Showing papers on "Benthic zone published in 2006"

Ecology and Applications of Benthic Foraminifera

Abstract: In this volume John Murray investigates the ecological processes that control the distribution, abundance, and species diversity of benthic foraminifera in environments ranging from marsh to the deepest ocean. To interpret the fossil record it is necessary to have an understanding of the ecology of modern foraminifera and the processes operating after death leading to burial and fossilisation. This book presents the ecological background required to explain how fossil forms are used in dating rocks and reconstructing past environmental features including changes of sea level. It demonstrates how living foraminifera can be used to monitor modern-day environmental change. Ecology and Applications of Benthic Foraminifera presents a comprehensive and global coverage of the subject using all the available literature. It is supported by a website hosting a large database of additional ecological information (www.cambridge.org/0521828392) and will form an important reference for academic researchers and graduate students in Earth and Environmental Sciences.

The ecology of sandy shores

Abstract: 1. Introduction 2. The Physical Environment 3. The Interstitial Environment 4. Beach and Surf Zone Flora 5. Sandy Beach Invertebrates 6. Adaptation to Sandy Beach Life 7. Benthic Macrofauna Communities 8. Benthic Macrofauna Populations 9. Interstitial Ecology 10. Surf Zone Fauna 11. Turtles and Terrestrial Vertebrates 12. Energetics and Nutrient Cycling 13. Coastal Dune Ecosystems and Dune-beach Interactions 13. Conclusions 14. Human Impacts 15. Coastal Zone Management 16. Glossary 17. References 18. Appendices

A major ecosystem shift in the northern Bering Sea.

Abstract: Until recently, northern Bering Sea ecosystems were characterized by extensive seasonal sea ice cover, high water column and sediment carbon production, and tight pelagic-benthic coupling of organic production. Here, we show that these ecosystems are shifting away from these characteristics. Changes in biological communities are contemporaneous with shifts in regional atmospheric and hydrographic forcing. In the past decade, geographic displacement of marine mammal population distributions has coincided with a reduction of benthic prey populations, an increase in pelagic fish, a reduction in sea ice, and an increase in air and ocean temperatures. These changes now observed on the shallow shelf of the northern Bering Sea should be expected to affect a much broader portion of the Pacific-influenced sector of the Arctic Ocean.

Heterotrophic Archaea dominate sedimentary subsurface ecosystems off Peru

Abstract: Studies of deeply buried, sedimentary microbial communities and associated biogeochemical processes during Ocean Drilling Program Leg 201 showed elevated prokaryotic cell numbers in sediment layers where methane is consumed anaerobically at the expense of sulfate. Here, we show that extractable archaeal rRNA, selecting only for active community members in these ecosystems, is dominated by sequences of uncultivated Archaea affiliated with the Marine Benthic Group B and the Miscellaneous Crenarchaeotal Group, whereas known methanotrophic Archaea are not detectable. Carbon flow reconstructions based on stable isotopic compositions of whole archaeal cells, intact archaeal membrane lipids, and other sedimentary carbon pools indicate that these Archaea assimilate sedimentary organic compounds other than methane even though methanotrophy accounts for a major fraction of carbon cycled in these ecosystems. Oxidation of methane by members of Marine Benthic Group B and the Miscellaneous Crenarchaeotal Group without assimilation of methane–carbon provides a plausible explanation. Maintenance energies of these subsurface communities appear to be orders of magnitude lower than minimum values known from laboratory observations, and ecosystem-level carbon budgets suggest that community turnover times are on the order of 100–2,000 years. Our study provides clues about the metabolic functionality of two cosmopolitan groups of uncultured Archaea.

