawning by horseshoe crabs (Limulus polyphemus) at 12 proposed restoration sites identified by the United States Army Corps of Engineers along the shore of Jamaica Bay, a highly developed estuary in New York City. Based on beach geomorphology, we chose to quantify horseshoe crab activity at five of the sites during the May–July 2000 breeding season. Horseshoe crabs spawned intensively on small patches of suitable sand within larger areas of eroding shoreline with bulkheads and rubble fill. Small areas of sand behind grounded barges at Brant Point and Dubos Point had densities of over 100,000 eggs m−2, which was equal to or greater than the egg densities on longer, more natural appearing beaches at Spring Creek and Dead Horse Bay, or at a sand spit at Bayswater State Park. There were no significant differences in the percentage of Jamaica Bay horseshoe crab eggs that completed development when cultured using water from Jamaica Bay or lower Delaware Bay, a less polluted location. Only 1% of the embryos from Jamaica Bay exhibited developmental anomalies, a frequency comparable to a previously studied population from Delaware Bay. We suggest that the distribution and abundance of horseshoe crabs at our study areas in Jamaica Bay is presently limited by the availability of suitable shoreline for breeding, rather than by water quality. Restoration efforts that increase the amount of sandy beach in this urban estuary have a good likelihood of benefiting horseshoe crabs and providing additional value to migrating shorebirds that use horseshoe crab eggs as food.  相似文献   

9.
Density, habitat use, and growth of intertidal 0+ age Dungeness crabs, Cancer magister, were examined at five northern Puget Sound (Washington, USA) sites between June 1984 and September 1987. Sampling was conducted biweekly during settlement, from June to September, and approximately monthly or bimonthly thereafter. Northern Puget Sound Dungeness crab populations appear to be largely supported by recruitment from inland parental stocks, but a smaller proportion of recruits originate from coastal or oceanic stocks, as evidenced by earlier settlement and larger size of the first instar. Settlement of Dungeness crabs in inland waters typically peaked in August, and interannual variation in year-class strength at settlement (measured as intertidal density) was low relative to that reported for coastal crab populations. Spatial and interannual differences in settlement densities were mediated by high postsettlement mortality, which varied inversely with habitat complexity. Seasonal densities were highest in mixed sand and gravel with an overstory of attached or drift macroalgae, intermediate in eelgrass (Zostera marina), and lowest on open sand. Postsettlement growth rates corresponded to seasonal water temperatures and were greatest for the coastal cohort that settled in May and June. This cohort was larger as first juvenile instars (7.2 mm carapace width, CW) and grew rapidly at summer temperatures in excess of 15°C to a size (>30 mm CW) that allowed emigration from intertidal to subtidal areas by September. The late summer cohort settled in August at 5.3 mm CW and soon after was subjected to decreasing autumn water temperatures. There crabs experienced little growth while over wintering in the intertidal, but growth rates increased in March, and the crabs emigrated in April and May, approximately 10 mo after settlement.  相似文献   

10.
The rhizocephalanLoxothylacus panopaei parasitizes the estuarine crabRhithropanopeus harrisii. Parasitized crabs are abundant during summers when salinities increase to around 15‰ in the crab–s habitat and scarce when salinities are lower. The two hypotheses that were proposed to explain this pattern were (1) that the parasite interferes with crab osmoregulation causing the host to die in low salinity water and (2) that salinity tolerance of the parasite larvae controls the incidence of parasitism. The first hypothesis was shown to be incorrect because (1) osmoregulation of infected crabs was, not altered by the parasite and (2) crab mortality did not increase in low salinity water down to 1‰. Unparasitized and parasitized crabs and the parasite itself were hypersomotic at low salinities (below 27‰ for the crabs). The parasite became slightly hyperosmotic at high salinities while the crabs were slightly hypoosmotic. The second hypothesis appears correct, becauseL. panopaei larvae survived poorly in salinities below 10‰ but well in salinities from 10 to 15‰. ThusR. harrisii, have a reproductive refuge at salinities below 10‰, because parasite larvae cannot survive and infect the mud crab at these low salinities.  相似文献   

