Predation rates on juvenile blue crabs in estuarine nursery habitats: evidence for the importance of macroalgae (Ulva lactuca)

Wilson, K. A.; Able, K. W.; Heck, KL

doi:10.3354/meps058243

Cited by 126 publications

(89 citation statements)

References 23 publications

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“…Several species seek shelter from predation under algal' cover or in seagrass beds (Wilson et al, 1990). The same was expected for 'crabs, Carcinus maenas, in relation to fucoids, especially since the shore crab spends most of its juvenile lifetime in mussel beds (Ropes, 1968;Eriksson & Edlund, 1977;Scherer & Reise, 1981).…”

Section: Structural Influence Of Algal Covermentioning

confidence: 88%

Effects ofFucus vesiculosus covering intertidal mussel beds in the Wadden Sea

Albrecht

Reise

1994

Helgolander Meeresunters

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The brown alga Fucus vesiculosus forma mytili (Nienburg) Nienhuis covered about 70 % of mussel bed (Mytilus edulis) surface area in the lower intertidal zone of K6nigshafen, a sheltered sandy bay near the island of Sylt in the North Sea. Mean biomass in dense patches was 584 g ash-free dry weight m -2 in summer. On experimental mussel beds, fucoid cover enhanced mud accumulation and decreased mussel density. The position of mussels underneath algal canopy was mainly endobenthic (87 % of mussels with > 1~ of shell sunk into mud). In the absence of fucoids, mussels generated epibenthic garlands (81% of mussels with < I/3 of shell buried in mud). Mussel density underneath fucoid cover was 40 to 73 % of mussel density without algae. On natural beds, barnacles (Balanidae), periwinkles (IAttorina littorea) and crabs (particularly juveniles of Carcinus maenas) were significantly less abundant in the presence of fucoids, presumably because most of the mussels were covered with sediment, whereas in the absence of fucoids, epibenthic mussel clumps provided substratum as well as interstitial hiding places. The endobenthic macrofauna showed tittle difference between covered and uncovered mussel beds. On the other hand, grazing herbivoresthe flat periwinkle LittoHna mariae, the isopod Jaera albi[rons and the amphipods Gammarus spp. -were more abundant at equivalent sites with fucoid cover. The patchy growth of Fucus vesiculosus on mussel beds in the intertidal Wadden Sea affects mussels and their epibionts negatively, but supports various herbivores and increases overall benthic diversity.

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Section: Structural Influence Of Algal Covermentioning

confidence: 88%

Effects ofFucus vesiculosus covering intertidal mussel beds in the Wadden Sea

Albrecht

Reise

1994

Helgolander Meeresunters

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“…cannibalism e. g. C. opilio; Dutil et al, 1997 . In crab and other decapod life histories, refuges are considered important for the survival of postlarvae, settlers or juveniles. Hence, they are a stabilizing factor in Ž predator-prey interactions Kurihara and Okamoto, 1987;Kurihara et al, 1988;Hudon and Lamarche, 1989;Navarrete and Castilla, 1990;Wilson et al, 1990;Heck and Hambrook, 1991;Olmi and Lipcius, 1991;Smith and Herrnkind, 1992;Fernandez et al, . 1993b .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The intensity of cannibalism in decapod crustaceans can be affected by refuge Ž availability Heck and Wilson, 1987;Kurihara et al, 1988;Navarrete and Castilla, 1990;Wilson et al, 1990;Olmi and Lipcius, 1991;Heck and Hambrook, 1991;Fernandez et . Ž al., 1993b;Moksnes et al, 1997 , predator size Kurihara andOkamoto, 1987;Lovrich .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Experimental studies on predation and cannibalism of the settlers of Chasmagnathus granulata and Cyrtograpsus angulatus (Brachyura: Grapsidae)

