Algal concentration profiles above mussel beds

Dolmer, Per

doi:10.1016/s1385-1101(00)00005-8

Cited by 91 publications

(59 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…This hypothesis concurs with an extensive body of literature reporting that depletion of the algae in lower water layers limits the growth of mussels in real (Frechette and Bourget 1985;Newell 1990;Muschenheim and Newell 1992;Frechette and Despland 1999;Dolmer 2000) and artificial conditions (Wildish and Kristmanson 1984;Widdows et al 2002). Moreover, mussels were found to generate local heterogeneity in the concentration of algae in the lower water layers, even on spatial scales of !10 m (Asmus et al 1992;L.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 89%

“…A significant body of literature exists that shows that, in soft-sediment or subtidal mussel beds, algal food availability limits intake by mussels (Wildish and Kristmanson 1984;Dolmer 2000;Widdows et al 2002) and mussel growth (Frechette and Bourget 1985;Page and Hubbard 1987;Newell 1990;Muschenheim and Newell 1992;Frechette and Despland 1999;Oie et al 2002). Dislodgment and predation depend strongly on local mussel density (Bertness and Grosholz 1985;Okamura 1986;Cote and Jelnikar 1999;Hunt andScheibling 2001, 2002) because nearby conspecifics are the main substrate for attachment on soft-bottom sediment.…”

Section: A Simple Spatial Modelmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Scale‐Dependent Feedback and Regular Spatial Patterns in Young Mussel Beds

Koppel¹,

Rietkerk²,

Dankers³

et al. 2005

The American Naturalist

239

130

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In the past decade, theoretical ecologists have emphasized that local interactions between predators and prey may invoke emergent spatial patterning at larger spatial scales. However, empirical evidence for the occurrence of emergent spatial patterning is scarce, which questions the relevance of the proposed mechanisms to ecological theory. We report on regular spatial patterns in young mussel beds on soft sediments in the Wadden Sea. We propose that scale-dependent feedback, resulting from short-range facilitation by mutual protection from waves and currents and long-range competition for algae, induces spatial self-organization, thereby providing a possible explanation for the observed patterning. The emergent self-organization affects the functioning of mussel bed ecosystems by enhancing productivity and resilience against disturbance. Moreover, self-organization allows mussels to persist at algal concentrations that would not permit survival of mussels in a homogeneous bed. Our results emphasize the importance of self-organization in affecting the emergent properties of natural systems at larger spatial scales.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 89%

Section: A Simple Spatial Modelmentioning

confidence: 99%

Scale‐Dependent Feedback and Regular Spatial Patterns in Young Mussel Beds

Koppel¹,

Rietkerk²,

Dankers³

et al. 2005

The American Naturalist

239

130

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“…6f -j). This depletion caused by mussel filtration has previously been documented in wellmixed tidal areas (Frechette et al 1989, Wildish & Kristmanson 1997, but is often more pronounced in micro-tidal areas with periods of strong stratification (Møhlenberg 1995, Dolmer 2000a.In the present study, bacterial abundances on 2 d were statistically significantly reduced above the mussel bed compared with the sandy bottom (Table 4). In general, most free-living marine bacteria are <1 µm (Wright et al 1982) and consequently too small to be efficiently retained by mussels (Møhlenberg & Riisgaard 1978).…”

supporting

confidence: 78%

“…In coastal, micro-tidal estuaries such as the Limfjord, these processes are primarily controlled by the competition between density-driven stratification and wind-driven mixing which occurs indirectly through wave motion (Wiles et al 2006). Flow velocities were weak (< 0.10 m s -1 ) and advection was therefore less important than vertical mixing for the supply of food to mussels in the Limfjord, as suggested by Dolmer (2000a). Accordingly, the supply of plankton to the benthic communities is pulsed, depending on the physical regime, on a time scale of 1 to 4 d (Figs.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 80%

Effects of a blue mussel Mytilus edulis bed on vertical distribution and composition of the pelagic food web

