Journal articles: 'Saltmarsh habitats'

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Gonsalves, Leroy, Bradley Law, Cameron Webb, and Vaughan Monamy. "Are vegetation interfaces important to foraging insectivorous bats in endangered coastal saltmarsh on the Central Coast of New South Wales?" Pacific Conservation Biology 18, no. 4 (2012): 282. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/pc120282.

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Conservation of insectivorous bats and their habitats is of increasing concern in Australia and linear elements in the landscape form important foraging habitats for many species. Only recently has use of endangered coastal saltmarsh habitat by bats been documented. Vegetation adjoining saltmarsh provides echolocating bats with linear elements that may be used while foraging and commuting to patches of high insect abundance. We used acoustic detectors to investigate whether individual species and total bat activity along seaward and landward saltmarsh edges was different to the interior of the saltmarsh. Four taxa accounted for greater than 80 % of all bat activity in each zone with similar taxa recorded in both edge and interior zones. However, significantly more bat activity was recorded in edge zones. While differences in microhabitat use by individual species were also found, bat morphology did not account for the observed differences. Conservation managers of saltmarsh and adjoining habitats should consider potential impacts of management actions on foraging bats and their prey. Retention of strips of edge vegetation may help to balance the conservation requirements of endangered coastal saltmarsh habitats and the foraging insectivorous bat populations they sustain.

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Gonsalves, Leroy, Susan Lamb, Cameron Webb, Bradley Law, and Vaughan Monamy. "Do mosquitoes influence bat activity in coastal habitats?" Wildlife Research 40, no. 1 (2013): 10. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr12148.

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Context Conservation of insectivorous bat populations requires appropriate management of foraging habitats and the prey resources they sustain. Endangered coastal saltmarsh communities support a diverse range of aquatic and terrestrial arthropods, including the saltmarsh mosquito (Aedes vigilax Skuse), an important vector of mosquito-borne viruses and a potentially important prey resource for insectivorous bats. Prey detectability by bats is considered to be limited with low-frequency echolocation, particularly in cluttered habitats, that may render abundant Ae. vigilax populations unavailable to some bat species. Aims To investigate relationships between availability of Ae. vigilax and non-mosquito prey, and the activity of foraging insectivorous bats in a range of coastal habitats. Methods We measured nightly bat activity and the abundance of prey (mosquito and non-mosquito) concurrently during neap and spring tides in saltmarsh, urban and forest habitats. Comparisons were made between tidal cycle and habitats, and relationships between bat activity and the abundance of prey were examined. Key results Whereas prey abundances were generally greatest in saltmarsh and forest habitats, bat activity was greatest in the forest habitat. However, proportional feeding activity was greatest in saltmarsh. Prey abundance was positively correlated with total bat activity only in the open saltmarsh, where an absence of clutter would maximise prey detectability and thus availability. Positive correlations between Ae. vigilax abundance and bat activity, across all habitats, were restricted to bats of the Vespadelus genus, which are small-sized bats that employ high-frequency echolocation suitable for detection of small prey along edges. Conclusions These findings suggest that Ae. vigilax may be an important prey resource for small, high-frequency echolocating bats capable of discerning small prey within cluttered forest as well as exploiting abundant prey in the open saltmarsh. Implications Small, high-frequency echolocating bats should be the focus of future studies investigating the importance of small prey, such as Ae. vigilax, to the diets of foraging bats.

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McPhee, Jack J., Peter Freewater, William Gladstone, Margaret E. Platell, and Maria J. Schreider. "Glassfish switch feeding from thalassinid larvae to crab zoeae after tidal inundation of saltmarsh." Marine and Freshwater Research 66, no. 11 (2015): 1037. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/mf14202.

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Saltmarsh-dwelling grapsid crabs release free-swimming larvae (i.e. zoeae) into ebbing tides during spring-tide cycles that inundate saltmarshes, where initial inundation is a cue for larval release on subsequent inundations. In a saltmarsh environment, crab zoeae are the main food for fish (including the glassfish, Ambassis jacksoniensis), which ‘fast’ at other times. This saltmarsh-feeding model was tested by obtaining glassfish from near saltmarshes in a reasonably unmodified tributary of a large temperate estuary on flood and ebb tides during the night in two spring-tide events in austral autumn of 2009. Glassfish fed only on ebbing tides, with stomachs being similarly full on both spring-tide events. Thalassinid larvae (including Trypaea australiensis) dominated the dietary volumes, especially on the night before saltmarsh inundation, presumably being released during inundation of intertidal mud and sand habitats. Although glassfish progressively ‘switched’ to feeding on greater volumes of crab zoeae (presumably released after inundation of a saltmarsh) over both spring-tide cycles, such zoeal contributions never exceeded those of thalassinid larvae. The above differences highlight that, although ebb tides trigger feeding by glassfish, this ambassid focuses on different prey in a reasonably unmodified environment. The ability of glassfish to switch prey, and thus accommodate environmental differences, helps explain their high abundance in estuaries of this region.

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Fernandez-Nunez, Miriam, Helene Burningham, Pilar Díaz-Cuevas, and José Ojeda-Zújar. "Evaluating the Response of Mediterranean-Atlantic Saltmarshes to Sea-Level Rise." Resources 8, no. 1 (March 9, 2019): 50. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/resources8010050.

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Saltmarshes provide high-value ecological services and play an important role in coastal ecosystems and populations. As the rate of sea level rise accelerates in response to climate change, saltmarshes and tidal environments and the ecosystem services that they provide could be lost in those areas that lack sediment supply for vertical accretion or space for landward migration. Predictive models could play an important role in foreseeing those impacts, and to guide the implementation of suitable management plans that increase the adaptive capacity of these valuable ecosystems. The SLAMM (sea-level affecting marshes model) has been extensively used to evaluate coastal wetland habitat response to sea-level rise. However, uncertainties in predicted response will also reflect the accuracy and quality of primary inputs such as elevation and habitat coverage. Here, we assessed the potential of SLAMM for investigating the response of Atlantic-Mediterranean saltmarshes to future sea-level rise and its application in managerial schemes. Our findings show that SLAMM is sensitive to elevation and habitat maps resolution and that historical sea-level trend and saltmarsh accretion rates are the predominant input parameters that influence uncertainty in predictions of change in saltmarsh habitats. The understanding of the past evolution of the system, as well as the contemporary situation, is crucial to providing accurate uncertainty distributions and thus to set a robust baseline for future predictions.

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Seebacher, Frank, Mike M. Webster, Rob S. James, Jason Tallis, and Ashley J. W. Ward. "Morphological differences between habitats are associated with physiological and behavioural trade-offs in stickleback ( Gasterosteus aculeatus )." Royal Society Open Science 3, no. 6 (June 2016): 160316. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsos.160316.

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Local specialization can be advantageous for individuals and may increase the resilience of the species to environmental change. However, there may be trade-offs between morphological responses and physiological performance and behaviour. Our aim was to test whether habitat-specific morphology of stickleback ( Gasterosteus aculeatus ) interacts with physiological performance and behaviour at different salinities. We rejected the hypothesis that deeper body shape of fish from habitats with high predation pressure led to decreases in locomotor performance. However, there was a trade-off between deeper body shape and muscle quality. Muscle of deeper-bodied fish produced less force than that of shallow-bodied saltmarsh fish. Nonetheless, saltmarsh fish had lower swimming performance, presumably because of lower muscle mass overall coupled with smaller caudal peduncles and larger heads. Saltmarsh fish performed better in saline water (20 ppt) relative to freshwater and relative to fish from freshwater habitats. However, exposure to salinity affected shoaling behaviour of fish from all habitats and shoals moved faster and closer together compared with freshwater. We show that habitat modification can alter phenotypes of native species, but local morphological specialization is associated with trade-offs that may reduce its benefits.

