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1.
The presence of the pathogenic protist Labyrinthula sp., the causative agent of seagrass wasting disease and mass mortality events, was assessed in 18 seagrass meadows in the Balearic region (western Mediterranean). This protist was found in 70% of seagrass meadows investigated and in all seagrass species present in the region (i.e., Posidonia oceanica, Cymodocea nodosa, and Zostera noltii). Labyrinthula spp. cultures isolated from seven P. oceanica and one Thalassia testudinum meadows were used as inocula to perform cross-infection experiments in order to test seagrass vulnerability to Labyrinthula spp. infection. These isolates produced lesions on P. oceanica and other seagrass species (Zostera marina, Z. noltii, and C. nodosa). P. oceanica and Z. noltii, both species autochthonous to the Mediterranean Sea, were the seagrasses most vulnerable to infection by the tested isolates. One of the P. oceanica isolates of Labyrinthula sp. also infected the Atlantic seagrass Z. marina, and all of the Mediterranean seagrasses were infected by Labyrinthula sp. isolated from the T. testudinum, native to the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico. This work confirms that Labyrinthula sp. is commonly found on seagrasses of the Mediterranean Sea and demonstrates that Labyrinthula sp. can infect seagrasses in different genera, in contrast to previous studies where Labyrinthula sp. was considered to be genus-specific. This finding points out the broadly pathogenic nature of some Labyrinthula sp. isolates. Finally, this work identifies Labyrinthula sp. as a possible detrimental agent for P. oceanica.  相似文献   

2.
Some traits of the bacterial community dynamics associated to the rhizosphere of the Mediterranean seagrass Posidonia oceanica, growing in carbonate sediments, were analyzed during a 2-year period in an enclosed bay of the Balearic Islands. The diversity of the bacterial community was studied by the construction of 16S rDNA clone library. For testing temporal and vertical differences in the abundance of total cells and active Bacteria, we used 4′,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) staining and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). Moreover, some relevant groups of sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) were occasionally assessed by FISH. Despite the observed decrease in the total DAPI-stained cells, bacterial counts, and sulfate reduction rates throughout the sampling time, we found an increase in both the pore-water sulfide concentration and the proportion of SRB. Overall, the results revealed a very high bacterial diversity and indicated shifts in bacterial dynamics that could not be related to temperature-dependent factors, suggesting a link between the documented regression of the seagrass meadow and the decline of the microbial community, likely due to large organic matter inputs to the bay.  相似文献   

3.
While multiple species of macroalgae and seagrass can benefit from elevated CO2 concentrations, competition between such organisms may influence their ultimate responses. This study reports on experiments performed with a Northwest Atlantic species of the macroalgae, Ulva, and the seagrass, Zostera marina, grown under ambient and elevated levels of pCO2, and subjected to competition with each other. When grown individually, elevated pCO2 significantly increased growth rates and productivity of Ulva and Zostera, respectively, beyond control treatments (by threefold and 27%, respectively). For both primary producers, significant declines in tissue δ13C signatures suggested that increased growth and productivity were associated with a shift from use of HCO3? toward CO2 use. When grown under higher pCO2, Zostera experienced significant increases in leaf and rhizome carbon content as well as significant increases in leaf carbon-to-nitrogen ratios, while sediments within which high CO2 Zostera were grown had a significantly higher organic carbon content. When grown in the presence of Ulva; however, above- and below-ground productivity and tissue nitrogen content of Zostera were significantly lower, revealing an antagonistic interaction between elevated CO2 and the presence of Ulva. The presence of Zostera had no significant effect on the growth of Ulva. Collectively, this study demonstrates that while Ulva and Zostera can each individually benefit from elevated pCO2 levels, the ability of Ulva to grow more rapidly and inhibit seagrass productivity under elevated pCO2, coupled with accumulation of organic C in sediments, may offset the potential benefits for Zostera within high CO2 environments.  相似文献   

