Latitudinal patterns in seagrass epifauna: Do patterns exist,and can they be explained?

Seagrass-associated epifauna of several taxa constitute a major parallel element of seagrass communities over a range of latitudes. Hypotheses relating to latitudinal variation of several factors (e.g., predation, competition, primary production, habitat structure, stability and time) have been proposed to explain geographic variation in the structure of biological systems. We have summarized available information to firstly determine whether any latitudinal patterns exist for the seagrass-associated epifauna, and secondly to examine hypotheses which might explain observed patterns. Diversity and density of various seagrass epifaunal groups showed inconsistent latitudinal patterns. Diversity of decapod and amphipod crustaceans increased significantly with decreasing latitude, while diversity of isopods and fishes showed nonsignificant trends with latitude. Amphipod diversity was highly correlated with seagrass biomass over the range of latitudes. However, density of amphipods showed no pattern with either latitude or seagrass biomass; large within-site differences may have overwhelmed latitudinal patterns. For seagrass-associated amphipods, two parameters presumably related to predation intensity showed contradictory patterns. Size of individuals generally decreased toward the tropics, yet susceptibility to predators showed weak trends of increasing in the tropics. We found little support for the assumed gradients of those hypotheses proposed to explain latitudinal patterns in biota. Only a weak trend of increasing seagrass production toward the tropics was found; there was no relationship between latitude and seagrass biomass (=habitat complexity in part), epiphyte species richness (=habitat heterogeneity in part), or predator abundance. No data were available comparing actual intensity of predation on seagrass fauna or on proposed gradients of stability and competition. The patterns found were not consistent with the predictions of any single hypothesis. Contrary to evidence from other biological systems, it appears that latitude is, in general, an inconsistent predictor of differences in structure of the epifaunal component of seagrass communities. Although we did find some latitudinal patterns of increasing diversity and susceptibility to predators and decreasing size of individual amphipods toward the tropics, we were astonished by the lack of data supporting the assumptions of hypotheses concerning primary productivity, stability, time, competition, predation and habitat heterogeneity and complexity.     

Fish-Habitat Relationships Along the Estuarine Gradient of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta,California: Implications for Habitat Restoration

Estuaries are highly variable environments where fish are subjected to a diverse suite of habitat features (e.g., water quality gradients, physical structure) that filter local assemblages from a broader, regional species pool. Tidal, climatological, and oceanographic phenomena drive water quality gradients and, ultimately, expose individuals to other habitat features (e.g., stationary physical or biological elements, such as bathymetry or vegetation). Relationships between fish abundances, water quality gradients, and other habitat features in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta were examined as a case example to learn how habitat features serve as filters to structure local assemblages in large river-dominated estuaries. Fish communities were sampled in four tidal lakes along the estuarine gradient during summer-fall 2010 and 2011 and relationships with habitat features explored using ordination and generalized linear mixed models (GLMMs). Based on ordination results, landscape-level gradients in salinity, turbidity, and elevation were associated with distinct fish assemblages among tidal lakes. Native fishes were associated with increased salinity and turbidity, and decreased elevation. Within tidal lakes, GLMM results demonstrated that submersed aquatic vegetation density was the dominant driver of individual fish species densities. Both native and non-native species were associated with submersed aquatic vegetation, although native and non-native fish populations only minimally overlapped. These results help to provide a framework for predicting fish species assemblages in novel or changing habitats as they indicate that species assemblages are driven by a combination of location within the estuarine gradient and site-specific habitat features.     

Historical Comparison of Fish Community Structure in Lower Chesapeake Bay Seagrass Habitats

Seagrass beds provide important habitat for fishes and invertebrates in many regions around the world. Accordingly, changes in seagrass coverage may affect fish communities and/or populations, given that many species utilize these habitats during vulnerable early life history stages. In lower Chesapeake Bay, seagrass distribution has contracted appreciably over recent decades due to decreased water clarity and increased water temperature; however, effects of changing vegetated habitat on fish community structure have not been well documented. We compared fish community composition data collected at similar seagrass sites from 1976–1977 and 2009–2011 to investigate potential changes in species richness, community composition, and relative abundance within these habitats. While seagrass coverage at the specific study sites did not vary considerably between time periods, contemporary species richness was lower and multivariate analysis showed that assemblages differed between the two datasets. The majority of sampled species were common to both datasets but several species were exclusive to only one dataset. For some species, relative abundances were similar between the two datasets, while for others, there were notable differences without directional uniformity. Spot (Leiostomus xanthurus) and northern pipefish (Syngnathus fuscus) were considerably less abundant in the contemporary dataset, while dusky pipefish (Syngnathus floridae) was more abundant. Observed changes in community structure may be more attributable to higher overall bay water temperature in recent years and other anthropogenic influences than to changes in seagrass coverage at our study sites.     