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Walker, Julie E., Christine Angelini, Ilgar Safak, Andrew H. Altieri, and Todd Z. Osborne. "Effects of Changing Vegetation Composition on Community Structure, Ecosystem Functioning, and Predator–Prey Interactions at the Saltmarsh-Mangrove Ecotone." Diversity 11, no. 11 (November 1, 2019): 208. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/d11110208.

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Decreasing frequency of freeze events due to climate change is enabling the poleward range expansion of mangroves. As these tropical trees expand poleward, they are replacing herbaceous saltmarsh vegetation. Mangroves and saltmarsh vegetation are ecosystem engineers that are typically viewed as having similar ecosystem functions. However, few studies have investigated whether predation regimes, community structure, and ecosystem functions are shifting at the saltmarsh-mangrove ecotone. In this study, we manipulated predator access to marsh and mangrove creekside habitats to test their role in mediating vegetation and invertebrate structure and stability in a two-year experiment. We also conducted a survey to evaluate how shifting vegetation is modifying structural complexity, invertebrate communities, and ecosystem functioning at the ecotone. Excluding larger (> 2 cm diameter) predators did not affect vegetation or invertebrate structure or stability in either saltmarsh or mangrove habitats. The survey revealed that the two habitat types consistently differ in structural metrics, including vegetation height, inter-stem distance, and density, yet they support similar invertebrate and algal communities, soil properties, and predation rates. We conclude that although mangrove range expansion immediately modifies habitat structural properties, it is not altering larger predator consumptive effects, community stability, community composition, or some other ecosystem functions and properties at the ecotone.

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Mazumder, Debashish, Neil Saintilan, Robert J. Williams, and Ron Szymczak. "Trophic importance of a temperate intertidal wetland to resident and itinerant taxa: evidence from multiple stable isotope analyses." Marine and Freshwater Research 62, no. 1 (2011): 11. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/mf10076.

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Juveniles of commercially important fish species congregate in shallow vegetated estuarine habitats during high tides. Considerable debate has centred on whether the significance of these habitats lies in their provision of greater feeding opportunities, or shelter from predation afforded by greater structural complexity. We tested the hypothesis that an inundated mangrove and saltmarsh wetland provided feeding opportunities for itinerant species, and that the contribution of wetland primary producers and grazing herbivores could be identified in their diet, using stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen. Potential sources of dietary carbon included mangrove, saltmarsh, seagrass, seagrass epiphytic material and benthic organic material. Saltmarsh plants (mostly Sporobolus virginicus and Juncus kraussii) and fine benthic organic material appeared to be the primary sources of dietary carbon for the resident grazing herbivores in the wetlands, based on IsoSource mixing models. During high tide, species of itinerant fish enter the mangrove and, when inundated, the saltmarsh, and feed primarily on crab larvae and copepods. Fine benthic organic matter, seagrass epiphyte, and C3 and C4 plant materials also supplement the diet of some fish. The crab larvae therefore provide a significant source of nutrition and an important link between the intertidal wetlands and the adjacent estuarine ecosystem. The carnivorous fish Acanthopagrus australis, at the highest trophic level, hunted within or adjacent to the mangrove–saltmarsh wetland and fed on several lower-order consumers within the wetland. The present study highlights the significance of mangrove and saltmarsh wetlands as a feeding habitat for resident grazers and itinerant nekton.

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Upton, N. P. D. "Gregarious larval settlement within a restricted intertidal zone and sex differences in subsequent mortality in the polygynous saltmarsh isopod Paragnathia formica (Crustacea: Isopoda)." Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 67, no. 3 (August 1987): 663–78. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0025315400027375.

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The highly restricted ranges of many intertidal invertebrates, and the relative importance of physical and biological factors on settlement and subsequent mortality, have attracted much attention from ecologists. Most workers have concentrated on rocky shore communities, where patterns of zonation are often very clear (for reviews, see Stephenson & Stephenson, 1949, 1972; Southward, 1958; Lewis, 1955, 1961, 1964), whilst few have looked for such effects within saltmarshes (for reviews, see Long & Mason, 1983; Foster, In Press). Since most saltmarsh invertebrates are infaunal, patterns of zonation are not immediately obvious, but may be of particular interest; the influence of tidal regimes on invertebrate ranges may be more precise in sheltered saltmarsh habitats than on rocky shores, where exposure to wave action is a major confounding variable.

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Khan, Mst Mansura, and Mohammad Sadequr Rahman Khan. "Shore to landward transect burrow diversity of fiddler crab in a tropical intertidal coast of Chittagong in Bangladesh." Research in Agriculture Livestock and Fisheries 4, no. 2 (August 27, 2017): 131–40. http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/ralf.v4i2.33725.

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Burrows indicate the abundance and distribution of fiddler crab in an intertidal coast that varies with structure and morphology within intertidal habitats. We observed fiddler crab burrow density and characters (burrow length, depth, diameter and volume) within randomly selected six 1m2 quadrate from three intertidal habitats: higher saltmarsh, mangrove pool (a small ditch distributed within mangrove) and mangrove land through field surveys in a coast of Chittagong, Bangladesh. Burrows were observed and counted for density estimation, and burrow characteristics were studied through excavating 10 representative burrows from each quadrate of each habitat. Spearman correlation was used to relate between the distances (from shore towards land) and burrow characters. Transect starting from saltmarsh as base towards mangrove land showed burrow density decreased from shore to higher intertidal habitat. Simultaneously, higher burrow length and diameter were observed landward and contrariwise shoreward. Burrow prevalence in mangrove pools represents fiddler crabs are abundant within land and shore interface presumably due to the dual privilege of easy burrowing and moist condition required for gill ventilation.Res. Agric., Livest. Fish.4(2): 131-140, August 2017

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Doody, J. P. "The saltmarshes of the Firth of Clyde." Proceedings of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. Section B. Biological Sciences 90 (1986): 519–36. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0269727000005200.

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SynopsisThe saltmarshes of the Firth of Clyde are restricted both in area and number. Despite this they exhibit considerable variation in terms of their physical environment, floristic composition and range of plant communities. The absence of grazing at most of the sites has resulted in their exhibiting plant communities atypical of most of the other saltmarshes of western Scotland. Like many other saltmarsh areas they have suffered from reclamation of the older, upper marsh. However, despite this, there are still important transitional communities to non-tidal vegetation. The prevention of further incursions into the sites for roads, industrial development, caravans and the like, is important if these sites are to remain as examples of natural habitats.

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Leo, Kelly L., Chris L. Gillies, James A. Fitzsimons, Lynne Z. Hale, and Michael W. Beck. "Coastal habitat squeeze: A review of adaptation solutions for saltmarsh, mangrove and beach habitats." Ocean & Coastal Management 175 (June 2019): 180–90. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2019.03.019.

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Zhao, Z., L. Zhang, L. Yuan, and TJ Bouma. "Saltmarsh seeds in motion: the relative importance of dispersal units and abiotic conditions." Marine Ecology Progress Series 678 (November 11, 2021): 63–79. http://dx.doi.org/10.3354/meps13891.