Evidence for complete denitrification in a benthic foraminifer

Abstract: Several foraminiferal protozoa species grow in anoxic zones in marine sediment, but the type of anaerobic respiration that sustains them was not known. These organisms have now been found to accumulate nitrate intracellularly at concentrations more than 500 times the environmental values. The nitrate substitutes for oxygen in these anoxic habitats. The large amounts of nitrate that accumulate may even allow them to 'hold their breath' for more than a month. Denitrification, the biological conversion of nitrate to nitrogen, was believed to be restricted to bacteria and archaea. It has now been shown that highly abundant benthic foraminifers are also capable of denitrification, suggesting that much remains to be learned about the global nitrogen cycle. Benthic foraminifera are unicellular eukaryotes found abundantly in many types of marine sediments. Many species survive and possibly reproduce in anoxic habitats1, but sustainable anaerobic metabolism has not been previously described. Here we demonstrate that the foraminifer Globobulimina pseudospinescens accumulates intracellular nitrate stores and that these can be respired to dinitrogen gas. The amounts of nitrate detected are estimated to be sufficient to support respiration for over a month. In a Swedish fjord sediment where G. pseudospinescens is the dominant foraminifer, the intracellular nitrate pool in this species accounted for 20% of the large, cell-bound, nitrate pool present in an oxygen-free zone. Similarly high nitrate concentrations were also detected in foraminifera Nonionella cf. stella and a Stainforthia species, the two dominant benthic taxa occurring within the oxygen minimum zone of the continental shelf off Chile. Given the high abundance of foraminifera in anoxic marine environments1,2,3, these new findings suggest that foraminifera may play an important role in global nitrogen cycling and indicate that our understanding of the complexity of the marine nitrogen cycle is far from complete.

Eutrophication and trophic state in rivers and streams

Abstract: Many natural streams are net heterotrophic, so I propose that trophic state be divided into autotrophic and heterotrophic state. This division allows consideration of the influence of external carbon sources as well as nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus. Empirical results suggest that phosphorus and nitrogen are the most important nutrients regulating autotrophic state in flowing waters and that benthic algal biomass is positively correlated to gross primary production in streams. Reference (minimally influenced by human activities) nutrient concentrations and correlations of nutrients with algal biomass are used to characterize reference distributions of stream autotrophic state. Only when reference nutrient concentrations are in the upper one third of those expected in the United States, is maximum benthic chlorophyll projected to exceed 100 mg m 22 (a concentration commonly used to indicate nuisance levels) .30% of the time. Average reference nutrient concentrations lead to sestonic chlorophyll concentrations above those considered typical of eutrophic lakes (. 8m g m 23 ) less than half the time. Preliminary analysis suggests that autotrophic state is variable in small pristine streams because it is influenced by canopy cover (light), but heterotrophic state is less variable because it can be based on allochthonous or autochthonous production. Nitrogen and phosphorus enrichment can influence both heterotrophic and autotrophic state, and these effects could cascade to animal communities. Stoichiometry should be considered because carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus are all involved in trophic state. The proposed definition of trophic state offers a starting conceptual framework for such considerations.

Chronic bottom trawling alters the functional composition of benthic invertebrate communities on a sea-basin scale

Abstract: Bottom trawling causes widespread physical disturbance of sediments in seas and oceans and affects benthic communities by removing target and non-target species and altering habitats. One aspiration of the ecosystem approach to management is to conserve function as well as biodiversity, but trawling impacts on benthic community function need to be understood before they can be managed. Here we present the large scale and long term impact of chronic trawling on the functional composition of benthic invertebrate communities using a comprehensive set of functional traits. The effects of chronic trawling disturbance on the functional composition of faunal benthic invertebrate communities, as sampled with a small beam trawl, were investigated at 6 to 13 sites in each of 4 contrasting regions of the North Sea. Each site was subject to known levels of trawling disturbance. Information on the life history and ecological function traits of the taxa sampled was translated into fuzzy coding and used to analyse the relationship between life history and functional roles within the ecosystem. Multivariate analyses were used to examine changes in the distribution of traits over gradients of trawling intensity. Changes in the functional structure of the community due to the effects of long-term trawling were identified in 3 of the 4 areas sampled. Filter-feeding, attached and larger animals were relatively more abundant in lightly trawled areas, while areas with higher levels of trawling were characterised by a higher relative biomass of mobile animals and infaunal and scavenging invertebrates. Univariate analysis of selected traits confirmed the patterns observed in multivariate analysis. These results demonstrate that chronic bottom trawling can lead to large scale shifts in the functional composition of benthic communities, with likely effects on the functioning of coastal ecosystems.