11.
Average summer densities of the xanthid crab,Eurytium limosum, in an intertidal salt marsh on Sapelo Island, Georgia were in the range of 7.5 to 80.0 individuals m?2. Crab densities were lowest in wet, lowlying marsh and highest in well-drained creekbank and mussel mound habitats. An analysis of crab stomach contents indicated that feeding occurred mostly around high tide, especially at night. Although the diet included some plant material,Eurytium limosum is primarily predatory and consumed crabs, polychaetes, ostracods, bivalves, and snails. In the laboratory, under simulated low-tide field conditions, both small (11–15 mm carapace width) and large (20–37 mm CW)Eurytium could capture and consume young killifish (Fundulus heteroclitus). Large crabs consumed the entire size range (7–19 mm total length) of larval/juvenile fish offered, but small crabs did not prey upon fish >11.5 mm TL. The potential importance ofE. limosum as a predator on young killifish may not be realized in the field because alternative prey are available and the crabs feed primarily at high tide, when young killifish are dispersed in the water column and are less vulnerable to benthic predators.  相似文献   

12.
Southwestern Atlantic estuaries (Southern Brazil to Northern Patagonia, Argentina) are characterized by the presence of an intertidal burrowing crab Chasmagnathus granulata. This crab species is an important bioturbator which lives in large assemblages and excavates semi-permanent burrows that affect sediment characteristics. Our observations showed that distribution of the crabs in the Mar Chiquita coastal lagoon, Argentina (37°45′S, 57°26′W) affected habitat use and feeding success of migratory shorebirds. During the migratory season the two-banded plover (Charadrius falklandicus) foraged more frequently inside crab beds, and yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes and T. melanoleuca) fed more freqeuntly outside crab beds. Focal observations on the feeding behavior of the white-rumped sandpiper (Calidris fuscicollis) and the two-banded plover inside and outside crab beds showed that the plover was a visual searcher and captured more prey inside crab beds, and the white-rumped sandpiper was a tactile feeder. Although consumption rates (prey min?1) did not differ between sites, their efficiency (prey probe?1) inside crab beds was less. These differences were probably related to changes in sediment characteristics and prey behavior, which vary with crab activity. Burrowing crabs alter the suitability of intertidal habitats used by shorebirds in southwestern Atlantic estuaries. We believe that the same process could be occurring with other burrowing curstaceans such as thalassinidean shrimps in other estuaries of the world and could have important implications for management of flats for shorebirds. *** DIRECT SUPPORT *** A01BY090 00007  相似文献   

13.
Large desiccation cracks were discovered in the intertidal zone of Zhoushan archipelago, East China Sea. Radiocarbon dating showed that desiccation cracks were formed around 31.2–30.4 cal ka BP. Palynological, mineralogical, and elemental geochemical analyses indicated that the cracks were formed as the result of an abrupt climate shift event. The climate changed from warm and humid, to cold and arid, and back to warm and humid again. This climate event is quite likely linked to Heinrich event 3 via the East Asian Monsoon. Desiccation cracks may provide a new proxy material for studying paleoclimate and paleoenvironment in the Quaternary.  相似文献   

14.
The seasonal oscillation in sulfate and chloride concentration profiles in some salt marsh sediments is due to exchange of solutes with water on the surface of the marsh, and to the desiccation of the sediment in summer. Desiccation is manifested by disappearance of surface waters, fluctuations in the location of the water table, and by removal of water from the sediment above the water table. The loss of water from the pore space is commonly accompanied by entry of air into the soil, which oxidizes sulfide. The oxidation causes titratable alkalinity to decrease and results in CO2 degassing.Diffusion models of salinity can account for the observed profiles but only as long as the marsh is maintained inundated. The complexities introduced to the solute transport equations by sediment desiccation invalidate steady-state modeling of solute transport and diagenesis. The concentration profiles of dissolved products of sulfate reduction, such as bicarbonate, require months to reestablish a steady state after being disrupted. If the profiles of dissolved products of sulfate reduction are disrupted seasonally, such as by a seasonal fluctuation in the water table, they may remain transient throughout the year.  相似文献   