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Propagule dispersal is fundamental to the colonization of new habitats, metapopulation connectivity, and gene flow and thus enables saltmarsh species to cope with global change. In this study, mesocosm and flume experiments were used to quantify the effects of different dispersal units (i.e. seed, spikelet, inflorescence, and plant fragment-containing seeds) and abiotic conditions on the dispersal processes of 4 globally distributed saltmarsh species: Salicornia europaea, Scirpus maritimus, Spartina anglica, and Elymus athericus. The results showed that (1) moving seawater has a species-specific effect on buoyancy, leading to prolonged floatability of high tidal-flat species E. athericus and reduced floatability of pioneer species; (2) tidal currents increase dispersal speed, whereas wind can have additive or antagonistic effects on current-dominated dispersal speed depending on its direction; (3) wave action reduces dispersal speed, but this effect becomes smaller with increasing wave magnitudes and/or applied co-directional wind; (4) dispersal speed may vary depending on the physical forcing and type and morphology of the dispersal units, but the largest species effect is related to the period in which units remain buoyant; and (5) the dispersal potential of saltmarsh species in wind wave-dominated coastal environments can be ordered as follows: E. athericus > S. maritimus > S. anglica > S. europaea. This study provides valuable guidance for future numerical hydrodynamic models of saltmarsh dispersal and establishment, allowing more accurate prediction of the distributional responses of saltmarsh species to climate change, thereby supporting appropriate management and restoration strategies.

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Guetté, Adrien, Emmanuel Joyeux, Frédéric Corre, Sylvain Haie, and Laurent Godet. "Old and unmowed saltmarsh patches provide attractive habitats for breeding passerines." Wetlands Ecology and Management 24, no. 4 (December 17, 2015): 477–93. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11273-015-9473-8.

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Bloomfield, A. L., and B. M. Gillanders. "Fish and invertebrate assemblages in seagrass, mangrove, saltmarsh, and nonvegetated habitats." Estuaries 28, no. 1 (February 2005): 63–77. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/bf02732754.

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Russell, Tanya L., and Peter T. Hale. "Conservation of the false water rat (Xeromys myoides) depends on landscape complementation." Australian Mammalogy 31, no. 2 (2009): 81. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/am09006.

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Identification of habitat variables that are associated with patch occupancy can provide a solid foundation for conservation, especially when habitats and landscapes are affected by human activities. As a case study to investigate the importance of landscape complementation and habitat quality for conservation, we examined the habitat preferences of a vulnerable native rodent, the false water rat (Xeromys myoides Thomas). In this study, results from surveys for animal presence and recording of habitat attributes in localities in south-east Queensland showed that X. myoides prefers a habitat with a wide mangrove zone of short mangroves and a high percentage of relatively tall vegetation cover in the sedge/saltmarsh zone. The absence of X. myoides from areas of likely habitat at a large scale can be attributed, at least in part, to the local habitat variables that overrode predictions based at a large scale. The findings suggest that availability of suitable habitat is a factor limiting the distribution and abundance of X. myoides. It is clear that landscape complementation influences patch occupancy and should be an essential consideration for conservation programs.

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Katrak, G., S. Dittmann, and L. Seuront. "Spatial variation in burrow morphology of the mud shore crab Helograpsus haswellianus (Brachyura, Grapsidae) in South Australian saltmarshes." Marine and Freshwater Research 59, no. 10 (2008): 902. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/mf08044.

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Burrowing by crabs is an important component of their functional role in mangrove and saltmarsh habitats. The grapsid crab Helograpsus haswellianus (Whitelegge, 1889) is one of the more conspicuous burrowing organisms in the saltmarshes of southern Australia. To evaluate intraspecific differences in burrowing behaviour among saltmarshes on a regional scale, we compared vegetation cover, sediment composition and burrow morphology at four sites using resin casts. Six burrow morphology characters were measured (burrow depth, number, lengths and diameter of the shafts, ratio of the shafts, number and diameter of the burrow openings), and the overall 3D burrow complexity was described using a single parameter, the fractal dimension D. Apart from the number of shafts, all morphological characters of the burrows differed significantly among sites. Analyses of the fractal dimensions lead to the identification of three groups of burrows based on D: a group of highly complex burrows (one site), a group of burrows of intermediate complexity (two sites) and a group of less complex burrows (one site). Burrow morphology variation was correlated with non-dominant vegetation, plant matter in the soil and very coarse sand in the sediment. Site-specific differences in burrows caution against generalising the functional role of crabs across sites.

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Guest, MA, and RM Connolly. "Movement of carbon among estuarine habitats: the influence of saltmarsh patch size." Marine Ecology Progress Series 310 (April 3, 2006): 15–24. http://dx.doi.org/10.3354/meps310015.

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Lee, Timothy S., Jason D. Toft, Jeffery R. Cordell, Megan N. Dethier, Jeffrey W. Adams, and Ryan P. Kelly. "Quantifying the effectiveness of shoreline armoring removal on coastal biota of Puget Sound." PeerJ 6 (February 23, 2018): e4275. http://dx.doi.org/10.7717/peerj.4275.

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Shoreline armoring is prevalent around the world with unprecedented human population growth and urbanization along coastal habitats. Armoring structures, such as riprap and bulkheads, that are built to prevent beach erosion and protect coastal infrastructure from storms and flooding can cause deterioration of habitats for migratory fish species, disrupt aquatic–terrestrial connectivity, and reduce overall coastal ecosystem health. Relative to armored shorelines, natural shorelines retain valuable habitats for macroinvertebrates and other coastal biota. One question is whether the impacts of armoring are reversible, allowing restoration via armoring removal and related actions of sediment nourishment and replanting of native riparian vegetation. Armoring removal is targeted as a viable option for restoring some habitat functions, but few assessments of coastal biota response exist. Here, we use opportunistic sampling of pre- and post-restoration data for five biotic measures (wrack % cover, saltmarsh % cover, number of logs, and macroinvertebrate abundance and richness) from a set of six restored sites in Puget Sound, WA, USA. This broad suite of ecosystem metrics responded strongly and positively to armor removal, and these results were evident after less than one year. Restoration responses remained positive and statistically significant across different shoreline elevations and temporal trajectories. This analysis shows that removing shoreline armoring is effective for restoration projects aimed at improving the health and productivity of coastal ecosystems, and these results may be widely applicable.

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Kwan, Kit Yue, Xin Yang, Chun-Chieh Wang, Yang Kuang, Yulong Wen, Kian Ann Tan, Peng Xu, et al. "Chemically mediated rheotaxis of endangered tri-spine horseshoe crab: potential dispersing mechanism to vegetated nursery habitats along the coast." PeerJ 10 (December 5, 2022): e14465. http://dx.doi.org/10.7717/peerj.14465.

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Background An enhanced understanding of larval ecology is fundamental to improve the management of locally depleted horseshoe crab populations in Asia. Recent studies in the northern Beibu Gulf, China demonstrated that nesting sites of Asian horseshoe crabs are typically close to their nursery beaches with high-density juveniles distributed around mangrove, seagrass and other structured habitats. Methods A laboratory Y-maze chamber was used to test whether the dispersal of early-stage juvenile tri-spine horseshoe crab Tachypleus tridentatus is facilitated by chemical cues to approach suitable nursery habitats. The juvenile orientation to either side of the chamber containing controlled seawater or another with various vegetation cues, as well as their movement time, the largest distance and displacement were recorded. Results The juveniles preferred to orient toward seagrass Halophila beccarii cues when the concentration reached 0.5 g l−1, but ceased at 2 g l−1. The results can be interpreted as a shelter-seeking process to get closer to the preferred settlement habitats. However, the juveniles exhibited avoidance behaviors in the presence of mangrove Avicennia marina and invasive saltmarsh cordgrass Spartina alterniflora at 2 g l−1. The juveniles also spent less time moving in the presence of the A. marina cue, as well as reduced displacement in water containing the S. alterniflora cue at 1 and 2 g l−1. These results may explain the absence of juvenile T. tridentatus within densely vegetated areas, which have generally higher organic matter and hydrogen sulfide. Conclusion Early-stage juvenile T. tridentatus are capable of detecting and responding to habitat chemical cues, which can help guide them to high-quality settlement habitats. Preserving and restoring seagrass beds in the intertidal areas should be prioritized when formulating habitat conservation and management initiatives for the declining horseshoe crab populations.