Cumulative impacts of seabed trawl disturbance on benthic biomass, production, and species richness in different habitats

Abstract: Bottom trawling causes widespread disturbance of sediments in shelf seas and can have a negative impact on benthic fauna. We conducted a large-scale assessment of bottom trawl fishing of benthic fauna in different habitats, using a theoretical, size-based model that included habitat features. Species richness was estimated based on a generalized body mass versus species richness relationship. The model was validated by sampling 33 stations subject to a range of trawling intensities in four shallow, soft sediment areas in the North Sea. Both the model and the field data demonstrated that trawling reduced biomass, production, and species richness. The impacts of trawling were greatest in areas with low levels of natural disturbance, while the impact of trawling was small in areas with high rates of natural disturbance. For the North Sea, the model showed that the bottom trawl fleet reduced benthic biomass and production by 56% and 21%, respectively, compared with an unfished situation. Because of the many simplifications and assumptions required to synthesize these data, additional work is required to refine the model and evaluate applicability in other geographic areas. Our model enables managers to understand the consequences of altering the distribution of fishing activities on benthic production and hence on food web processes.

Light availability in the coastal ocean: Impact on the distribution of benthic photosynthetic organisms and their contribution to primary production

Abstract: . One of the major features of the coastal zone is that part of its sea floor receives a significant amount of sunlight and can therefore sustain benthic primary production by seagrasses, macroalgae, microphytobenthos and corals. However, the contribution of benthic communities to the primary production of the global coastal ocean is not known, partly because the surface area where benthic primary production can proceed is poorly quantified. Here, we use a new analysis of satellite (SeaWiFS) data collected between 1998 and 2003 to estimate, for the first time at a nearly global scale, the irradiance reaching the bottom of the coastal ocean. The following cumulative functions provide the percentage of the surface (S) of the coastal zone receiving an irradiance greater than Ez (in mol photons m−2 d−1): SNon-polar = 29.61 − 17.92 log10(Ez) + 0.72 log102(Ez) + 0.90 log103(Ez) SArctic = 15.99 − 13.56 log10(Ez) + 1.49 log102(Ez) + 0.70 log103(Ez) Data on the constraint of light availability on the major benthic primary producers and net community production are reviewed. Some photosynthetic organisms can grow deeper than the nominal bottom limit of the coastal ocean (200 m). The minimum irradiance required varies from 0.4 to 5.1 mol photons m−2 d−1 depending on the group considered. The daily compensation irradiance of benthic communities ranges from 0.24 to 4.4 mol photons m−2 d−1. Data on benthic irradiance and light requirements are combined to estimate the surface area of the coastal ocean where (1) light does not limit the distribution of primary producers and (2) net community production (NCP, the balance between gross primary production and community respiration) is positive. Positive benthic NCP can occur over 33% of the global shelf area. The limitations of this approach, related to the spatial resolution of the satellite data, the parameterization used to convert reflectance data to irradiance, the lack of global information on the benthic nepheloid layer, and the relatively limited biological information available, are discussed.

Hunt warm, rest cool: bioenergetic strategy underlying diel vertical migration of a benthic shark