4.
In 1994, 1995, and 1996, seagrasses in 46 of the 89 coastal embayments and portions of seven open-water near-shore areas in Massachusetts were mapped with a combination of aerial photography, digital imagery, and ground truth verification. In the open-water areas, 9,477.31 ha of seagrass were identified, slightly more than twice the 4,846.2 ha detected in the 46 coastal embayments. A subset of the 46 embayments, including all regions of the state were remapped in 2000, 2001, and 2002 and again in 2006 and 2007. We detected a wide range of changes from increases as high as 29% y−1 in Boston Harbor to declines as large as −33% y−1 in Salem Harbor. One embayment, Waquoit Bay, lost all of its seagrass during the mapping period. For the 12-year change analysis representing all geographic regions of the state, only three embayments exhibited increases in seagrass coverage while 30 of the original 46 embayments showed some indication of decline. For the decadal period, rates of decline in the individual embayments ranged from −0.06% y−1 to as high as −14.81% y−1. The median rate of decline by region ranged from −2.21% y−1 to −3.51% y−1 and was slightly less than the recently reported global rate of decline for seagrasses (−3.7% y−1). Accounting for the gains in three of the embayments, 755.16 ha (20.6%) of seagrass area originally detected was lost during the mapping interval. The results affirm that previously reported losses in a few embayments were symptomatic of more widespread seagrass declines in Massachusetts. State and Federal programs designed to improve environmental quality for conservation and restoration of seagrasses in Massachusetts should continue to be a priority for coastal managers.  相似文献   

5.
Seagrasses are submerged marine plants that are anchored to the substrate and are therefore limited to assimilating nutrients from the surrounding water column or sediment, or by translocating nutrients from adjacent shoots through the belowground rhizome. As a result, seagrasses have been used as reliable ecosystem indicators of surrounding nutrient conditions. The Chandeleur Islands are a chain of barrier islands in the northern Gulf of Mexico that support the only marine seagrass beds in Louisiana, USA, and are the sole location of the seagrass Thalassia testudinum across nearly 1000 km of the coastline from west Florida to central Texas. Over the past 150 years, the land area of the Chandeleur Islands has decreased by over half, resulting in a decline of seagrass cover. The goals of this study were to characterize the status of a climax seagrass species at the Chandeleur Islands, T. testudinum, in terms of leaf nutrient (nitrogen [N] and phosphorus [P]) changes over time, from 1998 to 2015, and to assess potential drivers of leaf nutrient content. Thalassia testudinum leaf nutrients displayed considerable interannual variability in N and P content and molar ratios, which broadly mimicked patterns in annual average dissolved nutrient concentrations in the lower Mississippi River. Hydrological modeling demonstrated the potential for multiple scenarios that would deliver Mississippi River water, and thus nutrients, to T. testudinum at the Chandeleur Islands. Although coastal eutrophication is generally accepted as the proximate cause for seagrass loss globally, there is little evidence that nutrient input from the Mississippi River has driven the dramatic declines observed in seagrasses at the Chandeleur Islands. Rather, seagrass cover along the Chandeleur Islands appears to be strongly influenced by island geomorphological processes. Although variable over time, the often elevated nutrient levels of the climax seagrass species, T. testudinum, which are potentially driven by river-derived nutrient inputs, raises an important consideration of the potential loss of the ecosystem functions and services associated with these declining seagrass meadows.  相似文献   

6.
We assess the sheltering effect of Posidonia oceanica meadows on drag forces exerted on shells of the fan mussel Pinna nobilis. We examine a range of shell sizes under four unidirectional flow speeds (0.05–0.34 m s−1) and two oscillating regimes. Three meadow densities are evaluated and a control without vegetation. We found that the attenuating effect of the meadow on drag forces experienced by bivalves is determined by the form of the hydrodynamic energy, e.g., as unidirectional flow or wave action. In tidal currents, the meadow protects most sizes of bivalves, with a higher efficiency for dense meadows, while in wave dominant zones the meadow reduces drag forces for bivalves with shell areas below a threshold of 0.019 m2, whereas larger animals experience increased drag forces within the meadow independent of meadow density. Reduction of shoot density in seagrass meadows might therefore not affect the effectiveness of the canopy to reduce drag forces on associated species like the fan mussel in wave-dominated areas while increased storm frequency could result into losses of larger individuals during periods of high wave action.  相似文献   