Fish assemblages in natural versus well-established recolonized seagrass meadows

Studies of fish assemblages between natural and newly recolonized (<4 yr) seagrass meadows have shown no significant differences in community composition between meadow types. However, comparison of natural and well-established (31 yr) recolonized seagrass meadows in the Indian River Lagoon, Florida, showed that, although patterns in fish assemblages are complex and not always consistent, differences were evident. Species richness was higher in natural meadows during spring and autumn while density and species richness were higher in recolonized meadows during summer. Juveniles of all but the five most abundant species were more common in one or the other meadow type. Additionally, species composition was distinctly different between recolonized and natural seagrass meadows, as indicated by UPGMA cluster analysis based on the Morisita-Horn similarity index, Spearman'sr _s (r _s>0.05 in all but one case), and a maximum of only 58.5% species in common. There were also significant differences in the length-frequency distribution for six of seven abundant species. Our results suggest that a well-established recolonized seagrass meadow has the potential to maintain species complements distinct from nearby natural meadows. Reasons for our differing results may include differences in seagrass morphology and collecting techniques between our study and the former studies. Additionally, species may have a longer time to establish specific habitat-use patterns in well-established compared to newly-formed recolonized meadows. Recolonized seagrass meadows appear to be as suitable a habitat as natural meadows for juvenile and small adult fishes.     

Secondary Production of Macrobenthic Communities in Seagrass (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Zostera marina</Emphasis>, Eelgrass) Beds and Bare Soft Sediments Across Differing Environmental Conditions in Atlantic Canada

In nearshore ecosystems, habitats with emergent structure are often assumed to have higher ecosystem functioning than habitats lacking structure. However, such habitat-specific differences may depend on the surrounding environment. In this study, I examine the robustness of habitat-specific differences in ecosystem functioning for seagrass (Zostera marina) and adjacent bare soft sediments across varying environmental conditions on the Atlantic Coast of Nova Scotia, Canada, using secondary production as a metric. I also examine relationships of community secondary production and faunal structure with measured environmental variables (water depth, temperature, exposure, sediment, and plant properties). Benthic secondary production (invertebrates ≥500 μm) was higher in seagrass compared to bare sediments only at exposed sites with sandy sediments low in organic content, deep and cool water, and high belowground plant biomass. A regression relating community secondary production to the environmental variables explained 56% of the variance, while a constrained ordination explained 16% of the community structure. Important environmental determinants of community production were shoot density, temperature, depth, exposure, sediment organic content, and belowground plant biomass. Community structure was influenced by these variables plus sediment sand content and canopy height. This study shows that habitat-specific differences in secondary production may not be consistent across varying environmental conditions. Furthermore, seagrass beds are not always associated with higher ecosystem functioning than adjacent bare sediment. Both the surrounding environmental conditions and the presence of habitat structure should be considered for optimal management of nearshore ecosystems.     

Direct and Indirect Interactions Between Lower Estuarine Mangrove and Saltmarsh Habitats and a Commercially Important Penaeid Shrimp