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Hanford, J. K., D. F. Hochuli, and C. E. Webb. "Observations of an unexpected abundance of estuarine mosquitoes associated with an urban freshwater wetland." Australian Zoologist 41, no. 1 (October 1, 2020): 80–85. http://dx.doi.org/10.7882/az.2020.014.

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ABSTRACT Urban freshwater wetlands have been identified as a potential source of mosquitoes of pest and public health concern in Australia. Mosquitoes most commonly associated with these habitats include Anopheles annulipes, Culex annulirostris, Culex quinquefasciatus, Coquillettidia linealis and Mansonia uniformis. However, adaptive management of freshwater wetlands for wildlife conservation or vegetation management can alter the local environmental conditions and may provide opportunities for other mosquito species to exploit these habitats. A series of small wetlands at Sydney Olympic Park, NSW, were drained in spring 2016 and allowed to refill via rainfall to improve conditions for the endangered green and golden bell frog Litoria aurea. Below-average rainfall was experienced that summer and the wetlands did not fully refill until early autumn. Surprisingly, immature stages of the estuarine mosquito, Aedes vigilax, were observed in the freshwater wetlands in exceptional abundances during this period. Adjacent to these freshwater wetlands there are extensive saltmarsh and mangrove habitats where highly abundant populations of Ae. vigilax are common. Observations of use of freshwater habitats by this estuarine mosquito have implications for urban freshwater wetland management and rehabilitation strategies, which currently do not consider the potential pest and public health issues associated with estuarine mosquitoes.

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Johnson, David S., Kayla S. Martínez-Soto, Manisha Pant, Serina S. Wittyngham, and Emily M. Goetz. "The fiddler crab Minuca pugnax (Smith, 1870) (Decapoda: Brachyura: Ocypodidae) reduces saltmarsh algae in its expanded range." Journal of Crustacean Biology 40, no. 6 (September 24, 2020): 668–72. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/jcbiol/ruaa073.

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Abstract It is well known that species across the world are expanding or shifting their ranges because of climate change. Yet, we know little about their impact on the habitats they colonize. In an observational study, we examined the effect of the fiddler crab Minuca pugnax (Smith, 1870) on benthic microalgal biomass in salt marshes in its expanded range (northeastern Massachusetts, USA). We found that plots with M. pugnax had, on average, 74% lower diatom biomass and 77% lower cyanobacteria biomass than plots without M. pugnax. Our results indicate that this climate migrant can impact saltmarsh functioning by limiting benthic microalgal biomass.

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Foster, N. R., B. M. Gillanders, A. R. Jones, J. M. Young, and M. Waycott. "A muddy time capsule: using sediment environmental DNA for the long-term monitoring of coastal vegetated ecosystems." Marine and Freshwater Research 71, no. 8 (2020): 869. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/mf19175.

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Seagrass, saltmarsh and mangrove habitats are declining around the world as anthropogenic activity and climate change intensify. To be able to effectively restore and maintain healthy coastal-vegetation communities, we must understand how and why they have changed in the past. Identifying shifts in vegetation communities, and the environmental or human drivers of these, can inform successful management and restoration strategies. Unfortunately, long-term data (i.e. decades to hundreds of years) on coastal vegetated ecosystems that can discern community-level changes are mostly non-existent in the scientific record. We propose implementing DNA extracted from coastal sediments to provide an alternative approach to long-term ecological reconstruction for coastal vegetated ecosystems. This type of DNA is called ‘environmental DNA’ and has previously been used to generate long-term datasets for other vegetated systems but has not yet been applied to vegetation change in coastal settings. In this overview, we explore the idea of using sediment eDNA as a long-term monitoring tool for seagrass, saltmarsh and mangrove communities. We see real potential in this approach for reconstructing long-term ecological histories of coastal vegetated ecosystems, and advocate that further research be undertaken to develop appropriate methods for its use.

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Vitti, Stefano, Elisa Pellegrini, Valentino Casolo, Giacomo Trotta, and Francesco Boscutti. "Contrasting responses of native and alien plant species to soil properties shed new light on the invasion of dune systems." Journal of Plant Ecology 13, no. 6 (August 11, 2020): 667–75. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/jpe/rtaa052.

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Abstract Aims Among terrestrial ecosystems, coastal sandy dunes are particularly prone to alien plant invasion. Many studies related the invasion of dune habitats to anthropic causes, but less is known about the role of soil properties and plant traits in plant invasion. In this study, we tested the relationships between soil features and alien plant invasion in dune systems, focusing on the interplay between soil nutrients, soil salinity and plant functional traits. Methods Study sites were sandy barrier islands of the Marano and Grado lagoon (northern Adriatic Sea). One hundred plots (4 m × 4 m) were selected within 10 areas according to the main habitats occurring along the ecological gradient of dune system (foredune, backdune and saltmarsh). In each plot, we recorded all plant species occurrence and abundance and we collected a soil core. For each soil sample, soil texture, conductivity (as proxy of soil salinity), organic carbon and nitrogen content were analyzed and related to the species number and cover of native and alien plants. Variation of main reproductive and vegetative functional traits among habitats was also analyzed for both alien and native species. Important Findings Soil properties were strongly related to overall plant diversity, by differently affecting alien and native species pools. In backdune, the most invaded habitat, a high soil conductivity limited the number of alien species, whereas the content of soil organic carbon increased along with alien plant abundance, suggesting also the occurrence of potential feedback processes between plant invasion and soil. We found a significant convergence between native and alien plant functional trait spectra only in backdune habitat, where environmental conditions ameliorate and plant competition increases. Our findings suggest that in harsh conditions only native specialized plants can thrive while at intermediate conditions, soil properties gradient acts in synergy with plant traits to curb/facilitate alien plant richness.

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Harzhauser, Mathias, Jean-Michel Pacaud, and Bernard M. Landau. "The Origin of the Mangrove and Saltmarsh Snail Ellobium (Eupulmonata, Ellobiidae)." Taxonomy 3, no. 1 (January 31, 2023): 68–84. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/taxonomy3010007.

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The pulmonate gastropod genus Ellobium has its greatest diversity in the modern Indo-West Pacific Region (IWP). Its origin, however, is traced to the Early Oligocene of the Northeastern Atlantic and the Western Tethys Region. Two Ellobium species are documented from the Rupelian of France and Italy and a new species is recorded from the Chattian of Hungary: Ellobium kerwaensis nov. sp. The first records in the IWP are known from the Early Miocene, suggesting an eastward range expansion of the genus around the Oligocene/Miocene boundary, when Ellobium became extinct in the European seas. Extant Ellobium species are bound to habitats above the high tide line in salt marshes and mangroves. Comparable environmental requirements are expected for the fossil congeners. Ellobium may derive from Eocene ancestors, such as the Bartonian Eoellobium heberti from the Northeastern Atlantic. Eoellobium is introduced in this paper as a new genus.

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Sanchez-Hernandez, Carolina, Doreen S. Boyd, and Giles M. Foody. "Mapping specific habitats from remotely sensed imagery: Support vector machine and support vector data description based classification of coastal saltmarsh habitats." Ecological Informatics 2, no. 2 (June 2007): 83–88. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoinf.2007.04.003.

