The Aquatic Trophic Ecology of Suisun Marsh, San Francisco Estuary, California, During Autumn in a Wet Year

Schroeter, Robert E.; O’Rear, Teejay A.; Young, Matthew J.; Moyle, Peter B.

doi:10.15447/sfews.2015v13iss3art6

Cited by 9 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 37 publications

(65 reference statements)

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“…Stable isotope data have shown that tidal marsh production supports resident species and is consumed by transient species (Grimaldo et al 2009b;Howe and Simenstad 2011;Schroeter et al 2015;Young 2016). Juvenile salmon feed in shallow areas throughout the estuary including small remnant wetlands (Grimaldo et al 2009b).…”

Section: New Interest In Non-pelagic Food Webs Tidal Wetlandsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Cohen et al (2014) suggested ammonium inhibition and benthic grazing were possible reasons for low primary production in the Delta wetlands compared to the other sites. A study in fall 2011 (a wet year) near the confluence of Suisun Marsh with Grizzly Bay, indicated highly variable carbon sources among consumers ranging from clams to Striped Bass (Schroeter et al 2015). Emergent aquatic vegetation and phytoplankton were commonly dominant sources, and SAV was a substantial contributor for amphipods, California bay shrimp, and Striped Bass (Schroeter et al 2015).…”

Section: New Interest In Non-pelagic Food Webs Tidal Wetlandsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A study in fall 2011 (a wet year) near the confluence of Suisun Marsh with Grizzly Bay, indicated highly variable carbon sources among consumers ranging from clams to Striped Bass (Schroeter et al 2015). Emergent aquatic vegetation and phytoplankton were commonly dominant sources, and SAV was a substantial contributor for amphipods, California bay shrimp, and Striped Bass (Schroeter et al 2015). The addition of introduced species (specifically polychaete worms, shrimp, and amphipods) increased food web complexity, illustrated by isotopic differences from their native counterparts (Schroeter et al 2015).…”

Section: New Interest In Non-pelagic Food Webs Tidal Wetlandsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Emergent aquatic vegetation and phytoplankton were commonly dominant sources, and SAV was a substantial contributor for amphipods, California bay shrimp, and Striped Bass (Schroeter et al 2015). The addition of introduced species (specifically polychaete worms, shrimp, and amphipods) increased food web complexity, illustrated by isotopic differences from their native counterparts (Schroeter et al 2015). Similarly, Young (2016) explored food web processes in Lindsey and Cache sloughs in the north Delta.…”

Section: New Interest In Non-pelagic Food Webs Tidal Wetlandsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Contributions to consumers of various primary producers, including emergent and submerged vegetation, epiphytic green algae, benthic diatoms, and phytoplankton, were variable seasonally and spatially, and highly dependent on local conditions. The results of Schroeter et al (2015) and Young (2016) show that there is no single food web structure for tidal wetlands. Instead, food web structure is likely to vary in space and in time, with contributions from multiple primary sources.…”

Section: New Interest In Non-pelagic Food Webs Tidal Wetlandsmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 4 more Smart Citations

Food Webs of the Delta, Suisun Bay, and Suisun Marsh: An Update on Current Understanding and Possibilities for Management

Brown¹,

Kimmerer²,

Conrad³

et al. 2016

SFEWS

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This paper reviews and highlights recent research findings on food web processes since an earlier review by . We conduct this review within a conceptual framework of the DeltaSuisun food web, which includes both temporal and spatial components. The temporal component of our framework is based on knowledge that the landscape has changed markedly from historical conditions. The spatial component of our framework acknowledges that the food web is not spatially static; it varies regionally and across habitat types within regions. The review highlights the idea of a changing baseline with respect to food web function. New research also indicates that interactions between habitat-specific food webs vary across the current landscape. For example, based on early work in the south Delta, the food web associated with submerged aquatic vegetation was thought to provide little support to species of concern; however, data from other regions of the estuary suggest that this conceptual model may not apply across the entire region. Habitat restoration has been proposed as a method of re-establishing historic food web processes to support species of concern. Benefits are likely for species that directly access such restored habitats, but are less clear for pelagic species. Several topics require attention to further improve the knowledge of food webs needed to support effective management, including: (1) synthesis of factors responsible for low pelagic biomass; (2) monitoring and research on effects of harmful algal blooms; (3) broadening the scope of long-term monitoring; (4) determining benefits of tidal wetland restoration to species of concern, including evaluations of interactions of habitat-specific food webs; and (5) interdisciplinary analysis and synthesis. The only certainty is that food webs will continue to change in response to the changes in the physical environment and new species invasions.