Vegetated habitats in estuaries may provide a structural refuge and food supply in the same place, but benefits are also derived where a productive food source and suitable habitat are adjacent to each other. Quantifying these relationships is fundamental to understanding the structural and functional characteristics of estuarine ecosystems and for informing management actions. Effective juvenile habitat (habitat that contributes greater-than-average numbers of recruits to the adult population), recruitment patterns and trophic relationships were studied for Eastern King Prawn (Penaeus plebejus) in the lower Clarence River estuary, New South Wales, between 2014 and 2016. Effective juvenile habitat was identified in both the north arm and main river channel of the estuary, and these areas also supported a higher abundance of juvenile prawns. There was minimal recruitment to the southern channels of the estuary, possibly due to reduced connectivity with the incoming tide arising from a rock wall. Trophic relationships in parts of the lower estuary were evaluated using stable isotopes, and saltmarsh grass (Sporobolus virginicus) was the dominant primary producer supporting juvenile Eastern King Prawn productivity across the area. Mangroves were of minimal importance, and seagrass cover was minimal in the area studied. The patterns observed indicate that nursery function of different areas within the lower estuary is a product of connectivity, recruitment and nutrition derived from primary productivity of vascular plants. Habitats within the lower Clarence River estuary have seen substantial degradation over decadal time scales, and the implications of our findings for targeting future habitat repair are discussed.     

Seagrass patches and landscapes: The influence of wind-wave dynamics and hierarchical arrangements of spatial structure on macrofaunal seagrass communities

The spatial arrangement of seagrass beds varies from scales of centimeters to meters (rhizomes, shoot groups), meters to tens of meters (patches), to tens of meters to kilometers (seagrass landscapes). In this study we examine the role of patch scale (patch size, seagrass % cover, seagrass biomass), landscape scale (fractal geometry, patch isolation) and wave exposure (mean wind velocity and exceedance) variables in influencing benthic community composition in seagrass beds at three intertidal sites in northern New Zealand (two sites in Manukau Harbour and one site in Whangapoua Harbour). Analysis of univariate community measures (numbers of individuals and species, species richness, diversity and evenness) and multivariate analyses indicated that there were significant differences in community composition inside and outside of seagrass patches at each of the three sites. Partialling out the spatial and temporal components of the ecological variation indicated that seagrass patch variables explained only 3–4% of the patch scale variation in benthic community composition at each of the sites. The temporal component was more important, explaining 12–14% of the variation. The unexplained variation was high (about 75%) at all three sites, indicating that other factors were influencing variation in community composition at the scale of the patches, or that there was a large amount of stochastic variation. Landscape and wave exposure variables explained 62.5% of the variation in the species abundance data, and the unexplained variation at the landscape level was correspondingly low (12%). Canonical correspondence analysis produced an ordination that suggests that, while mean wind velocity and exceedance were important in explaining the differences between the communities in the two harbours, spatial patterning of the habitat, primarily fractal dimension, and secondarily patch isolation (or some factors that were similarly correlated), were important in contributing to variability in community composition at the two sites in Manukau Harbour. This study suggests that spatial patterning of seagrass habitat at landscape scales, independent of the patch scale characteristics of the seagrass beds, can affect benthic community composition. Community composition inside and outside seagrass habitats involves responses to seagrass bed structure at a series of hierarchical levels, and we need to consider more than one spatial scale if we are to understand community dynamics in seagrass habitats.     

The response of fishes to submerged aquatic vegetation complexity in two ecoregions of the mid-Atlantic bight: Buzzards Bay and Chesapeake Bay

Estuarine seagrass ecosystems provide important habitat for fish and invertebrates and changes in these systems may alter their ability to support fish. The response of fish assemblages to alteration of eelgrass (Zostera marina) ecosystems in two ecoregions of the Mid-Atlantic Bight (Buzzards Bay and Chesapeake Bay) was evaluated by sampling historical eelgrass sites that currently span a broad range of stress and habitat quality. In two widely separated ecoregions with very different fish faunas, degradation and loss of submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) habitat has lead to declines in fish standing stock and species richness. The abundance, biomass, and species richness of the fish assemblage were significantly higher at sites that have high levels of eelgrass habitat complexity (biomass >100 wet g m^?2; density <100 shotts m^?2) compared to sites that have reduced eelgrass (biomass <100 wet g m^?2; density <100 shoots m^?2) or that have completely lost eelgrass. Abundance, biomass, and species richness at reduced eelgrass complexity sites also were more variable than at high eelgrass complexity habitats. Low SAV complexity sites had higher proportions of pelagic species that are not dependent on benthic habitat structure for feeding or refuge. Most species had greater abundance and were found more frequently at sites that have eelgrass. The replacement of SAV habitats by benthic macroalgae, which occurred in Buzzards Bay but not Chesapeake Bay, did not provide an equivalent habitat to seagrass. Nutrient enrichment-related degradation of eelgrass habitat has diminished the overall capacity of estuaries to support fish populations.     

