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1.
Mud snails Hydrobia ulvae occupy different habitats in complex estuarine ecosystems. In order to determine if fatty acid profiles displayed by mud snails can be used to identify the habitat that they occupy within the same estuary, fatty acids of H. ulvae from one mudflat and one seagrass meadow in the Ria de Aveiro (Portugal) were analyzed and compared to those displayed by microphytobenthos (MPB), the green leaves (epiphyte-free) of Zostera noltii, as well as those exhibited by the epiphytic community colonizing this seagrass. MPB and epiphytic diatom-dominated samples displayed characteristic fatty acids, such as 16:1n-7 and 20:5n-3, while 18:2n-6 and 18:3n-3 were the dominant fatty acids in the green leaves of Z. noltii. Significant differences between the fatty acid profiles of H. ulvae specimens sampled in the mudflat and the seagrass meadow could be identified, with those from the mudflat displaying higher levels of fatty acids known to be characteristic of MPB. This result points towards the well known existence of grazing activity on MPB by mud snails. The fatty acid profiles displayed by H. ulvae inhabiting the seagrass meadows show no evidence of direct bioaccumulation of the two most abundant polyunsaturated fatty acids of Z. noltii (18:2n-6 and 18:3n-3) in the mud snails, which probably indicates that either these compounds can be metabolized to produce energy, used as precursors for the synthesis of essential fatty acids, or that the snails do not consume seagrass leaves at all. Moreover, the fatty acid profiles of mud snails inhabiting the seagrass meadows revealed the existence of substantial inputs from microalgae, suggesting that the epiphytic community colonizing the leaves of Z. noltii displays an important role on the diet of these organisms. This assumption is supported by the high levels of 20:5n-3 and 22:6n-3 recorded in mud snails sampled from seagrass meadows. In conclusion, fatty acid analyses of H. ulvae can be successfully used to identify the habitat occupied by these organisms within the same estuary (e.g. mudflats and seagrass meadows) and reveal the existence of contrasting dietary regimes.  相似文献   

2.
Ecosystem engineering by plants and animals significantly influences community structure and the physico-chemical characteristics of marine habitats. In this paper we document the contrasting effects of ecosystem engineering by the cordgrass Spartina maritima and the burrowing sandprawn Callianassa kraussi on physico-chemical characteristics, microflora, macrofaunal community structure and morphological attributes in the high shore intertidal sandflats of Langebaan Lagoon, a marine-dominated system on the west coast of South Africa. Comparisons were made at six sites in the lagoon within Spartina and Callianassa beds, and in a “bare zone” of sandflat between these two habitats that lacks both sandprawns and cordgrass. Sediments in Spartina habitats were consolidated by the root-shoot systems of the cordgrass, leading to low sediment penetrability, while sediments in beds of C. kraussi were more penetrable, primarily due to the destabilising effects of sandprawn bioturbation. Sediments in the “bare zone” had intermediate to low values of penetrability. Sediment organic content was lowest in bare zones and greatest in Spartina beds, while sediment chl-a levels were greatest on bare sand, but were progressively reduced in the Spartina and Callianassa beds. These differences among habitats induced by ecosystem engineering in turn affected the macrofauna. Community structure was different between all three habitats sampled, with species richness being surprisingly greater in Callianassa beds than either the bare zone or Spartina beds. In general, the binding of surface sediments by the root systems of Spartina favoured rigid-bodied, surface-dwelling and tube-building species, while the destabilising effect of bioturbation by C. kraussi favoured burrowing species. The contrasting effects of these ecosystem engineers suggest that they play important roles in increasing habitat heterogeneity. Importantly, the role of bioturbation by C. kraussi in enhancing macrofaunal richness was unexpected. By loosening sediments, reducing anoxia and enhancing organic content, C. kraussi may engineer these high shore habitats to ameliorate environmental stresses or increase food availability.  相似文献   

