Burrowing shrimp and eelgrass data Washington State, USA

Our goal was to assess the antagonistic engineering effects of Neoptrypaea californiensis (shrimp) on the seagrass Zostera marina (eelgrass) and the contributions of shrimp density and eelgrass life stage to the outcome. We used three approaches: 1) an observational approach to determine whether shrimp densities could explain abrupt habitat borders of eelgrass that were not a function of tidal elevation; 2) an across-site approach of eelgrass transplants into different shrimp densities, at tidal elevations expected to be suitable for eelgrass, and 3) a within-site experiment in which vegetative and seedling eelgrass shoots were transplanted in and out of shrimp exclosures.

This data represents information about Zostera marina and Neotrypaea californiensis densities across their habitat borders and associated sediment characteristics, transplanted Z. marina survival across a range of N. californiensis densities, and Z. marina seedling and adult vegetative shoot survival in the presence and exclusion of N. californiensis on tide flats with high- and low-shrimp densities.

Notable findings: Habitat borders not attributed to antagonisitc interactions between Z. marina and N. californiensis. Increasing N. californiensis densities negatively impacts Z. marina. Zotera marina seedlings are more suceptable to uprooting or smothering by N. californiensis than adult vegetated shoot. Co-existance between Z. marina and N. californiensis can occur at low densities.