Lessons learned: The effects of nutrient enrichment on the support of nekton by seagrass and salt marsh ecosystems

Coastal ecosystems such as eelgrass beds and salt marshes have always been valued for their high productivity and rich bounty of fish and shellfish. High plant productivity, complex physical structure, and suitable environmental characteristics combine to create areas of high production of important recreational and commercial species. If we are to successfully manage and restore these ecosystems, it is important to understand the mechanisms by which support of nekton may be affected by nutrient enrichment. A review of the literature suggests that there are some similarities and differences in the effects of nutrient enrichment on the support of nekton by seagrass and salt marsh ecosystems. Nutrient enrichment may compromise the ability of these habitats to support fish and invertebrates before the habitat itself is gone. In both ecosystems, alteration of characteristics within the ecosystem (for example, stem density in seagrass and food webs in marshes) affect the support of nekton, even though the basic ecosystem is still clearly extant. Because of differences in natural ecosystem characteristics, loss of ecosystem function does not occur through the same mechanisms. In seagrass systems, physical structure is usually lost first, followed by alteration of food webs and finally changes in dissolved oxygen. In salt marsh systems, loss of dissolved oxygen may occur early in the process, followed by food web alterations and eventually changes in the physical structure may occur. For both seagrass and salt marsh ecosystems, the mechanisms suggested to operate at the ecosystem-level are often based on relatively small-scale plot experiments that have been conducted in only a few locations. A better understanding of how these ecosystems function across broad geographic regions will be needed to ensure functioning coastal ecosystems.     

Distribution and community structure of ichthyoplankton in Laguna Madre Seagrass meadows: Potential impact of seagrass species change

Seasonal ichthyoplankton surveys were made in the lower Laguna Madre, Texas, to compare the relative utilization of various nursery habitats (shoal grass,Halodule wrightii; manatee grass,Syringodium filiforme; and unvegetated sand bottom) for both estuarine and offshore-spawned larvae. The species composition and abundance of fish larvae were determined for each habitat type at six locations in the bay. Pushnet ichthyoplankton sampling resulted in 296 total collections, yielding 107,463 fishes representing 55 species in 24 families. A broad spectrum of both the biotic and physical habitat parameters were examined to link the dispersion and distribution of both pre-settlement and postsettlement larvae to the utilization of shallow seagrass habitats. Sample sites were grouped by cluster analysis (Ward’s minimum variance method) according to the similarity of their fish assemblages and subsequently examined with a multiple discriminant function analysis to identify important environmental variables. Abiotic environmental factors were most influential in defining groups for samples dominated by early larvae, whereas measures of seagrass complexity defined groups dominated by older larvae and juveniles. Juvenile-stage individuals showed clear habitat preference, with the more shallowHalodule wrightii being the habitat of choice, whereas early larvae of most species were widely distributed over all habitats. As a result of the recent shift of dominance fromHalodule wrightii toSyringodium filiforme, overall reductions in the quality of nursery habitat for fishes in the lower Laguna Madre are projected.     

海草床食物链有机碳传递过程的研究进展

海草床是重要的近海生态系统,生产力极高,可为海洋动物提供良好的栖息地和丰富的有机碳食源;人类活动引起近岸海域的富营养化,可能会改变海草床有机碳源组成和性质,进而影响植食动物和次级消费者的摄食过程及其食物链能量传递效率,从而影响海草床的生物资源产出功能。归纳总结了国内外海草床食物链碳传递过程各方面的研究进展,主要包括:①海草床有机碳源组成及食源贡献;②海草床初级消费者对有机碳源的摄食;③海草床食物网营养级结构及其能量传递;④富营养化对海草床有机碳源组分结构及其成分的影响;⑤海草床食物链能量传递效率对富营养化的响应。在此基础上,提出了未来的研究重点:①联合运用总有机物的稳定同位素比值法、脂肪酸标志法和特定化合物稳定同位素分析方法,加强定量研究海草床各有机碳源的贡献、食物网营养结构图谱、关键碳流途径及其季节性变化规律;探究关键消费者成体和幼体的有机碳源差异,弄清生长阶段的食性转化过程。②结合野外观测、原位围隔实验和室内模拟实验,深入探讨富营养化对海草床有机碳源组成(海草与附生藻类等)及其化学成分(营养质量和次生化合物)的影响,海草等初级生产者成分变化对植食动物和次级消费者摄食过程的影响,以及牧食食物链和碎屑食物链的组成和碳传递效率等的响应机制。     