3.
A current predominant paradigm emphasizes the role of epiphytic algae for invertebrates in most seagrass food webs. However, in some intertidal Zostera noltii beds, epiphyte biomass is very low compared to microphytobenthos and seagrass biomasses. We assessed the role of microphytobenthos in a temperate intertidal Z. noltii bed by combining stable isotope and fatty acid (FA) analyses on primary producers, composite sources — suspended particulate organic matter (SPOM) and sediment surface organic matter (SSOM) — and the main macrofaunal consumers. Z. noltii showed high δ13C (−9.9‰) and high 18:2(n-6) and 18:3(n-3) contents. Microphytobenthos was slightly more 13C-depleted (−15.4‰) and had high levels of diatom markers: 14:0, 16:1(n-7)c, 20:5(n-3). Low mean δ13C (−22.0‰) and large amounts of diatom and bacteria (18:1(n-7)c) markers indicated that SPOM was mainly composed of a mixture of fresh and decayed pelagic diatoms. Higher mean δ13C (−17.9‰) and high amounts of diatom FAs were found in SSOM, showing that microphytobenthic diatoms dominate. Very low percentages of 18:2(n-6) and 18:3(n-3) in consumers indicated a low contribution of Z. noltii material to their diets. Grazers, deposit and suspension-deposit feeders had δ13C close to microphytobenthos and high levels of diatom FAs, confirming that microphytobenthos represented the main part of their diet. Lower δ13C and higher amounts of flagellate FAs – 22:6(n-3) and 16:4(n-3) – in suspension feeders indicated that their diet resulted from a mixture of SPOM and microphytobenthos. These results demonstrate that invertebrates do not consume high amounts of seagrass and highlight the main role of benthic diatoms in this intertidal seagrass bed.  相似文献   

4.
The abiotic disturbance of urban wastewater discharge and its effects in the population structure, plant morphology, leaf nutrient content, epiphyte load and macroalgae abundance of Zostera noltii meadows were investigated in Ria Formosa coastal lagoon, southern Portugal using both univariate and multivariate analysis. Four sites were assessed, on a seasonal basis, along a gradient from a major Waste Water Treatment Works (WWTW) discharge to a main navigation channel. The wastewater discharge caused an evident environmental disturbance through the nutrient enrichment of the water and sediment, particularly of ammonium. Zostera noltii of the sites closest to the nutrient source showed higher leaf N content, clearly reflecting the nitrogen load. The anthropogenic nutrient enrichment resulted in higher biomass, and higher leaf and internode length, except for the meadow closest to the wastewater discharge (270 m). The high ammonium concentration (158–663 μM) in the water at this site resulted in the decrease of biomass, and both the leaf and internode length, suggesting a toxic effect on Z. noltii. The higher abundance of macroalgae and epiphytes found in the meadow closest to the nutrient source may also affect the species negatively. Shoot density was higher at the nutrient-undisturbed site. Two of the three abiotic processes revealed by Principal Component Analysis were clearly related to the WWTW discharge, a contrast between water column salinity and nutrient concentration and a sediment contrast between both porewater nutrients and temperature and redox potential. A multiple regression analysis showed that these abiotic processes had a significant effect on the biomass-density dynamics of meadows and on the overall size of Z. noltii plants, respectively. Results show that the wastewater discharge is an important source of environmental disturbance and nutrients availability in Ria Formosa lagoon affecting the population structure, morphology and N content of Z. noltii. This impact is spatially restricted to areas up to 600 m distant from the WWTW discharge, probably due to the high water renewal of the lagoon.  相似文献   

5.
The spatial variability of seagrass meadows in Arcachon Bay, was studied between 1988 and 2008 using a combination of mapping techniques based on aerial photographs for intertidal dwarf-grass (Zostera noltii) beds and acoustic sonar for permanently submerged eelgrass (Zostera marina) populations. The results show a severe decline over the period for both species, as well as an acceleration of the decline since 2005 for Z. noltii. The total surface regression over the studied period is estimated to be 22.8 km2 for Z. noltii and 2.7 km2 for Z. marina, which represent declines of 33 and 74% respectively.  相似文献   

