The macrofaunal communities of the Skeffling muds (Humber estuary), with special reference to bioturbation

Davey, J. T.; Partridge, Valerie

doi:10.1144/gsl.sp.1998.139.01.09

Cited by 10 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…During defaunation of the microcosms, we found gallery walls to appear lighter in colour, with the same visual appearance as the well-oxygenated sediment surface. The burrow walls of N. diversicolor are known to provide an additional sediment-water interface, increasing oxygenation, chemical exchanges and chl a content in the sediment (Anderson and Meadows 1978;Gerino 1991;Davey 1994;Davey and Partridge 1998). These facts suggest that high burrow densities may attenuate or contradict the grazing effect.…”

Section: N Diversicolor Effect Above Critical Erosion Velocitymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, less attention has been given to macroinvertebrates and their interaction with the hydrodynamic and physical properties of the sediment (Davies 1993;Davey and Partridge 1998;Widdows et al 2000). Different species of the macrofauna affect sediment stability differently (see Graf and Rosenberg 1997).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…N. diversicolor live in semi-permanent burrows which provide refuge from predators, and they have a wide array of different feeding techniques such as filter and deposit feeding, scavenging and predation on other macrofauna (Esselink and Zwarts 1989 and references within;Vedel et al 1994). They build complex gallery networks that can extend down to 30 cm depth, and which are related to body length, although organisms >10 cm long can be found in the upper 2-3 cm (Anderson and Meadows 1978;Esselink and Zwarts 1989;Davey and Partridge 1998). Some studies have concentrated upon the bioturbation effect of this species on burrowing activity (Trevor 1977;Davey 1994) and on sediment reworking (Gerino 1991;Franc¸ois et al 2002).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Nereis diversicolor effect on the stability of cohesive intertidal sediments

2006

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The effect of the polychaete Nereis diversicolor on the stability of natural cohesive sediments was investigated in the laboratory. Three densities (450, 600 and 1200 ind m À2 ) of N. diversicolor were used. Sediment shear strength was measured using a cone penetrometer. Sediment erodability was assessed using an annular flume (current velocities from 5 to 55 cm s À1 ) in which flow velocity was increased incrementally, and water sampled to quantify suspended material in order to derive critical erosion velocity and erosion rates. At low current velocities (<25 cm s À1 ), we found N. diversicolor to have a stabilising effect, reflected by an increase of up to 20% in the critical erosion velocity. This is related to an enhancement of $50% in shear strength, due probably to gallery building activities, responsible for the promotion of lateral compaction, an increase in the area of the sediment-water interface, and enhanced microphytobenthos production. Once the sediment began to erode, the stabilising effect of N. diversicolor reverses, leading to an increase of up to 40% in eroded matter due to compaction, which resulted in the erosion of larger aggregates. The balance between the effect of N. diversicolor on herbivory and microphytobenthos production due to the presence of galleries is discussed. Our results indicate that neither chlorophyll a, nor shear strength nor critical erosion velocity are good indicators of erodability. This underlines the need to include biogeochemical processes in any realistic sediment transport model.

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Section: N Diversicolor Effect Above Critical Erosion Velocitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Nereis diversicolor effect on the stability of cohesive intertidal sediments

2006

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“…For example, at Paull, Nephtys, Eteone and Pholoe all contribute significantly to increasing the score for this site yet they occur at such low densities that their effects on the sediment may be minor. Davey and Partridge (1998) suggest that, in terms of sediment mixing, the effects of Nephtys are small and mediated only slowly over time. In addition, the greater occurrence of the larger Nereis and the greater biomass at the 200 m site than at the 75 m site suggests that bioturbation should be greater at the 200 m site.…”

Section: Bioturbation Studiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

The effects of chemical pollution on the bioturbation potential of estuarine intertidal mudflats

Mazik¹,

Elliott²

2000

Helgoland Marine Research

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Bioturbation by benthic infauna has important implications for the fate of contaminants as well as for changes to the sediment structure, chemistry and transport characteristics. There is an extensive literature dealing with the influence of sedimentary variables on the structure and function of infaunal marine and estuarine organisms but less is known of the converse, the influence of biota on sedimentary structure. Although some work has been carried out regarding spatial and temporal patterns of bioturbation, little attention has been given to the effects of pollution. The paper gives a framework of animal sediment relationships in an intertidal environment and discusses the general role of macrofauna in structuring and modifying sedimentary features. A brief outline of the various techniques used for quantifying the degree of bioturbation is given and some of these techniques have then been used to demonstrate the effect of a petrochemical discharge on the bioturbation potential of intertidal communities in the Humber estuary, eastern England. These studies indicate an increase in bioturbation with increasing distance from the source of pollution, not only because of differences in abundance, animal size and depth of activity but also because of the difference in species composition between the communities. As a means of interpreting the responses, the species present have been broadly classified in terms of their feeding strategy and sediment modification potential. The paper concludes by discussing the potential impact, in terms of effect on sediment transport, of selectively removing the different guilds (by pollution).

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“…Grazing pressure and bioturbation are well recognised as a significant factor in shaping the structure of plant communities in a wide range of habitats (Davey & Partridge, 1998;Dame et al, 2001;Fine et al, 2005) when the fauna are present in sufficient densities. Total diatom densities and the densities of epipelon correlated negatively with Corophium density, practically the sole grazer on DanielÕs and immediately neighbouring flats (Shepherd et al, 1995;Hamilton et al, 2003).…”

Section: Corophium and Other Grazersmentioning

confidence: 99%

Diatoms from two macro-tidal mudflats in Chignecto Bay, Upper Bay of Fundy, New Brunswick, Canada

et al. 2005

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Mudflat research is dispersed among several fields (ecology, sedimentology), each with its own focus and methodology. Consequently, although the volume of mudflat literature is considerable, our understanding of mudflat ecology remains fragmented. For example, little is known about the structure of microbial communities outside Western Europe. Here we present the first North American specific composition and densities of live mudflat diatoms and relate them to properties of their environment on two closely located flats. The two flats (DanielÕs and BuckÕs) were similar until the mid-1980s. After this time the biological and sedimentary environment on BuckÕs Flats began to change and resulted in a precipitous decline of the keystone invertebrate Corophium volutator (Pallas). The specific diatom composition on each of the two flats examined was still very similar. Tychoplanktonic diatoms were numerically dominant on both flats. The flats differed significantly in the relative contribution of epipelic diatoms, which were about an order of magnitude greater on BuckÕs Flats. CCA analysis suggests that very few of these species exist within their optimal habitat. Some of the differences appeared small, but were statistically and biologically significant. DanielÕs Flats sediments had a 30% larger mean grain size, less water and organic carbon compared to BuckÕs Flats sediments. BuckÕs Flats had more variable depths of the oxygenated layer, often with anoxic inclusions throughout. DanielÕs Flats supported more C. volutator, while BuckÕs Flats contained greater densities of diatoms. The importance of preserving environmental conditions (sedimentary and biotic) prevailing on flats such as DanielÕs Flat in order to foster populations of Corophium at a level necessary to support foraging migratory shorebirds is also discussed.

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The macrofaunal communities of the Skeffling muds (Humber estuary), with special reference to bioturbation

Cited by 10 publications

References 17 publications

Nereis diversicolor effect on the stability of cohesive intertidal sediments

Nereis diversicolor effect on the stability of cohesive intertidal sediments

The effects of chemical pollution on the bioturbation potential of estuarine intertidal mudflats

Diatoms from two macro-tidal mudflats in Chignecto Bay, Upper Bay of Fundy, New Brunswick, Canada

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