RAPID: Role of Ephemeral Bottom Roughness Patches in Unpredictable Recruitment of Surfclams on the Continental Shelf

RAPID：短暂的底部粗糙度斑块在大陆架上不可预测的海蛤补充中的作用

• 批准号: 0937229
• 负责人: Charlotte Fuller
• 金额: $ 10万
• 依托单位: Rutgers University New Brunswick
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2009
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2009-05-01 至 2011-04-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0937229&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: RAPID; Role; Ephemeral; Bottom; Roughness

Surfclams must settle and recruit in large numbers to produce a year-class of adult clams because of heavy predation pressure on new recruits. In sandy sediments, dense but ephemeral shell-hash patches provide bottom roughness that may affect the fluxes of larvae and food to the bed and provide recruits with shelter from predators. The objective of this RAPID project is to determine how the presence and persistence of ephemeral shell patches that alter the bottom roughness affect the recruitment, growth, and survival of surfclams. This rapid-response study capitalizes on a rare, high-density settlement and recruitment event of surfclams which occurred last year at the Long-term Ecosystem Observatory (LEO-15) in the Mid-Atlantic Bight. The investigators will survey the Beach Haven Ridge area of LEO-15 in the spring of 2009, using an autonomous underwater vehicle (REMUS) equipped with Side Scan Sonar to identify areas of shell accumulation, to chart their location and extent, and to measure turbulence above and outside the areas. Weekly core-sampling by divers and surfclam size measurements will be used to determine and compare surfclam survival and growth inside and outside of shell patches. Surveys and sampling will be repeated in the fall of 2009 to examine the persistence of the shell areas and to determine how these shell patches affect abundance and growth of 2008 and 2009 summer recruits.This research will enhance knowledge of the ephemeral nature of shell aggregations, and their effects on surfclam settlement, mortality, and early growth. These results will contribute to understanding the morphodynamic and physical processes influencing surfclam population dynamics.Results of this work will inform habitat-based management strategies and will aid in monitoring and management of an ecologically and commercially important shelf species. Undergraduate students will be involved in this work through the NSF-funded REU (Research Internships in Ocean Sciences) program. Results will be presented in a peer-reviewed scientific journal and at a national scientific conference.

由于对新兵的捕食压力很大，因此必须大量定居和招募大量的成年蛤lam。在沙质沉积物中，密集但短暂的壳刺斑提供的底部粗糙度可能会影响床上的幼虫和食物的通量，并为新兵提供庇护所的庇护所。这个快速项目的目的是确定改变底部粗糙度的短暂壳斑块的存在和持久性如何影响浮雕的募集，生长和存活。这项快速响应的研究利用了罕见的，高密度的定居点和招募事件，该事件是去年在大西洋中部的长期生态系统天文台（LEO-15）发生的。调查人员将在2009年春季调查Leo-15的Beach Haven Ridge区域，使用配备侧面扫描声纳的自动水下汽车（REMUS）来识别壳体的积累区域，以绘制其位置和范围，并测量湍流在区域之上和外部。潜水员和表面尺寸测量值每周进行的每周核心采样将用于确定和比较壳斑块内外的表面插图的存活和生长。调查和抽样将在2009年秋天重复，以检查壳体区域的持久性，并确定这些壳斑块如何影响2008年和2009年夏季新兵的丰度和生长。这项研究将增强对壳体聚集的短暂性的了解，以及它们对浮雕定居点，死亡率和早期增长的影响。这些结果将有助于理解影响浮雕种群动态的形态动力学和物理过程。这项工作的结果将为基于栖息地的管理策略提供依据，并将有助于监视和管理生态和商业上重要的货架物种。本科生将通过NSF资助的REU（海洋科学研究实习）计划参与这项工作。结果将在经过同行评审的科学杂志和国家科学会议上介绍。