Influence of chronic, low-level hydrodynamic forces on subtidal community structure

Autor:	Christopher E. Siddon, Jon D. Witman
Rok vydání:	2003
Předmět:	Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis Ecology biology Alaria esculenta Water flow Kelp Asterias forbesi Aquatic Science Bivalvia biology.organism_classification Mytilus Oceanography Benthic zone Ecology Evolution Behavior and Systematics
Zdroj:	Marine Ecology Progress Series. 261:99-110
ISSN:	1616-1599 0171-8630
DOI:	10.3354/meps261099
Popis:	We combined a theoretical and experimental approach to examine the importance of hydrodynamic forces in causing a striking pattern of subtidal zonation between wave-exposed and protected sides of Halfway Rock, an island in the Gulf of Maine, USA. On the exposed side, prey spe- cies (kelp Alaria esculenta and blue mussels Mytilus edulis) dominated space at shallow depths (1 to 3 m), while their consumers (sea urchins Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis and seastars Asterias forbesi) were restricted to depths > 3 m. In contrast, these consumers foraged up to mean low water on the protected side. We hypothesized that the zonation pattern was caused by higher dislodgment of consumers at the shallow exposed (high-flow) site. Maximum calculated drag and lift forces on consumers ranged from 0.63 to 6.26 newtons (N) at water velocities of 2.0 m s -1 and were an order of magnitude lower than their attachment strengths. Contrary to our hypothesis, these forces predicted
Databáze:	OpenAIRE
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