Physiological Ecology of Rocky Intertidal Organisms: A Synergy of Concepts
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Abstract:
The rocky intertidal zone is among the most physically harsh environments on earth. Marine invertebrates and algae living in this habitat are alternatively pounded by waves and exposed to thermal extremes during low tide periods (Denny and Wethey, 2001). Additionally, they must deal with strong selective pressures related to predation and competition for space (Connell, 1961). As a result, the steep physical gradient and spatially condensed community has made the rocky intertidal zone an ideal "natural laboratory" to study the coupled role of physical and biological factors in determining the abundance and distribution of organisms in nature (Connell, 1961; Paine, 1966, 1994).Keywords:
Intertidal ecology
Rocky shore
Vertical distribution of intertidal molluscs in and around Mumbai had been studied. Each species has an upper and lower limit of distribution along the vertical intertidal gradient and are concentrated at particular levels or zones where they find optimum living conditions. Zonation of the intertidal area with reference to molluscs at rocky shores of TIFR, Bandstand and NCPA has similarities. However, there is no similarity in zonation among rocky, sandy and muddy shores. Rocky intertidal zones are more diverse and dense in terms of molluscs. The mid and lower littoral zones have rich diversity. The upper littoral zone at some sites, especially Girgaon chowpatty is totally devoid of molluscs due to anthropogenic activities. Gafrarium divaricatum, Nerita oryzarum, N. polita and Neritina crepidularia have established themselves in all three marked zones, indicating their power to adjust with the wide fluctuations in surrounding environmental conditions.
Intertidal ecology
Rocky shore
Supralittoral zone
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Abstract. This paper deals with the population dynamics of the introduced barnacle Balanus glandula in a port shelter and a rocky shore exposed of a southwestern Atlantic area. Replicated areas in both zones were denuded monthly and censused in both the high intertidal and the upper mid intertidal zone. The settlement pattern. recruitment, mortality and growth of B. glandula and a comparative successional pattern in both areas were recorded. Recruitment began in winter, i.e. , July in the port and August in the rocky shore. In the port, green algae dominate up to a final community of Balanus glandula all along the intertidal, while in rocky shores the red encrusting alga Hildenbrandia lecanellieri establishes a cover that is replaced by the mytilid Brachidontes rodriguezi in the mid intertidal and by B. glandula in the high intertidal and upper mid intertidal. B. glandula densities were greater in the upper mid intertidal 19 600 and 5050 indiv. · m ‐2 in the port and rocky shore, respectively than in the high intertidal 13600 and 1100 indiv.· m ‐2 , respectively. Mortality was greater in the port up to 62%, but heavy settlement allows a final density 4 times greater than in eulittoral rocky shores and 10 times greater than in the high intertidal. The winter reproduction of Balanus glandula , the absence of predators, the neutral or beneficial effect of algae. with spatial and temporal partitioning of substrate allows it to successfully outcompete mussels and other barnacle species from the intertidal community of both sheltered and exposed areas.
Rocky shore
Intertidal ecology
Balanus
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MEPS Marine Ecology Progress Series Contact the journal Facebook Twitter RSS Mailing List Subscribe to our mailing list via Mailchimp HomeLatest VolumeAbout the JournalEditorsTheme Sections MEPS 316:155-164 (2006) - doi:10.3354/meps316155 Patterns of spatial distribution and behaviour of fish on a rocky intertidal platform at high tide Cláudia Faria*, Vítor C. Almada Unidade de Investigação em Eco-Etologia, Instituto Superior de Psicologia Aplicada, Rua Jardim do Tabaco 34, 1149-041 Lisboa, Portugal *Email: cfaria@ispa.pt ABSTRACT: We describe the patterns of spatial distribution and behaviour of an intertidal fish assemblage on a rocky intertidal platform in the south of Portugal during high tide. Data were collected by surveying a number of predefined transects and focal observations of individual fish. Several interspecific differences, in both zonation and substratum, were found at high tide that were not apparent in observations of pools at low tide. Parablennius sanguinolentus occurred mainly on boulders at the high intertidal, Lipophrys pholis and Coryphoblennius galerita were especially abundant in the upper intertidal. L. canevae and L. trigloides were most abundant in the low intertidal, with L. canevae being restricted to that level. Gobius cobitis used all shore levels, including a significant presence in the subtidal. Species typically considered subtidal, like P. pilicornis and P. gattorugine, were found also in the intertidal at high tide. In the case of P. gattorugine both juveniles and even large adults moved up with the tide, reaching the highest shore levels. C. galerita seemed to be restricted to the vicinity of its low-tide shelters, around crevices and pools, while large specimens of L. pholis and G. cobitis were subject to larger displacements, up and down with the tide. Apart from the benthic component, the fish assemblage is enriched at high tide by a large number of fish, mainly juveniles of pelagic and bentho-pelagic species, meaning that the rocky intertidal may play a nursery role for several non-resident fish species. KEY WORDS: Tidal rhythms · Vertical fish movements · Rocky-intertidal fish communities · High-tide fish behaviour · Blenniidae · Gobiidae Full text in pdf format PreviousNextExport citation RSS - Facebook - Tweet - linkedIn Cited by Published in MEPS Vol. 316. Online publication date: July 03, 2006 Print ISSN: 0171-8630; Online ISSN: 1616-1599 Copyright © 2006 Inter-Research.