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Medeanic, Svetlana, César S. B. Costa, and Débora Diniz. "Modern pollen–vegetation relationships in saltmarsh habitats along a salinity gradient of a fluvial estuary." Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology 233 (October 2016): 67–76. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.revpalbo.2016.07.010.

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FORD, HILARY, BEN EVANS, ROEL Van KLINK, MARTIN W. SKOV, and ANGUS GARBUTT. "The importance of canopy complexity in shaping seasonal spider and beetle assemblages in saltmarsh habitats." Ecological Entomology 42, no. 2 (December 23, 2016): 145–55. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/een.12373.

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Sergienko, L. A., T. Yu Dyachkova, and V. I. Androsova. "FLORISTIC RICHNESS AND DENSITY OF SALTMARSH COMMUNITIES DOMINATED BY TRIGLOCHIN MARITIMA L. (JUNCAGINACEAE) ON THE NORTHERN SEAS COASTS." National Association of Scientists 1, no. 26(53) (2020): 17–20. http://dx.doi.org/10.31618/nas.2413-5291.2020.1.53.160.

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The article presents the results of studying of the floral richness and density of communities dominated by the circumboreal temperate Arctic species Triglochin maritima L. (fam. Juncaginaceae). On the tidal zone of the western coast of the White sea in the direction from the lowland to the level of the low tide the geobotanical descriptions of plant communities on the model transects were made. The ecological characteristics of habitats, including geomorphic shore type, wave exposure and the mechanical composition of the substrate were given. It is revealed that various indicators of the geomorphological structure of the coast of the Bay effect on the characteristics and features of the floristic richness and density in the saltmarsh communities in these biotopes

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Prahalad, Vishnu, Violet Harrison-Day, Peter McQuillan, and Colin Creighton. "Expanding fish productivity in Tasmanian saltmarsh wetlands through tidal reconnection and habitat repair." Marine and Freshwater Research 70, no. 1 (2019): 140. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/mf17154.

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Fish use of coastal saltmarsh wetlands has been documented for many parts of Australia with the notable exception of Tasmania. An initial investigation to examine the diversity, density and patterns of fish use in the Circular Head coast saltmarshes of north-west Tasmania was undertaken. To aid decision making in repair strategies, the effect of saltmarsh condition on fish assemblages was studied using paired sites of predominantly unaltered and altered saltmarshes where levees were present. In all, 851 fish from 11 species were caught in 37 of the 48 pop nets. Three species, Aldrichetta forsteri, Arripis truttaceus and Rhombosolea tapirina, are important to commercial and recreational fisheries and contributed ~20% of the total catch numbers. The mean density of >72 fish per 100m2 is the highest yet reported from Australian studies and indicates that Tasmanian saltmarshes provide higher value habitat for fish compared with elsewhere in Australia, likely due to more frequent and prolonged flooding, and the lack of adjacent mangroves. There was no significant difference in fish assemblages between unaltered and altered marshes. The results suggest that restoring basic saltmarsh structure through tidal reconnection will deliver substantial benefits for fish productivity through habitat expansion.A

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Williams, R. J. "Projecting a Greenhouse Rise in Sea Level on Saltmarsh and Mangrove Habitats in New South Wales." Wetlands Australia 10, no. 1 (January 7, 2010): 15. http://dx.doi.org/10.31646/wa.131.

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Clarkson, E., and J. Beseres Pollack. "Cost-effective use of aerial imagery to quantify faunal-habitat associations across multiple spatial scales." Marine Ecology Progress Series 684 (February 17, 2022): 37–56. http://dx.doi.org/10.3354/meps13948.

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We investigated the utility of publicly available map products to identify faunal-habitat associations to inform fisheries management. The influence of structural and abiotic variables on the abundance of 4 focal species (red drum Sciaenops ocellatus, spotted seatrout Cynoscion nebulosus, blue crab Callinectes sapidus, and brown shrimp Farfantepenaeus aztecus) was examined at multiple spatial scales in the Mission-Aransas estuary, Texas, USA. Structural habitat data were derived from the 2004 Benthic Atlas of Texas and paired with species abundance and hydrographic data collected by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s Fisheries Independent Monitoring program. Blue crab and brown shrimp distributions at the ecosystem scale were driven primarily by abiotic factors such as salinity and distance to inlet, but structural habitat became relatively more important at smaller spatial scales. Variation in spotted seatrout abundance was primarily driven by seagrass and saltmarsh extent at the ecosystem scale but was driven by abiotic factors at the sub-region scale. Red drum distribution was driven primarily by abiotic factors, and association with structural habitats was bay-specific; there was no clear pattern in the influence of spatial scale on the relative importance of structural versus abiotic habitat variables for red drum. Results demonstrate that leveraging existing mapping efforts can allow fisheries managers to incorporate habitat data into fisheries management when funding or logistical challenges may otherwise prevent habitat monitoring at management-relevant scales. More research is warranted to investigate the temporal limitations to this approach, such as identifying the ‘shelf life’ of historical mapping products for utility in fisheries management.

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Sterzyńska, Maria, and Rainer Ehrnsberger. "The distribution and diversity of Collembola in saltmarsh habitats of the German North Sea – a preliminary study." Pedobiologia 44, no. 3-4 (January 2000): 402–12. http://dx.doi.org/10.1078/s0031-4056(04)70058-x.

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Taylor, Matthew D., Alistair Becker, Natalie A. Moltschaniwskyj, and Troy F. Gaston. "Direct and Indirect Interactions Between Lower Estuarine Mangrove and Saltmarsh Habitats and a Commercially Important Penaeid Shrimp." Estuaries and Coasts 41, no. 3 (September 24, 2017): 815–26. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s12237-017-0326-y.

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Catling, Paul M., Raymond Hutchinson, and Paul M. Brunelle. "Use of Saltmarsh by Dragonflies (Odonata) in the Baie des Chaleurs Region of Quebec and New Brunswick in Late Summer and Autumn." Canadian Field-Naturalist 120, no. 4 (October 1, 2006): 413. http://dx.doi.org/10.22621/cfn.v120i4.348.

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During late summer and autumn, in the Baie des Chaleurs region of Quebec, 18 species of adult dragonflies were recorded during one or more visits of at least 2 hours each to 14 saltmarshes. Three species, Aeshna canadensis, Sympetrum danae and S. internum, were present in more than half of the sites. The most abundant species was S. internum with over 100 seen at some locations. Adults of several species, including Aeshna canadensis, A. umbrosa, Enallagma civile, E. hageni, Ischnura verticalis, Lestes disjunctus, Libellula quadrimaculata, Sympetrum danae, S. internum and S. obtrusum, occurred in relatively high frequencies in both Baie des Chaleurs saltmarshes and in those elsewhere in Acadia. Within Baie des Chaleurs observations of emergence and/or presence of larvae, as well as regional abundance, were recorded for Aeshna canadensis, A. umbrosa, Ischnura verticalis, Sympetrum costiferum, S. internum and S. vicinum. Oviposition in saltmarsh pools was recorded for Aeshna canadensis, Enallagma civile, E, hageni, Ischnura verticalis, Lestes congener and Sympetrum danae. The saltmarsh dragonfly fauna of Baie des Chaleurs is significantly different from that of the rest of Acadia based on frequencies predicted from the latter region. To a large extent this difference is a result of significantly increased use of saltmarsh habitat by adults of six species including Lestes congener, Sympetrum danae, Aeshna canadensis, Sympetrum costiferum, Lestes disjunctus, and Sympetrum internum (in order of decreasing significance) in Baie des Chaleurs in comparison with saltmarshes elsewhere in Acadia. Local amelioration of salty conditions in certain saltmarshes, superimposed on regional amelioration as a result of protection from storms and saltwater dilution in the Baie des Chaleurs estuary, may contribute to an environment where adaptation can occur or where already tolerant species can exist. Dragonflies use saltmarsh habitat on the northeast coast of North America more extensively than is currently documented.