Abstract: Summary 1. Diel vertical migration (DVM) is a widespread phenomenon among marine and freshwater organisms and many studies with various taxa have sought to understand its adaptive significance. Among crustacean zooplankton and juveniles of some fish species DVM is accepted widely as an antipredator behaviour, but little is known about its adaptive value for relatively large-bodied, adult predatory fish such as sharks. Moreover, the majority of studies have focused on pelagic forms, which raises the question of whether DVM occurs in bottom-living predators. 2. To investigate DVM in benthic predatory fish in the marine environment and to determine why it might occur we tracked movements of adult male dogfish ( Scyliorhinus canicula ) by short- and long-term acoustic and archival telemetry. Movement studies were complemented with measurements of prey abundance and availability and thermal habitat within home ranges. A thermal choice experiment and energy budget modelling was used to investigate trade-offs between foraging and thermal habitat selection. 3. Male dogfish undertook normal DVM (nocturnal ascent) within relatively small home ranges ( ∼ 100 × 100 m) comprising along-bottom movements up submarine slopes from deeper, colder waters occupied during the day into warmer, shallow prey-rich areas above the thermocline at night. Few daytime vertical movements occurred. Levels of activity were higher during the night above the thermocline compared to below it during the day indicating they foraged in warm water and rested in colder depths. 4. A thermal choice experiment using environmentally realistic temperatures supported the field observation that dogfish positively avoided warmer water even when it was associated with greater food availability. Males in laboratory aquaria moved into warm water from a cooler refuge only to obtain food, and after food consumption they preferred to rest and digest in cooler water. 5. Modelling of energy budgets under different realistic thermal-choice scenarios indicated dogfish adopting a ‘hunt warm − rest cool’ strategy could lower daily energy costs by just over 4%. Our results provide the first clear evidence that are consistent with the hypothesis that a benthic marine-fish predator utilizes DVM as an energy conservation strategy that increases bioenergetic efficiency.

Hurricanes, submarine groundwater discharge, and Florida's red tides

Abstract: A Karenia brevis Harmful Algal Bloom affected coastal waters shallower than 50 m off west-central Florida from January 2005 through January 2006, showing a sustained anomaly of ∼1 mg chlorophyll m -3 over an area of up to 67,500 km 2 . Red tides occur in the same area (approximately 26-29°N, 82-83°W) almost every year, but the intense 2005 bloom led to a widespread hypoxic zone (dissolved oxygen <2 mg L -1 ) that caused mortalities of benthic communities, fish, turtles, birds, and marine mammals. Runoff alone provided insufficient nitrogen to support this bloom. We pose the hypothesis that submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) provides the missing nutrients, and indeed can trigger and support the recurrent red tides off west-central Florida. SGD inputs of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) in Tampa Bay alone are ∼35% of that discharged by all central Florida rivers draining west combined. We propose that the unusual number of hurricanes in 2004 resulted in high runoff, and in higher than normal SGD emerging along the west Florida coast throughout 2005, initiating and fueling the persistent HAB. This mechanism may also explain recurrent red tides in other coastal regions of the Gulf of Mexico.

Whole‐system nutrient enrichment increases secondary production in a detritus‐based ecosystem

Abstract: Although the effects of nutrient enrichment on consumer-resource dynamics are relatively well studied in ecosystems based on living plants, little is known about the manner in which enrichment influences the dynamics and productivity of consumers and resources in detritus-based ecosystems. Because nutrients can stimulate loss of carbon at the base of detrital food webs, effects on higher consumers may be fundamentally different than what is expected for living-plant-based food webs in which nutrients typically increase basal carbon. We experimentally enriched a detritus-based headwater stream for two years to examine the effects of nutrient-induced changes at the base of the food web on higher metazoan (predominantly invertebrate) consumers. Our paired-catchment design was aimed at quantifying organic matter and invertebrate dynamics in the enriched stream and an adjacent reference stream for two years prior to enrichment and two years during enrichment. Enrichment had a strong negative effect on standing crop of leaf litter, but no apparent effect on that of fine benthic organic matter. Despite large nutrient-induced reductions in the quantity of leaf litter, invertebrate secondary production during the enrichment was the highest ever reported for headwater streams at this Long Term Ecological Research site and was 1.2-3.3 times higher than predicted based on 15 years of data from these streams. Abundance, biomass, and secondary production of invertebrate consumers increased significantly in response to enrichment, and the response was greater among taxa with larval life spans � 1 yr than among those with larval life spans .1 yr. Production of invertebrate predators closely tracked the increased production of their prey. The response of invertebrates was largely habitat-specific with little effect of enrichment on food webs inhabiting bedrock outcrops. Our results demonstrate that positive nutrient-induced changes to food quality likely override negative changes to food quantity for consumers during the initial years of enrichment of detritus-based stream ecosystems. Longer-term enrichment may impact consumers through eventual reductions in the quantity of detritus.

Invasive cordgrass modifies wetland trophic function.

