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Related Experiment Videos

Seascape-dependent subtidal-intertidal trophic linkages.

Gil Rilov1, David R Schiel

  • 1Marine Ecology Research Group, School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch, New Zealand. rilovg@science.oregonstate.edu

Ecology
|April 11, 2006
PubMed
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Seascapes influence food webs. Mobile predators impact small mussels on rocky shores with subtidal reefs, affecting community structure by limiting recruitment. This highlights seascape-dependent predation on early life stages.

Area of Science:

  • Marine Ecology
  • Food Web Dynamics
  • Rocky Shore Ecosystems

Background:

  • Rocky shore community structure exhibits variability across different coastal sites.
  • Existing research on New Zealand predation often focuses on larger prey and specific predators like seastars.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To test a seascape-dependent conceptual model of food web linkage.
  • To investigate the influence of subtidal predators on intertidal mussel populations.
  • To understand how seascape structure affects predation pressure and community composition.

Main Methods:

  • Employed a comparative-experimental approach at local and distant New Zealand sites.
  • Utilized transplanted mussels on experimental tiles, with varying levels of predator exclusion (full cages, partial cages, no cages).

Related Experiment Videos

  • Compared predation rates and mussel cover on intertidal benches with adjacent subtidal reefs (+SR) versus those without (-SR).

    • Main Results:

    • Mobile subtidal predators (fish, crabs) significantly reduced small mussel survival on low shores adjacent to subtidal reefs (+SR sites).
    • Mussel survival was high in the absence of subtidal reefs (-SR sites), even without predator exclusion.
    • Mussel cover was significantly lower on +SR benches (0-60%) compared to -SR benches (70-99%), indicating reduced recruitment and abundance.

    Conclusions:

    • Predation pressure on intertidal mussels is strongly dependent on the local seascape, specifically the presence of adjacent subtidal reefs.
    • Seascapes mediate top-down interactions, with subtidal predators influencing intertidal community structure through suppression of early-stage mussel recruitment.
    • The study underscores the importance of considering seascape context in understanding food web dynamics and ecological interactions.