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1.
Variability in early life stages of species that are permanent residents of the estuarine nekton is poorly understood, especially in systems with extensive areas of emergent vegetation (e.g., salt marshes and mangroves). Sampling small mobile nekton in these shallow intertidal habitats presents a difficult methodological challenge. Simulated aquatic microhabitats (SAMs) were used to collect the early life stages of resident nekton that remained on the emergent marsh surface after it was exposed by the tide and could not be adequately sampled by traditional methods. Where the intertidal is a prominent areal component of the estuary, a large portion of young nekton could be overlooked using other common survey methods (e.g., plankton tows or block nets). Populations of young fishes and natant crustaceans were monitored for a year at 3-d to 6-d intervals from both low and high intertidal elevations within each of two marsh sites on Sapelo Island, Georgia, USA. Three species accounted for >99% of the 41,023 individuals collected. These were the killifishesFundulus heteroclitus (57.0%) andF. luciae (4.0%), and the daggerblade grass shrimp,Palaemonetes pugio (38.4%). YoungF. heteroclitus were used in field enclosure experiments to relate abundance data to actual areal densities. Average annual estimated density of young nekton on the surface of the intertidal marsh at low tide was 7.2 individuals m?2. Early life stages of estuarine resident species, particularly those with demersal young, are not affected by the same physical processes influencing larval supply and recruitment variability in marine-spawned species. In salt marshes, biotic factors (e.g., adult reproductive activity, predation, and food limitation) may be more important as proximate causes of variation during the early life histories of resident nekton.  相似文献   

2.
A spill of approximately 284,000 liters of Bunker C and diesel fuel oils occurred at the entrance of Yaquina Bay, Oregon, following the wreck of the freighterBlue Magpie on 19 November 1983. A portion of this oil entered the lower estuary and was deposited on subtidal benthic habitats occupied by the phoxocephalid amphipodRhepoxynius abronius. This species is particularly sensitive to contaminants in sediment and its life history had previously been studied at the same sites affected by the spill. The oil was initially present as small, sand-coated globules at the study site, and persisted in association with detritus and sediment for months. Bioassays withRhepoxynius abronius showed that the oil globules were not acutely toxic unless mixed into the sediment at concentrations of 1.0 parts per thousand or greater. A series of 10-d bioassays before and after the spill showed that sediment collected from oiled subtidal sites did not become acutely toxic to this species. Although the density of theR. abronius population declined by 75% after the spill, similar declines of the same population were observed at this site in fall 1980. Oil-exposedR. abronius from Yaquina Bay were slightly more sensitive to cadmium in sediment than individuals from Whidbey Island, Puget Sound, Washington. Although mean fecundity was greater in 1984 than in 1981, recruitment following the spill was lower than in the 1980–1981 study. Thus, there is limited evidence for a small impact of the oil spill on this sensitive amphipod.  相似文献   

3.
Community structure and intertidal zonation of the macrobenthos on a macrotidal, ultra-dissipative beach were studied. On the beach of De Panne, Belgium, six transects perpendicular to the waterline (each with five stations) were sampled in September 1995 (summer) and March 1996 (winter). The 30 stations were distributed across the continuum from mean high water spring to mean low water spring in order to sample the macrobenthos at different levels of elevation. The 39 species found had total densities up to 5,500 ind m−2 in summer and 1,400 ind m−2 in winter. The highest densities were found in the spionid polychaetesScolelepis squamata andSpio filicornis, the nephtyid polychaeteNephtys cirrosa, the cirolanid isopodEurydice pulchra, and the haustorid amphipodsBathyporeia spp. Based on species composition, specific densities, and biomass, two species associations were defined: a relatively species-poor, high intertidal species association, dominated byS. squamata and with an average density of 1,413 ind m−2 and biomass of 808 mg AFDW m−2 (summer); and a relatively species-rich, low intertidal species association, dominated byN. cirrosa, and with an average density of 104 ind m−2 and biomass of 162 mg AFDW m−2 in summer. For both seasons, the high intertidal species association was restricted in its intertidal distribution between the mean tidal and the mean high-water spring level, whereas the low intertidal species association was found from the mean tidal level to the subtidal. The latter showed good affinities with the subtidalN. cirrosa species association occurring just offshore of De Panne beach, confirming the existence of a relationship between the low intertidal and subtidal macrobenthic species associations. Summer-winter comparison revealed a strong decrease in densities and biomass in the high intertidal zone during winter. Habitat continuity of the low intertidal zone with the subtidal allows subtidal organisms to repopulate the low intertidal zone.  相似文献   