7.
Eutrophication has caused strong shifts from perennial seagrass to opportunistic macroalgae and phytoplankton in many coastal ecosystems worldwide, yet responses of the primary-producer assemblage can vary with regional environmental and nutrient-loading conditions. The wider consequences of this variable primary-producer response on the associated animal community are little known. We used large-scale field surveys across 12 study sites with low or high eutrophication levels in two geographic provinces in Atlantic Canada to examine region-specific responses of macrofauna associated with eelgrass beds. In both regions, abundances of all groups increased with eutrophication, but species richness of mobile fishes and invertebrates decreased. Generally, filter feeders, epibenthic detritivores and some herbivores increased, while more hypoxia sensitive species declined. Small fishes and invertebrate predators increased with eutrophication mirrored by decreases in their prey. Despite similar general trends, our results show distinct shifts in species composition in each geographic region associated with differences in food availability and predation refuge offered by phytoplankton and opportunistic epiphytic or benthic macroalgae as well as tolerance to an increasingly hostile physico-chemical environment. So far, the continued persistence of eelgrass beds at our “highly” eutrophied sites indicates intermediate eutrophication levels with short-term benefits for some species. However, the loss of sensitive species and decrease in species richness highlight that eutrophication has already changed seagrass ecosystems in Atlantic Canada. Our work suggests that mitigating these changes will require regional-scale management.  相似文献   

8.
Our modeling objective was to better define the relationship between subtropical seagrass and potential water column and sediment stressors (light, organic and particle sedimentation, sediment nutrients, and the porewater sulfide system). The model was developed and optimized for sediments inThalassia testudinum seagrass beds of Lower Laguna Madre, Texas, U.S., and is composed of a plant submodel and a sediment diagenetic submodel. Simulations were developed for a natural stressor (harmful algal bloom,Aureoumbra lagunensis) and an anthropogenic, stressor (dredging event). The observed harmful algal bloom (HAB) was of limited duration and the simulations of that bloom showed no effect of the algal bloom on biomass trends but did suggest that sediment sulfides could inhibit growth if the bloom duration and intensity were greater. To examine this hypothesis we ran a simulation using data collected during a sustained 4-yr bloom in Upper Laguna Madre. Simulations suggested that light attenuation by the HAB could cause a small reduction inT. testudinum biomass, while input of organic matter from the bloom could promote development of a sediment geochemical environment toxic toT. testudinum leading to a major reduction in biomass. A 3-wk dredging event resulted in sedimentation of a layer of rich organic material and reduction of canopy light for a period of months. The simulations suggested that the seagrass could have recovered from the effects of temporary light reduction but residual effects of high sulfides in the sediments would make the region inhospitable for seagrasses for up to 2.5 yr. These modeling exercises illustrate that both natural and anthropogenic stressors can result in seagrass losses by radically altering the sedimentary geochemical environment.  相似文献   

9.
Lucinid bivalves dominate the infauna of tropical seagrass sediments. While the effect of seagrass on lucinids has been studied, the reverse effect has largely been ignored. Lucinids can alter porewater chemistry (i.e., increase porewater nutrients by suspension feeding and decrease porewater sulfides by oxygen introduction and bacterial oxidation), which can potentially change seagrass productivity and growth morphology. To observe correlations between porewater chemistry and lucinid presence, a field survey and laboratory microcosm experiment were conducted. Survey sampling sites with lucinids had significantly lower sulfide and higher ammonium concentrations than sampling sites without lucinids. There was no difference in phosphate concentration among sampling sites. Both lucinid species used in the microcosm experiment (Ctena orbiculata andLucinesca nassula) significantly lowered sulfide concentrations in the sediment porewater. Microcosm and field survey results were incorporated into a sulfide budget. In seagrass sediments, lucinids remove 2–16% of the total sulfide produced. Sulfide is a major stressor to both plants and animals in Florida Bay sediments; this removal may be important to maintaining seagrass productivity and health. Oxygen introduction into sediments byC. orbiculata was estimated in a dye experiment.C. orbiculata were added to small tubes containing sieved mud and incubated in a bath of seawater with a Rhodamine WT. Rhodamine WT accumulation in the sediment was measured. A first order estimate showed that oxygen introduction can account for less than 5% ofC. orbiculata sulfide removal.  相似文献   