Luppi

Spivak

Anger

2001

Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology

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The grapsid crabs Chasmagnathus granulata and Cyrtograpsus angulatus are considered as key species within the benthic communities of estuaries and brackish coastal lagoons in the southwestern Atlantic region. In controlled laboratory experiments, we studied the intensity of interspecific predation as well as intra-and intercohort cannibalism in setllers in relation to refuge Ž . availability, predator characteristics species, size, sex, nutritional state , and the presence or Ž . absence of an alternative food source Artemia nauplii . In both species, the intensity of Ž . intracohort cannibalism among recently settled crabs instars I and II, AsettlersB was low, with ca. 5% mortality during 48 h experimental observation periods. Larger juveniles and adults of both species, by contrast, preyed heavily on the settlers. Predation was significantly reduced when refuges were available for the settlers. Hunger of the predators enhanced in general the predation rate. In the presence of alternative food, the consumption of settlers was significantly reduced. In C. granulata, adult females ate more settlers than the males, probably as a consequence of differences in the morphometric traits of their chelae. Cannibalism and predation by juvenile and adult crabs may play an important role in the regulation of recruitment success for both species and hence, in the structure of estuarine benthic communities. q

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“…The artifactual enhancement in predation that results from such an effect of tethering could be large and could easily differ among habitat treatments if this newly enabled consumer varies in impor-tance among habitats. For example, Wilson et al (1990) admit that different types of predators may be involved in the different habitats that they studied, although their study resembles most others that have employed tethering experiments in that complete and accurate assessments of the predators involved are lacking. Studies using video or time-lapse cameras (Witman 1985, Wahle & Steneck 1992 represent those with the best understanding of the actual predators involved and thus would allow the most complete retrospective evaluation of the degree to which artifacts of tethering may have varied between habitat treatments.…”

Section: Illustration Of the Problem: Tethering Experimentsmentioning

confidence: 99%

An experimentalist's challenge: when artifacts of intervention interact with treatments

Peterson¹,

Black²

1994

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

279

216

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A common, usually mphcit, assumptlon of the present epistemology of expenmental natural science is the following so long as any necessary expenrnental intervention is identically apphed to each treatment then the effects of arlfacts of that mtervention wdl be constant across all treatments This constancy of artlfacts of intervention thus allows unbiased assessment of differences between and among treatments because effects of any such artifacts contnbute equally to each treatment and therefore cancel out in contrasts Unfortunately, this assumphon will b e vlolated whenever a n art~fact of intervention and the expenmental treatment lnteract As one illustrahon of the lack of appreciation of this assumption, we review those manne ecological studies that employ tethenng of mobile prey organisms as a technique by which to assess the relative Intensity of predatlon as a function of changing habitat That review reveals that (1) only 55% of the 22 studies even include discuss~on of artlfacts of tethenng (2) only 9 % acknowledge the possibility that the magnitude or direction of the between-habltat difference in predation as estimated from mortality of prey on tethers could be Inaccurate if the artifactual enhancement of predatlon rate induced by tethenng is not constant across habltats and (3) no study actually tests the assumptlon that tethenng artlfacts are independent of habltat (the expenmental treatment) If different consumers are present in different proportions in the habltats being compared, as is often the case, it is possible and even likely that the magnitude of artifactual enhancement of predation induced by tethenng otherwise mobde organisms wdl fail to remaln constant across habitats This represents but one example of a general lack of recognition that artifacts of expenrnental intervention may interact with treatments a concern that applies also to use of enclosures and cages in field experiments and aquana and contamers in the laboratory Because the expenrnental intervention that induces the art~fact is typically essential for conduct of the expenment clever indlrect techniques may be needed to allow expenmentahsts to assess the importance of nonaddihve artlfacts of intervention

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Predation rates on juvenile blue crabs in estuarine nursery habitats: evidence for the importance of macroalgae (Ulva lactuca)

Cited by 126 publications

References 23 publications

Effects ofFucus vesiculosus covering intertidal mussel beds in the Wadden Sea

Effects ofFucus vesiculosus covering intertidal mussel beds in the Wadden Sea

Experimental studies on predation and cannibalism of the settlers of Chasmagnathus granulata and Cyrtograpsus angulatus (Brachyura: Grapsidae)

An experimentalist's challenge: when artifacts of intervention interact with treatments

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