Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Light Reductions Drive Macroinvertebrate Changes In Amphibolis Griffithii Seagrass Habitat., Adam Gartner, Paul S. Lavery, Kathryn Mcmahon, Anne Brearley, Helen Barwick

Kathryn McMahon

Numerous anthropogenic activities can significantly reduce the amount of light reaching seagrass habitats. Typically these result in morphological and physiological changes to the plant and associated algal epiphytes. However, the flow-on effects to seagrass-dependent fauna induced by these disturbances has yet to be examined. This study investigated the effects of different light reduction intensity (high: ~92% reduction; moderate: ~84% reduction), duration (3, 6 and 9 mo) and timing (post-winter and post-summer) on the density and biomass of macroinvertebrate epifauna within an Amphibolis griffithii seagrass ecosystem (Western Australia). There were generally lower epifauna densities and biomass within shaded seagrass plots. When …