4.
Coastal wetlands worldwide have been negatively impacted by humans, causing decreases in the vegetation used as a refuge from predation by juveniles of many species. This study examined juvenile fiddler crab densities and species composition (Uca pugnax, Uca pugilator, and Uca minax), and their use of gastropod shells (Littorina littoraria), at three low and three high impact sites on barrier islands in southeast Georgia. On six dates in June–August 2010, samples were taken from 10 quadrats (1 m2) at each site to determine juvenile fiddler crab densities and species composition, as well as gastropod shell densities and percent shell use. Multiplex PCR was used to identify juvenile fiddler crabs to species. Juvenile fiddler crab densities were lower at high impact sites, while gastropod shell densities and shell use were similar at both low and high impact sites. Species compositions differed between low and high impact sites on the substrate and in shells, with more U. pugilator and U. minax at high impact sites. A change in fiddler crab densities and species composition could cause a substantial change in southeastern salt marshes.  相似文献   

5.
Investigations into zonation of estuarine invertebrates often indicate that animals living higher in the intertidal region have greater tolerance to effects of aerial exposure. Desiccation tolerances ofEurypanopeus depressus, a xanthid mud crab, were measured in the laboratory for both intertidal and subtidal populations to determine whether intertidal distribution is the result of either increased physiological resistance to drying or other factors. Initially, both populations had a similar percentage of body weight due to water, and at time of death both had lost a similar percentage of water. Desiccation tolerance increased exponentially with size. In laboratory experiments,E. depressus appears very susceptible to desiccation stress with loss of tactile response occurring at 30% depletion of body water. This crab may be able to avoid desiccation and survive in the intertidal zone by remaining in the shelter and moisture of oyster shells and mud at low tide. However,E. depressus may not be limited strictly by physical factors of its environment. Biotic factors such as behavior leading to predator avoidance are possibly more important components in limiting distribution.  相似文献   

6.
The structural attributes and zonation patterns of mangrove forests in a dry environmental setting were evaluated in relation to gradients of soil resources, soil regulators, and hydroperiod between October 2000 and August 2001 in the Gulf of Fonseca, Honduras. Transects perpendicular to the edge of tidal channels were established at four mangrove sites, each sectioned into three mangrove zones (fringe, transition, and scrub) based upon distinct tree-height gradients. Porewater sulfide concentrations among zones were normally below levels of detection (<0.03 mM) and mean redox values ranged from 163.4±9.9 to −42.4±15.8 mv, indicating slightly reducing conditions in all zones. Mean porewater NOx − and PO4 3− concentrations were not significantly different among zones and ranged from 3.3±0.5 to 4.5±0.4 μM and from 0.05 ±0.02 to 0.18±0.04 μM, respectively. Soil nitrogen concentrations were 1–3 mg g−1 in all zones, and mean nitrogen:phosphorus atomic ratios were <20 (range: 12.9–14.9), indicative of fertile wetland soils. Mean basal areas were significantly different among mangrove zones (fringe > transition) and were coupled with differences in height within species and zones.Avicennia germinans occupied areas with higher elevations associated with higher salinities ranging from 80 to 140 g kg−1 in the dry season.Rhizophora mangle dominated lower elevations where salinities ranged from 38 to 57 g kg−1 in both the dry and wet seasons. Spatial analysis on mangrove seedlings along transects confirmed that seedling distribution along the intertidal profile was statistically correlated with conspecific adults, indicating that survival and growth of seedlings in different intertidal locations are closely matched to canopy membership. The sharp transition (<100 m) in forest structure and distribution of mangrove species along the intertidal zone of subhumid coastal environments demonstrate common zonation patterns where species distribution and species-specific habitat suitability are mediated closely with tolerance to soil regulators (high soil salinity) rather than resource availability.  相似文献   