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Saintilan, Neil, and Kerrylee Rogers. "The significance and vulnerability of Australian saltmarshes: implications for management in a changing climate." Marine and Freshwater Research 64, no. 1 (2013): 66. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/mf12212.

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We review the distribution, status and ecology of Australian saltmarshes and the mechanisms whereby enhanced atmospheric carbon dioxide and associated climate change have influenced and will influence the provision of ecosystem goods and services. Research in temperate and subtropical saltmarsh has demonstrated important trophic contributions to estuarine fisheries, mediated by the synchronised mass-spawning of crabs, which feed predominantly on the C4 saltmarsh grass Sporobolus virginicus and microphytobenthos. Saltmarshes also provide unique feeding and habitat opportunities for several species of threatened microbats and birds, including migratory shorebirds. Saltmarshes increased in extent relative to mangrove in Australia in both tide- and wave-dominated geomorphic settings through the latter Holocene, although historic trends have seen a reversal of this trend. Australian saltmarshes have some capacity to maintain elevation with respect to rising sea level, although in south-eastern Australia, the encroachment of mangrove and, in Tasmania, conversion of shrubland to herbfield in the past half-century are consistent with changes in relative sea level. Modelling of the impacts of projected sea-level rise, incorporating sedimentation and other surface-elevation drivers, suggests that the survival of saltmarsh in developed estuaries will depend on the flexible management of hard structures and other impediments to wetland retreat.

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Sampath, D. M. R., and T. Boski. "Morphological response of the saltmarsh habitats of the Guadiana estuary due to flow regulation and sea-level rise." Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 183 (December 2016): 314–26. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ecss.2016.07.009.

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Somerfield, P. J., J. M. Gee, and C. Aryuthaka. "Meiofaunal Communities in a Malaysian Mangrove Forest." Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 78, no. 3 (August 1998): 717–32. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0025315400044738.

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The free-living benthic copepods and nematodes in samples of decaying leaves and sediment, from a Rhizophora apiculata-dominated mangrove forest bordering the Sungai Merbok Estuary in north-western peninsular Malaysia, were identified to putative species. Analyses of community structure of these taxa revealed that both are concentrated within the surface layers of the sediment; communities associated with decomposing leaves are distinct from those associated with the sediment surface; and variation between physically similar sites within the forest is relatively small. It is suggested that the meiofaunal communities in tropical soft sediment mangrove estuaries respond primarily to salinity and exposure gradients as in temperate non-vegetated estuaries. Copepod communities of the Merbok mangrove system appear to be much more diverse than those in estuarine and saltmarsh habitats in other climatic regions, and detailed faunal analysis suggests that there is a high degree of species endemism, particularly in genera which are only found on decaying plant material.

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Maher, Damien T., Mitchell Call, Isaac R. Santos, and Christian J. Sanders. "Beyond burial: lateral exchange is a significant atmospheric carbon sink in mangrove forests." Biology Letters 14, no. 7 (July 2018): 20180200. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2018.0200.

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The blue carbon paradigm has evolved in recognition of the high carbon storage and sequestration potential of mangrove, saltmarsh and seagrass ecosystems. However, fluxes of the potent greenhouse gases CH 4 and N 2 O, and lateral export of carbon are often overlooked within the blue carbon framework. Here, we show that the export of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) and alkalinity is approximately 1.7 times higher than burial as a long-term carbon sink in a subtropical mangrove system. Fluxes of methane offset burial by approximately 6%, while the nitrous oxide sink was approximately 0.5% of burial. Export of dissolved organic carbon and particulate organic carbon to the coastal zone is also significant and combined may account for an atmospheric carbon sink similar to burial. Our results indicate that the export of DIC and alkalinity results in a long-term atmospheric carbon sink and should be incorporated into the blue carbon paradigm when assessing the role of these habitats in sequestering carbon and mitigating climate change.

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Scarton, Francesco, Emiliano Verza, Carlo Guzzon, Paolo Utmar, Giacomo Sgorlon, and Roberto Valle. "[Waders and seabirds (Charadriiformes) nesting along the north-eastern Adriatic coastline (Veneto and Friuli-Venezia Giulia) in 2008-2014: abundance, trends and major conservation issues]." Rivista Italiana di Ornitologia 88, no. 2 (June 18, 2019): 33–41. http://dx.doi.org/10.4081/rio.2018.418.

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[In 2008-2014 wader and seabird nesting pairs were censused along the 220-km long coastline of the NE Adriatic Sea, in the Veneto and Friuli-Venezia Giulia regions (NE Italy). Fourteen species were regularly breeding, with an annual mean of 20,610 pairs (±1553, 1 SD). The most abundant species was the Yellow-legged Gull (about 13,400 pairs on average, 65% of the whole population of the study area), followed by the Common Tern (1670 pairs, 8.1%) and Common Redshank (1525 pairs, 7.4%). The whole population of waders and seabirds increased with an annual rate, estimated with the TRIM software, of +0.8%, with a greater increase (+4.3%) if the Yellow-legged Gull was not included. Twelve species were stable or increasing; only the yellow-legged gull (-1%) and the common redshank (-2.4%) were decreasing. The populations of several species exceed 10% of those estimated for the whole of Italy; those of the Eurasian Oystercatcher, Common Redshank and Sandwich Tern are among the most important in the whole Mediterranean. On average, about 8860 pairs (43%) nest in the Venice lagoon, 6,400 pairs (31%) in the Po Delta, 5100 pairs (25%) in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia lagoons. Among nesting habitats, semi-natural (such as the fish farms) and man-made sites (dredge islands) make each year about 70% of the nesting pairs. Saltmarsh islets host large numbers of Common Redshank and Sandwich Tern, while along the beach zone the only abundant species are the Yellow-legged Gull and the Eurasian Oystercatcher. The major conservation threats observed in the study area were the erosion of littoral islands, the uncontrolled occurrence of sunbathers along the beaches, the vegetation overgrowth at dredge islands, the increasing frequency of saltmarsh submersion by high tides, the strong fluctuations of water levels inside the fish farms.] [Article in Italian]

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Ouyang, X., and S. Y. Lee. "Carbon accumulation rates in salt marsh sediments suggest high carbon storage capacity." Biogeosciences Discussions 10, no. 12 (December 6, 2013): 19155–88. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/bgd-10-19155-2013.

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Abstract. Studies on carbon stock in salt marsh sediments are increasing. However, uncertainties exist in estimating global carbon storage in these vulnerable coastal habitats, thus hindering the assessment of their importance. Combining direct data and indirect estimation, this study compiled studies involving 158 sites across the southern and Northern Hemispheres, and estimated the global average carbon accumulation rate (CAR) at 242.2 g C m−2 yr−1 in saltmarsh sediments. Based on region-specific CAR and estimates of salt marsh area in various geographic regions between 40° S to 78.3° N, total CAR in global salt marsh sediments is ~ 10.1 Tg C yr−1. The data indicate that while the capacity for carbon sequestration by salt marsh sediments ranked the first amongst coastal wetland and forested terrestrial ecosystems, their carbon budget was the smallest due to their limited and declining global areal extent. However, there may be uncertainties for our global estimate owing to limited and patchy data availability. CAR of salt marsh sediments changes with latitude, tidal range, halophyte genera and elevation, with considerable variation among different biogeographic regions.