15.
Estuaries provide nursery habitat for juvenile stages of several commercial decapod crustaceans worldwide, and those in the Northeastern Pacific are viewed as providing this function for Dungeness crab,Cancer magister. It is difficult to ascertain the degree to which such estuarine production of juveniles eventually contributes to coastal adult populations and fisheries since there are no direct surveys of adult abundance. As other authors have done, we used fishery landings data to compute the long-term average contribution of 1 + juvenile crab populations reared in estuaries to future coastal fisheries. We focused on Oregon and Washington states, but grouped landings in two large geographic zones by combining fishery ports as adjacent to Large Estuarine Zones (LEZ; Grays Harbor and Willapa Bay, Washington, and both sides of the Columbia River) and Small Estuarine Zones (SEZ; all other ports in Oregon). Mortality estimates were used to reduce 1 + crab abundance to surviving legal males, and portrayed as percent of the fisheries. Trends in the SEZ indicate that an average of only about 5–7% of estuarine production adds to the coastal adult population and contributes about $0.7 million to the fishery. The contribution is 25–30% in the LEZ (but may be higher since interannual density varies up to 5 times) and is worth about $3.9 million based on present ex-vessel value. Analyses of crab distribution and density indicate that the majority of an estuarine population (50–80%) is located in lower side channels (LSC) in spring and summer where temperature is higher and prey within and on adjacent intertidal flats is high. The potential average dollar value of equivalent legal male crab produced from the juvenile population is about $180 ha?1 in LSC (but $280 ha?1 in Grays Harbor where long-term density is highest), and lower in other estuarine habitats ($50–100 ha?1). Estuarine juvenile production provides a relatively stable source of recruits to coastal adult populations, and large systems in the LEZ are important nurseries. Since direct coastal settlement of larvae does occur but is highly variable, the estuarine contribution may be especially important when physical forcing or unusual events lead to low survival of the coastal 0+ cohort. An unusually long period of very low landings in the LEZ from 1981–1987 is interpreted in light of the Mount St. Helens eruption (1980) and subsequent transport and deposition of very fine silt fractions over much of the LEZ nearshore shelf that may have adversely affected several year classes of small, early benthic phase juveniles at that time.  相似文献   

16.
Spartina alterniflora was first introduced into south San Francisco Bay in the 1970’s. Since that time it has spread to new areas within the south bay and is especially well established at four sites. The spread of this introduced species was evaluated by comparing its vegetative and reproductive characteristics to the native cordgrass, Spartina foliosa. The characters studied were intertidal distribution, phenology, aboveground and belowground biomass, growth rates, seed production, and germination rates. Spartina alterniflora has a wider intertidal distribution than S. foliosa and outproduced the native cordgrass in all aspects that were studied. These results indicate that the introduced species has a much better chance of becoming established in new areas than the native species, and once established, it spreads more rapidly vegetatively than the native species. Spartina alterniflora is likely to continue to spread to new areas in the bay and displace the native plant. In addition, this introduced species may effect sedimentation dynamics, available detritus, benthic algal production, wrack deposition and disturbance, habitat structure for native wetland animals, benthic invertebrate populations, and shorebird and wading bird foraging areas. *** DIRECT SUPPORT *** A01BY058 00013  相似文献   

17.
Hyale nilssoni is an intertidal amphipod at open coastal and estuarine habitats in New Hampshire. Two juvenile recruitment peaks occurred during the year (spring and summerfall), with these peaks occurring earlier in the estuary. The spring peak coincided with increasing water temperature at both locations. Body sizes at the two habitats tended to be inversely related to water temperature resulting in a greater body size on the open coast. Energy demands on the animal associated with the fluctuating water temperatures and salinities likely attributed to the smaller body size of the animal in the estuarine population.  相似文献   