Research Progress of the Transfer Process of Organic Carbon Through Food Chain in Seagrass Bed

Seagrass beds are highly productive coastal ecosystems, which provide good nursery habitat and abundant Organic Carbon Sources (OCS) as food for marine animals. Human activities have led to widespread eutrophication in coastal areas. Eutrophication may alter the composition and properties of OCS, thereby affecting the feeding process of herbivores and secondary consumer, and energy transfer efficiency in food chain. This may affect the production function of biological resource in seagrass beds. Based on the summary of the foreign and domestic researches, primary achievements were systematically reviewed in this paper in five aspects: the composition of OCS and their contribution, feeding process of herbivore, food web structure and energy transfer efficiency, and their responses to eutrophication. Future researches that should be emphasized were also prospected. With the combined application of stable isotope analysis for bulks and tissues, fatty acid biomarkers and compound-specific stable isotope analysis, the quantitative study of the contribution of OCS, food web structure, key carbon flow pathway and their seasonal change patterns should be enhanced. Meanwhile, the differences of OCS between larval and adult stages of key consumers will need to be further examined to clarify the transformation of their feeding habits. Through field investigation, in-situ mesocosm and laboratory simulation experiments, the effects of nutrient increase on the structure (seagrass and epiphyte, etc.) and chemical composition (nutritional quality and secondary compounds, etc.) of OCS, the response of feeding process of herbivore and secondary consumer to the alteration of chemical compounds in primary producers, and the response mechanism of carbon transfer efficiency of the grazing food chain and detritus food chain need to be further studied.     

Habitat associations of estuarine species: Comparisons of intertidal mudflat, seagrass (Zostera marina), and oyster (Crassostrea gigas) habitats

The complexity of habitat structure created by aquatic vegetation is an important factor determining the diversity and composition of soft-sediment coastal communities. The introduction of estuarine organisms, such as oysters or other forms of aquaculture, that compete with existing forms of habitat structure, such as seagrass, may affect the availability of important habitat refugia and foraging resources for mobile estuarine fish and decapods. Fish and invertebrate communities were compared between adjacent patches of native seagrass (Zostera marina), nonnative cultured oyster (Crassostrea gigas), and unvegetated mudflat within a northeastern Pacific estuary. The composition of epibenthic meiofauna and small macrofaunal organisms, including known prey of fish and decapods, was significantly related to habitat type. Densities of these epifauna were significantly higher in structured habitat compared to unstructured mudflat. Benthic invertebrate densities were highest in seagrass. Since oyster aquaculture may provide a structural substitute for seagrass being associated with increased density and altered composition of fish and decapod prey resources relative to mudflat, it was hypothesized that this habitat might also alter habitat preferences of foraging fish and decapods. The species composition of fish and decapods was more strongly related to location within the estuary than to habitat, and fish and decapod species composition responded on a larger landscape scale than invertebrate assemblages. Fish and decapod species richness and the size of ecologically and commercially important species, such as Dungeness crab (Cancer magister), English sole (Parophrys vetulus), or lingcod (Ophiodon elongatus), were not significantly related to habitat type.     

Comparative patterns of occupancy by decapod crustaceans in seagrass,oyster, and marsh-edge habitats in a Northeast Gulf of Mexico estuary

