Densities of Large Marine Gastropods in Seagrass, Oyster Reef, and Sandy Habitats in Tampa Bay and along the Gulf Coast of Florida
| Autor: | Britt Edelman-Burke, Jennifer E. Granneman, Erica Levine, Stephen P. Geiger, Sarah Stephenson |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 2020 |
| Předmět: |
0106 biological sciences
Oyster education.field_of_study biology 010604 marine biology & hydrobiology Population Melongena corona Strombus alatus 04 agricultural and veterinary sciences Aquatic Science biology.organism_classification Fasciolaria tulipa 01 natural sciences Fishery Seagrass Habitat biology.animal 040102 fisheries 0401 agriculture forestry and fisheries education Bay |
| Zdroj: | Journal of Shellfish Research. 39:399 |
| ISSN: | 0730-8000 |
| DOI: | 10.2983/035.039.0222 |
| Popis: | Marine gastropods in Florida are harvested by the marine-life trade, tourists (for shells), and traditional commercial fisheries, but stocks are not formally assessed for most species. The main goal of this project was to estimate biological variables that may be used to evaluate the Species of Greatest Conservation Need status of the banded tulip Cinctura lilium and six other large marine gastropod species that are commonly encountered in the targeted habitats. The principal target, C. lilium, was listed in the 2012 State Wildlife Action Plan. The densities and size structures of C. lilium and six co-occurring species of large marine gastropods in Tampa Bay were examined to evaluate population dynamics, seasonal variation, and habitat preferences of these species. Long-term trends in the densities of large, predatory marine gastropods in 10 regions from 2009 to 2017 were included. In Tampa Bay, strong habitat preferences were observed for all species studied: C. lilium and Melongena corona were most likely to be observed on oyster reefs, and Fasciolaria tulipa was found only in seagrass, whereas Strombus alatus, Triplofusus gigantea, Sinistrofulgur sinistrum, and Fulguropsis spirata were more common on soft sediments. Seasonal variations in densities were weak; seasonal differences in size structure were more pronounced. The smallest individuals of C. lilium appeared in spring and summer; F. spirata, S. alatus, and S. sinistrum reached a detectable size in fall. The smallest detectable M. corona appeared in winter. Regionally, there were more gastropods in southwestern bay grass beds (Tampa Bay, Sarasota Bay, and Pine Island Sound) than in coastal seagrass beds (Big Bend, Citrus, Hernando, Pasco, and coastal Pinellas) or northern bays (St. Joseph Bay and St. Andrew Bay), and each region had characteristic species. As a group, tulip snails exhibited modest local declines in densities at two sites, whereas the whelks and T. gigantea varied annually but did not exhibit consistent trends during 2009 to 2017. The present study establishes a baseline of abundance for seven species of common marine gastropods and recommends expanded monitoring in multiple habitats to improve future analyses of abundance trends. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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