7.
The Deepwater Horizon oil spill was the largest marine oil spill in US waters to date and one of the largest worldwide. Impacts of this spill on salt marsh vegetation have been well documented, although impacts on marsh macroinvertebrates have received less attention. To examine impacts of the oil spill on an important marsh invertebrate and ecosystem engineer, we conducted a meta-analysis on fiddler crabs (Uca spp.) using published sources and newly available Natural Resources Damage Assessment (NRDA) and Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) data. Fiddler crabs influence marsh ecosystem structure and function through their burrowing and feeding activities and are key prey for a number of marsh and estuarine predators. We tested the hypothesis that the spill affected fiddler crab burrow density (crab abundance), burrow diameter (crab size), and crab species composition. Averaged across multiple studies, sites, and years, our synthesis revealed a negative effect of oiling on all three metrics. Burrow densities were reduced by 39 % in oiled sites, with impacts and incomplete recovery observed over 2010–2014. Burrow diameters were reduced from 2010 to 2011, but appeared to have recovered by 2012. Fiddler crab species composition was altered through at least 2013 and only returned to reference conditions where marsh vegetation recovered, via restoration planting in one case. Given the spatial and temporal extent of data analyzed, this synthesis provides compelling evidence that the Deepwater Horizon spill suppressed populations of fiddler crabs in oiled marshes, likely affecting other ecosystem attributes, including marsh productivity, marsh soil characteristics, and associated predators.  相似文献   

8.
The supertankerUrquiola grounded, exploded, and burned at the entrance to La Coruña harbor (Spain) on May 12, 1976. A total of 100,000 tons of Persian Gulf crude oil was lost, of which about 30,000 tons washed onto shoreline environments. From May 17 to June 10, 1976, the impact and interaction of oil on fine-sand, coarse-sand, and gravel beaches and on sheltered and exposed rocky coasts was monitored in detail. At 32 localities, the beach was profiled, trenched, extensively sampled, and photographed. Another 67 stations were examined for surficial oil coverage and distribution. The surficial distribution of oil on the beaches was influenced primarily by wave activity, tidal stage, and oil quantity. Heaviest accumulations formed along the high-tide swash line. Within beach sediments, oil was present at distinct oiled sediment layers, which were often deeply buried. The depth of burial was related to wave energy and sediment type. Deepest burial (1 m) was on a high-energy, coarse-sand beach (Mz=0.82φ). Burial on fine-sand beaches was less than 30 cm. The thickness of oiled sediment depended on sedimentary characteristics, the quantity of oil present, wave action, and capillary forces. Oil-soaked sediment, as much as 65-cm thick, occurred on coarse-grained beaches. On fine-sand beaches, oiled sediment was limited to thicknesses of 10 cm or less. On rocky shores, oil distribution was determined primarily by wave energy. Along high-energy, cliffed, or steeply dipping rocky areas, wave reflection kept the oil approximately 5 m offshore and contamination was minimal. In low-energy, sheltered areas, oil readily accumulated, causing apparent environmental damage.  相似文献   

9.
This study explores the potential of intertidal Protothaca staminea shells as high-resolution geochemical archives of environmental change in a coastal upwelling region. Mg/Ca and Sr/Ca ratios were analyzed by excimer laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) at sub-weekly temporal resolution in shells growing ∼1 mm per month. Growth patterns of a modern P. staminea shell from Humboldt Bay, California, collected in December 1999 made it possible to infer a lifespan from 1993 to 1998. Growth hiatuses in the shell may have excluded records of extreme events. Mg/Ca ratios appeared to be partly controlled by water temperature; the correlation coefficient between temperature and Mg/Ca was r = 0.71 in one of four growth increments. Significant year-to-year differences in the sensitivity of Mg/Ca to temperature in P. staminea could not be explained, however. Sr/Ca ratios appeared to be more closely related to shell growth rate. Oxygen isotopes, measured at 2-week temporal resolution in the same shell, did not show a clear relation to local temperature in summer, possibly because temperatures were higher and less variable at the King Salmon mudflat, where the shell was collected, than in the main channel of Humboldt Bay, where water properties were monitored. Negative shell δ13C values (<−0.5‰) marked spring and summer coastal upwelling events.The Mg contents of P. staminea midden shells dated to ∼3 ka and ∼9 ka were significantly lower than in the modern shell. This may have resulted from degradation of a Mg-rich shell organic matrix and precluded quantitative interpretation of the older high-resolution records. Elevated δ13C values in the ∼3 ka shell suggested that the individual grew in highly productive or stratified environment, such as a shallow coastal embayment or lagoon.  相似文献   