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Section: New Interest In Non-pelagic Food Webs Tidal Wetlandsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: New Interest In Non-pelagic Food Webs Tidal Wetlandsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: New Interest In Non-pelagic Food Webs Tidal Wetlandsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: New Interest In Non-pelagic Food Webs Tidal Wetlandsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: New Interest In Non-pelagic Food Webs Tidal Wetlandsmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Food Webs of the Delta, Suisun Bay, and Suisun Marsh: An Update on Current Understanding and Possibilities for Management

Brown¹,

Kimmerer²,

Conrad³

et al. 2016

SFEWS

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show abstract

Hydrodynamics drive pelagic communities and food web structure in a tidal environment

et al. 2020

Self Cite

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Hydrodynamic processes can lead to the accumulation and/or dispersal of water column constituents, including sediment, phytoplankton, and particulate detritus. Using a combination of field observations and stable isotope tracing tools, we identified how hydrodynamic processes influenced physical habitat, pelagic communities, and food web structure in a freshwater tidal system. The pelagic habitat of a terminal channel differed spatially, likely aligning with differences in hydrodynamics. Three zones that we classified by exchange with downstream habitat had distinct water quality characteristics, supported different densities of zooplankton and nekton, and exhibited disparate support from benthic and pelagic trophic pathways to pelagic consumers. Hydrodynamically driven zones and their emergent characteristics appeared sensitive to hydrology, as elevated runoff was correlated with a shift in hydrodynamic habitat and organismal distributions. The results of our study highlight the relationship between hydrodynamic processes, biological responses, and climate, and suggest that understanding the physical process can improve understanding of pelagic habitats and communities.

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Complex Tidal Marsh Dynamics Structure Fish Foraging Patterns in the San Francisco Estuary

Colombano

Handley²,

O’Rear

et al. 2021

Estuaries and Coasts

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Mechanisms driving the consumption and transport of tidal marsh nutrients and energy by fishes are of key interest in the San Francisco Estuary, CA, USA. By combining multiple data sources (gill-net catches, gut contents, channel morphology, tides), we modeled spatial and temporal patterns of fish abundance and gut fullness across a tidal marsh elevation gradient. Channel depth, microhabitat, and tide were important predictors of fish abundance and gut fullness. Species, feeding guild, and season were also important to fish abundance but not to gut fullness, suggesting that abundance was more related to physical constraints of shallow water than to prey availability. Multiple feeding guilds overlapped in space and time at interaction hotspots in subtidal channel habitat near the marsh entrance. In contrast, fish use of shallow intertidal marsh channels was more variable and indicated tradeoffs between foraging and predation. Gut content analysis revealed moderate-to-high gut fullness for all feeding guilds and models predicted high gut fullness in subtidal reaches during tidal flooding, after which fish fed intensively throughout the marsh. While mysids, amphipods, and detritus were common prey among feeding guilds, variation in prey consumption was apparent. Overall, complex tidal marsh hydrogeomorphology driving land-water exchange and residence time may diversify and enhance benthic and pelagic food web pathways to fishes and invertebrates. Furthermore, these findings substantiate the notion that dynamic tidal marshes in this system can support robust secondary production, foraging by multiple feeding guilds, and trophic transfer by fishes to the estuarine mosaic.

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The Aquatic Trophic Ecology of Suisun Marsh, San Francisco Estuary, California, During Autumn in a Wet Year

Cited by 9 publications

References 37 publications

Food Webs of the Delta, Suisun Bay, and Suisun Marsh: An Update on Current Understanding and Possibilities for Management

Food Webs of the Delta, Suisun Bay, and Suisun Marsh: An Update on Current Understanding and Possibilities for Management

Hydrodynamics drive pelagic communities and food web structure in a tidal environment

Complex Tidal Marsh Dynamics Structure Fish Foraging Patterns in the San Francisco Estuary

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