The ecology of Mytilus edulis L. in exposed rocky intertidal communities

Suchanek, Thomas H.

doi:10.1016/0022-0981(78)90139-9

Cited by 181 publications

(131 citation statements)

References 20 publications

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“…californianus, then, might be expected to recruit to patches only during the winter months. This is true for Hedophyllum sessile (Widdowson 1965), Pollicipes polymerus (Paine 1974), Mytilus edulis (Suchanek 1978) and Balanus cariosus (Fig. 11).…”

Section: Effect Of Patch Birth Seasonmentioning

confidence: 70%

“…The lower limit to mussels is usually sharply defined, and predator exclusion experiments at Mukkaw Bay and Tatoosh have shown it to be set by the starfish Pisaster ochraceus (Paine 1966(Paine , 1974. The upper limit is probably determined by physiological considerations, although the presence of M. edulis as a narrow superior band (Suchanek 1978) may introduce an ecological element. M. californianus could monopolize all space within these limits were nothing but the end products of competition represented.…”

Section: The Experimental Systemmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…15; R. T. Paine, personal observation). In most large low patches gooseneck barnacles account for 80-90% of the coverage, a situation that persists for 2 or more yr or until M. californianus begins to dominate (Table 11), the latter species having entered during this interval either as larvae attracted to their congener's byssal fibers (Suchanek 1978) or as occasional adults washed in. The nearly complete exclusion of Pollicipes by the 6th yr is characteristic of flat surfaces (Paine 1974), is seen clearly in the inverse relationship between these species (Fig.…”

Section: Effect Of Patch Birth Seasonmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Intertidal Landscapes: Disturbance and the Dynamics of Pattern

Paine¹,

Levin²

1981

Ecological Monographs

1,073

790

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Abstract. The mussel Mytilus californianus is a competitive dominant on wave-swept rocky intertidal shores. Mussel beds may exist as extensive monocultures; more often they are an everchanging mosaic of many species which inhabit wave-generated patches or gaps. This paper describes observations and experiments designed to measure the critical parameters of a model of patch birth and death, and to use the model to predict the spatial structure of mussel beds. Most measurements were made at Tatoosh Island, Washington, USA, from 1970-1979. Patch size ranged at birth from a single mussel to 38 m 2 ; the distribution of patch sizes approximates the lognormal. Birth rates varied seasonally and regionally. At Tatoosh the rate of patch formation varied during six winters from 0.4-5.4% of the mussels removed per month. The disturbance regime during the summer and at two mainland sites was 5-10 times less. Annual disturbance patterns tended to be synchronous within II sites on one face of Tatoosh over a 10-yr interval, and over larger distances (16 km) along the coastline. The pattern was asynchronous, however, among four Tatoosh localities. Patch birth rate, and mean and maximum size at birth can be used as adequate indices of disturbance.Patch disappearance (death) occurs by three mechanisms. Very small patches disappear almost immediately due to a leaning response of the border mussels (0.2 em/d). Intermediate-sized patches ( <3.0 m 2 ) are eventually obliterated by lateral movement of the peripheral mussels: estimates based on 94 experimental patches yield a mean shrinking rate of 0.05 cm/d from each of two principal dimensions. Depth of the adjacent mussel bed accounts for much of the local variation in closing rate. In very large patches, mussels must recruit as larvae from the plankton. Recovery begins at an average patch age of 26 mo; rate of space occupation, primarily due to individual growth, is 2.0-2.5%/mo. ' Winter birth rates suggest a mean turnover time (rotation period) for mussel beds varying from 8.1-34.7 yr, depending on the location. The minimal value is in close agreement with both observed and calculated minimal recovery times.Projections of total patch area, based on the model, are accurate to within 5% of that observed. Using a method for determining the age of patches, based on a growth curve of the barnacle Balanus cariosus, the model permits predictions of the age-size structure of the patch population. The model predicts with excellent resolution the distribution of patch area in relation to time since last disturbance. The most detailed models which include size structure within age categories are inconclusive due to small sample size. Predictions are good for large patches, the major determinants of environmental patterns, but cannot deal adequately with smaller patches because of stochastic effects.Colonization data are given in relation to patch age, size and intertidal position. We suggest that the reproductive season of certain long-lived, patch-dependent species is moulded by the distu...

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Section: Effect Of Patch Birth Seasonmentioning

confidence: 70%

Section: The Experimental Systemmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Effect Of Patch Birth Seasonmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Intertidal Landscapes: Disturbance and the Dynamics of Pattern

Paine¹,

Levin²

1981

Ecological Monographs

1,073

790

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“…Mussels form dense assemblages that not only help secure their own survival, but also buffer other organisms from the physical stresses of the intertidal zone (Bertness and Leonard, 1997). As dominant competitors and important bioengineers, mussels exhibit a strong influence on the diversity and structure of the intertidal community (Paine, 1974;Suchanek, 1978).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Seasonal influence of wave action on thread production in Mytilus edulis

Moeser

Leba

Carrington

2006

Journal of Experimental Biology

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range of flows, with reduced thread production above 15·cm·s -1 . The influence of both acceleration and byssal loading was sporadic and inconsistent across seasons. Surprisingly, overall thread production in the laboratory was lowest in winter, a time when mussels typically peak in attachment. A similar seasonal pattern was observed in field assays, with high thread production during periods of elevated temperature, reduced wave action, and high reproductive condition. These results suggest that seasonal variation in attachment strength does not reflect increased thread production in response to wave action, and that other possible factors, such as seasonal variability in both the material properties of byssal threads and thread decay rates, warrant further investigation.

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“…Keen & Neill 1980, Russ 1980, Chalmer 1982, however organisms can respond differentially to patches of habitat and thereby may exert potentially important 'edge effects'. Edge effects can result from patterns in the settlement of organisms (Bernstein & Jung 1979, Schoener & Schoener 1981, this study), and they have been shown to arise through the action of grazers in a number of systems (Randall 1965, Bartholomew 1970, Dayton 1971, Ogden et al 1973, Stimson 1973, Suchanek 1978, Paine & Levin 1981, Sousa 1984.…”

Section: Edge Effectsmentioning

confidence: 82%

Formation and disruption of aggregations of Mytilus edulis in the fouling community of San Francisco Bay, California

Okamura¹

1986

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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Successional dynamics of a fouling assemblage in San Francisco Bay were studied on a series of formica plates. Hydroids and barnacles were found to accelerate rates of succession to mussel dominance by fachtating recruitment of young mussels. Development of hydroid colonies along the borders of plates produced an edge effect that was reflected in the pattern of recruitment of mussels onto plates. The importance of edge-to-center ratios on plates of different sizes and shapes to rates of succession is discussed. Substantial annual and seasonal variation in recruitment was found to influence rates of succession to mussel dominance. Disrupbon of mussel dominance occurred when a mixed school of surfperch took up temporary residence. Predation on mussels by surfperch allowed other species to become established on plates, thereby promoting a more diverse assemblage, however disruption of mussel dominance by surfperch appears to be an unpredictable event, and local sites may be dominated for many years by a monoculture of mussels.

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The ecology of Mytilus edulis L. in exposed rocky intertidal communities

Cited by 181 publications

References 20 publications

Intertidal Landscapes: Disturbance and the Dynamics of Pattern

Intertidal Landscapes: Disturbance and the Dynamics of Pattern

Seasonal influence of wave action on thread production in Mytilus edulis

Formation and disruption of aggregations of Mytilus edulis in the fouling community of San Francisco Bay, California

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