Decapod crustaceans occupying seagrass, salt marsh edge, and oyster habitats within the St. Martins Aquatic Preserve along the central Gulf coast of Florida were quantitatively sampled using a 1-m² throw trap during July–August 1999 and March–April 2000. Relative abundance and biomass were used as the primary measures to compare patterns of occupancy among the three habitat types. Representative assemblages of abundant and common species from each habitat were compared using Schoener's Percent Similarity Index (PSI). In all, 17,985 decapods were sampled, representing 14 families and 28 species. In the summer sampling period, mean decapod density did not differ between oyster and seagrass habitats, which both held greater densities of decapods than marsh-edge. In the spring sampling period oyster reef habitat supported greater mean decapod density than both seagrass and marsh-edge, which had similar densities of decapods. Habitat-specific comparisons of decapod density between the two sampling periods indicated no clear seasonal effect. In summer 1999, when seagrasses were well established, decapod biomass among the three habitats was not significantly different. During spring 2000, decapod biomass in oyster (41.40 gm⁻²) was greater than in marshedge (4.20 gm⁻²), but did not differ from that of seagrass (9.73 g m⁻²). There was no significant difference in decapod biomas between seagrass and marsh-edge habitats during the spring 2000 sampling period. The assemblage analysis using Schoener's PSI indicated that decapod assemblages associated with oyster were distinct from seagrass and marshedge habitats (which were similar). The results of this study suggest that in comparison to seagrass and marsh-edge habitats, oyster reef habitats and the distinct assemblage of decapod crustaceans that they support represent an ecologically important component of this estuarine system.     

Habitat Restoration from an Ecosystem Goods and Services Perspective: Application of a Spatially Explicit Individual-Based Model

Estuarine ecosystems provide many services to humans, but these ecosystems are also under pressure from human development, which has led to large investments in habitat protection and restoration. Restoration in estuaries is typically focused on emergent and submerged vegetation with the goal of achieving target areal coverage based on historic conditions. Such restoration targets assume no spatial heterogeneity in habitat value and bypass the functional target of restoring or maintaining delivery of ecosystem goods and services (EGS). We have developed a spatially explicit individual-based behavioral model intended to explore the functional role of habitat restoration on EGS delivery in an index system (Tampa Bay, FL) and for an index EGS (recreational fishing). Model scenarios are based on interaction of inter-annual differences in salinity/temperature patterns (wet, dry, average) with hindcasted “increases” in coverage and distribution of seagrass. Model predictions indicated that the effect of seagrass restoration to historic (1950s) levels on both fish and fishery production is dependent on salinity and temperature. This dependence is based on predicted fish response both to habitat changes and the effective spatial scale of different habitat components. Overall, average salinity/temperature conditions facilitated the highest positive functional response to seagrass restoration with extreme wet/dry years yielding lower or even negative functional responses, but these responses were localized and not homogenous about the estuary. The results of this study provide a methodology for using functional targets in restoration planning and highlight the importance of considering the entire habitat mosaic in valuing restored habitat from an EGS perspective.     

Estimating Benefits in a Recovering Estuary: Tampa Bay,Florida

Restoration and preservation of riparian forests and coastal marshes provides nutrient removal and other biochemical and physical functions which may preclude, reduce, or delay the need for additional water treatment, while also protecting human health. We examined the ecosystem goods and related potential cost savings for the Tampa Bay community from seagrass expansion (more than 3,100 ha since 1990), coastal marsh, and mangrove restoration/recovery (more than 600 ha since 1990), and habitat that has been maintained or preserved. Habitats in and around Tampa Bay provide nutrient reductions equivalent to just over US$22 million per year in avoided wastewater treatment plant costs. Future accrual of value associated with maintaining the ecosystem good of usable clean water could rapidly increase to as high as ～US$3 billion per year, when one takes into account the additional costs of water treatment and storm water diversion infrastructure that is likely as the region’s population continues to grow. There is additional value accrual close to a quarter million dollars per year based on avoided social costs to the global community due to greenhouse gases sequestered by bay habitats. Most human beneficiaries associated with the maintenance of usable clean water in Tampa Bay are part of the surrounding regional community. The large current and future cost savings for the community surrounding Tampa Bay and additional benefits for the global community speak to the value of maintaining a healthy bay through past and continued restoration and preservation efforts.     

