Responses of subtidal benthos of the Strait of Georgia, British Columbia, Canada to ambient sediment conditions and natural and anthropogenic depositions

Burd, Brenda J.; Macdonald, Robie W.; Johannessen, Sophia C.; Roodselaar, Albert van

doi:10.1016/j.marenvres.2008.08.009

Cited by 29 publications

(52 citation statements)

References 51 publications

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“…The regional database for the Strait of Georgia, Salish Sea, British Columbia, Canada, described in Burd et al (2008aBurd et al ( , 2009, provides an opportunity to assess trophic consistency and flexibility of benthic communities across a hydrographically complex coastal sea (Hill et al 2008). In the present study, we address the following questions: (1) how much and in what specific trophic compartments does benthic faunal structure vary over a broad geographic and habitat range, and (2) what is the relative importance of facultative versus specific niche feeding in the functioning and stability of marine benthic communities in the Strait?…”

Section: Resale or Republication Not Permitted Without Written Consenmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The Strait of Georgia database consists of benthic macrofaunal and related habitat data from areas not directly under the influence of localized anthropo genic inputs (termed here as 'background' locations; Burd et al 2008a) (n = 1167 samples; see Fig. 1 for general sampling locations).…”

Section: Description Of Databasementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Because we based our analyses on proportional organic biomass, trophic function also tends to be stable throughout a remarkable spectrum of total organic biomass, total production (B. J. Burd et al unpubl. data) and taxonomic diversity (Burd et al 2008a,b, 2009, Macdonald et al 2010) in macrobenthic communities.Gaston & Nasci (1988) also found trophic structure to be resilient to natural shifts in abundance and biomass of dominant species and taxa. In the Strait of Georgia, such changes can be profound.…”

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confidence: 97%

“…For example, some of the most ubiquitous and dominant taxa in the Strait are small, facultative, detritivorous bivalves such as Axinopsida serricata, Macoma car lotten sis and Acila castrensis. These and all other bivalves decline precipitously below 120 m and largely disappear below 200 m (Burd et al 2008a; possible reasons for this decline are discussed therein). Despite the loss of this major taxonomic group in deep locations, trophic structure remains consistent, suggesting that other taxa fill the feeding niches vacated by these dominant bivalves.…”

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confidence: 97%

“…Thus, it is imperative to not only clarify the factors that shape trophic function of macrobenthic communities, but also evaluate the relative im portance of facultative versus niche feeding among communities across wide variations in habitat. This knowledge will aid in understanding how facultative feeding allows benthic communities to adapt to rapid as well as gradual habitat changes.The regional database for the Strait of Georgia, Salish Sea, British Columbia, Canada, described in Burd et al (2008aBurd et al ( , 2009, provides an opportunity to assess trophic consistency and flexibility of benthic communities across a hydrographically complex coastal sea (Hill et al 2008). In the present study, we address the following questions: (1) how much and in what specific trophic compartments does benthic faunal structure vary over a broad geographic and habitat range, and (2) what is the relative importance of facultative versus specific niche feeding in the functioning and stability of marine benthic communities in the Strait?…”

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confidence: 99%

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Facultative feeding and consistency of trophic structure in marine soft-bottom macrobenthic communities

