Vertical Zonation of Suspension Feeders: Effects of Benthic and Oceanographic Processes

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In the rocky subtidal of boreal and subarctic oceans, the shallow, algal-dominated zone is replaced by a deep-water dominated by suspension feeding invertebrates. Despite the pervasiveness of the suspension feeding zone, the mechanisms restricting sessile suspension feeders to the deep-water habitats are not understood. This research will address specific benthic and oceanographic processes limiting the vertical zonation of suspension feeders in the Gulf of Maine. In addition to providing information on the influence of plant-animal interactions and hydrodynamic conditions on community structure, the research should be one of the first large-scale studies to make the necessary connection between events in the water column and the vertical zonation of benthic-pelagic coupling and productivity in rocky subtidal environments.