10.
The role of positive and indirect interactions is often crucial in communities with intense abiotic stress such as salt marshes. The burrowing crab, Neohelice (=Chasmagnathus) granulata, is the dominant benthic macroinvertebrate of southwest Atlantic marshes (southern Brazil to Northern Argentinean Patagonia), having strong direct and indirect effects on marsh soil and, in consequence, on marsh vegetation and primary consumers. In this work, we investigate if this crab indirectly modifies habitat use by the granivorous rodents, Akodon azarae and Oligoryzomys flavescens, by increasing nutrient availability and thus enhancing seed production by the marsh plant Spartina densiflora. The study was conducted at the Mar Chiquita Coastal Lagoon, Argentina (37°32′ S). Rodent frequencies in S. densiflora were positively correlated with crab densities throughout the low and middle marsh. Additionally, the highest quality of S. densiflora and inflorescence density was recorded at the highest crab densities. Experimental manipulation of crab densities shows that N. granulata indirectly enhances the performance of S. densiflora (e.g., decreased fiber content and C/N ratios) and increases density of seeds. Moreover, N. granulata also facilitates S. densiflora seed availability to rodents by concentrating them in sediment mound at their burrows entrances. Experimental rodent exclusions showed that rodent species used S. densiflora seeds, a variable positively related to crab burrow density. Thus, our results show that N. granulata drives the granivorous rodent distribution and the intensity of seeds–rodent interaction trough facilitative and indirect interactions in marsh community.  相似文献   

11.
The extensive spread ofPhragmites australis throughout brackish marshes on the East Coast of the United States is a major factor governing management and restoration decisions because it is assumed that biogeochemical functions are altered by the invasion. Microbial activity is important in providing wetland biogeochemical functions such as carbon and nitrogen cycling, but there is little known about sediment microbial communities inPhragmites marshes. Microbial populations associated with invasivePhragmites vegetation and with native salt marsh cordgrass,Spartina alterniflora, may differ in the relative abundance of microbial taxa (community structure) and in the ability of this biota to decompose organic substrates (community biogeochemical function). This study compares sediment microbial communities associated withPhragmites andSpartina vegetation in an undisturbed brackish marsh near Tuckerton, New Jersey (MUL), and in a brackish marsh in the anthropogenically affected Hackensack meadowlands (SMC). We use phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) analysis and enzymataic activity to profile sediment microbial communities associated with both plants in each site. Sediment analyses include bulk density, total organic matter, and root biomass. PLFA profiles indicate that the microbial communities differ between sites with the undisturbed site exhibiting greater fatty acid richness (62 PLFA recovered from MUL versus 38 from SMC). Activity of the 5 enzymes analyzed (β-glucosidase, acid phosphatase, chitobiase, and 2 oxidases) was higher in the undisturbed site. Differences between vegetation species as measured by Principal Components Analysis were significantly greater at the undisturbed MUL site than at SMC, and patterns of enzyme activity and PLFAs did not correspond to patterns of root biomass. We suggest that in natural wetland sediments, macrophyte rhizosphere effects influence the community composition of sediment microbial populations. Physical and chemical site disturbances may impose limits on these rhizosphere effects, decreasing sediment microbial diversity and potentially, microbial biogeochemical functions.  相似文献   

12.
To evaluate the impact of invading seagrass on biogeochemical processes associated with sulfur cycles, we investigated the geochemical properties and sulfate reduction rates (SRRs) in sediments inhabited by invasive warm affinity Halophila nipponica and indigenous cold affinity Zostera marina. A more positive relationship between SRR and below-ground biomass (BGB) was observed at the H. nipponica bed (SRR = 0.6809 × BGB ? 4.3162, r 2 = 0.9878, p = 0.0006) than at the Z. marina bed (SRR = 0.3470 × BGB ? 4.0341, r 2 = 0.7082, p = 0.0357). These results suggested that SR was more stimulated by the dissolved organic carbon (DOC) exuded from the roots of H. nipponica than by the DOC released from the roots of Z. marina. Despite the enhanced SR in spring-summer, the relatively lower proportion (average, 20%) of acid-volatile sulfur (AVS) in total reduced sulfur and the strong correlation between total oxalate-extractable Fe (Fe(oxal)) and chromium-reducible sulfur (CRS = 0.2321 × total Fe(oxal) + 1.8180, r 2 = 0.3344, p = 0.0076) in the sediments suggested the rapid re-oxidation of sulfide and precipitation of sulfide with Fe. The turnover rate of the AVS at the H. nipponica bed (0.13 day?1) was 2.5 times lower than that at the Z. marina bed (0.33 day?1). Together with lower AVS turnover, the stronger correlation of SRR to BGB in the H. nipponica bed suggests that the extension of H. nipponica resulting from the warming of seawater might provoke more sulfide accumulation in coastal sediments.  相似文献   

