Impact of the zebra mussel Dreissena polymorpha invasion on the budget of suspended material in a shallow lagoon ecosystem

The role of the zebra mussel Dreissena polymorpha in redistribution of total particulate material (TPM) between the water column and bottom sediment was estimated using the TPM budget for a mussel bed in the Curonian lagoon, the Baltic Sea. Seasonal clearance rates were derived from the TPM budget assuming two resuspension scenarios: no resuspension and full resuspension of biodeposits. Estimated clearance rates for both scenarios were compared with the rates calculated from the population clearance rate model. Seasonal clearance rates estimated using the population model (1.1 and 11.8 l g⁻¹ SFDW day⁻¹) fitted well into the interval of seasonal clearance rates calculated from TPM budgets assuming no resuspension of biodeposits (3.2 and 21.4 l g SFDW⁻¹ day⁻¹). In the scenario with biodeposits resuspension clearance rates were much higher (57.4 and 148.9 g SFDW⁻¹ day⁻¹). The ratio of clearance to residence time was highly dependent on the fate of biodeposits. Therefore its use in interpretation of the species impact on TPM was limited. An alternative measure based on the ratio of the amount of TPM biodeposited to TPM transported into the bed was used. It was found that zebra mussels are able to deposit between 10 and 30% of the incoming TPM, and the amount of biodeposited material was correlated with water residence time. Results indicate that the impact of zebra mussels on TPM in the lagoon is small relative to the high transport rates of TPM over the bed. However, annual biosedimentation rate (~590 g m⁻²) in the mussel bed was higher than physical deposition rate (~380 g m⁻²) in accumulation areas devoid of large suspension feeders. We suggest that a local impact due to enhanced availability of organic material to other trophic groups of associated benthic organisms may be more significant than effects on TPM pathways at an ecosystem scale.     

Faunal structures associated with patches of mussels on East Asian coasts

Aggregations of mussels harbor a variety of associated animals and make it possible for diverse species to coexist at the shore. Species composition and diversity of the associated fauna are controlled by the position of mussel beds or patches, e.g. tidal level, age structure of mussels, quality of ambient water and by mussel species. When patches of mussels were surrounded by algal growth, a difference in the species composition of the associated fauna was recognized between the patches and algal mats. Mechanisms promoting coexistence are discussed. Biodeposit production by mussels may affect the environment both within the bed and the ambient waters. Reducing sediments showing low Eh values caused by the accumulation of biodeposits was observed in calm waters where the polychaete Capitella capitata, an indicator for organic enrichment, occurred both in the intertidal mussel bed and the subtidal sandy bottom communities. In a shallow subtidal sandy bottom of the Gulf of Thailand, where heavy bioturbation by the spatangoid urchin Brissus latecarinatus was occurring, small patches of the mussel Modiolus metcalfi increased species diversity and equitability in this habitat. Species composition was different between mussel patches and pure sandy bottoms. Electronic Publication     

Microbial biomass and activity in the vicinity of a mussel bed built up by the blue mussel Mytilus edulis

Our study focuses on the impact of the biosedimentary system mussel bed (Mytilus edulis) on the spatial variability of benthic microbial biomass and activity in relation to organic deposits. We sampled a transect of six stations from the muddy mussel bed towards a reference station in the sandflat in monthly intervals for 1 year. The sediment grain size fraction <63 μm and the total organic carbon (TOC) concentration decreased significantly towards the sandflat. Bacterial numbers and total microbial biomass (total adenylates) showed a high spatial variability and were not correlated to increasing distance from the mussel bed. However, a significant relationship with the TOC concentration was found. In contrast, the energetic status (adenylate energy charge) of the microbial community in the mussel bed was significantly lower than in the sandflat. A principal component analysis of the substrate-utilization pattern revealed clear differences between the microbial communities in the mussel bed and in the sandflat. Our results indicate that the sandflat may be dominated by a relatively specialized benthic microbial community with an increased efficiency in utilizing organic carbon sources. As a disadvantage, however, such r-strategists are only able to meet environmental changes within a comparatively narrow range. Benthic microbial communities in the vicinity of an M. edulis mussel bed, in contrast, are dominated by relative generalists with a greater physiological capacity to buffer discrete environmental changes. Such K-strategists show a lack of specialization which generally means a reduced efficiency in utilizing a particular resource. Received: 2 May 1999 / Received in revised form: 22 November 1999 / Accepted: 6 December 1999     

栉孔扇贝生理生态学特征的实验研究

基于近年发展起来的生物沉积法,在烟台四十里湾养殖海区采用室内大型流水系统对栉孔扇贝的滤水率、吸收率和生态效率等生理生态学参数进行了测定,并探讨了它们与养殖密度与食物可获得性的关系．栉孔扇贝滤水率(平均3．65L·ind^-1·h^-1)与扇贝放养密度和饵料浓度无显著关系,而栉孔扇贝摄食率随放养密度的升高而降低,与POM呈正相关．扇贝对食物的吸收效率较高(平均75．9％),这与低饵料浓度行关．扇贝氨基酸泄漏所损失的能量高于排氨的能量损失．扇贝的生长余力(SFG)、总生长效率(尺：)和净生长效率(尺z)均与饵料浓度呈正相关．扇贝对氮的总生态效率(平均9．9％)高于对碳(平均5．9％)和磷(平均4．1％)．在氟的预算中,如果仅考虑NH4^ —N的排泄,而忽视其它形态氟的排泄,将会产生较大偏差(平均约20％)．贝壳不管在能量预算还是在元素预算中部不应该被忽视．在沿岸养殖海域,栉孔扇贝通过大量的滤水摄食、生长、排泄、生物沉积等对生态系统的能量流动和物质循环产生影响．     

桑沟湾栉孔扇贝生物沉积的现场测定

运用沉积物捕集器于桑沟湾对栉孔扇贝 (Chlamysfarreri)的生物沉积进行了现场测定 ,以评价贝类养殖对近岸生态环境的影响。结果表明 :桑沟湾栉孔扇贝具有相当高的生物沉积速率。壳高 68 1～77 9mm、软体干重 2 75～ 3 91g的栉孔扇贝 ,其生物沉积速率为 0 93～ 6 97g ind·d,平均 3 99g ind·d ;而壳高 40 8～ 67 4mm、软体干重 0 5 9～ 1 85g的栉孔扇贝生物沉积速率的变化范围为 0 5 2～ 6 42g ind·d,平均为 2 3 8g ind·d ;另外 ,壳高为 2 5 8～ 2 8 3mm、软体干重 0 1 2～ 0 1 7g的栉孔扇贝 ,其生物沉积速率在2 0 0 2年的 1 1和 1 2月以及 2 0 0 3年的 1月分别为 0 74、1 1 1和 0 1 5g ind·d。在桑沟湾 ,影响栉孔扇贝生物沉积的主要因素包括水温、悬浮颗粒物、扇贝个体大小和年龄。高密度、大规模的近岸浅海贝类养殖所产生的大量生物沉积物可能会对海区的物理、化学和生物环境产生影响。