6.
The littoral zone of Chesapeake Bay contains a mosaic of shallow vegetated and nonvegetated habitats with biotic components that are sensitive to changes in biological and physical driving factors. Static and dynamic modelling frameworks provide an integrative way to study complex hydrodynamic and biogeochemical processes in linked estuarine habitats. In this study we describe a spatial simulation model developed and calibrated relative to a specific littoral zone, estuarine ecosystem. The model consisted of four distinct habitats that contained phytoplankton, sediment microalgae, Zostera marina (eelgrass), and Spartina alterniflora. There was tidal exchange of phytoplankton, particulate and dissolved organic carbon and dissolved inorganic nitrogen between the littoral zone ecosystem and the offshore channel. Physical exchange and biogeochemical transformations within the habitats determined water column concentrations in each habitat. Predicted subtidal water column concentrations and Z. marina and S. alterniflora biomass were within the variability of validation data and the predicted annual rates of net primary production were similar to measured rates. Phytoplankton accounted for 17%, sediment microalgae 46%, the Z. marina community 24% and S. alterniflora 13% of the annual littoral zone primary production. The linked habitat model provided insights into producer, habitat and ecosystem carbon and nitrogen properties that might not have been evident with stand-alone models. Although it was an intra-ecosystem sink for particulate carbon, the seagrass habitat was a DOC source and responsible for over 30% of the littoral zone carbon and nitrogen primary production. The model predicted that the Goodwin Islands littoral zone was a sink of channel derived POC, but a source of DOC to the surrounding estuary. The framework created in this study of estuarine ecosystem dynamics is applicable to many different aquatic systems over a range of spatial and temporal scales.  相似文献   

7.
Habitat fragmentation in meadows of Posidonia oceanica, the most important and abundant seagrass in the Mediterranean Sea, was investigated at a region-wide spatial scale using a synthetic ecological index, the Patchiness Index (PI). We tested the hypothesis that human impacts are the major factor responsible for habitat fragmentation in P. oceanica meadows contrasting fragmentation of meadows located in “anthropized” areas with that of meadows located in areas with low anthropization and considered as virtually “natural”. We also related fragmentation of meadow with the morphodynamic state of the submerged beach (i.e. distinctive types of beach produced by the topography, the wave climate and the sediment composition) in order to investigate the influence of one natural component on the seagrass meadow seascape. Results demonstrated that fragmentation in the P. oceanica meadows is strongly influenced by the human component, being lower in natural meadows than in anthropized ones, and that it is little influenced by the morphodynamic state of the coast. The use of landscape approaches to discriminate natural disturbance from human impacts that affect seagrass meadows is thus recommended for the proper management of coastal zones.  相似文献   

8.
Multiple stable isotope analyses were used to examine the trophic shifts at faunal assemblages within the invading macroalga Caulerpa racemosa in comparison to established communities of Posidonia oceanica seagrass meadows. Sampling of macrobenthic invertebrates and their potential food sources of algal mats and seagrass meadows in Mallorca (NW Mediterranean) showed differences in species composition of faunal and primary producers among seagrass and C. racemosa. Accordingly, changes in food web structure and trophic guilds were observed, not only at species level but also at community level. The carbon and nitrogen isotope signatures of herbivores, detritivores and deposit feeders confirmed that the seagrass provided a small contribution to the macrofaunal organisms. δ13C at the P. oceanica seagrass and at the C. racemosa assemblages differed, ranging from −6.19 to −21.20‰ and −2.67 to −31.41‰, respectively. δ15N at the Caulerpa mats was lower (ranging from 2.64 to 10.45‰) than that at the seagrass meadows (3.51–12. 94‰). Significant differences in isotopic signatures and trophic level among trophic guilds at P. oceanica and C. racemosa were found. N fractionation at trophic guild level considerable differed between seagrass and macroalgae mats, especially for detritivores, deposit feeders, and herbivores. Filter feeders slightly differed with a relatively lower N signal at the seagrass and CR values at community level and at trophic guild level were higher in the C. racemosa invaded habitats indicating an increase in diversity of basal resource pools. C. racemosa did seem to broaden the niche diversity of the P. oceanica meadows it colonised at the base of the food web, may be due to the establishment of a new basal resource. The extent of the effects of invasive species on ecosystem functioning is a fundamental issue in conservation ecology. The observed changes in invertebrate and macrophytic composition, stable isotope signatures of concomitant species and consequent trophic guild and niche breadth shifts at invaded Caulerpa beds increase our understanding of the seagrass systems.  相似文献   