10.
A 16-month study of estuarine habitats in poly-, meso-, and oligohaline salinity regimes near Charleston Harbor assessed the distribution and abundance of megalopae and early crab stages of the blue crab,Callinectes sapidus. Blue crab were sampled with a plankton net and a cylindrical drop sampler. Blue crab were most abundant in plankton collections at night, accounting for 68% of the megalopae and over 88% of the juveniles collected in day and night tows combined. At night, densities of megalopae were greatest in surface samples, whereas densities in daylight collections were greater on the bottom. Juvenile densities were greatest on the bottom in both day and night collections, although catch rates at night were more variable than those of the megalopae. This suggests that megalopae, and possibly juvenile stages, experience a diel vertical migration. Results indicate that ingress to estuarine nursery areas occurs at the megalopal stage. Megalopal densities were highest at the polyhaline site, while juvenile blue crab were most abundant in the oligohaline area. Habitat utilization by juvenile blue crab was estimated using a cylindrical drop sampler and Venturi suction pump on three bottom types in the intertidal zone. Densities were greatest over the sandy-mud substrate, although catch rates were much lower than those reported for other geographical areas. These results suggest that juvenile blue crab do not occur in abundance on the marsh surface but remain on the creek bottom, possibly because creek physiography and large tidal amplitudes may restrict accessibility to the marsh surface.  相似文献   

11.
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   

12.
It is often presumed that salt marshes provide a predation refuge for small fishes, but predation risks have rarely been compared in intertidal and subtidal habitats, making the importance of salt marshes as a predation refuge speculative. We measured relative survival of tethered mummichog (Fundulus heteroclitus) in four habitats in a salt marsh?Ctidal creek system: unvegetated and vegetated intertidal areas and the subtidal creek at high and low tide. At high tide, mummichog in the intertidal zone had significantly higher survival than in the subtidal creek in June through August. Survival rates in unvegetated and vegetated intertidal habitats were not significantly different, suggesting that higher intertidal survival was due to less abundant predators compared with the creek, rather than predators being less effective in vegetation. The lower predation risk experienced by mummichog in the intertidal marsh suggests that access to intertidal habitats will be important for production of small estuarine fishes.  相似文献   

13.
Subtidal accumulations of oyster shell have been largely overlooked as essential habitat for estuarine nekton. In southeastern U.S. estuaries, where oyster reef development is mostly confined to the intertidal zone, eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) shell covered bottoms are often the only significant source of hard subtidal structure. We characterized and quantified nekton use of submerged shell rubble bottoms, and compared it to use of intertidal reefs and other subtidal bottoms in the North Inlet estuary, South Carolina. Replicate trays (0.8 m2) filled with shell rubble were deployed in shallow salt marsh creeks, and were retrieved after soak times of 1 to 25 days from May 1998 to March 2000. Thirty six species of fishes, representing 21 families, were identified from the 455 tray collections. Water temperature, salinity, soak time and the presence of a shell substrate all affected the catch of fishes in the trays. Catches during the warmer months were two to five times greater than those during the winter. Fishes were present in 98% of the trays with an overall average of 5.7 fish m?2. The assemblage was numerically dominated by small resident species including naked goby (Gobiosoma bose), oyster toadfish (Opsanus tau), and crested blenny (Hypleurochilus geminatus). Transient species accounted for 23% of all individuals and 62% of the total biomass due to the presence of relatively large sheepshead (Archosargus probatocephalus) and black sea bass (Centropristis striata). Both the transient and resident species displayed distinct periods of recruitment and rapid growth from April to October. Lower abundances of juvenile gobies and blennies during 1998 were attributed to long periods of depressed salinity caused by high rainfall associated with El Niño conditions in spring. Crabs and shrimps, which were often more abundant than the fishes, accounted for comparable biomass in the tray collections. In comparisons of subtidal tray and trawl catches, trays yielded 10 to 1,000 fold higher densities of some demersal fish groups. Comparisons of intertidal and subtidal gear catches indicated that many species remain in the subtidal shell bottom at all stages of the tide. This study suggests that subtidal shell bottom may be essential fish habitat for juvenile seabass, groupers, and snappers and that it may be the primary habitat for a diverse assemblage of ecologically important resident fishes and crustaceans. Given the high levels of nekton use and the areal extent of oyster shell bottoms in eastern U.S. and Gulf estuaries, increased attention to protection and restoration of these areas appears justified.  相似文献   

