Eutrophication-induced changes in benthic algae affect the behaviour and fitness of the marine amphipod Gammarus locusta

Kraufvelin, Patrik; Salovius, Sonja; Christie, Hartvig; Moy, Frithjof E.; Karez, Rolf; Pedersen, Morten Foldager

doi:10.1016/j.aquabot.2005.08.008

Cited by 95 publications

(71 citation statements)

References 69 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Seabird islands with a high nest density and a low wave exposure may be seen as a natural experiment for studying the effects of eutrophication on marine communities. We found, consistent with former fertilisation experiments, increased algal nitrogen and phosphorus content and a higher epiphytic algae to Fucus ratio on cormorant islands with an increased nutrient availability (Pedersen & Borum 1996, Kraufvelin et al 2006, Kraufvelin 2007, Råberg & Kautsky 2008. Contrary to previous studies investigating the effect of nutrient enrichment, on grazers in the Baltic Sea (Kotta et al 2000, Kraufvelin et al 2006, Kraufvelin 2007, Korpinen et al 2010) and chironomids in Lake Michigan, USA (Blumenshine et al 1997), not all invertebrates responded with increased abundance.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 90%

“…Golovkin & Garkavaya 1975, Bosman et al 1986, Bosman & Hockey 1988, Keatley et al 2009), and should produce strong positive responses of primary producers (Elser et al 2007). Many studies also show that fast growing filamentous algae and invertebrate consumers respond with increasing productivity, biomass, and abundance to nutrient enrichments (Pedersen & Borum 1996, Kraufvelin et al 2006, Korpinen et al 2007, Kraufvelin 2007, Råberg & Kautsky 2008. Similarly, algae and vascular plants near seabird colonies were shown to have increased abundances, growth rates, or nutrient contents (Golovkin 1967, Onuf et al 1977, Bosman et al 1986, Bosman & Hockey 1988, but see Wootton 1991.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Effects of seabird nesting colonies on algae and aquatic invertebrates in coastal waters

Kolb

Ekholm²,

Hambäck³

2010

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Seabirds concentrate nutrients from large marine areas on their nesting islands. The high nutrient load may cause runoff into surrounding waters and affect marine communities in similar ways to those reported from marine fertilization experiments. In order to test if cormorant colonies affect algae and invertebrates in surrounding coastal waters, we collected Fucus vesiculosus fronds, its epiphytic algae, and associated invertebrate fauna near abandoned and active cormorant nesting islands as well as reference islands without nesting cormorants in the Stockholm archipelago in the northern Baltic Sea, Sweden. First, we showed, with δ 15 N analyses, that ornithogenic nitrogen provided a significant nitrogen source for algae and invertebrate consumers near islands with high nest density. Second, the nitrogen and phosphorus content of algae near active cormorant islands with high nest density was elevated, and epiphytic algae increased relative to F. vesiculosus. Third, 3 of 5 invertebrate taxa (Jaera albifrons, Gammarus spp., and Chironomidae) showed increased biomasses near islands with high nest density; but, contrary to former fertilization studies, only J. albifrons increased in abundance compared to reference islands. We conclude that runoff from seabird colonies has a profound effect on primary producers and some consumers in the surrounding water, but only if the colonies exceed a certain nest density. Thus, seabirds not only affect marine communities via top-town forces as commonly assumed, but also via bottom-up forces by concentrating nutrients around their nesting islands. Consequently, seabird islands can be seen as natural fertilization experiments and give important insights to the effects of eutrophication of marine systems.

show abstract

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 90%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of seabird nesting colonies on algae and aquatic invertebrates in coastal waters

Kolb

Ekholm²,

Hambäck³

2010

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Boulder size did not appear to affect algae, which may be due to the rapid recruitment rate of these opportunistic filamentous species (Kiirikki and Lehvo, 1997;Kraufvelin et al, 2006) causing them to recover quickly following any disturbance associated with boulder size (McGuinness, 1987a;Bucas et al, 2007). There was, however, evidence of the "monk's head" pattern occurring, typically associated with instability of small boulders (Addessi, 1994).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Processes such as grazing and anthropogenic disturbance from nutrient addition are known to be important for the algae on tops of boulders (Hillebrand and Kahlert, 2001;Kotta et al, 2004;Kraufvelin et al, 2006;Korpinen and Jormalainen, 2008). In soft sediment habitats of the Baltic Sea, physical disturbance from sand movement is known to be important (Herkül et al, 2006;Torn et al, 2010).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Disturbance-related patterns in unstable rocky benthic habitats of the north-eastern Baltic coast