Nielsen¹,

Maar²

2007

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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The impact of a mussel bed on the neighbouring pelagic food web is investigated by a comparative study of the vertical distribution of plankton above a mussel bed with that above a bare sandy bottom. The use of conventional water bottles did not reflect the near-bed dynamics. However, use of a high-resolution water sampler in the bottom 1 m of the water column above the sea floor revealed statistically significant differences. The results document for the first time in situ grazing on all major components of the pelagic food web. The vertical distributions of phytoplankton, bacteria, protozoa, meroplankton and copepods were statistically significantly different above the mussel and sand beds. The mussel bed recycled nutrients back to the water column as waste products. The present investigation stresses the need for a more diverse view of the trophic role of suspension-feeding bivalves in shallow coastal ecosystems.KEY WORDS: Mytilus edulis · Bentho-pelagic coupling · Bacteria · Phytoplankton · Zooplankton Resale or republication not permitted without written consent of the publisherMar Ecol Prog Ser 339: [185][186][187][188][189][190][191][192][193][194][195][196][197][198] 2007 The functional triangle between mussel grazing, phytoplankton and zooplankton has hitherto received little attention, but knowledge thereof is crucial to understanding planktonic community structure and the fate of coastal primary production. In the present paper, the effects of the suspension-feeding Mytilus edulis on the pelagic food web are investigated in situ by comparison of the plankton community above a mussel bed with that above a bare sand bed. Companion paper (Maar et al. 2007, this volume) investigates the observed functional triangle forced by turbulence and elucidates it using a dynamic model. MATERIALS AND METHODSSampling. The study site was the shallow Limfjord located in northern Denmark (micro-tidal amplitude 0.1 to 0.2 m) (Fig. 1). The fjord is connected with the North Sea on the west coast and the Kattegat on the east coast. The fjord is eutrophic and supports a high biomass of benthic suspension feeders; the mussel fishery is primarily based on a wild population of blue mussels Mytilus edulis L. (Kristensen & Hoffmann 2004). Sampling took place on a sand bottom and a blue mussel bed at Løgstør Bredning ( Vertical profiles of temperature, salinity and fluorescence were recorded using a CTD (GMI AROP2000) equipped with an in situ fluorometer (Type Q300 No. 18, Copenhagen) immediately before and after biological sampling from RV 'Genetica II', (University of Aarhus) anchored to the study sites. Vertical profiles of flow velocity were measured every 13 min by two 1200 kHz RDI ADCPs up (acoustic doppler current profiler, RDI, configured to 'look upward' through the water column above the beds). The ADCPs were provided by the University of Wales, Bangor, UK and measured water currents in 0.30 m bins and covered the water column from 1.66 m (sand bed) and from 0.56 or 0.86 m (mussel bed) above bottom to the s...

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“…In order to analyse the impact of mussel dredging on the ecosystem, a number of studies on the population dynamic of the mussels and on dredging-induced changes have been conducted in Limfjorden. These studies include investigations on mussel growth and filtration (Dolmer 1998(Dolmer , 2000a, the impact of dredging on the mussel stock (Dolmer et al 1999), resuspension of sediment and nutrients during mussel dredging (Riemann and Hoffmann 1991;Dyekjaer et al 1995), the impact on the benthic in-and epifauna (Hoffmann and Dolmer 2000;Dolmer et al 2002), and the impact on the seabed (P. Dolmer, unpublished results). The aim of this paper is to review the investigations on mussel ecology and the impact studies on the mussel fishery in Limfjorden, and to suggest a way towards an ecosystem management and more sustainable exploitation.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluation of the Danish mussel fishery: suggestions for an ecosystem management approach

Dolmer

Frandsen

2002

Helgol Mar Res

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In Limfjorden, Denmark, an extensive mussel fishery exploits the wild stocks of Mytilus edulis with annual landings of 80,000-100,000 t of mussels. During the last 10 years the impact of mussel dredging on the ecosystem has been studied, including the effect of resuspension of sediment and nutrients and the impoverishment of in-and epi-fauna assemblages. Furthermore, dredging changes the physical structure and complexity of the seabed which affects mussel growth and interactions among zoobenthic species. The blue mussel constitutes the dominant fraction of the zoobenthic suspension feeders, and is important for the transport of material and energy from the pelagic to benthic systems and the control of phytoplankton biomass. In order to evaluate the impact on clearance capacity of a reduction in mussel densities due to mussel dredging, mussel filtration activity measured in situ has been related to the mixing of the water column and the amount of near-bed phytoplankton. Fishery practice for mussel dredging in Limfjorden is discussed in relation to its known impact on the ecosystem and the ecological role of the mussels, and modifications towards an ecosystem management approach and a more sustainable fishery are suggested. The suggested modifications include: a fishery practice where the mussel beds are thinned out when the mussels have attained good quality, and a transplantation practice of mussels from areas with a high mortality to areas with a high growth rate. Both practices intensify the production in a certain area, leaving other areas open for alternative production or for permanent closure for the benefit of the benthic flora and fauna. In addition, other shellfish species represent interesting new resources for fishing or aquaculture. Habitat restoration, such as the relaying of mussel shells from the mussel industry, is another important management tool that should be included in an ecosystem management approach of the mussel fishery.

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Algal concentration profiles above mussel beds

Cited by 91 publications

References 28 publications

Scale‐Dependent Feedback and Regular Spatial Patterns in Young Mussel Beds

Scale‐Dependent Feedback and Regular Spatial Patterns in Young Mussel Beds

Effects of a blue mussel Mytilus edulis bed on vertical distribution and composition of the pelagic food web

Evaluation of the Danish mussel fishery: suggestions for an ecosystem management approach

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