9.
The cordgrass Spartina anglica is an introduced species that tends to invade sheltered sand and mudflats, at the upper low marsh level. In Arcachon Bay, a lagoon in South West of France, the cordgrass can also replace Zostera noltii beds. The consequence of cordgrass presence on macrobenthic fauna was estimated and compared to adjacent habitats (bare sands, Z. noltii sea grass beds) during one year. The communities of the three habitats were characterised by low species richness, low abundance and biomass (when Hydrobia ulvae, 90% of abundance, is not considered) and high seasonal stability. The infaunal assemblages were particularly homogeneous between habitats without any characteristic species.Cordgrass eradication experiments were performed and zoobenthic recolonisation was observed the following year. Modifications in benthic fauna were observed on epifauna only.These results highlight the limited structuring effect of habitat heterogeneity at high tidal levels and in soft-bottom sediments where desiccation becomes the dominant factor determining infauna community structure.  相似文献   

10.
Predicting species distribution and habitat suitability is of considerable use in supporting the implementation of environmental legislation, protection and conservation of marine waters and ecosystem-based management. As other seagrasses, Zostera noltii has declined worldwide, mainly due to human pressures, such as eutrophication and habitat loss. In the case of the Basque Country (northern Spain), the species is present only in 3 out of 12 estuaries. From the literature, it is known that at least 6 of these estuaries were formerly vegetated by this seagrass. Consequently, efforts to monitor and restore (potential) habitats have been enhanced. Therefore, we aim: (i) to determine the main environmental variables explaining Zostera noltii distribution, within the Basque estuaries based upon the Oka estuary; (ii) to model habitat suitability for this species, as a wider applicable management-decision tool for seagrass restoration; and (iii) to assess the applicability and predicted accuracy of the model by using internal and external validation methods. For this purpose, Ecological Niche Factor Analysis (ENFA) has been used to model habitat suitability, based upon topographical variables, obtained from bathymetric Light Detection And Ranging (LiDAR); sediment characteristics variables; and hydrodynamic variables. The results obtained from the ecological factors of the ENFA (Marginality: 1.00; Specialization: 2.59) indicate that the species habitat differs considerably from the mean environmental conditions over the study area; likewise, that the species is restrictive in the selection of the range of conditions within which it dwells. The main environmental variables relating to the species distribution, in order of importance, are: mean grain size; redox potential; intertidal height; sediment sorting; slope of intertidal flat; percentage of gravels; and percentage of organic matter content. The model has a high predicted accuracy (Boyce index: 0.92). Model validation using an independent dataset in the Bidasoa estuary has shown the applicability but also the limitations in extrapolating the habitat suitability model to select suitable transplantation areas in other estuaries with similar morphological and biogeographical characteristics. ENFA-technique, applied with an accurate selection of environmental predictors, could be a promising tool for predicting seagrass habitat suitability which could assist on seagrass conservation and restoration programs worldwide.  相似文献   

11.
This study documents long-term changes of a Zostera noltii landscape induced by a natural cyclic event in a coastal lagoon. The barrier-islands forming this system are very dynamic with drifting movements controlling ecological patterns and processes occurring in this area. Changes in the areal extent of the Z. noltii meadows were assessed using historical aerial photographs from 1940, 1980, 1989, 1996 and 1998. Landscape indices such as total patch area (TA), mean patch size (MPS), number of patches (NP), mean shape coefficient of variation (CV) and landscape fractal dimension (D) were calculated for each year and related to an index of disturbance intensity. The spatial distribution of the Z. noltii meadows varied greatly during the studied period and changes observed were related to the disturbance created by the barrier-islands' spatial dynamics. After an artificial inlet relocation the Z. noltii area, number of patches, patch mean size and coefficient of variation decreased. The fractal dimension of the Z. noltii landscape increased by 50% showing that besides a decrease in total area, number of patches, and patch mean area, patch fragmentation was an important consequence of this anthropogenic disturbance.Seagrass natural distribution patterns changed in response to natural and human-induced activities. This study emphasizes the importance of the landscape approach and the historical perspective when studying seagrass changes and the importance of taking into consideration long-term changes in seagrass landscapes to avoid confusion between man-induced effects with natural cyclic events.  相似文献   