18.
Rhythmic movements in response to tidal cycles are characteristic of infaunal inhabitant of intertidal soft-bottoms, allowing them to remain in the area with best living conditions. The effect of bioturbators as modifier of local environmental conditions and thus of gradients in intertidal habitats, has not been investigated yet. The Atlantic estuarine intertidal areas are dominated by the burrowing crabChasmagnathus granulatus that generates strong environmental heterogeneity by affecting the physical-chemical characteristics of the sediment. The comparison between intertidal areas with and without crab shows that sediments in the crab beds remain more humid, softer, and homogeneous across the intertidal and along the tidal cycle than areas without crabs. The densities of infauna were higher at high intertidal zones in crab beds than in similar areas without crabs. Infaunal organisms performed vertical movements into the sediment following the tidal cycle that were always of higher magnitude in habitats without crabs. Infaunal species tend to spend most of the time buried into the sediment in the crab bed. Migratory shorebirds use the Atlantic estuarine environments as stopover or wintering sites. They feed (mainly on polychaetes) in the low intertidal zones of both habitats (with and without crabs), but they also feed in the upper intertidal of the crab bed; polychaete per capita mortality rate is higher in the upper part of the crab bed. Environmental heterogeneity produced by crab disturbance has an effect on the infaunal behavior, risk of mortality, and the zonation pattern. This is another example of the ecosystem engineering ability of a burrowing intertidal species.  相似文献   

19.
Estuaries in the Gulf of Maine contain disjunct, isolated populations of a number of invertebrate taxa typically distributed only sound of Cape Cod. These estuarine populations may either be remnants of a southern fauna that were stranded by Quaternary changes in water temperature, or they may have been established more recently via larvae that entered the estuaries from the open ocean. We tested these hypotheses by examining the distribution of sibling species of hydroids that are symbiotic on paguriid hermit crabs. These crab-hydroid species pairs differ greatly in their ability to colonize new areas through the water column. The hermit crabs possess a planktonic larva that can disperse great distances, while the hydroids have a crawling planula larva that is extremely limited in its dispersal capabilities. Consequently, estuarine hermit crab populations that lack their native hydroid symbiont are likely to have originated by larval colonization. Hydroid sibling species were identified on the basis of MDH electromorphs. Species identifications were confirmed through a limited number of test matings with colonies of known species identity. In three out of the four estuaries that we examined, shells inhabited by the southern hermit crab,Pagurus longicarpus, were occupied only by the local northern hydroid,Hydractinia polyclina. This pattern is consistent with a more recent establishment of the hermit crab populations through larval dispersal or transport. However, in Casco Bay, shells inhabited byP. longicarpus were occupied by a mixture of the northern hydroid,H. polyclina, and the southern hydroid,H. symbiolongicarpus, that is associated withP. longicarpus throughout the southern part of its range. Thus, theP. longicarpus population in Casco Bay may either be a relict of a former, more broadly distributed population of this crab in the Gulf of Maine, or if recently established, is likely to have originated by the introduction of adult crabs with hydroid-covered shells.  相似文献   

20.
Complex intertidal habitats characteristic of northeastern Pacific coastal estuaries provide critical nursery environments for young-of-the-year Dungeness crab,Cancer magister, yet their role in supporting subsequent year classes remains unclear. SubadultC. magister (40–130 mm; 1+ and >1+ year classes), which reach densities as high as 4,300 crabs ha?1 in subtidal channels during low tides, migrate during flood tides from subtidal refuges into intertidal habitats to forage. As with other brachyuran species that undertake extensive tidally-driven migrations, intertidal foraging may contribute significantly to the energy budget of subadultC. magister. In order to explore the energetic incentive for intertidal migrations by subadult crabs, we developed an ontogenetically-based bioenergetics model for crabs within Willapa Bay, Washington. The model showed that energetic demand varied spatially across the bay, with the highest average energetic demand of a population of subadult crabs (2.13×106 kJ ha?1) occurring in a habitat stratum termed lower side channel (LSC) and characterized by relatively little subtidal area and extensive intertidal flats. Comparison of model results with subtidal prey production revealed that the latter could not satisfy subadultC. magister energetic demands, especially in LSC where modeled crab predation depleted subtidal prey biomass within 17 simulation days. We estimate that 1 ha of subtidal crabs from LSC would minimally require an additional 1.6 ha of intertidal area to satisfy energetic demands without depleting prey biomass. Our model results support the assertion thatC. magister make regular migrations to forage on productive intertidal flats, and suggest that intertidal foraging may contribute significantly to the diet of subadult crabs in coastal estuaries.  相似文献   

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