Subtidal algal colonization following the removal ofEchinus

Preliminary Canopy Removal Experiments in Algal Dominated Communities Low on the Shore and in the Shallow Subtidal on the Isle of Man

The algal dominated communities immediately above and below the low-water spring level on a moderately exposed Manx shore were investigated by canopy removal experiments. Fucus serratus, Laminaria digitata and L. hyperborea were removed. Competition was shown to be important in determining the zonation of L. digitata and the distribution along the wave exposure gradient of other species such as...

Algal-urchin biomass responses following mass mortality

A mass mortality occurred in 1983, killing 95-99% of the Diadema antillarum Philippi in the Caribbean. This study, conducted in Lameshur Bay, Saint John, U.S. Virgin Islands, reports the impact of the mass mortality on Diadema population density, algal biomass, and Diadema body size. Census dates were 6 months before and 6, 12, 18, 26, 30, and 42 months after the mass mortality. There was an in...

Experimental Removal and Recovery of Subtidal Grazers Highlights the Importance of Functional Redundancy and Temporal Context

The extent to which different grazers are functionally redundant has strong implications for the maintenance of community structure and function. Grazing by red urchins (Strongylocentrotus franciscanus) on temperate rocky reefs can initiate a switch from invertebrate or macroalgal dominance to an algal crust state, but can also cause increases in the density of molluscan mesograzers. In this st...

Increased sediment load during a large-scale dam removal changes nearshore subtidal communities

The coastal marine ecosystem near the Elwha River was altered by a massive sediment influx-over 10 million tonnes-during the staged three-year removal of two hydropower dams. We used time series of bathymetry, substrate grain size, remotely sensed turbidity, scuba dive surveys, and towed video observations collected before and during dam removal to assess responses of the nearshore subtidal com...

Fungal Colonization of Alfalfa Stubble Following Harvest