14.
We examined the diets of Gulf killifish,Fundulus grandis Baird and Girard, collected monthly from March through July 1988 with unbaited minnow traps during two sampling periods: (1) on flood tides before they reached the marsh surface, and (2) on ebb tides as they left the marsh. Thirty-five prey taxa, plant parts, and detritus were identified from the stomach contents of 110 Gulf killifish (mean SL = 55 mm, range = 30?82 mm). Fiddler crabs,Uca longisignalis Salmon and Atsaides; amphipods, mostlyCorophium louisianum Shoemaker; tanaidaceans,Hargeria rapax (Harger); and hydrobiids,Littoridinops palustris Thompson, were their most important prey. Killifish diets differed both quantitatively and qualitatively relative to the habitat in which they were feeding. Fiddler crabs and polychaetes were consumed more frequently and in greater numbers in the intertidal zone, whereas more amphipods were eaten by killifish feeding in subtidal and low intertidal areas. Gulf killifish consumed a greater volume of food when they had access to the marsh surface than when they were confined to subtidal areas.  相似文献   

15.
An analysis of data relatingSpartina alterniflora Loisel. to tidal elevations along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts demonstrated that although this species is primarily confined to the intertidal zone, its elevational limits. of occurrence do not correspond to a consistent elevation relative to a tidal datum in all marsh locations. The variation in the vertical distribution of this species reported among marsh studies was attributed primarily to differences in mean tide range (MTR). A positive correlation between MTR and elevational growth range (r=0.91) demonstrated that theSpartina alterniflora zone expands with increasing tidal amplitude. Differences in MTR among marsh locations accounted for 70 and 68% of the statistical variation in the upper and lower limits, respectively, ofS. alterniflora growth. Among marshes of similar tidal amplitudes, the upper limit of occurrence ofS. alterniflora in northern marshes was significantly lower than that in marshes at lower latitudes. These results, in combination with regional differences in plant species distribution across the upper intertidal zone, suggested that some of the variation in the upper limit was due to latitudinal differences in growth conditions and/or differences in interspecific competition. Local and regional differences in other factors such as salinity, nutrients, or physical disturbance may have also contributed to the variation in the limits of growth relative to a tidal plane within and among marshes.  相似文献   

16.
The oxygen and carbon stable isotope composition of Viviparus diluvianus shells was determined in the palaeolakes of the Holsteinian interglacial (MIS 11) in eastern Poland: the Ortel Królewski, Hrud, Ossówka, Roskosz and Szymanowo lakes. The occurrence of V. diluvianus covers the Taxus zone, the so‐called intra‐interglacial cooling period (Pinus‐Larix zone), the climatic optimum (Carpinus‐Abies zone) and the post‐optimal period with an undefined pollen zone. The isotope record of V. diluvianus shells allowed palaeoclimate and palaeoenvironmental reconstructions. δ18O and δ13C vary from −8.7‰ in the post‐optimal period to −4.8‰ in the optimal period, and from −10.6‰ at the beginning of the Taxus zone to −4.2‰ at the climatic optimum, respectively. A positive correlation of the isotope curves indicates closed‐water bodies, and only at Roskosz was some occasional overflow inferred. Higher oxygen isotopes correspond to an increase in temperature and/or enhanced evaporation, which is well marked in the Carpinus‐Abies zone, whereas samples enriched in 13C are correlated with periods demonstrating a lower water level and higher productivity in the lakes. Episodes of lake shallowing and dense aquatic vegetation occurred in the Pinus‐Larix zone and during the climatic optimum. The isotope ratios for the climatic optimum significantly exceed those of the other periods, thus pointing to warmer conditions. An estimation of relative changes of average summer temperatures using the δ18O/temperature gradient yielded variation of 1–2 °C within the lakes. Absolute temperature reconstructions indicate the effects of specific local conditions. Hence, V. diluvianus shells offer a reliable proxy in qualitative studies of interglacial lake records.  相似文献   

