Carpinteria Salt Marsh Reserve Annual Report

The following are descriptions of some of the research projects that are being conducted by the users of Carpinteria Salt Marsh Reserve: BIVALVE MOLLUSKS Dr. Mark Page MSI/Biological Sciences UC Santa Barbara Bivalve mollusks constitute one of the important marine zoological resources of Carpinteria Salt Marsh Reserve. Dr. Page's study is aimed at (1) determining the life histories of the most abundant species, (2) elucidating relationships between bivalve distribution and abundance and the physical and biological characteristics of the environment, and (3) determining whether bivalve populations may be used to monitor the environmental quality of the salt marsh habitat. Differential rates of recruitment and mortality have contributed to temporal fluctuations in the population densities of Macoma nasuta and Protothaca staminea, while the population density of Tagelus californianu8 has remained relatively constant. The rates of recruitment of M. nasuta and P. staminea indicate that populations of these species would recover more quickly than those of T. californianus, following major disturbance. Participants in this study include Jenifer Dugan, who is a Ph.D. candidate of UCSB, undergraduate UCSB students Jens Sorensen, Mitch Byrd, and Jeanne McAdara, as well as David Hubbard, who graduated from UCSB with a B.A. This project has been funded by the Giles W. and Elise G. Mead Foundation and the Reserve Manager's Fund and mitigation funds from local developers. Dr. Page is also conducting a water quality study at the marsh which has identified pollutants in the sediments of two tidal creeks. These pollutants could contaminate and affect the abundance of invertebrate species eaten by resident and migrating bird species. This study has been funded by the Reserve Manager's Fund. * * Ms. Teresa Stevens (Dr. A. Kuris) Department of Biological Sciences UC Santa Barbara Ms. Stevens conducted graduate studies regarding the distribution, abundance and food web significance of two species of gastropod, Cerithidea californica and Melampus olivaceus, located at the Reserve. Populations of these two gastropod species may be threatened by a number of factors including loss of habitat due to flood control plans in Franklin Creek and the Apple Road areas, local development and land filling around the Reserve, and chemical contamination as a result of runoff from surrounding agricultural areas. Displacement or local extinction by steepening of creek channels or by contamination of these populations could have a significant impact on the other organisms in the marsh. Funding for this project was provided by the Reserve Manager's Fund. Mr. Jack D. Linn California Department of Fish

以下是卡平特里亚盐沼保护区（Carpinteria Salt Marsh Reserve）用户正在开展的部分研究项目介绍：
双壳类软体动物（Bivalve Mollusks）
马克·佩奇博士 加州大学圣巴巴拉分校（UC Santa Barbara）分子科学研究所/生物科学系（MSI/Biological Sciences）

双壳类软体动物是卡平特里亚盐沼保护区重要的海洋动物资源之一。佩奇博士的研究目标为：（1）明确该区域优势物种的生活史；（2）阐明双壳类的分布、丰度与环境物理、生物特征之间的关联；（3）探究双壳类种群是否可用于监测盐沼生境的环境质量。

吻蛤（Macoma nasuta）和美洲原薄壳蛤（Protothaca staminea）的种群密度随时间发生波动，主要源于二者补充率与死亡率的差异；而加州刀蛏（Tagelus californianus）的种群密度则相对稳定。基于M. nasuta和P. staminea的补充率可知，相较于T. californianus种群，这两个物种的种群在遭受重大扰动后的恢复速度更快。

本研究的参与者包括加州大学圣巴巴拉分校（UCSB）在读博士生詹妮弗·达根，该校本科生延斯·索伦森、米奇·伯德与珍妮·麦克亚达，以及加州大学圣巴巴拉分校本科毕业的戴维·哈伯德。本项目由吉尔斯·W·米德与埃莉斯·G·米德基金会（Giles W. and Elise G. Mead Foundation）、保护区管理基金以及当地开发商的生态缓解资金资助。

佩奇博士同时在该盐沼开展了一项水质研究，已在两条潮汐溪的沉积物中检出污染物。这些污染物可能会污染并影响当地留居鸟类与迁徙鸟类所捕食的无脊椎动物（invertebrate species）的丰度。本研究由保护区管理基金资助。

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特蕾莎·史蒂文斯女士（库里斯博士指导） 加州大学圣巴巴拉分校生物科学系

史蒂文斯女士针对保护区内两种腹足类软体动物（gastropod）——加州锥螺（Cerithidea californica）和橄榄色小螺（Melampus olivaceus）的分布、丰度及食物网意义开展了研究生阶段研究。这两种腹足类的种群可能受到多种因素威胁：包括富兰克林溪与苹果路区域的防洪计划导致的栖息地丧失、保护区周边的当地开发与土地填埋，以及周边农业区径流带来的化学污染。若因河道渠化加剧或污染导致这些种群发生位移或局部灭绝，可能会对盐沼内的其他生物造成显著影响。本项目由保护区管理基金资助。

杰克·D·林恩先生 加州鱼类部门（California Department of Fish）