Abstract: Vascular plants strongly control belowground environments in most ecosys- tems. Invasion by vascular plants in coastal wetlands, and by cordgrasses (Spartina spp.) in particular, are increasing in incidence globally, with dramatic ecosystem-level conse- quences. We examined the trophic consequences of invasion by a Spartina hybrid (S. alterniflora 3 S. foliosa) in San Francisco Bay (USA) by documenting differences in biomass and trophic structure of benthic communities between sediments invaded by Spar- tina and uninvaded sediments. We found the invaded system shifted from an algae-based to a detritus-based food web. We then tested for a relationship between diet and tolerance to invasion, hypothesizing that species that consume Spartina detritus are more likely to inhabit invaded sediments than those that consume surface algae. Infaunal diets were ini- tially examined with natural abundance stable isotope analyses and application of mixing models, but these yielded an ambiguous picture of food sources. Therefore, we conducted isotopic enrichment experiments by providing 15 N-labeled Spartina detritus both on and below the sediment surface in areas that either contained Spartina or were unvegetated. Capitellid and nereid polychaetes, and oligochaetes, groups shown to persist following Spartina invasion of San Francisco Bay tidal flats, took up 15 N from labeled native and invasive Spartina detritus. In contrast, we found that amphipods, bivalves, and other taxa less tolerant to invasion consumed primarily surficial algae, based on 13 C enrichment ex- periments. Habitat (Spartina vs. unvegetated patches) and location of detritus (on or within sediments) did not affect 15 N uptake from detritus. Our investigations support a ''trophic shift'' model for ecosystem response to wetland plant invasion and preview loss of key trophic support for fishes and migratory birds by shifting dominance to species not widely consumed by species at higher trophic levels.

Functional Role of Large Organisms in Intertidal Communities: Community Effects and Ecosystem Function

Abstract: In marine soft sediments, large organisms are potentially important players in the nonlinear interactions that occur among animals, their food, and their chemical environment, all of which influence the contribution of benthos to ecosystem function. We investigated the consequences of removing large individuals of two functionally contrasting benthic communities on nutrient regeneration, microphyte standing stock, and macrobenthic community composition. The experiment was conducted at two adjacent sites that were physically similar but biologically different, one dominated by large deposit feeders and the other by large suspension feeders. Chemical fluxes were measured in experimental plots, and sediments were sampled to assess changes in macrofauna, sediment grain size, organic content, and microphyte standing stock. Our results demonstrate that the removal of large suspension feeders or deposit feeders influenced the flux of nitrogen and oxygen, surficial sediment characteristics, and community composition. In the deposit-feeder community, interactions between nutrient regeneration and grazing highlight important feedbacks between large macrofauna and biogeochemical processes and production by microphytes, indicating that the loss of large infauna driven by increased rates of anthropogenic disturbance may lead to functional extinction and cause shifts in community structure and ecosystem performance.

Context-dependent effects of freshwater mussels on stream benthic communities

Abstract: SUMMARY 1. We asked whether unionid mussels influence the distribution and abundance of co-occurring benthic algae and invertebrates. In a yearlong field enclosure experiment in a south-central U.S. river, we examined the effects of living mussels versus sham mussels (shells filled with sand) on periphyton and invertebrates in both the surrounding sediment and on mussel shells. We also examined differences between two common unionid species, Actinonaias ligamentina (Lamarck 1819) and Amblema plicata (Say 1817). 2. Organic matter concentrations and invertebrate densities in the sediment surrounding mussels were significantly higher in treatments with live mussels than treatments with sham mussels or sediment alone. Organic matter was significantly higher in the sediment surrounding Actinonaias than that surrounding Amblema. Actinonaias was more active than Amblema and may have increased benthic organic matter through bioturbation. 3. Living mussels increased the abundance of periphyton on shells and the abundance and richness of invertebrates on shells, whereas effects of sham mussels were similar to sediment alone. Differences in the amount of periphyton growing on the shells of the two mussel species reflected differences in mussel activity and shell morphology. 4. Differences between living and sham mussel treatments indicate that biological activities of mussels provide ecosystem services to the benthic community beyond the physical habitat provided by shells alone. In treatments containing live mussels we found significant correlations between organic matter and chlorophyll a concentrations in the sediment, organic matter concentrations and invertebrate abundance in the sediment and the amount of chlorophyll a on the sediment and invertebrate abundance. There were no significant correlations among these response variables in control treatments. Thus, in addition to providing biogenic structure as habitat, mussels likely facilitate benthic invertebrates by altering the availability of resources (algae and organic matter) through nutrient excretion and biodeposition. 5. Effects of mussels on sediment and shell periphyton concentrations, organic matter concentrations and invertebrate abundance, varied seasonally, and were strongest in late summer during periods of low water volume, low flow, and high water temperature. 6. Our study demonstrates that freshwater mussels can strongly influence the co-occurring benthic community, but that effects of mussels are context-dependent and may vary among species.

