Key colonization strategies in a pollution-perturbed environment

Settling plates were exposed in the organically polluted inner Oslofjord (Norway) at 9 m depth for 21 different time intervals during a nine month period. The development of the epibenthic community shed light on the importance of life-history adaptation in this stressed environment. The combined cover of the opportunists Polydora ciliata and Mytilus edulis represented over 80% of the total primary space occupied. Out-competed colonists included serpulid polychaetes, barnacles and bryozoans. In contrast to other studies in less polluted areas, colonial organisms were of negligible influence in terms of area occupied. Successful colonists resorted to different recruitment strategies.