Correlation of the distribution ofMesopodopsis slabberi (Crustacae,Mysidacea) with physico-chemical gradients in a partially-mixed estuary (Tamar,England) |
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Authors: | A M Moffat M B Jones |
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Institution: | (1) Department of Biological Sciences, University of Plymouth, PL4 8AA Drake Circus, Plymouth, England;(2) Present address: English Nature, Northminster House, PE1 1UA Peterborough, England |
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Abstract: | The physical and chemical processes operating in the River Tamar Estuary (south-west England) have been comprehensively described
and reported in the literature. There are well-established gradients of salinity, suspended sediment and oxygen which vary
both on short-term (tidal) and long-term (seasonal) cycles. Freshwater runoff, the main factor determining salinity distribution,
is also the cause of the high variability in suspended sediment concentrations. The biological processes are less well studied
and information on the link between the benthic and pelagic systems is particularly lacking. Mysids, through their role as
detritivores and as a major component in the diet of some fish, provide this link. Of the four species of mysid distributed
longitudinally in the Tamar Estuary, the most abundant isMesopodopsis slabberi which occurs between 5 and 25 km from the estuary head. Observations over an annual cycle have shown marked seasonal changes
in both abundance and distribution in the estuary. During winter and spring, densities remained generally low (<50 m−3) but, as water temperatures increased, the density increased and reachedca 1200 individuals m−3 in July. There was a shift in the longitudinal distribution ofM. slabberi in response to changes in the position of the salinity gradient. Adults comprised the majority of the population in salinities
less than 10‰ whereas juveniles and immature animals were distributed over a wider area than the adults and occurred in water
of higher salinity than the main adult distribution.M. slabberi appears to utilise the two-layered estuarine circulation to maintain its position in the estuary. |
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Keywords: | estuarine mysids Mesopodopsis slabberi distribution Tamar Estuary |
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