Details:

Journal Title:
Marine Environmental Research
Personal Author:
Blomberg, Brittany N. ; Lebreton, Benoit ; Palmer, Terence A. ; Guillou, Gaël ; Beseres Pollack, Jennifer ; ... More +
Blomberg, Brittany N. ; Lebreton, Benoit ; Palmer, Terence A. ; Guillou, Gaël ; Beseres Pollack, Jennifer ; Montagna, Paul A. Less -
NOAA Program & Office:
Education and outreach
Description:
As ecosystem engineers, oysters create and maintain structured habitat and can influence trophodynamics and benthic-pelagic coupling in the surrounding landscape. The physical reef structure and associated biotic parameters can affect the availability of food resources for oysters. Oysters and potential composite food sources — suspended particulate organic matter (SPOM) and surface sediment organic matter (SSOM) — were assessed using a dual stable isotope (δ13C, δ15N) approach at three reef types (natural, restored, and unconsolidated) seasonally for two years to determine if changes in physical and/or biotic parameters affected the relative availability and/or use of food resources by oysters. SPOM was more depleted in 13C (−24.2 ± 0.6‰, mean ± SD) than SSOM (−21.2 ± 0.8‰). SPOM composition is likely dominated by autochthonous phytoplankton production, while SSOM includes trapped phytoplankton and benthic microalgae. SSOM was used by oysters in increasing proportions relative to SPOM over time at all reef types. This temporal trend is likely due to increased oyster biomass over time, promoting enhanced microphytobenthos growth through feedback effects related to oyster biodeposits. Structural differences between reef types observed in this study had no effect on food resource availability and use by oysters, indicating strong bentho-pelagic coupling likely due to shallow depths as well as strong and consistent winds. This study provides insights for restoration of oyster reefs as it highlights that food resources used by oysters remain similar among reef types despite changes in abiotic and biotic parameters among habitats and over time.
Keywords:
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Aquatic Science General Medicine Oceanography Pollution
Source:
Marine Environmental Research, 127, 32-40
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marenvres.2017.03.003
ISSN:
0141-1136
Format:
PDF
Publisher:
Elsevier BV
Document Type:
Journal Article
Funding:
Grant no. NA11SEC4810001
Rights Information:
Accepted Manuscript
Compliance:
Library
Main Document Checksum:
[+]
urn:sha256:1d1e9afb163a64dd0f71f8f7da0c3398d05679708139cb540c55f3aa3348db36
Download URL:
https://repository.library.noaa.gov/view/noaa/57718/noaa_57718_DS1.pdf
File Type:

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