12.
Freshwater seepages and ephemeral Enteromorpha spp. proliferation create heterogeneity at small spatial scale in intertidal sediment. Macrobenthic community diversity was compared between these two disturbances and their respective control points throughout the year 2007 at the Roscoff Aber Bay (Western English Channel, France). In March and September 2007, trophic community pathways of characteristic species were additionally studied using stable isotope ratios of carbon and nitrogen. The low salinity recorded at the freshwater seepage induced the exclusion of the main bioturbator and the presence of omnivores which modified the community composition by biotic pressure. Moreover, food web analyses clearly highlighted a separation at small spatial scale between the two trophic pathways of the impacted area and its control. On the contrary, little differences were observed owning to the ephemeral Enteromorpha spp. proliferation. This suggested a progressive and diffusive disturbance which was applied from the algal mat to the nearby area. However, seasonal changes were observed. First, the algal expansion phase increased the macrofauna diversity and foraminifers’ abundance (meiofauna) and then acted as a physical barrier decreasing sediment and water column exchanges and decreasing the fauna diversity. This study highlights the need to take into account small spatial heterogeneity to avoid misinterpretations in intertidal ecology studies.  相似文献   

13.
Saltmarshes, seagrass meadows and mudflats are key habitats in estuarine ecosystems. Despite being involved in key ecological processes, the influence of different estuarine habitats on sediment bacterial communities remains understudied. Few studies have analysed and compared the bacterial communities of more than one estuarine habitat at different depths. Here, we investigated to what extent different habitats (mudflats; mono‐specific plots of seagrass [Zostera noltei] and two saltmarsh plants [Juncus maritimus and Spartina maritima]) and sampling depth (0, 5, 10 cm) influence variation in sediment bacterial composition. Our results showed significant differences in the abundance of selected higher taxa amongst habitats and depths. Surface sediment was characterized by bacteria assigned to the Acidimicrobiia, Flavobacteriia, Thiotrichales, Alteromonadales and Rhodobacterales, whereas in deeper sediment Deltaproteobacteria and Anaerolineae were dominant. Juncus sediment, in turn, presented the most distinct bacterial community, with Myxococcales abundant in this habitat. Sampling depth and habitat proved significant predictors of variation in sediment bacterial composition. The compositional dissimilarities amongst habitats and depths suggest functional divergence and complementarity, thus enhancing ecosystem functioning and health. Given the compositionally distinct communities found in different habitats and depths, our study corroborates the importance of conserving a diverse array of estuarine habitats.  相似文献   

14.
海草床是海岸带最富生产力的生态系统之一，支撑着各种各样的伴生生物。热带的印度和太平洋地区被认为拥有海草植物种类多样性最高，且分布面积最广，然而，这个区域的海草床大型底栖生物我们知之甚少。为了填补认知的空白，我们在该区域开展了一项生态调查，旨在描述该区热带海草床大型底栖生物的丰度和多样性，以及确定大型底栖生物丰度、物种丰富度和群落结构是否明显存在断面内的站间变化和样地间变化。2014年5月和2015年10月我们分别在北苏拉威西省东海岸和西海岸开展野外工作，使用柱状取样器采集海草床大型底栖生物样品。所得样品共计鉴定14大类149种底栖生物，种类最为丰富的类别为多毛类（56种，占26%的总个体数），十足类（20种，占9%的总个体数）和端足类（18种，占35%的总个体数）。东、西海岸海草床大型底栖生物表现出不同的空间分布模式。在东海岸，同一断面的大型底栖生物和端足类的丰度存在显著的站间差异；而在西海岸，大型底栖生物和多毛类的种类丰富度和丰度都表现出明显的站间变化，这可能归结于同一断面底质不均所造成。单因素ANOSIM以及MDS排序表明了北苏拉威西省东海岸和西海岸海草床大型底栖生物群落结构存在显著不同，正好对应于将海草床分成两大类型的栖息地，即西海岸的红树林-海草床-珊瑚连续体和东海岸的海草床-珊瑚连续体。与在热带海区开展的其他研究相比，本研究的大型底栖生物丰度和多样性处于中等水平。东、西海岸海草床大型底栖生物群落存在显著区别，其原因可能源于多方面，包括了沉积物模式，海草床结构和时间变化。  相似文献   

