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Evaluation Of Monthly And Seasonal Grazing Rates Of Ilyanassa Obsoleta On Benthic Microalgae In The North Inlet Estuary, Brittany Dearmitt
Evaluation Of Monthly And Seasonal Grazing Rates Of Ilyanassa Obsoleta On Benthic Microalgae In The North Inlet Estuary, Brittany Dearmitt
Theses and Dissertations
The eastern mud snail, Ilyanassa obsoleta, is found at densities of 100’s of individuals m-2 on soft sediments in the intertidal zones of estuaries. These obligate deposit feeders consume microalgae, detritus, larvae, meiofauna, and macrofauna in the surface layers of sediments with possible trophic impacts on benthic microalgal (BMA) biomass. The goals of this study were to quantify mud snail grazing on BMA biomass, observe the variation in monthly and seasonal grazing rates, and evaluate the relationship between atmospheric temperatures and grazing rates. The sites for this experiment were two mudflats in Oyster Landing, North Inlet estuary, South …
Spatiotemporal Dynamics Of Benthic Microalgae In South Carolina Shelf Sediments, Sarah N. Zaunbrecher
Spatiotemporal Dynamics Of Benthic Microalgae In South Carolina Shelf Sediments, Sarah N. Zaunbrecher
Theses and Dissertations
Benthic microalgae (BMA) play essential roles in food webs and regulating nutrient exchange at the sediment-water interface in continental shelf ecosystems. However, shelf BMA are not widely studied due to the difficulties sampling the upper few millimeters of shelf sediments. A few published studies have highlighted the high spatiotemporal distribution of BMA, but detailed explanations for this known variability are limited. The objectives of this study were to quantify BMA biomass variability on scales of cm to km and relate these measurements to in situ nutrient concentrations, sediment grain size, in situ irradiance, depth, and other environmental factors. Water and …