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Deforce, Koen, Annelies Storme, Jan Bastiaens, Sofie Debruyne, Luc Denys, Anton Ervynck, Erwin Meylemans, Herman Stieperaere, Wim Van Neer, and Philippe Crombé. "Middle-Holocene alluvial forests and associated fluvial environments: A multi-proxy reconstruction from the lower Scheldt, N Belgium." Holocene 24, no. 11 (August 21, 2014): 1550–64. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0959683614544059.

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Analyses of pollen, plant macrofossils (seeds, fruits, wood and mosses), molluscs, diatoms and vertebrate (mainly fish) remains allowed a detailed reconstruction of a middle-Holocene alluvial forest and its associated hydrological conditions. The use of multiple proxies resulted in a taxonomically more detailed and environmentally more comprehensive understanding of terrestrial as well as aquatic habitats. The results demonstrate possible biases in palaeoecological reconstructions of alluvial and estuarine environments drawn from single proxies. Many locally occurring woody taxa were underrepresented or remained undetected by pollen analyses. Seeds and fruits also proved to be inadequate to detect several locally important taxa, such as Ulmus and Hedera helix. Apparently brackish conditions inferred from diatoms, pollen and other microfossils conflicted strikingly with the evidence from molluscs, fish bones and botanical macroremains which suggest a freshwater environment. Brackish sediment (and the microfossil indicators) is likely to have been deposited during spring tides or storm surges, when estuarine waters penetrated more inland than usual. Despite the reworking and deposition of estuarine and saltmarsh sediment well above the tidal node at such events, local salinity levels largely remained unaffected.

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Zhang, Jing, Yu Bai, Ziqiang Huang, Zhengwang Zhang, and Donglai Li. "Community composition and behavioral differences of migrating shorebirds between two habitats within a Suaeda salsa saltmarsh-mudflat wetland mosaics." Biodiversity Science 29, no. 3 (2021): 351–60. http://dx.doi.org/10.17520/biods.2020189.

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Adam, Paul. "Saltmarshes in a time of change." Environmental Conservation 29, no. 1 (March 2002): 39–61. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0376892902000048.

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Saltmarshes are a major, widely distributed, intertidal habitat. They are dynamic systems, responding to changing environmental conditions. For centuries, saltmarshes have been subject to modification or destruction because of human activity. In this review, the range of factors influencing the survival of saltmarshes is discussed. Of critical importance are changes in relative sea level and in tidal range. Relative sea level is affected by changes in absolute sea level, changes in land level and the capacity of saltmarshes to accumulate and retain sediment. Many saltmarshes are starved of sediment because of catchment modification and coastal engineering, or exposed to erosive forces, which may be of natural origin or reflect human interference. The geographical distribution of individual saltmarsh species reflects climate, so that global climatic change will be reflected by changes in distribution and abundance of species, although the rate of change in communities dominated by perennial plants is difficult to predict. Humans have the ability to create impacts on saltmarshes at a range of scales from individual sites to globally. Pressures on the environment created by the continued increase in the human population, particularly in developing tropical countries, and the likely consequences of the enhanced greenhouse effect on both temperature and sea level give rise to particular concerns. Given the concentration of population growth and development in the coastal zone, and the potential sensitivity of saltmarsh to change in sea level, it is timely to review the present state of saltmarshes and to assess the likelihood of changes in the near (25 years) future. By 2025, global sea level rise and warming will have impacts on saltmarshes. However, the most extensive changes are likely to be the direct result of human actions at local or regional scales. Despite increasing recognition of the ecological value of saltmarsh, major projects involving loss of saltmarshes but deemed to be in the public interest will be approved. Pressures are likely to be particularly severe in the tropics, where very little is known about saltmarshes. At the local scale the cumulative impacts of activities, which individually have minor effects, may be considerable. Managers of saltmarshes will be faced with difficult choices including questions as to whether traditional uses should be retained, whether invasive alien species or native species increasing in abundance should be controlled, whether planned retreat is an appropriate response to rising relative sea level or whether measures can be taken to reduce erosion. Decisions will need to take into account social and economic as well as ecological concerns.

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Feller, Robert J., Bruce C. Coull, and Brian T. Hentschel. "Meiobenthic Copepods: Tracers of Where Juvenile Leiostomus xanthurus (Pisces) Feed?" Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 47, no. 10 (October 1, 1990): 1913–19. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/f90-215.

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Simultaneous collections of meiobenthic copepods with cores at three sites along a saltmarsh tidal elevation gradient (subtidal, intertidal, marsh) and of juvenile Leiostumus xanthurus (spot) in an adjacent tidal creek were made every 2 h for 24 h in May 1986 and again in May 1988. Certain copepod species were restricted to specific habitats along the gradient. By comparing the species composition of copepod prey in the spots' foreguts as it changed through time with the distribution of copepod species along the gradient, some copepod species served as markers of where the fish had fed. Species that occupied the high intertidal occurred in fish guts primarily at high tide while subtidal prey species were eaten only at low tide. The most abundant copepod species collected with core samplers, Stenhelia (D.) bifidia, lives too deep in the sediment for the fish to catch and was not eaten in proportion to its abundance. When predators are highly motile and their prey have a restricted areal distribution, it is possible to infer where fish have fed by identifying prey to the species level in both fish stomach contents and the local environment.

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Zhang, Jing, Yan Zhang, Huw Lloyd, Zhengwang Zhang, and Donglai Li. "Rapid Reclamation and Degradation of Suaeda salsa Saltmarsh along Coastal China’s Northern Yellow Sea." Land 10, no. 8 (August 9, 2021): 835. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/land10080835.

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Suaeda salsa saltmarshes are an important coastal wetland habitat of China’s northern Yellow Sea, which plays a critical role in sequestering carbon (blue carbon), protecting shorelines, maintaining biodiversity, and has substantial economic value (e.g., ecotourism). However, the area of S. salsa has been rapidly declining due to several different threats from reclamation and invasive species that impact its natural succession. Here, we map the changes in the distribution of the S. salsa saltmarshes along the northern Yellow Sea of China (NYSC) at 5-year intervals by applying the supervised maximum likelihood method to analyze Landsat images from 1988 to 2018 and investigate the potential impact of three important factors on habitat change by analyzing the temporal changes in S. salsa saltmarshes with other land covers. S. salsa saltmarsh areas have decreased by 63% (264 km2 ha to 99 km2), and the average loss of S. salsa saltmarshes was 5.5 km2/year along the NYSC over the past three decades. There have been many dramatic declines in the two main distribution areas of S. salsa saltmarshes with a 77% loss of habitat area in Liaodong Bay (from 112 km2 to 26 km2) and a 52% loss in the Yellow River Delta wetland-Guangli-Zhima estuarine wetland (from 137 km2 to 65 km2). Land reclamation is the most important impact factor in the loss of S. salsa saltmarshes, while there have been limited effects of natural succession and smooth cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora) invasion. In light of the important ecological services and economic value of the S. salsa habitat, emergency conservation actions (e.g., habitat restoration, strictly supervision) are needed to limit the rapid habitat loss, which should include the immediate cessation of extensive land reclamation along the NYSC.