Liversage¹,

Kotta²

2015

Proc. Estonian Acad. Sci.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Abstract. Distinct patterns of benthic flora and fauna are produced when unstable rocky substrata are disturbed by water motion. This study investigated occurrence of disturbance-related patterns in benthic boulder habitats on the north-eastern Baltic coast. Sessile assemblages, mostly algae on tops of boulders and barnacles and bryozoans underneath, were found to differ between small (50-150 cm 2 upperside surface area) and large (200-800 cm 2 ) boulders. Densities of motile gammaridean amphipods were negatively correlated with boulder size. These patterns may be due to small boulders being displaced by water motion more frequently than large ones. Most of the barnacle shells/tests were remnant empty ones, and the proportion of empty tests and living barnacles was similar underneath small and large boulders, suggesting that degradation/removal of empty tests was not influenced by disturbance associated with boulder size. There was no consistent evidence of algae being affected by boulder size, but the tops of boulders had less algae than the edges, a pattern that is typically associated with high rates of overturning. Confirmation of disturbance as having caused these patterns and thus being an important process for structuring benthic biota in this region could be achieved by further manipulative experimentation.

show abstract

“…Additionally, the occurrence of talitrid amphipods on creek and ditch walls was much higher in nutrient-enriched creeks, suggesting inter-habitat movements were increased. Nutrient enrichment may increase amphipod movement due to enriched food supply (Kraufvelin et al 2006). Isotopic evidence from PIE (Galván 2008) suggests that talitrid amphipods forage for algae while on creek and ditch walls during the summer months.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Large-scale manipulations reveal that top-down and bottom-up controls interact to alter habitat utilization by saltmarsh fauna

Johnson¹,

Fleeger²,

Deegan³

2009

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

We used ecosystem-wide predator removal and nutrient enrichment to examine topdown and bottom-up forces on saltmarsh fauna. We reduced the killifish Fundulus heteroclitus bỹ 60%, which elicited significant increases (2 to 4 ×) in hydrobiid snails Hydrobia spp., suggesting topdown control. The talitrid amphipod Uhlorchestia spartinophila was the most abundant species of epifauna in the creek-bank Spartina alterniflora habitat. Our elevated water column nutrients (~70 µmol l -1 , ~10 × background) and predator reduction treatments alone both yielded nonsignificant increases in amphipod abundance, suggesting weak top-down and bottom-up control over this species. However, treatments interacted antagonistically in this habitat such that amphipod abundances were lower than would be expected by an additive response to both treatments. We found corresponding amphipod abundance increases in the adjoining creek-wall habitat, suggesting that amphipods move under the influence of our treatments from the marsh edge onto the creek wall, possibly as a result of an increased incidence of a parasitic (i.e. trematode Levinseniella sp.) infection. Coincident to increased amphipods on creek walls, semipalmated sandpipers Calidris pusilla, amphipod predators, increasingly foraged in creek channels in combined treatments (~30 × higher than controls based on unreplicated creek systems). Our results suggest that top-down and bottom-up effects may at times be difficult to detect in small, single-factor studies because of inter-habitat movements of target species and redundant predation. Because the effects of stressors may not be limited to one part of the landscape even for small, motile fauna, landscape-level studies may generally be needed to capture responses to anthropogenic activities. KEY WORDS: Ecosystem experiments · Multi-stressors · Parasites · Epifauna · Salt marshResale or republication not permitted without written consent of the publisher

show abstract

Eutrophication-induced changes in benthic algae affect the behaviour and fitness of the marine amphipod Gammarus locusta

Cited by 95 publications

References 69 publications

Effects of seabird nesting colonies on algae and aquatic invertebrates in coastal waters

Effects of seabird nesting colonies on algae and aquatic invertebrates in coastal waters

Disturbance-related patterns in unstable rocky benthic habitats of the north-eastern Baltic coast

Large-scale manipulations reveal that top-down and bottom-up controls interact to alter habitat utilization by saltmarsh fauna

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About