Settlement panels were used to evaluate the effects of composition of the substratum (sandstone, concrete, wood) and orientation (vertical, horizontal undersides) on subtidal epibiota. It was predicted that both factors would influence the development of epibiotic assemblages, but that differences due to composition would be less marked on horizontal undersides compared to vertical panels. Diff...

The complex structure of biogenic habitats including coral reefs, hemlock forests, and seagrass meadows are widely recognized for the diverse communities they shelter. As human impacts accelerate the loss of such foundation species, we need to identify the general characteristics of previously unrecognized species that can also fulfill the role of habitat provider. We conducted surveys and expe...

Coastal ecosystems play significant ecological and economic roles but are threatened and facing decline. Microbes drive various biogeochemical processes in coastal ecosystems. Tidal flats are critical components of coastal ecosystems; however, the structure and function of microbial communities in tidal flats are poorly understood. Here we investigated the seasonal variations of bacterial commu...

The occurrence of power law relationships in the spatial distribution of sedimentary lithotopes has been identified in both modern and ancient carbonate depositional bodies. In this study, facies patterns and their spatial relationships are investigated quantitatively in an Arabian Gulf shallow subtidal carbonate ramp setting, using a synergy of IKONOS satellite imagery and vessel-based acousti...

1 The marine intertidal is one of the harshest environments on earth. Organisms inhabiting the transition from land to sea are subject to a host of environmental stresses, including temperature variation, dessication stress, wave force, and salinity [1, 2]. The daily tidal cycle is largely responsible for the drastic, rapid temperature fluctuations typical of the intertidal, exposing organisms ...

Sponges are an important component of benthic ecosystems in New Zealand, and as suspension feeders they can process large volumes of water meaning that their interaction with the water column is likely to be of great importance. Our research focuses on the functional role of sponges as suspension feeders in temperate rocky subtidal ecosystems on the Wellington South Coast, New Zealand. We inves...

Field observations, carried out as part of a hydrodynamic study on submarine pollen dispersal in dioeclous Arnphibol~s antarct~ca (Labill.) Sonder et Aschers. ex Aschers., showed that pollen release and subsequent pollinatlon events occur In stages over a period of approximately 1 mo, from late October to early December, a t 32" 16 'S, 115' 41' E on the coast of Western Australia. Examination o...

Since 2001, trained snorkelers, freedivers, and scuba diver volunteers (collectively called EcoDivers) have been recording data on the distribution, abundance, bathymetric range of 43 selected key marine species along Mediterranean Sea coasts using Reef Check Underwater Coastal Environment Monitoring (RCMed U-CEM) protocol. The taxa, including algae, invertebrates, fishes, were by a combination...