Marine Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning
EU Network of Excellence

 
Main Menu

· Home
· Contacts
· Data Systems
· Documents
· FAQ
· Links
· MarBEF Open Archive
· Network Description
· Outreach
· Photo Gallery
· Quality Assurance
· Register of Resources
· Research Projects
· Rules and Guidelines
· Training
· Wiki
· Worldconference

 

Register of Resources (RoR)

 People  |  Datasets  |  Literature  |  Institutes  |  Projects 

[ report an error in this record ]basket (1): add | show Print this page

one publication added to basket [283058]
A case study on the growth of Lanice conchilega (Pallas, 1766) aggregations and their ecosystem engineering impact on sedimentary processes
Alves, R.M.S.; Van Colen, C.; Vincx, M.; Vanaverbeke, J.; De Smet, B.; Guarini, J.-M.; Rabaut, M.; Bouma, T.J. (2017). A case study on the growth of Lanice conchilega (Pallas, 1766) aggregations and their ecosystem engineering impact on sedimentary processes. J. Exp. Mar. Biol. Ecol. 489: 15-23. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jembe.2017.01.005
In: Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology. Elsevier: New York. ISSN 0022-0981; e-ISSN 1879-1697
Peer reviewed article  

Available in  Authors 

Keywords
    Lanice conchilega (Pallas, 1766) [WoRMS]
    Marine/Coastal
Author keywords
    Polychaete tubes; Tube aggregations; Ecosystem engineering; Coastal sediments

Authors  Top 
  • Alves, R.M.S.
  • Van Colen, C., more
  • Vincx, M., more
  • Vanaverbeke, J., more
  • De Smet, B.
  • Guarini, J.-M.
  • Rabaut, M., more
  • Bouma, T.J., more

Abstract
    Ecosystem engineers are organisms that modulate natural resources enabling the survival of other species. They drive environmental change and contribute to several coastal functional attributes such as landscape heterogeneity, sedimentary processes, and coastal protection. Our study focuses on the case of Lanice conchilega, a tube-building ecosystem engineer whose aggregations impact sedimentary processes. This polychaete forms biogenic tube aggregations distributed on the coasts of the northern hemisphere from the shallow intertidal to depths of 1900 m. The aggregations engineer sedimentary processes autogenically by altering water flow at the benthic-boundary layer, and harbor highly diverse infaunal communities as a consequence. This study evaluates the relationships between intertidal L. conchilega aggregations and sedimentary processes at the intertidal zone of a sandy beach in northern France. Three experiments were executed to investigate (1) the effects of L. conchilega presence on sedimentary processes, as well as (2) the impacts of sedimentation on L. conchilega survival and patch growth, and (3) assess small-scale spatial heterogeneity in density and ecosystem engineering in L. conchilega aggregations. Weekly estimations of sedimentary properties in-situ showed that net deposition is significantly higher inside L. conchilega aggregations than in bare sand; whereas sediment mixing depth is noticeably reduced in comparison and regardless of patch tidal height. Variations in tube density above 3200 ind m-2 did not significantly impact sedimentary properties suggesting that the relationship between flow attenuation and tube density is nonlinear. In-situ monitoring of L. conchilega aggregations revealed different temporal trends for tube density and EPS content at the sediment surface between the center and edges of patches. This hints at the presence of environmental gradients within aggregations that may cause small-scale spatial heterogeneity. Finally, laboratory experiments showed significantly higher mortality rates and tube building activity in the presence of sediment deposition between 5 cm and 12 cm in column height. Results are in agreement with previous research suggesting that a positive feedback between sedimentation and tube-building activity drives the vertical expansion of patches. However, vertical expansion may be limited by deposition-induced mortality, thereby controlling population abundance.

All data in the Integrated Marine Information System (IMIS) is subject to the VLIZ privacy policy Top | Authors 


If any information here appears to be incorrect, please contact us
Back to Register of Resources
 
Quick links

MarBEF WIKI

Erasmus Mundus Master of Science in Marine Biodiversity and Conservation (EMBC)
Outreach

Science
Responsive Mode Programme (RMP) - Marie Nordstrom, copyright Aspden Rebecca

WoRMS
part of WoRMS logo

ERMS 2.0
Epinephelus marginatus Picture: JG Harmelin

EurOBIS

Geographic System

Datasets

 


Web site hosted and maintained by Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ) - Contact data-at-marbef.org