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Légaré, Brigitte, Simon Bélanger, Rakesh Kumar Singh, Pascal Bernatchez, and Mathieu Cusson. "Remote Sensing of Coastal Vegetation Phenology in a Cold Temperate Intertidal System: Implications for Classification of Coastal Habitats." Remote Sensing 14, no. 13 (June 23, 2022): 3000. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/rs14133000.

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Intertidal vegetation provides important ecological functions, such as food and shelter for wildlife and ecological services with increased coastline protection from erosion. In cold temperate and subarctic environments, the short growing season has a significant impact on the phenological response of the different vegetation types, which must be considered for their mapping using satellite remote sensing technologies. This study focuses on the effect of the phenology of vegetation in the intertidal ecosystems on remote sensing outputs. The studied sites were dominated by eelgrass (Zostera marina L.), saltmarsh cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora), creeping saltbush (Atriplex prostrata), macroalgae (Ascophyllum nodosum, and Fucus vesiculosus) attached to scattered boulders. In situ data were collected on ten occasions from May through October 2019 and included biophysical properties (e.g., leaf area index) and hyperspectral reflectance spectra (Rrs(λ)). The results indicate that even when substantial vegetation growth is observed, the variation in Rrs(λ) is not significant at the beginning of the growing season, limiting the spectral separability using multispectral imagery. The spectral separability between vegetation types was maximum at the beginning of the season (early June) when the vegetation had not reached its maximum growth. Seasonal time series of the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) values were derived from multispectral sensors (Sentinel-2 multispectral instrument (MSI) and PlanetScope) and were validated using in situ-derived NDVI. The results indicate that the phenology of intertidal vegetation can be monitored by satellite if the number of observations obtained at a low tide is sufficient, which helps to discriminate plant species and, therefore, the mapping of vegetation. The optimal period for vegetation mapping was September for the study area.

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Hyun, Jung-Ho, April C. Smith, and Joel E. Kostka. "Relative contributions of sulfate- and iron(III) reduction to organic matter mineralization and process controls in contrasting habitats of the Georgia saltmarsh." Applied Geochemistry 22, no. 12 (December 2007): 2637–51. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.apgeochem.2007.06.005.

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Mohr, Wiebke, Nadine Lehnen, Soeren Ahmerkamp, Hannah K. Marchant, Jon S. Graf, Bernhard Tschitschko, Pelin Yilmaz, et al. "Terrestrial-type nitrogen-fixing symbiosis between seagrass and a marine bacterium." Nature 600, no. 7887 (November 3, 2021): 105–9. http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41586-021-04063-4.

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AbstractSymbiotic N2-fixing microorganisms have a crucial role in the assimilation of nitrogen by eukaryotes in nitrogen-limited environments1–3. Particularly among land plants, N2-fixing symbionts occur in a variety of distantly related plant lineages and often involve an intimate association between host and symbiont2,4. Descriptions of such intimate symbioses are lacking for seagrasses, which evolved around 100 million years ago from terrestrial flowering plants that migrated back to the sea5. Here we describe an N2-fixing symbiont, ‘Candidatus Celerinatantimonas neptuna’, that lives inside seagrass root tissue, where it provides ammonia and amino acids to its host in exchange for sugars. As such, this symbiosis is reminiscent of terrestrial N2-fixing plant symbioses. The symbiosis between Ca. C. neptuna and its host Posidonia oceanica enables highly productive seagrass meadows to thrive in the nitrogen-limited Mediterranean Sea. Relatives of Ca. C. neptuna occur worldwide in coastal ecosystems, in which they may form similar symbioses with other seagrasses and saltmarsh plants. Just like N2-fixing microorganisms might have aided the colonization of nitrogen-poor soils by early land plants6, the ancestors of Ca. C. neptuna and its relatives probably enabled flowering plants to invade nitrogen-poor marine habitats, where they formed extremely efficient blue carbon ecosystems7.

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Fodrie, F. Joel, Antonio B. Rodriguez, Rachel K. Gittman, Jonathan H. Grabowski, Niels L. Lindquist, Charles H. Peterson, Michael F. Piehler, and Justin T. Ridge. "Oyster reefs as carbon sources and sinks." Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 284, no. 1859 (July 26, 2017): 20170891. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2017.0891.

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Carbon burial is increasingly valued as a service provided by threatened vegetated coastal habitats. Similarly, shellfish reefs contain significant pools of carbon and are globally endangered, yet considerable uncertainty remains regarding shellfish reefs' role as sources (+) or sinks (−) of atmospheric CO 2 . While CO 2 release is a by-product of carbonate shell production (then burial), shellfish also facilitate atmospheric-CO 2 drawdown via filtration and rapid biodeposition of carbon-fixing primary producers. We provide a framework to account for the dual burial of inorganic and organic carbon, and demonstrate that decade-old experimental reefs on intertidal sandflats were net sources of CO 2 (7.1 ± 1.2 MgC ha −1 yr −1 (µ ± s.e.)) resulting from predominantly carbonate deposition, whereas shallow subtidal reefs (−1.0 ± 0.4 MgC ha −1 yr −1 ) and saltmarsh-fringing reefs (−1.3 ± 0.4 MgC ha −1 yr −1 ) were dominated by organic-carbon-rich sediments and functioned as net carbon sinks (on par with vegetated coastal habitats). These landscape-level differences reflect gradients in shellfish growth, survivorship and shell bioerosion. Notably, down-core carbon concentrations in 100- to 4000-year-old reefs mirrored experimental-reef data, suggesting our results are relevant over centennial to millennial scales, although we note that these natural reefs appeared to function as slight carbon sources (0.5 ± 0.3 MgC ha −1 yr −1 ). Globally, the historical mining of the top metre of shellfish reefs may have reintroduced more than 400 000 000 Mg of organic carbon into estuaries. Importantly, reef formation and destruction do not have reciprocal, counterbalancing impacts on atmospheric CO 2 since excavated organic material may be remineralized while shell may experience continued preservation through reburial. Thus, protection of existing reefs could be considered as one component of climate mitigation programmes focused on the coastal zone.

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Pellegrini, Elisa, Dennis Konnerup, Anders Winkel, Valentino Casolo, and Ole Pedersen. "Contrasting oxygen dynamics in Limonium narbonense and Sarcocornia fruticosa during partial and complete submergence." Functional Plant Biology 44, no. 9 (2017): 867. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/fp16369.

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Terrestrial saltmarsh plants inhabiting flood-prone habitats undergo recurrent and prolonged flooding driven by tidal regimes. In this study, the role of internal plant aeration in contrasting hypoxic/anoxic conditions during submergence was investigated in the two halophytes Limonium narbonense Mill. and Sarcocornia fruticosa (L.) A.J. Scott. Monitoring of tissue O2 dynamics was performed in shoots and roots using microelectrodes under drained conditions, waterlogging, partial and complete submergence, in light or darkness. For both species, submergence in darkness resulted in significant declines in tissue O2 status and when in light, in rapid O2 increases first in shoot tissues and subsequently in roots. During partial submergence, S. fruticosa benefitted from snorkelling and efficiently transported O2 to roots, whereas the O2 concentration in roots of L. narbonense declined by more than 90%. Significantly thinner leaves and articles were recorded under high degree of flooding stress and both species showed considerably high tissue porosity. The presence of aerenchyma seemed to support internal aeration in S. fruticosa whereas O2 diffusion in L. narbonense seemed impeded, despite the higher porosity (up to 50%). Thus, the results obtained for L. narbonense, being well adapted to flooding, suggests that processes other than internal aeration could be involved in better flooding tolerance e.g. fermentative processes, and that traits resulting in flooding tolerance in plants are not yet fully understood.

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Journal articles on the topic 'Saltmarsh habitats'

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