Abstract
Anthropogenic disturbances (habitat fragmentation) disrupt seagrass beds and increase the availability of seagrass bed edges. Microhabitat selection and substrate use were examined for edge effects of seagrass-associated invertebrates, and the role semi-infaunal bivalves (mussels and pen shells) play in habitat selection of the sea urchin Lytechinus variegatus in St. Joseph Bay, Florida, USA (29° 46ʹ N, 85° 23 W). Monthly field surveys were conducted in Thalassia testudinum beds from June 2017 to May 2018. Microhabitat use was quantified by measuring faunal abundances in interior seagrass, sandflat, and edge (the seagrass-sandflat interface) habitats. Substrate use by L. variegatus was quantified relative to semi-infaunal bivalves and seagrass substrate. Lytechinus variegatus density was highest in interior seagrass habitat, whereas other epibenthic macrofauna (e.g. mollusks, crustaceans and polychaetes) displayed mixed results for microhabitat preferences. Seagrass shoot and semi-infaunal bivalve densities were higher in interior seagrass habitat. Sea urchins displayed a preference for mussel substrate, suggesting that mussels may be affecting the spatial distribution of L. variegatus. The results have implications for seagrass overgrazing events and seagrass-associated faunal responses to habitat destruction and fragmentation.
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Acknowledgements
We thank Tara Plee, Megan Maloney, Campbell Gaherty, Kayli Morgan, Jill Dunavant, and Amanda Cain for assistance with field work. We thank the anonymous reviewers for comments that helped refine and clarify the manuscript. The data for this paper was part of a thesis by REC submitted to the Department of Biology, University of West Florida to fulfill graduation requirements.
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REC was responsible for field sampling, initial planning, initial statistical analysis, and initial draft of manuscript. CMP was responsible for planning and experimental design, part of the field work, oversight on statistical analysis, writing and final editing of manuscript.
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Czaja, R.E., Pomory, C.M. Seagrass bed edge effects in the sea urchin Lytechinus variegatus (Echinodermata: Echinoidea) and other benthic invertebrates. Mar Biol 169, 145 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-022-04136-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-022-04136-6