13.
To test whether invasive Spartina alterniflora marshes were functionally equivalent to native Scirpus mariqueter marshes, the present study used bottomless lift nets (20 m2) during 12 high-tide events from August to October 2008 to compare nekton densities and biomass between the two marsh types in the Dongtan wetland. A total of eight species of fish, two species of shrimp, and three species of crab were collected. So-iny mullet Chelon haematocheilus, keeled mullet Liza carinata, Asian freshwater goby Acanthogobius ommaturus, and ridge-tail prawn Exopalaemon carinicauda dominated samples from the two marsh types and accounted for over 90% of the total catch. There were significantly greater densities and biomass (p < 0.05) of total nekton (all species combined) and two mullets (C. haematocheilus and L. carinata) in S. alterniflora marshes than in S. mariqueter marshes in August 2008, while no significant differences (p > 0.05) between the two marsh types were observed for densities and biomass of any species or total nekton in September and October 2008. Non-metric multidimensional scaling ordination did not show clear separation of samples between the two marsh types (r = 0.071, p = 0.159). Furthermore, there were no habitat-specific differences (p > 0.05) in the size distributions of the three numerically dominant species (C. haematocheilus, L. carinata, and A. ommaturus). We concluded that S. alterniflora marshes were utilized by nekton in a fashion similar to their utilization of native S. mariqueter marshes under similar physical conditions.  相似文献   

14.
To offer an insight into the toxicity of nanomaterials (NM) on the growth of bacteria, Escherichia coli (E. coli), Bacillus subtilis (B. subtilis) and Agrobacterium tumefaciens (A. tumefaciens) were exposed to nano-Au, nano-Ag, nano-Fe and fullerene (C60) in this study. As an effective bactericide, nano-Ag induced high toxicity on these three bacteria; C60 could inhibit their growth; however, B. subtilis and E. coli could recover as exposure time extended. Nano-Au and nano-Fe had hardly any effect on three bacteria. A. tumefaciens showed the lowest resistance and slowest growth rate during exposure. Images obtained by scanning electron microscope (SEM) revealed that nano-Ag could cause damage to the cell structure of three bacteria at 1 μg/mL. Slight damage on E. coli was found when exposed to C60, whereas no obvious physical damage was found after exposure to nano-Au or nano-Fe. It is assumed that surface activities of NM might be responsible for the different toxic effects on these bacteria.  相似文献   

15.
In recent decades, marshes naturally dominated bySpartina spp. have been replaced byPhragmites australis throughout the northeastern United States. We suggest that early in this invasion there was little effect on the fish fauna. As the invasion proceeds, the marsh surface habitat became more altered (i.e., elevated, flattened, reduced water-filled depressions, and reduced standing water), which resulted in a reduction of feeding, reproduction, and nursery function for fishes, especiallyFundulus spp. These potential changes in marsh habitat and function have resulted in numerous attempts to removePhragmites and restoreSpartina spp. To evaluate the response of marsh surface fishes toPhragmites treatment, we examined fish use in the brackish water reaches of Alloway Creek in the Delaware Bay estuary. ReferencePhragmites habitats were compared with referenceSpartina alterniflora-dominated habitats and sites treated (1996–1998) to removePhragmites to restore former vegetation (i.e., restored, now comprised of 100%Spartina). Fish were sampled with an array (n=9 at each site) of shallow pit traps (rectangular glass dishes, 27.5×17.5×3.7 cm). Small individuals (mean=17.5, 5–45 mm TL) dominated all pit trap collections. Fish abundance was highest at the restored (catch per unit effort [CPUE]=2.16) andSpartina (CPUE=0.81) sites with significantly lower values atPhragmites (CPUE=0.05) habitats. Samples were dominated by young-of-the-year mummichog,Fundulus heteroclitus (98% of total fish, n=631). The only other fish species collected was spotfin killifish,Fundulus luciae (2% of total catch, n=14), which was only present in restored andSpartina habitats. These observations suggest that the restored marsh is providing habitat (water-filled depressions on the marsh surface) for young-of-the-yearFundulus spp. These marshes are responding favorably to the restoration based on the much greater abundance of fish in restored versusPhragmites habitats and the overall similarity between restored andSpartina habitats.  相似文献   

