Disturbance-recovery dynamics of seafloor communities

This study was designed to evaluate the effects of shell debris on disturbance-recovery dynamics of macroinvertebrate animals inhabiting intertidal soft-sediments. We developed an experiment to test the effects of shell debris on the early colonization of macroinvertebrates along a gradient of increasing mud (a key stressor in coastal marine ecosystems) in the Okura Estuary, North Island, New Zealand (36°40'1.70"S/174°43'42.70"E). Twelve sites were established, tens of meters apart, at the mid-intertidal level that encompassed the mud-sand gradient (from 2-25 % mud). Defaunated sediment trays with and without shell debris were placed in each site (three replicates of each experimental treatment). Sediment samples from the background landscape and recolonization trays were collected after 14 days and macrofaunal abundances and composition were assessed and compared.

本研究旨在评估贝壳碎屑对栖息于潮间带软沉积物（intertidal soft-sediments）中的大型无脊椎动物（macroinvertebrate）的扰动-恢复动态的影响。本研究于新西兰北岛奥克拉河口（36°40′1.70″S/174°43′42.70″E）开展控制实验，以检验贝壳碎屑对大型无脊椎动物早期定殖的影响，实验沿泥含量递增的梯度设置（泥含量为沿海海洋生态系统中的关键胁迫因子）。本研究在覆盖2%~25%泥含量的砂泥渐变潮间带中区设置12个采样点，各点间距数十米。向每个采样点投放带有贝壳碎屑与不含贝壳碎屑的经去生物化处理的沉积物托盘，每种实验处理设置3个重复样。于14天后采集背景生境沉积物样本与再定殖托盘沉积物样本，并对大型底栖动物（macrofauna）的丰度与群落组成进行评估与对比分析。