Bremerhaven Caisson for intertidal field studies

Farke, Hubert; Schulz-Baldes, Meinhard; Ohm, K.; Gerlach, Sebastian A.

doi:10.3354/meps016193

Cited by 14 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 2 publications

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“…Other enclosures such as the Plankton Tower [15] and the MERL Narragansett Bay model [16] have incorporated a benthic component but lack intertidal communities. An intertidal community has been tested in situ with controlled water exchange but had no pelagic or subtidal components [17]. The mesocosm design presented in this study links pelagic, subtidal benthic, intertidal, and emergent communities into a complete ecosystem model.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A modular estuarine mesocosm

Lauth

Cherry

Buikema

et al. 1996

Enviro Toxic and Chemistry

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Abstract-The need to simulate unique features of estuaries and the modes of entry of pollutants has led the authors to develop a modular approach to toxicity testing within an estuarine system. The approach incorporates replicate test systems that simulate the major aspects that are unique to estuarine systems. Initial validation of the design simulated a reference estuary on Wadmalaw Island, South Carolina. Replicate mesocosms were exposed to target concentrations 0, 2, and 8 g/L of azinphosmethyl (AZM), an organophosphate insecticide. Single species toxicity tests were conducted within the systems in conjunction with the ecosystem simulations. High doses of AZM killed all animal life in the simulations, whereas lower concentrations showed a dose-response effect. Twentyfour-hour average AZM levels were used to calculate 24-h and 96-h LC50 values for Atlantic silverside minnows (Menidia menidia), mysid shrimp (Mysidopsis bahia), and grass shrimp (Palaemonetes pugio). Mysid shrimp were most sensitive to AZM (96 h LC50 ϭ 0.811g/L), whereas grass shrimp were least sensitive (96 h LC50 ϭ 1.34 g/L). Dissolved oxygen was reduced and ammonia concentrations increased from high doses of AZM. Increases in ammonia levels were not reduced by interstitial microbes, resulting in sustained high (Ͼ0.08 mg/L) ammonia concentrations. Lower doses were quickly reduced in the mesocosm. This study demonstrates that ecosystem level responses can be evaluated by the modular approach. This modular approach can be modified to simulate most aquatic ecosystems.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A modular estuarine mesocosm

Lauth

Cherry

Buikema

et al. 1996

Enviro Toxic and Chemistry

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“…The mixer decreases light penetration through the resuspension of sediment. If not removed, it could strongly limit benthic production, as observed in the inter-tidal mesocosms by Farke et al (1984), where it was reduced by 30%. This production is of special importance in shallow systems: in the northern zone of Laguna de Rocha it reached 20.6 mg C m -2 h -1 in August 1997, while the average for that year represented approximately 30% of the phytoplankton production (D. Conde, pers.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…An increase in temperature inside the enclosures is inevitable (Farke et al 1984). The cylinders of Goldman (1962) produced a slight warming of the water, and hence increased the resistance to mixing within a few days.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Design and evaluation of benthic mesocosms for coastal lagoons

Arocena¹

2003

Limnetica

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“…Mesocosms are facilities that allow experimentation at scales intermediate between the laboratory and the field. In marine research, mesocosms have been used to enclose large bodies of seawater with their constituent plankton communities (the Loch Ewe experiments in Scotland and Saanich Inlet in Canada, reviewed in Grice & Reeve (1982)), as enclosures linking water column and benthos (the M arine Ecosystem Research Laboratory at Rhode Island U.S.A. (Pilson et al 1977) and the Kiel Bay experiments (von Bodungen et al 1976)), and as enclosures simulating tidal flat communities (the Texel facility in Holland (De Wilde & Kuipers 1977) and the German caissons (Farke et al 1984)). No mesocosms have been used to study intertidal hard bottom communities or subtidal benthic communities.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Oil pollution studies of the Solbergstrand mesocosms

Gray

1987

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. Lond. B

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Two medium-scale ecosystems (mesocosms) were built on the Oslofjord: one a hard-bottom intertidal system and the other a subtidal soft-sediment system. The hard-bottom mesocosm consists of four basins, two controls and two which were dosed with diesel-oil (129 μg 1 -1 a high oil (HO) dose and 29 μg 1 -1 a low oil (LO) dose). Both oil doses caused high mortality of Mytilus edulis and growth was reduced in the macroalgae Ascophyllum nodosum and Laminaria digitata . Recruitment of Littorina littorea was also affected by oil so that populations declined over time. Subtidal benthic communities have been established in the mesocosm and show variations in sediment chemistry within the range found in the field. Although recruitment of benthic macrofauna is reduced, dominant species and species structure remain closely similar to that in the field over six months. Bioturbation effects studied in the mesocosm have shown the important influence of large, rare species in structuring benthic communities, a finding which would not be possible in nature by diving or by the use ofsubmersibles. Preliminary results from a community taken from 200 m depth and established in the mesocosm suggest that it is now possible to do detailed manipulation experiments on communities simulating the whole continental shelf.

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Bremerhaven Caisson for intertidal field studies

Abstract: ABSTRACT:The Bremerhaven Caisson has been designed for field experiments in ecosystem research and pollution studies in intertidal areas. The container-like construction (5.6 m long, 2.35 m wide, 2 m high) has an open top and bottom and encloses an area of 13 m2.

Cited by 14 publications

References 2 publications

A modular estuarine mesocosm

A modular estuarine mesocosm

Design and evaluation of benthic mesocosms for coastal lagoons

Oil pollution studies of the Solbergstrand mesocosms

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