16.
The invasion ofSpartina marshes by the common reed,Phragmites australis, along the east coast of the United States over the last several decades has been well documented, although we know little about the impact of this invasion on the fish fauna and the few published papers seem contradictory. During 1999–2000 (May–September) we evaluated the fish response to vegetation type (Phragmites australis veersusSpartina alterniflora) by monitoring several aspects of fish early life history (egg deposition, embryonic development, hatching success, and larval and juvenile abundance) in low salinity marshes in the Mullica River in southern New Jersey. The dominant fish species using the marsh surface,Fundulus heteroclitus (93% of total catch, n=996 individuals), reproduced in both vegetation types with eggs deposited in leaf axils near the base of the plant inSpartina and in broken stems ofPhragmites during both years. These eggs also undergo successful embryonic development to hatching in both vegetation types. Larval and juvenile (5–75 mm total length, but 95% < 34 mm TL) abundance of this species is much reduced onPhragmites-dominated (mean CUPE=0.02, n=7 ind) marsh surface relative toSpartina (mean CPUE=2.31). These findings, and similar results for fish abundance in 1997 and 1998, indicate that theSpartima marsh surface is likely essential fish habitat for this species because it provides habitat for larvae and small juveniles, whilePhragmites does not. ThePhragmites invasion in brackish marshes may be having deleterious effects on fish populations and possibly on predators that prey uponF. heteroclitus, and as a result, marsh secondary production.  相似文献   

17.
The compressibility at room temperature and the thermal expansion at room pressure of two disordered crystals (space group C2/c) obtained by annealing a natural omphacite sample (space group P2/n) of composition close to Jd56Di44 and Jd55Di45, respectively, have been studied by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Using a Birch–Murnaghan equation of state truncated at the third order [BM3-EoS], we have obtained the following coefficients: V 0 = 421.04(7) Å3, K T0 = 119(2) GPa, K′ = 5.7(6). A parameterized form of the BM3 EoS was used to determine the axial moduli of a, b and c. The anisotropy scheme is β c  ≤ β a  ≤ β b , with an anisotropy ratio 1.05:1.00:1.07. A fitting of the lattice variation as a function of temperature, allowing for linear dependency of the thermal expansion coefficient on the temperature, yielded αV(1bar,303K) = 2.64(2) × 10−5 K−1 and an axial thermal expansion anisotropy of α b  ≫ α a  > α c . Comparison of our results with available data on compressibility and thermal expansion shows that while a reasonable ideal behaviour can be proposed for the compressibility of clinopyroxenes in the jadeite–diopside binary join [K T0 as a function of Jd molar %: K T0 = 106(1) GPa + 0.28(2) × Jd(mol%)], the available data have not sufficient quality to extract the behaviour of thermal expansion for the same binary join in terms of composition.  相似文献   