Impacts of seagrass habitat architecture on bivalve settlement

We investigated the effects of differing spatial scales of seagrass habitat architecture on the composition and abundance of settling bivalves in a sub-tropical seagrass community. The density of newly settled bivalves was generally greater atThalassia testudinum grass bed edge (<1 m) compared to interior portions of the bed (>10 m). Deviation from this generalized pattern occurred when high densities of newly settled tulip mussels (Modiolus americanus) were recorded from the interior of the meadow, associated with aggregations of adult mussels. Bivalve settling densities appear to reflect settlement shadows of passively delivered larvae, bedload transport of newly settled individuals from unvegetated regions, as well as gregarious settlement among adult conspecifics. We also investigated the impact of seagrass patch shape and size on settlement by using artificial seagrass units (ASU) in separate short-term and long-term experiments. We found a positive relationship between ASU perimeter and bivalve abundance, suggesting that larval encounter rates with seagrass habitat may determine initial settlement patterns. Using ASUs we also investigated the relative role seagrass epiphytes play in determining the density of settling bivalves. Results showed greater settling densities where epiphytic secondary structure was elevated compared to controls, and bivalve density was significantly greater when ASUs were fouled with a natural community of epiphytes, suggesting that both microstructure and biofilms positively influenced bivalve settlement. We conclude that structural components of seagrass habitats increase bivalve settlement at multiple spatial scales, including epiphytic micro-structure, small-scale patch shape and size, and large-scale within habitat differences.     

Compensatory effects of boat wake and dredge spoil disposal on assemblages of macroinvertebrates

Estuarine assemblages are exposed to multiple disturbances that overlap in time and space. Along the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway (east coast, United States), two disturbances that frequently co-occur are the production of wake by boats and the disposal of sediment dredged from boat channels. Boat wake generally coarsens sediments by eroding finer particles while deposition of dredge spoil decreases mean grain size. If previously demonstrated effects of boat wake on infauna are due to coarsening of grain size, deposition of dredge spoil on wake affected sites may, through compensatory effects, prevent an effect of wake from being detected. Epifaunal assemblages associated with seagrass blades that are more likely to be structured by hydrodynamic forces than granulometry may instead be affected by boat wake irrespective of the previous deposition of fine materials. To test these hypotheses, in fauna and epifauna were sampled in patchy seagrass habitat at sites with and without boat wake that were affected by historic deposition of dredge spoil and at sites without wake that had not received dredge spoil. Sediment granulometry and infaunal assemblages differed between sites with and without dredge spoit but not between spoil affected sites differing in exposure to wake. Epifaunal assemblages differed between sites with and without wake irrespective of sediment granulometry. The effect of wake on epifauna was primarily due to lesser abundances of the gastropodBittiolum varium and the slipper limpet,Crepidula fornicata, at wake exposed sites. These results suggest that because of their opposing effects on sediment granulometry, boat-wake and sediment disposal may have compensatory effects on infaunal assemblages. The detection of an effect of wake on epifauna despite the absence of a sedimentological effect of the disturbance shows that ecological impacts do not necessarily mirror physical effects and should be considered separately when adopting strategies of management.     

Relationships Among Exceedences of Sediment Guidelines,the Results of Ambient Sediment Toxicity Tests,and Community Metrics in Estuarine Systems

To use bioassessments to help diagnose or identify the specific environmental stressors affecting estuaries, we need a better understanding of the relationships among sediment chemistry guidelines, ambient toxicity tests, and community metrics. However, this relationship is not simple because metrics generally assess the responses at the community level of biological organization whereas sediment guidelines and ambient toxicity tests generally assess or are based on the responses at the organism level. The relationship may be further complicated by the influence of other chemical and physical variables that affect the bioavailability and toxicity of chemical contaminants in the environment. Between 1990 and 1993, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) conducted an Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program (EMAP) survey of estuarine sites in the Virginian Province of the eastern United States. The surveys collected data on benthic assemblages, physical and chemical habitat characteristics, and sediment chemistry and toxicity. We characterized these estuarine sites as affected by sediment contamination based on the exceedence of sediment guidelines or on ambient sediment toxicity tests (i.e., 10-day Ampelisca abdita survival). Then, benthic invertebrate metrics were compared among affected and unaffected sites to identify metrics sensitive to the contamination. A number of benthic invertebrate metrics differed between groups of sites segregated using the organism-level measures whereas other metrics did not. The difference among metrics appears to depend on the sensitivity of the individual metrics to the stressor gradient represented by metals or persistent organic toxics in sediments because the insensitive metrics do not effectively quantify the changes in the benthic invertebrate assemblage associated with these stressors. The significant relationships suggest that a relationship exists between the organism-level effects assessed by chemistry or ambient toxicity tests and the community-level effects assessed by community metrics and that the organism-level effects are predictive, to some extent, of community-level effects.