The functional role of native freshwater mussels in the fluvial benthic environment

Abstract: Summary 1. Freshwater mussels are the dominant consumer biomass in many fluvial systems. As filter feeding grazers, mussels can remove large amounts of particulate matter from the water column and transfer these resources to the substrate as biodeposits (agglutinated mussel faeces and pseudofaeces). Mussel biodeposits are a nutrient rich and easily assimilated food source and therefore may have significant relevance to benthic community structure. This study examines the functional role of Margaritifera falcata in the South Fork Eel River, California. 2. We addressed two main questions: (i) Do mussels increase benthic resources in this system? (ii) If so, does this alter macroinvertebrate community structure? 3. Measurements and enclosure experiments in the South Fork Eel River show that mussels can play a significant role in local food webs by increasing available fine particulate matter (both organic and inorganic) on the substrate. We document increased benthic macroinvertebrate biomass for predators and collectors (Leptophlebidae) in the presence of mussels, but only in late summer.

Benthic community response to ice algae and phytoplankton in Ny Ålesund, Svalbard

Abstract: We assessed the digestibility and utilization of ice algae and phytoplankton by the shallow, subtidal ben- thos in Ny Alesund (Kongsfjord) on Svalbard (79° N, 12° E) using chlorophyll a (chl a), essential fatty acids (EFAs) and stable isotopes as tracers of food consumption and assimi- lation Intact benthic communities in sediment cores and individuals of dominant benthic taxa were given ice algae, phytoplankton, 13 C-enriched ice algae or a no food addi- tion control for 19 to 32 d Ice algae and phytoplankton had significantly different isotopic signatures and relative con- centrations of fatty acids In the food addition cores, sedi- ment concentrations of chl a and the EFA C20:5(n-3) were elevated by 80 and 93%, respectively, compared to the control after 12 h, but decreased to background levels by 19 d, suggesting that both ice algae and phytoplankton were rapidly consumed Whole core respiration rates in the ice algae treatments were 14 times greater than in the other treatments within 12 h of food addition In the ice algae treatment, both suspension and deposit feeding taxa from 3 different phyla (Mollusca, Annelida and Sipuncula) exhibited significant enrichment in δ13 C values compared to the control Deposit feeders (15% uptake), however, ex- hibited significantly greater uptake of the 13 C-enriched ice algae tracer than suspension feeders (3% uptake) Our study demonstrates that ice algae are readily consumed and assimilated by the Arctic benthos, and may be prefer- entially selected by some benthic species (ie deposit feed- ers) due to their elevated EFA content, thus serving as an important component of the Arctic benthic food web