17.
渤海湾西北岸大吴庄牡蛎礁是近年来研究程度最高的礁体,天津空港物流中心牡蛎礁则是近年来新发现的礁体。该两处礁体上部的牡蛎个体内部充填的泥、个体之间的泥以及礁体上覆沉积泥层中的硅藻研究表明,礁顶上下（即礁体的上部-顶部和上覆沉积泥层的下部）均富含潮间带环境指示种的Auliscus caelatus,表明礁体发育后期和上覆沉积泥层的初期,均为潮间带环境。尽管如此,从礁顶向上覆沉积泥层转换方式在两处礁体却不相同:（1）大吴庄:Auliscus caelatus种向上逐渐减少,暗示着大吴庄剖面由礁体上部的潮间带中上部、直至上覆沉积泥层下部的潮间带上部、进一步向上覆沉积泥层上部的潮上带转化的趋势。（2）空港:牡蛎礁上覆沉积泥层出现了比例达6%~23%的河口咸水-半咸水种Achnanches brevipes,而下伏礁体内则未见该种,暗示此处泥层受河口作用显著影响。此种不同揭示了礁体停止发育的原因有所不同:在5 520cal BP时,大吴庄礁顶进入潮间带中上部,礁体经常脱离海水而发育停止;在约4 000 cal BP时,空港礁体所在位置因河流作用突然增强,在时间上看很可能是黄河改道在天津入海,古黄河携带大量泥砂入海,掩盖了潮间带的牡蛎礁而导致牡蛎礁发育停止。  相似文献   

18.
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   

19.
On the west coast of British Columbia (BC), Canada, the intertidal regions are under ever increasing pressure to be used primarily for near-bottom mariculture practices. These include seeding the foreshore with the nonindigenous Venerupis philippinarum (Manila clam) followed by the application of antipredator netting. The Manila is confamilial with the indigenous Leukoma staminea (littleneck clam), and seeding could possibly provide a competitive advantage for the Manila leading to the extirpation of the littleneck within coastal BC. Over two survey years, nine and seven farm-reference paired beaches (18 and 14 beaches) from three geographically distinct regions of BC were sampled for abundances and size class structure of the Manila and littleneck clam. Several lines of evidence suggest that the Manila is replacing the native littleneck; (1) comparison of average abundances of the littleneck versus Manila showed a significantly greater number of Manila on both farmed and reference sites across all three regions (p?<?0.05; years I and II); (2) as distance between farmed and reference sites increased, numbers of littlenecks on reference sites also increased suggesting that close proximity to farmed sites increases the effect of seeding on numbers of the native species; (3) comparison of percent similarity of the population structure as determined by size class distribution for the Manila versus the littleneck clam indicated that intertidal reference sites in close proximity to farmed sites tended to be more similar to each other with respect to similar Manila population structure versus that of the littleneck (r?=?0.4; p?=?0.08); (4) within the region where active farming is the most aggressive (Baynes Sound), Manila clams are the dominant bivalve on all sampled intertidal regions; and (5) where the dispersal of “wild” (not-seeded) Manila clam is prevented because of thermal tolerance limits, the littleneck is the dominant bivalve. Ecological consequences of such species replacement on intertidal function are as yet known.  相似文献   

20.
The Eocene Nanka Formation of the Anambra basin in southern Nigeria consists, in its type area, of four sand subunits each 50–90 m thick, separated by three gypsiferous glauconitic shales each about 2.5 m thick. The sand subunits are unconsolidated, uncemented quartzarenites, planar and trough cross-stratified, flaser and lenticular bedded, and burrowed (Ophiomorpha and Skolithos). Texturally the sands are medium to coarse, moderately sorted, positively skewed and leptokurtic. Two parallel belts, each with a distinctive paleocurrent pattern, are identified: one lying along the present eastern and northern margin of the formation, characterised by a shore-normal paleocurrent pattern; and the other lying on the west, distinguished by a shore-parallel orientation.An integrated analysis of stratigraphic, petrographic, textural, and structural data of the formation enabled reconstruction of an environmental model for the sand body. The model depicts sedimentation in a tidally influenced marine shoreline environment in which an intertidal and a subtidal zone can be delineated. Each zone is characterised by an assemblage of several sedimentary features. Interlaminations of shale and thin sand lenses, gypsiferous and glauconitic shale beds, flaser and lenticular bedding, herringbone structures, and shore-normal paleocurrent pattern are among the features that delineate the intertidal facies. The abundantly cross-stratified, coarse elastic sand-bars with rapid fining-upward sequences, burrowed pebbly horizons overlain by fine sand, and shoreparallel paleocurrent are the distinguishing features of the subtidal facies. The sandflat facies of the intertidal zone and the sandbar facies of the subtidal zone are, however, inseparable in most cases.  相似文献   

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