Spatiotemporal Variation in Biotic and Abiotic Features of Eight Intertidal Mudflats in the Upper Bay of Fundy, Canada

Gerwing, Travis G.; Gerwing, Alyssa M. Allen; Drolet, David; Barbeau, Myriam A.; Hamilton, Diana J.

doi:10.1656/045.022.m1201

Cited by 36 publications

(69 citation statements)

References 58 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…These are the mudflats used by Gerwing et al (2016) in their molecular diet analysis. For details of site characteristics see Gerwing et al (2015).…”

Section: Study Sitesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Retained invertebrates were live sorted into broad taxonomic groups with the aid of a dissecting microscope. Information on relative abundance of the different taxa at each site is provided in Gerwing et al (2015). We collected biofilm by scraping it from the surface in areas in which it was visible (appearing as a thin green or green-brown mat on the surface of the mud) using a thin spatula and stored it in scintillation vials (Quinn and Hamilton 2012).…”

Section: Food Collectionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Polychaetes within each sample were pooled because individuals of the different taxa present (see Gerwing et al 2015) were not numerous enough to provide suffi-cient biomass for separate analyses. Each sample assayed was thus a combination of many individuals, and as such, the result would reflect consumption of multiple individuals by each bird.…”

Section: Fatty Acid (Fa) Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Populations of this amphipod are highly variable among sites (Barbeau et al 2009;Gerwing et al 2015) and have declined substantially in some areas (reviewed in Gerwing et al 2016). However, birds continue to feed on mudflats, using alternate prey and alternate foraging behaviours, even when C. volutator is rare (MacDonald et al 2012).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Fatty acid composition and concentration of alternative food of Semipalmated Sandpipers (Calidrispusilla) in the upper Bay of Fundy, Canada

2017

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Semipalmated Sandpipers (Calidris pusilla (L., 1766)) that migrate through the upper Bay of Fundy, Canada, depend on a rich food supply to fuel their continued migration. Although past studies have reported a diet dominated by the amphipod Corophium volutator (Pallas, 1766), an animal rich in n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), recent evidence suggests that sandpiper diets are broad. This is beneficial in that it allows Semipalmated Sandpipers to respond to a changing food base, but quality of food is also important. PUFAs are important in providing the energy required by migrating birds and may play a role in migratory preparation. We assessed fatty acid (FA) concentrations and proportions in three common food items. We found that polychaetes should adequately meet the needs of migrating sandpipers in terms of FA composition. Concentrations of FAs in biofilm were low, but proportionally, n-3 PUFAs were well represented, particularly in biofilm collected in Shepody Bay, where it forms a substantial part of the sandpiper diet. Therefore, provided that birds can consume a sufficient volume of biofilm, it is also probably a suitable source of essential FAs. Our results suggest that Semipalmated Sandpipers in the Bay of Fundy can meet their FA needs with a variety of dietary options.Key words: Semipalmated Sandpiper, Calidris pusilla, diet flexibility, Bay of Fundy, Corophium volutator, biofilm, fatty acid, PUFA.Résumé : Les bécasseaux semipalmés (Calidris pusilla (L., 1766)) qui migrent par la partie supérieure de la baie de Fundy (Canada) dépendent d'un riche apport de nourriture pour soutenir la poursuite de leur migration. Si des études antérieures ont fait état d'un régime alimentaire dans lequel domine l'amphipode Corophium volutator (Pallas, 1766), un animal riche en acides gras polyinsaturés (AGPI) n-3, des observations récentes donnent à penser que les bécasseaux ont des régimes alimentaires variés. Bien qu'il s'agisse d'un avantage parce que cela permet aux bécasseaux semipalmés de réagir à des modifications de leur base alimentaire, la qualité de la nourriture est aussi importante. Les AGPI sont importants pour fournir l'énergie nécessaire aux oiseaux en migration et pourraient jouer un rôle dans la préparation à la migration. Nous avons évalué les concentrations et les proportions d'AG dans trois aliments répandus. Nous avons constaté que les polychètes devraient répondre adéquatement aux besoins des bécasseaux en migration en ce qui concerne la composition d'AG. Les concentrations d'AG dans les biofilms étaient faibles, mais, proportionnellement, les AGPI n-3 étaient bien représentés, particulièrement dans du biofilm prélevé dans la baie de Shepody, où il constitue une partie importante du régime alimentaire des bécasseaux. Ainsi, pour autant que les oiseaux puissent consommer un volume suffisant de biofilm, ce dernier constitue aussi vraisemblablement une source convenable d'AG essentiels. Nos résultats donnent à penser que les bécasseaux semipalmés dans la baie de Fundy disposent de div...