Benthic metabolism as an indicator of stream ecosystem health

Abstract: We tested direct and indirect measures of benthic metabolism as indicators of stream ecosystem health across a known agricultural land-use disturbance gradient in southeast Queensland, Australia. Gross primary production (GPP) and respiration (R-24) in benthic chambers in cobble and sediment habitats, algal biomass (as chlorophyll a) from cobbles and sediment cores, algal biomass accrual on artificial substrates and stable carbon isotope ratios of aquatic plants and benthic sediments were measured at 53 stream sites, ranging from undisturbed subtropical rainforest to catchments where improved pasture and intensive cropping are major land-uses. Rates of benthic GPP and R-24 varied by more than two orders of magnitude across the study gradient. Generalised linear regression modelling explained 80% or more of the variation in these two indicators when sediment and cobble substrate dominated sites were considered separately, and both catchment and reach scale descriptors of the disturbance gradient were important in explaining this variation. Model fits were poor for net daily benthic metabolism (NDM) and production to respiration ratio (P/R). Algal biomass accrual on artificial substrate and stable carbon isotope ratios of aquatic plants and benthic sediment were the best of the indirect indicators, with regression model R-2 values of 50% or greater. Model fits were poor for algal biomass on natural substrates for cobble sites and all sites. None of these indirect measures of benthic metabolism was a good surrogate for measured GPP. Direct measures of benthic metabolism, GPP and R-24, and several indirect measures were good indicators of stream ecosystem health and are recommended in assessing process-related responses to riparian and catchment land use change and the success of ecosystem rehabilitation actions.

Trophic relationships and pelagic-benthic coupling during summer in the Barents Sea Marginal Ice Zone, revealed by stable carbon and nitrogen isotope measurements

Abstract: Food web structure and pathways from primary production were studied in pelagic, sympagic (ice-associated) and benthic communities during summer in a seasonally ice covered region of the northern Barents Sea Stable isotopes of carbon (δ 13 C) and nitrogen (δ 15 N) were used as tracers of organic material through marine food webs and trophic levels of organisms, respectively Measurements of δ 15 N show that sympagic amphipods occupy the lowest trophic levels (ca 2), for pri- mary consumers, followed by zooplankton (20 to 26), benthic suspension and deposit feeders (22 to 37), benthic carnivores (36 to 44) and fishes (33 to 44) The δ 13 C values indicate that zooplankton mainly graze on suspended particulate organic material (POM) Sympagic amphipods derive most of their energy from ice POM, but some species had δ 13 C values indicating that phytoplankton also con- tributes to their energy intake δ 13 C values of some components of the benthic community suggest that POM settling out of the water column is efficiently exploited by the benthic fauna Elevated δ 13 C values of the benthic fauna relative to zooplankton at some stations indicate that the degree of pelagic-benthic coupling at stations separated by only 90 km is determined by a combination of factors, including water-mass properties and the primary-production regime These results may qualify findings of previous studies that have sampled from discrete locations or have pooled speci- mens collected from a broad area to make conclusions about food webs on a regional scale

Detritus processing by invertebrate shredders: a neotropical–temperate comparison

Abstract: Leaf litter is a major component in the organic matter budgets of streams worldwide. Shredding invertebrates are widely considered to be of central importance for the breakdown of allochthonous organic material in temperate-zone streams. However, various authors report an absence of this group in tropical streams. Various phenomena, including hydraulic disturbance, chemical leaf quality, and biotic control through macroconsumers, may cause variable shredder performance in streams. Our paper discusses the hypothesis that biogeographic distribution and the life-cycle strategies of the shredders are additional factors affecting the contribution of invertebrates to lotic decomposition processes. As a case study, we analyzed the type of organic matter inputs, the community of benthic invertebrate shredders, and the decomposition of temperate zone leaves (alder, Alnusglutinosa) in the Breitenbach (BRB), a temperate stream in Hesse, Germany, and in the Corrego Tenente Amaral (CTA), a neotropical Cerrado ...

Benthic Habitat Mapping in Tropical Marine Environments Using QuickBird Multispectral Data

Abstract: The objective of this research focused on the utility of QuickBird multispectral data for identifying and classifying tropical-marine benthic habitats after applying atmospheric and water-column corrections for an area around Roatan Island, Honduras. Atmospheric (Rayleigh and aerosol path radiance) and water column corrections (water depth and water column attenuation) were applied to the imagery, making it an effective method for mapping benthic habitats. Water depth for each pixel was calculated based on a linear model by regressing transformed radiance over known homogenous benthos against measured depths. Water column correction was achieved by deriving absorption and backscattering coefficients for each band of the image using a 50 � 50 window of clear water pixels. Corrections for water path radiance and water column attenuation of the bottom reflected radiance were made for the entire scene, allowing the bottom albedo to be determined for shallow coastal areas. An image of the bottom (i.e., an albedo image), minus the water column, was produced. Albedos were ≤8 percent for seagrass benthos, approximately 8 to 18 percent for coral areas, and ≥18 percent for sand dominated areas. An unsupervised classification algorithm was applied to the bottom albedo image, generating a classified map of benthic habitats. Accuracy assessment based on 383 reference points revealed an overall accuracy of 81 percent, with an overall Kappa value of 0.774.

