Ecosystem Engineering by Thalassinidean Crustaceans: Response Variability, Contextual Dependencies and Perspectives on Future Research

Pillay, Deena

doi:10.3390/d11040064

Cited by 17 publications

(14 citation statements)

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“…H 2 S) 18,21 . Through such exchanges, suspended particles, including phytoplankton and other organic matter, can theoretically be adsorbed onto burrow walls and adjacent sediments 18,[22][23][24][25] in a manner akin to particle trapping achieved by artificial sediment filters. Particle adsorption is likely to be facilitated by the addition of mucus to burrow linings (for stability), which increases adsorptive properties.…”

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confidence: 99%

“…Particle adsorption is likely to be facilitated by the addition of mucus to burrow linings (for stability), which increases adsorptive properties. Additionally, microbial biofilms that line burrow walls can increase adhesive particle trapping further through exopolymer exudation 18,22 . Prior research demonstrating that burrow walls are enriched with microalgae, even at aphotic sediment depths, lends credence to the idea that burrow walls may act as sites of passive adsorption 23,24 .…”

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confidence: 99%

“…Secondly, they spend a significant portion of their daily activity budgets on bi-directional water pumping 26,30 , given that endobenthic sediments are prone to becoming hypoxic and hypercapnic 18 . Lastly, they occur as dense assemblages (up to 400 individuals/m 2 ) with spatial occupancy spanning several kilometres 18,22 . These features suggest that in the presence of dense assemblages of axiid crustaceans, three-dimensional burrow superstructures may function as elaborate below-ground coastal filtration systems.…”

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confidence: 99%

“…While passive particle adsorption has previously been hypothesized as an explanation for greater levels of trophic resources along burrow walls 18,22,23 , effects on pelagic filtration have not been empirically tested, either in the context of axiid crustaceans or benthic deposit-feeders more broadly. This novel premise thus forms the scientific motivation for this paper, which tests the broad hypothesis that water quality would improve in the presence of the sandprawn Callichirus kraussi, which is a southern African burrowing axiid crustacean.…”

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confidence: 99%

“…C. kraussi is a dominant ecosystem engineer in coastal ecosystems locally (including highly eutrophic, urban systems), where it influences multiple resource flows that significantly determine compositional and structural attributes of biotic assemblages 24,[31][32][33][34] . More broadly, our work was intended to expand understanding of the functional relevance of a globally distributed group of endobenthic organisms that are highly influential ecosystem engineers in coastal habitats 18,22 .…”

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confidence: 99%

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Water filtration by burrowing sandprawns provides novel insights on endobenthic engineering and solutions for eutrophication

Venter

Pillay

Prayag

2020

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Managing coastal ecosystems and preserving socio-ecological functioning require a comprehensive understanding of ecological services provided by resident organisms. Here, we provide novel information on water-filtration activities of endobenthic sandprawns (Callichirus kraussi), which are key ecosystem engineers in South African coasts. We demonstrate experimentally that benthic engineering by sandprawns reduces phytoplankton biomass by roughly 50%. Using long-term estuarine data, we demonstrate similar reductions in phytoplankton biomass (by roughly 70%) in sandprawndominated areas. Increased burrow wall chlorophyll-a relative to surface sediments that was evident in experiments suggests that pelagic filtration occurs through bi-directional water pumping and phytoplankton adsorption onto burrow walls. Our findings expand understanding of the ecological relevance of sandprawns and functionally similar organisms, the mechanisms by which they engineer ecosystems and their role in mediating coastal bentho-pelagic coupling. Our findings also highlight the potential for deposit-feeders to be used as nature-based solutions to counter coastal eutrophication. Coastal ecosystems are some of the most productive and ecologically significant habitats on earth 1-3. They are critical nursery and feeding grounds for resident and migrant species and subsidise offshore ecosystems through nutrient and trophic transfers 4,5. Coastal ecosystems also supply valuable goods and services that support human livelihoods and local economies 2,6. However, due to their proximity to human settlements and their aesthetic appeal, coastal systems rank amongst the most threatened and degraded ecosystems on earth, owing to multiple human stressors being applied simultaneously 6-10. Nutrient enrichment is arguably the most pervasive driver of coastal deterioration in the 21 st century, resulting in notable impairments of ecosystem multi-functionality and declines in the quality of goods and services provided 11,12. Government and management agencies therefore invest heavily in measures to counter socio-ecological losses arising from excessive nutrient inputs. The harnessing of ecological functions and services provided by biological systems to overcome environmental degradation, variously referred to as ecological engineering, nature-based solutions, bioremediation and/ or biomanipulation, is increasing in popularity as a sustainable, nature-based tool that can mitigate nutrient enrichment in coastal ecosystems 12-15. In this regard, suspension-feeding organisms (e.g. clams and mussels) and coastal vegetation have dominated mitigation narratives, leading to significant investments in conservation, restoration and engineering programs that exploit their water-purification capabilities 12,16,17. In contrast, burrowing deposit-feeding organisms have been overlooked, despite them being dominant components of sedimentary biotopes (numerically and ecologically) 18-20 , which are significant constituents of coastal ecosystems. In particular, there has bee...

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