Internal Waves in the Rocky Subtidal Zone: Effects of Pulsed Food and Larval Supply on Suspension Feeding Communities

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One of the central goals of biological oceanography is to determine the nature and consequences of physical forcing in marine ecosystems. While major advances have been made in pelagic and soft-bottom benthic ecosystems, little is known about the coupling of physical and biological processes in rocky subtidal ecosystems. Previous NSF sponsored research has shown that the rapid, vertical displacement of warm phytoplankton-rich water by internal waves is one of the most striking aspects of rocky subtidal ecosystems in the central Gulf of Maine. This research will conduct an integrated set of measurements and field experiments proposed to test the general working hypothesis that patterns of vertical distribution and secondary productivity of suspension feeders on rocky ledges and pinnacles in the central Gulf of Maine are determined by the mechanics of internal waves and their effects on food and larval supply.//