Benthic metabolism as an indicator of stream ecosystem health

Abstract: We tested direct and indirect measures of benthic metabolism as indicators of stream ecosystem health across a known agricultural land-use disturbance gradient in southeast Queensland, Australia. Gross primary production (GPP) and respiration (R24) in benthic chambers in cobble and sediment habitats, algal biomass (as chlorophyll a) from cobbles and sediment cores, algal biomass accrual on artificial substrates and stable carbon isotope ratios of aquatic plants and benthic sediments were measured at 53 stream sites, ranging from undisturbed subtropical rainforest to catchments where improved pasture and intensive cropping are major land-uses. Rates of benthic GPP and R24 varied by more than two orders of magnitude across the study gradient. Generalised linear regression modelling explained 80% or more of the variation in these two indicators when sediment and cobble substrate dominated sites were considered separately, and both catchment and reach scale descriptors of the disturbance gradient were important in explaining this variation. Model fits were poor for net daily benthic metabolism (NDM) and production to respiration ratio (P/R). Algal biomass accrual on artificial substrate and stable carbon isotope ratios of aquatic plants and benthic sediment were the best of the indirect indicators, with regression model R2 values of 50% or greater. Model fits were poor for algal biomass on natural substrates for cobble sites and all sites. None of these indirect measures of benthic metabolism was a good surrogate for measured GPP. Direct measures of benthic metabolism, GPP and R24, and several indirect measures were good indicators of stream ecosystem health and are recommended in assessing process-related responses to riparian and catchment land use change and the success of ecosystem rehabilitation actions.

A synthesis of bentho-pelagic coupling on the Antarctic shelf: Food banks, ecosystem inertia and global climate change

Abstract: The Antarctic continental shelf is large, deep (500–1000 m), and characterized by extreme seasonality in sea-ice cover and primary production. Intense seasonality and short pelagic foodwebs on the Antarctic shelf may favor strong bentho-pelagic coupling, whereas unusual water depth combined with complex topography and circulation could cause such coupling to be weak. Here, we address six questions regarding the nature and strength of coupling between benthic and water-column processes on the continental shelf surrounding Antarctica. We find that water-column production is transmitted to the shelf floor in intense pulses of particulate organic matter, although these pulses are often difficult to correlate with local phytoplankton blooms or sea-ice conditions. On regional scales, benthic habitat variability resulting from substrate type, current regime, and iceberg scour often may obscure the imprint of water-column productivity on the seafloor. However, within a single habitat type, i.e. the muddy sediments that characterize much of the deep Antarctic shelf, macrobenthic biomass appears to be correlated with regional primary production and sea-ice duration. Over annual time-scales, many benthic ecological processes were initially expected to vary in phase with the extraordinary boom/bust cycle of production in the water column. However, numerous processes, including sediment respiration, deposit feeding, larval development, and recruitment, often are poorly coupled to the summer bloom season. Several integrative, time-series studies on the Antarctic shelf suggest that this lack of phasing may result in part from the accumulation of a persistent sediment food bank that buffers the benthic ecosystem from the seasonal variability of the water column. As a consequence, a variety of benthic parameters (e.g., sediment respiration, inventories of labile organic matter, macrobenthic biomass) may act as “low-pass” filters, responding to longer-term (e.g., inter-annual) trends in water-column production. Bentho-pelagic coupling clearly will be altered by Antarctic climate change as patterns of sea-ice cover and water-column recycling vary. However, the nature of such climate-driven changes will be very difficult to predict without further studies of Antarctic benthic ecosystem response to (1) inter-annual variability in export flux, and (2) latitudinal gradients in duration of sea-ice cover and benthic ecosystem function.