15.
The faunal communities of four intertidal habitats namely sand, mud, seagrass (Zostera noltii) and seagrass patches (mixSM) of a temperate coastal lagoon, Ria Formosa (southern Portugal), were sampled. A total of 47 species were taken in 428 bottomless drop sampler samples, with the highest number of species and the more commonly occurring species belonging to the Mollusca phylum. The dominance of these gastropod species underlines the importance of the grazing food chain in these habitats. Bittium reticulatum was the most abundant species, being especially abundant in the seagrass habitat. The most frequent and highest biomass species in the community was Carcinus maenas, a predator that makes use of the available resources and that is adapted to the highly variable intertidal environment. Pomatoschistus microps was the most abundant fish species, with highest densities in the mud habitat, which demonstrates an ability to occupy a low depth area. The seagrass habitat had the highest diversity, abundance and biomass, followed by the mixSM habitat and was different from all the others. Assemblages were highly influenced by the presence of vegetation, providing forage and refuge from predation. A well defined summer group was identified in all habitats. These results highlight the importance of seagrass beds and the idea that their decrease implies the decrease of lagoon production through the impoverishment of the trophic structure of the lagoon.  相似文献   

16.
Tropical shallow-water habitats such as mangroves and seagrass beds are widely acknowledged as important juvenile habitats for various coral reef fish species, most of which are commercially important to fisheries. Spatio-temporal variability in ontogenetic habitat use by fish among these tropical coastal ecosystems has rarely been investigated, yet there are sufficient reasons to believe that this plays an important role. In the present study, we test the spatio-temporal variability in patterns of ontogenetic habitat use by some mangrove/seagrass-associated coral reef fishes (Lethrinus harak, Lethrinus lentjan, Lutjanus fulviflamma and Siganus sutor). Abundances of these four species were investigated during two years in Tanzanian coastal waters, using underwater visual census in mangrove, seagrass, shallow and deep mudflat, and shallow and deep coral reef habitats. The study covered four distinct seasons of the year and was done at two spatially separated (>40 km) locations. Averaged across locations, seasons and years, juveniles (≤10 cm length) of the four study species had significantly higher relative densities in shallow-water (mangroves and seagrass beds) than in deep-water habitats (deep mudflats or coral reefs), whereas the opposite pattern was found for the adults (>15 cm). These findings suggest a strong and general pattern of ontogenetic habitat shifts from shallow- to deep-water habitats. However, specific habitat-use patterns of juveniles as well as adults differed significantly in time and space. Various species showed subtle to considerable flexibility in juvenile as well as adult habitat use across seasons, years, or at different locations. Furthermore, for some species the data suggest presence of ontogenetic habitat shifts at one location but lack thereof at the other location. In summary, ontogenetic habitat use needs to be considered at various spatial and temporal scales for the interpretation of habitat utilization by fish during different life stages. This is important for conservation and management of these habitats, as essential habitats or seasons may be ignored or over-emphasized with respect to their importance for fish during different parts of their life cycle.  相似文献   

17.
In the northern Wadden Sea, the extent of intertidal seagrass beds, their plant biomass and shoot density highly depends on local current regimes. This study deals with the role of intertidal Zostera noltii beds as nursery for mobile epibenthic macrofauna and the impact of seagrass bed characteristics on their abundance and distribution patterns. According to their exposure to the main tidal gullies, sampling sites were separated into exposed, semi-exposed and sheltered. Dominant species of crustaceans and demersal fish were studied in respect of their abundances within seagrass beds and adjacent unvegetated areas. Quantitative sampling was performed at day and night high tide using a portable drop trap. In general, species composition varied little between seagrass beds and bare sand. However, the presence of vegetation had a quantitative effect increasing individual numbers of common epifaunal species. Abundances of 0-group shore crabs (Carcinus maenas), common gobies (Pomatoschistus microps) and brown shrimps (Crangon crangon) were highest within sheltered seagrass beds. With decreasing plant density habitat preference of epibenthos changed on species level. By regulating the habitat complexity the currents regime is profoundly influencing the nursery function of intertidal seagrass beds in the Wadden Sea.  相似文献   

