Potential effect of floating dock communities on a South Carolina estuary

A 4-yr study on the motile epibionts colonizing hydroids on a floating dock in a South Carolina estuary indicated that the motile epibiotic community may impact benthic and nektonic community processes. Permanent members of the epibiotic community were preyed upon by fish, especially when the Atlantic silverside (Menidia menidia (L.)) became reproductively active and deposited eggs among the hydroids during the spring. When fish predation reduced the number of amphipods within the epibiotic community, crab megalopa colonized the hydroids. Crabs developed into juveniles and emigrated from the epibiotic community after 6–8 wk residence. The community on floating docks may be an important food source for some nekton and may recruit some benthic invertebrates.Although preferential larval settlement and fish predation are intuitive processes associated with floating dock communities, insufficient research has addressed the relationships in soft-bottom areas devoid of naturally occurring hard substrata.