Ecosystem engineering kelp limits recruitment of mussels and microphytobenthic algae

1. The patch dynamics of foundation species profoundly affects community assembly and thus has important implications for ecosystem restoration.However, it is unclear how restored kelp patches that vary in size and density will influence the establishment of mid-trophic level (MTL) macroinvertebrates, a key functional group in coastal ecosystems.2. Artificial reefs with transplants of the canopy-forming kelp, Ecklonia radiata, were used to quantify the effect of patch size and kelp density on the densities of MTL macroinvertebrates (primarily decapod crustaceans) and on the recruitment of an ecologically important and commercially valuable lobster species.3. Densities of MTL macroinvertebrates, which were dominated by hermit crabs, decreased with increasing patch size but responded inconsistently to kelp density.There was, however, an overall positive relationship between MTL macroinvertebrates and the density of small epifaunal grazers (a potential food source), along with a negative association with cover of understorey foliose algae. 4. In contrast, the total abundance and density of lobster recruits was higher on larger reefs, and reefs with kelp had up to double the number of recruits relative to reefs with no kelp. After 12 months, most of the surviving lobster recruits occurred on reefs supporting low and medium densities of kelp.5. These results show that patchy reef substratum is effective in supporting high densities of some MTL macroinvertebrates, irrespective of kelp presence. Although conversely, larger reefs with restored kelp at naturalor even relatively lowdensities appear critical to the recruitment of lobsters, which could motivate and provide positive feedback for kelp restoration projects in some locations.6. Patch dynamics may be used to support restoration efforts by helping to accelerate the recovery of key species and ecosystem services; however, tradeoffs will exist through different taxa responding to patch characteristics in different ways, some positive and some negative.

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“…The full dataset associated with this research are available from IMAS Data Catalogue (Shelamoff et al, 2022).…”

Section: Data Availiability Statementmentioning

confidence: 99%

Restored kelp facilitates lobster recruitment but not other mid‐trophic macroinvertebrates

Shelamoff

Layton

2022

Aquatic Conservation

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From Tasmania to the world: long and strong traditions in seaweed use, research, and development

et al. 2023

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Tasmania is an island state in south-eastern Australia that has a long and rich history of seaweed use, research, and development. It is a cool-temperate system with 750 macroalgal species currently described. Tasmanian Aboriginal peoples have lived on this land for at least 40,000 years utilising seaweed as food, shelter, water carriers and medicine, as well as for ceremonial reasons. Modern taxonomic investigations began with French naturalist Jacques-Julien Houtou de La Billardière in 1791, and there are 184 type specimens of seaweeds originating from Tasmania. Ecological and physiological studies of seaweed in Tasmania have focussed on the dominant large brown seaweeds (Laminariales and Fucales) and have contributed significantly to the global understanding of these systems, particularly related to community resilience, seaweed-urchin interactions, their habitat-forming role for other species, responses to global change, and restoration of lost habitat. Ocean warming and changing oceanography have caused a 95% decline in surface canopy cover of Macrocystis pyrifera in eastern Tasmania since the 1950s and led to a focus on restoring these lost forests. Tasmanian seaweed communities have a uniquely high proportion (up to ∼90%) of seaweeds that rely solely on CO2 for photosynthesis, which has implications for responses to ocean acidification. Tasmania has industries that use brown seaweeds for fucoidan extraction and beach-cast harvest for alginates, fertilisers, and feeds for agriculture. New aquaculture initiatives include integrated multi-trophic aquaculture, offshore kelp mariculture and Asparagopsis cultivation for bioactive products to reduce methane emissions in ruminants, as and the development of unexploited species including Caulerpa spp. for food.

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Characteristics of sublittoral vegetation in the northwestern Okhotsk Sea based on the concept of adaptive zone

Dulenin

2023

Izv. Tihookean. naučno-issled. rybohoz. centra

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Sublittoral vegetation in the northwestern Okhotsk Sea is described on the data of diving survey in 2020 and some additional data obtained from 2003 to 2022. Five macroalgae associations (Saccharinetum latissimae, Pseudolessonietum laminarioidae, Alarietum esculentae, Sargassetum miyabeae, and Zosteretum marinae) and one group of red algae communities are identified and classified into 5 alliances, 3 orders and 3 classes. All these associations occur over entire area (from 56º to 59º N), within almost whole range of the surveyed depths (2–11 m), and occupy a total of 88 % of the vegetation cover, with statistically uniform distribution. Coenofloras of the associations are poor: up to 5–6 species or multispecies groups have been noted in every association. The concept of an adaptive zone is proposed as an optimal methodological basis for describing marine sublittoral plant communities in the temperate zone. The sublittoral associations in the study area are considered as elementary Petersen-type communities with on average ¾ of the bottom cover and biomass formed by the main dominant species. These associations and higher syntaxa can be built into the most common floristic system of syntaxonomic classification. The adaptive zone concept allows to solve the problem of subjectivism in selection of syntaxa, so the syntaxonomy becomes closer to natural classification with ecological meaning. Successful applicability of the adaptive zone concept for the algae resources assessment is proven; the stock in the surveyed area of 64 km2 is evaluated as 200 . 103 t.

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Ecosystem engineering kelp limits recruitment of mussels and microphytobenthic algae

Cited by 3 publications

References 85 publications

Restored kelp facilitates lobster recruitment but not other mid‐trophic macroinvertebrates

Restored kelp facilitates lobster recruitment but not other mid‐trophic macroinvertebrates

From Tasmania to the world: long and strong traditions in seaweed use, research, and development

Characteristics of sublittoral vegetation in the northwestern Okhotsk Sea based on the concept of adaptive zone

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