18.
Seagrasses are well-known ecosystem engineers. They reduce water dynamics and sediment resuspension, and trap fine sediments. However, exceptions of this paradigm have been reported. To test whether these exceptions could be related to plant cover and environmental conditions, we investigated sediment modification under influence of seagrass presence in various annual eelgrass (Zostera marina) beds with varying plant cover and sediment composition.  相似文献   

19.
The response of a sub-arctic, deep-sea macrofaunal community to a simulated food sedimentation event was studied by means of a stable isotope “pulse-chase” experiment. A food pulse was simulated by adding 500 mg C m−2 of 13C-labelled diatoms, Chaetoceros radicans, to sediment cores retrieved from 1080 m in the Faroe-Shetland Channel. Carbon uptake by specific macrofaunal groups was quantified after 3 and 6 days of incubation. The carbon uptake of the dominant taxon (Polychaeta) was quantified at the genus-, and where possible, species-level, representing a data resolution that is rare in deep-sea tracer studies. The macrofaunal community reacted rapidly to the diatom addition, with 47% and 70% of the animals illustrating 13C-enrichment after 3 and 6 days, respectively. Approximately 95% of C uptake was located in the upper 2 cm due to the particularly shallow vertical distribution of the macrofaunal community and the nonexistent tracer subduction by burrowing species. Polychaetes of the families Ampharetidae and Cirratulidae were among the most heavily labelled with above background enrichment reaching 1300‰. Approximately 0.8 and 2.0 mg C m−2 were processed by the macrofauna after 3 and 6 days, representing 0.2% and 0.4% of the added carbon, respectively. It was not possible to differentiate sub-surface deposit-feeding polychaetes from predator/scavenger- and omnivorous polychaetes using their natural ??15N signatures. However, the combination of natural abundance ??15N data and 13C-labelling experiments proved to be useful for elucidating trophic relations in deep-sea food webs. This study confirms that macrofauna play an active role in the short-term carbon cycling at bathyal depths even at sub-zero temperatures and highlights the need for detailed knowledge of the community structure in understanding carbon processing patterns and early diagenesis of organic matter in marine sediments.  相似文献   

20.
The demand for sensitive biological tools to assess the environmental quality of coastal waters at broad spatial scales is increasing. Many of the tools used are based on the taxonomic composition of biotic assemblages. They usually require a valuable taxonomic expertise while are unique reflecting the overall ecosystem integrity. Here, we evaluate the potential indicator value of several features of the epiphytic community (overall assemblage composition, species richness, and proportion of the main taxonomic groups) growing on the seagrass Posidonia oceanica leaves. We do so by empirically examining their changes along a disturbance gradient where multiple human activities have interactive and cumulative impacts, sampling at different spatial scales and at two different depths (5 and 15 m). Our results show that the specific composition of the epiphytic assemblages (i.e. species composition) closely reflects, in the deep meadows, the combined effects of different anthropogenic stressors along the gradient, showing an integrative and non-specific response. Similarly, an increase in the proportion of hydrozoans, and a decrease in the proportion of rhodophytes and chlorophytes are observed in deep meadows along the gradient. In shallow meadows, grazing and biotic features of the seagrass seem the main forcing factors determining species composition, and therefore masking the response of epiphytes to the deterioration gradient. After address the effect of natural sources of variability (water depth, within- and between-meadow heterogeneity), changes in epiphyte assemblages and in the proportion of hydrozoans, rhodophytes and chlorophytes in relatively deep meadows seem promising monitoring tools for detecting coastal environmental deterioration.  相似文献   

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