eCite Digital Repository
Making seawalls multifunctional: the positive effects of seeded bivalves and habitat structure on species diversity and filtration rates
Citation
Vozzo, ML and Mayer-Pinto, M and Bishop, MJ and Cumbo, VR and Bugnot, AB and Dafforn, KA and Johnston, EL and Steinberg, PD and Strain, EMA, Making seawalls multifunctional: the positive effects of seeded bivalves and habitat structure on species diversity and filtration rates, Marine Environmental Research, 165 Article 105243. ISSN 0141-1136 (2021) [Refereed Article]
Copyright Statement
Crown Copyright 2021. Published by Elsevier Ltd.
DOI: doi:10.1016/j.marenvres.2020.105243
Abstract
The marine environment is being increasingly modified by the construction of artificial structures, the impacts of which may be mitigated through eco-engineering. To date, eco-engineering has predominantly aimed to increase biodiversity, but enhancing other ecological functions is arguably of equal importance for artificial structures. Here, we manipulated complexity through habitat structure (flat, and 2.5 cm, 5 cm deep vertical and 5 cm deep horizontal crevices) and seeding with the native oyster (Saccostrea glomerata, unseeded and seeded) on concrete tiles (0.25 m x 0.25 m) affixed to seawalls to investigate whether complexity (both orientation and depth of crevices) influences particle removal rates by suspension feeders and colonisation by different functional groups, and whether there are any ecological trade-offs between these functions. After 12 months, complex seeded tiles generally supported a greater abundance of suspension feeding taxa and had higher particle removal rates than flat tiles or unseeded tiles. The richness and diversity of taxa also increased with complexity. The effect of seeding was, however, generally weaker on tiles with complex habitat structure. However, the orientation of habitat complexity and the depth of the crevices did not influence particle removal rates or colonising taxa. Colonisation by non-native taxa was low compared to total taxa richness. We did not detect negative ecological trade-offs between increased particle removal rates and diversity and abundance of key functional groups. Our results suggest that the addition of complexity to marine artificial structures could potentially be used to enhance both biodiversity and particle removal rates. Consequently, complexity should be incorporated into future eco-engineering projects to provide a range of ecological functions in urbanised estuaries.
Item Details
Item Type: | Refereed Article |
---|---|
Keywords: | eco-engineering, biodiversity, coastal defence, bivalves, filtration, water quality, suspension feeder, primary producer, oysters, invasive species, native species, ecosystem functioning, artificial structures, seawalls |
Research Division: | Biological Sciences |
Research Group: | Ecology |
Research Field: | Marine and estuarine ecology (incl. marine ichthyology) |
Objective Division: | Environmental Management |
Objective Group: | Marine systems and management |
Objective Field: | Assessment and management of benthic marine ecosystems |
UTAS Author: | Strain, EMA (Dr Beth Strain) |
ID Code: | 142348 |
Year Published: | 2021 |
Deposited By: | Sustainable Marine Research Collaboration |
Deposited On: | 2021-01-11 |
Last Modified: | 2021-02-10 |
Downloads: | 0 |
Repository Staff Only: item control page