18.
Phragmites australis has been invading Spartina-alterniflora-dominated salt marshes throughout the mid-Atlantic. Although, Phragmites has high rates of primary production, it is not known whether this species supports lower trophic levels of a marsh food web in the same manner as Spartina. Using several related photochemical and biological assays, we compared patterns of organic matter flow of plant primary production through a key salt marsh metazoan, the ribbed mussel (Geukensia demissa), using a bacterial intermediate. Dissolved organic matter (DOM) was derived from plants collected from a Delaware Bay salt marsh and grown in the laboratory with 14C-CO2. Bacterial utilization of plant-derived DOM measured as carbon mineralization revealed that both species provided bioavailable DOM to native salt marsh bacteria. Total carbon mineralization after 19 days was higher for Spartina treatments (36% 14CO2 ± 3 SE) compared with Phragmites treatments (29% ±2 SE; Wilcoxon–Kruskal–Wallis rank sums test, P < 0.01). Pre-exposing DOM to natural sunlight only enhanced or decreased bioavailability of the DOM to the bacterioplankton during initial measurements (e.g., 7 days or less) but these differences were not significant over the course of the incubations. Mixtures of 14C-labeled bacterioplankton (and possibly organic flocs) from 14C-DOM treatments were cleared by G. demissa at similar rates between Spartina and Phragmites treatments. Moreover, 14C assimilation efficiencies for material ingested by mussels were high for both plant sources ranging from 74% to 90% and not significantly different between plant sources. Sunlight exposure did not affect the nutritional value of the bacterioplankton DOM assemblage for mussels. There are many possible trophic and habitat differences between Spartina- and Phragmites-dominated marshes that could affect G. demissa but the fate of vascular plant dissolved organic carbon in the DOM to bacterioplankton to mussel trophic pathway appears comparable between these marsh types.  相似文献   

19.
The Asian shore crab, Hemigrapsus sanguineus, is a recent and particularly successful introduction to the east coast of the USA. Little research has been done on the utilization of Asian shore crabs for food by native species, a potential form of biocontrol. Over a 4-year period, we examined the gut contents of cogeners, Fundulus heteroclitus and Fundulus majalis, collected from two embayments in western Long Island Sound for the presence of juvenile H. sanguineus. Frequency (percent) of occurrence of food items in the guts of both species varied over year and study site. Asian shore crabs were consumed more often by F. heteroclitus than by F. majalis, but predation pressure by both species was low. Only 13% of F. heteroclitus and 7.7% of F. majalis found with food in their guts had ingested Asian shore crab remains. Of those, 1/3 had consumed whole crabs; the rest had only autotomized appendages in their guts. The mean carapace width of juvenile Asian shore crabs ingested by F. heteroclitus was 3.59 ± 2.22 mm (N = 33). Results of our study on killifish predation support the hypothesis that H. sanguienus abundance is partly explained by reduced impact of native predators (i.e., the “enemy release hypothesis”). Predation pressure of other potential enemies on both planktonic and benthic stages of the Asian shore crab must be investigated, however, to understand the full impact of predation on H. sanguineus population dynamics.  相似文献   

20.
The mangrove or mud crab, Scylla serrata, is an important component of mangrove fisheries throughout the Indo-Pacific. Understanding crab diets and habitat use should assist in managing these fisheries and could provide additional justification for conservation of the mangrove ecosystem itself. We used multiple chemical tracers to test whether crab movements were restricted to local mangrove forests, or extended to include adjacent seagrass beds and reef flats. We sampled three mangrove forests on the island of Kosrae in the Federated States of Micronesia at Lelu Harbor, Okat River, and Utwe tidal channel. Samples of S. serrata and likely food sources were analyzed for stable carbon (δ13C), nitrogen (δ15N), and sulfur (δ34S) isotopes. Scylla serrata tissues also were analyzed for phosphorus (P), cations (K, Ca, Mg, Na), and trace elements (Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, and B). Discriminant analysis indicated that at least 87% of the crabs remain in each site as distinct populations. Crab stable isotope values indicated potential differences in habitat use within estuaries. Values for δ13C and δ34S in crabs from Okat and Utwe were low and similar to values expected from animals feeding within mangrove forests, e.g., feeding on infauna that had average δ13C values near −26.5‰. In contrast, crabs from Lelu had higher δ13C and δ34S values, with average values of −21.8 and 7.8‰, respectively. These higher isotope values are consistent with increased crab foraging on reef flats and seagrasses. Given that S. serrata have been observed feeding on adjacent reef and seagrass environments on Kosrae, it is likely that they move in and out of the mangroves for feeding. Isotope mixing model results support these conclusions, with the greatest mangrove ecosystem contribution to S. serrata diet occurring in the largest mangrove forests. Conserving larger island mangrove forests (> 1 km deep) appears to support crab foraging activities.  相似文献   

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