Life Sciences Commons^™

Mutualism Between Ribbed Mussels And Cordgrass Enhances Salt Marsh Nitrogen Removal, Donna M. Bilkovic, Molly Mitchell, Robert E. Isdell, Matthew Schliep, Ashley R. Smyth

VIMS Articles

Salt marsh ecosystems have declined globally and are increasingly threatened by erosion, sea level rise, and urban development. These highly productive, physically demanding ecosystems are populated by core species groups that often have strong trophic interactions with implications for ecosystem function and service provision. Positive interactions occur between ribbed mussels (Geukensia demissa) and cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora). Mussels transfer particulate nitrogen from the water column to the marsh sediments, which stimulates cordgrass growth, and cordgrass provides predator and/or heat stress refuge for mussels. Here, we test mussel facilitation of two functions in salt marshes that relate to N removal: microbial denitrification …