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Intertidal ecology
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Variation saisonniere de 6 Algues principales sur une plateforme rocheuse de la Nouvelle-Galles du Sud
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Vertical zonation of intertidal organisms, from the shallow subtidal to the supralittoral zones, is a ubiquitous feature of temperate and tropical rocky shores. Organisms that live higher on the shore experience larger daily and seasonal fluctuations in microhabitat conditions, due to their greater exposure to terrestrial conditions during emersion. Comparative analyses of the adaptive linkage between physiological tolerance limits and vertical distribution are the most powerful when the study species are closely related and occur in discrete vertical zones throughout the intertidal range. Here, I summarize work on the physiological tolerance limits of rocky intertidal zone porcelain crab species of the genus Petrolisthes to emersion-related heat stress. In the eastern Pacific, Petrolisthes species live throughout temperate and tropical regions, and are found in discrete vertical intertidal zones in each region. Whole organism thermal tolerance limits of Petrolisthes species, and thermal limits of heart and nerve function reflect microhabitat conditions. Species living higher in the intertidal zone are more eurythermal than low-intertidal congeners, tropical species have the highest thermal limits, and the differences in thermal tolerance between low- and high-intertidal species is greatest for temperate crabs. Acclimation of thermal limits of high-intertidal species is restricted as compared to low-intertidal species. Thus, because thermal limits of high-intertidal species are near current habitat temperature maxima, global warming could most strongly impact intertidal species.
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Rocky shore
Intertidal ecology
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In the rocky shores of Mar del Plata (38˚W 04'S), intertidal mussels monopolize the macrofauna communities developing beds dominated by the small mytilid Brachidontes rodriguezii. This species covers 45% to 65% of the mid and upper mid intertidal substrate forming stratified beds. Vertical protected substrates of the midlittoral show the highest densities of B. rodriguezii up to 175,000 indiv. m -2 representing a dry biomass of 1,670 g. m -2 ; upper horizontal substrates at the same level show lower densities (80,000 indiv. m -2 ; 592 g. m -2 ). The horizontal bed matrix accumulates more sand than vertical beds (19.1 Kg. m -2 , respectively). Twenty-six taxa and 14 animal species were recorded within the B. rodriguezii intertidal matrix while a total of 9 algae species were found living on the mussel bed. The pulmonate limpet Siphonaria lessoni is the main intertidal herbivore. The invasive barnacle species, Balanus glandula, was first detected in Mar del Plata in 1974 and today creates an upper midlittoral fringe at densities up to 5,000 indiv.m -2 . This review of the Mar del Plata rocky shore community summarizes the existing information as we prepare to sample this area with the NAGISA protocols. The uniqueness of the rocky intertidal of Mar del Plata is the absolute dominance of a single mussel species Brachidontes rodriguezii in the midlittoral, the presence of a sole species of Gastropoda, the grazer pulmonate Siphonaria lessoni and the absence, until the mid sixties, of a barnacle belt. ●●●●●
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Intertidal ecology
Epibiont
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Dominance (genetics)
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Marine invertebrates
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Rocky shore
Intertidal ecology
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