show abstract

“…These are the mudflats used by Gerwing et al (2016) in their molecular diet analysis. For details of site characteristics see Gerwing et al (2015).…”

Section: Study Sitesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Food Collectionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Fatty Acid (Fa) Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Fatty acid composition and concentration of alternative food of Semipalmated Sandpipers (Calidrispusilla) in the upper Bay of Fundy, Canada

2017

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Intertidal estuarine sediments support ecologically and economically important ecosystems that provide nursery habitats to several species (some that support important commercial fisheries), and often host a diverse and abundant fauna [7–11]. Benthic invertebrates are often used as indicators of environmental pollution since they live in sediments and are prey for many commercially important fish species [12–14].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Survey of intertidal ecosystem reveals a legacy of potentially toxic elements from industrial activity in the Skeena Estuary, British Columbia, Canada

Sizmur

Campbell

Dracott³

et al. 2019

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Relationships between concentrations of Potentially Toxic Elements (PTEs) in estuarine sediments and their impact benthic invertebrate communities are poorly understood. We sampled and analysed PTEs in sediments and benthic invertebrates from five sites surrounding the Skeena Estuary, including sites adjacent to an abandoned cannery and a decommissioned papermill. There was no indication that sediments of the salmon cannery are polluted, but acidic sediments adjacent to the papermill contained elevated concentrations of Cd, Cr, Hg and Pb. Benthic invertebrate community assemblages confirm that sediments have recovered from prior disturbances associated with discharge of papermill sludge. Oregon pill bugs (Gnorimosphaeroma oregonensis), observed at all five sites, feed on the fibers associated with the papermill discharge. Thus, G. oregonensis are useful biomonitors for quantifying the impact of the decommissioned papermill, and similar industrial development projects, on intertidal ecosystems along the north coast of British Columbia, Canada.

show abstract

Using successional drivers to understand spatiotemporal dynamics in intertidal mudflat communities

et al. 2022

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Elucidating factors (“drivers”) that influence succession after disturbance can explain ecological phenomena, including why communities vary spatiotemporally. To gain insight on drivers related to habitat availability, species availability, and species performance during succession, we conducted two field experiments on infaunal communities in intertidal mudflats, one on each of the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of Canada, that had disturbances of different type, size, and frequency. Related to habitat availability drivers, we observed that disturbance type and size, which differed between experiments, did not change end patterns of succession; however, disturbance frequency, directly assessed in one experiment, did. Dispersal of species from surrounding mudflat and water column (species availability) was the primary driver of succession, whereas local interactions between species after colonization (species performance drivers) did not have a detectable effect. We suggested that ample space and resources diffused competition and predation effects, and so species replacements did not occur in our systems, resulting in a lack of “traditional” successional dynamics as observed in other ecosystems. Our findings that community composition in intertidal mudflats is strongly influenced by species availability on two different coasts suggest that this driver may be key to variation in intertidal mudflat communities elsewhere.

show abstract

Spatiotemporal Variation in Biotic and Abiotic Features of Eight Intertidal Mudflats in the Upper Bay of Fundy, Canada

Cited by 36 publications

References 58 publications

Fatty acid composition and concentration of alternative food of Semipalmated Sandpipers (Calidrispusilla) in the upper Bay of Fundy, Canada

Fatty acid composition and concentration of alternative food of Semipalmated Sandpipers (Calidrispusilla) in the upper Bay of Fundy, Canada

Survey of intertidal ecosystem reveals a legacy of potentially toxic elements from industrial activity in the Skeena Estuary, British Columbia, Canada

Using successional drivers to understand spatiotemporal dynamics in intertidal mudflat communities

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About