Rocky shores as tractable test systems for experimental ecology

Experimental ecology of rocky intertidal habitats: what are we learning?

Experimental analyses of causes of patterns of distribution and abundance of intertidal animals and plants on rocky shores have been a major activity for many years. In this review, some of the themes and topics that have emerged from such analyses are briefly discussed to provide an up-date for practitioners and ecologists working in other habitats. Conceptual issues include the widespread occ...

Quantification of radular marks as a method for estimating grazing of intertidal gastropods on rocky shores.

Wax discs have been used previously on intertidal rocky shores to record the grazing activity of gastropods. This study has evaluated this methodology for recording grazing of four common intertidal microalgal grazers on intertidal shores in New South Wales, Australia. In the laboratory, the four species examined-the patellid limpet, Cellana tramoserica (Sowerby), the trochid, Austrocochlea por...

Effects of eutrophication, grazing, and algal blooms on rocky shores

Eutrophication can profoundly change rocky shore communities. These changes often cause the replacement of perennial, canopy-forming algae such as Fucus spp. with annual, bloom-forming algae such as Enteromorpha spp. Grazing, however, can counteract eutrophication by eliminating the annual algae’s susceptible recruits. We examine these generalizations across large scales. We use replicated ‘‘bi...

Whole-Community Facilitation Regulates Biodiversity on Patagonian Rocky Shores

BACKGROUND Understanding the factors that generate and maintain biodiversity is a central goal in ecology. While positive species interactions (i.e., facilitation) have historically been underemphasized in ecological research, they are increasingly recognized as playing important roles in the evolution and maintenance of biodiversity. Dominant habitat-forming species (foundation species) buffer...

Predation by Crabs on Rocky Shores in North-east Atlantic