Macdonald¹,

Burd²,

Roodselaar³

2012

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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We investigated the roles of facultative versus strict niche feeding in the maintenance of trophic consistency in soft-bottom macrobenthic communities in the Strait of Georgia, British Columbia, Canada. Changes in trophic structure across gradients in depth and percent fine sediments were examined over a broad regional scale by identifying trophic compartment(s) responsible for the resulting trophic changes. The use of proportional organic biomass data allows direct comparison of community trophic structure across diverse hydrographic regime(s), large ranges in overall biomass and productivity, and highly variable community composition. Cluster analyses revealed low overall dissimilarity in trophic structure across all substrate and depth ranges (24 and 28% divergence, respectively), suggesting an overall economy of trophic function. Similarity percentage (SIMPER) analyses revealed that low trophic dissimilarity is driven primarily by the remarkably even distribution of the 2 dominant facultative feeding groups in all habitat types. These facultative groups contained the most ubiquitous and abundant taxa found throughout the Strait, and likely confer strong resilience in these communities to habitat change. In contrast, the small but significant divergences in trophic structure over depth and percent fine sediment gradients was explained by the distributions of strict niche feeders: (1) macro-omnivores and herbivores dependent on non-detrital food sources were important in shallow areas (< 25 m) with coarse sediments (<10% fine sediment), contributing to a unique trophic composition in these areas; and (2) subsurface deposit feeders were the only trophic group to vary significantly in proportional biomass explained by depth and percent fine sediment combined (22%; positive linear response to both factors).KEY WORDS: Deposit feeding · Suspension feeding · Strait of Georgia · Salish Sea · British Columbia · Facultative feeding · Trophic structure Resale or republication not permitted without written consent of the publisherMar Ecol Prog Ser 445: [129][130][131][132][133][134][135][136][137][138][139][140] 2012 2001). Most studies of macrobenthic trophic structure tend to classify benthic fauna in terms of strictly defined trophic groups only (e.g. Chardy & Clavier 1988, Gaston & Nasci 1988, Ricciardi & Bourget 1999, García-Arberas & Rallo 2002, Coyle et al. 2007, Albano & Obenat 2009, Cacabelos et al. 2009, Dolbeth et al. 2009). Most commonly these trophic groups are: suspension feeders, deposit feeders (surface and subsurface), carnivores, herbivores and omnivores. However, many macrobenthic taxa exhibit more than one feeding mode (e.g. Okamura 1990, Brown et al. 2000, Gaudencio & Cabral 2007, Gray & Elliott 2009). This trophic flexibility has been proposed as an important feature of benthic marine communities (Cadée 1984). For instance, many species of facultatively carnivorous polychaetes are also known to deposit feed (e.g. Glyceridae, members of Lumbrineridae; Fauchald & Jumars 1979). Other taxa ...

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Section: Resale or Republication Not Permitted Without Written Consenmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Description Of Databasementioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 97%

mentioning

confidence: 97%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Facultative feeding and consistency of trophic structure in marine soft-bottom macrobenthic communities

Macdonald¹,

Burd²,

Roodselaar³

2012

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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Impacts of Global Warming on Biogeochemical Cycles in Natural Waters

Mostofa

Liu

Gao

et al. 2012

Photobiogeochemistry of Organic Matter

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Distribution and Uptake of Key Polychlorinated Biphenyl and Polybrominated Diphenyl Ether Congeners in Benthic Infauna Relative to Sediment Organic Enrichment

Burd

Macdonald²,

Macdonald

et al. 2014

Arch Environ Contam Toxicol

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As part of a broader study of budgets, transport, and bioaccumulation of persistent organic contaminants in the Strait of Georgia, Canada, matching samples of sediment and bulk benthos were collected near two marine sewage outfalls, two large urban harbours, and background areas. Samples were analyzed for polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) and polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) congeners. We present data for those congeners that fell within the top six rankings by concentration (23 PCBs and 10 PBDEs) within at least one of the environmental media measured in other studies (air, water, sediments, benthos, pelagic biota). Multifactor regression analyses incorporating sediment characteristics (total organic carbon, fines) predicted uptake (r (2) = 0.74 to 0.98, p < 0.04) over the range of congeners and habitats examined. PBDEs were taken up by biota more readily than PCBs, suggesting a large, potentially available biological reservoir of PBDEs in sediments. Dominant congeners in benthos comprised PBDEs 47, 99, 209, and 100 and PCBs 138/163, 153, 101, 118, and 110. PBDE uptake was anomalously high near one wastewater outfall, likely due to selective feeding on PBDE-enriched particulates from that source. Conversely, outfalls supply food and sediments with PCB concentrations similar to ambient sediments. However, organic enrichment of sediments near outfalls clearly enhanced PCB uptake by benthos, probably due to greatly increased biomass turnover near these sources. Data suggest there to be an initial reservoir of PCBs in newly settled juvenile benthos, which is much less evident for PBDEs. This is likely a consequence of the ecosystem-wide distribution of legacy PCBs but not the more current-use PBDEs. Congener-uptake patterns were dependent on source and input dynamics, feeding methods, and contaminant metabolism or debromination, particularly of deca-BDE.

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Responses of subtidal benthos of the Strait of Georgia, British Columbia, Canada to ambient sediment conditions and natural and anthropogenic depositions

Cited by 29 publications

References 51 publications

Facultative feeding and consistency of trophic structure in marine soft-bottom macrobenthic communities

Facultative feeding and consistency of trophic structure in marine soft-bottom macrobenthic communities

Impacts of Global Warming on Biogeochemical Cycles in Natural Waters

Distribution and Uptake of Key Polychlorinated Biphenyl and Polybrominated Diphenyl Ether Congeners in Benthic Infauna Relative to Sediment Organic Enrichment

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