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.

由于新招募的蛤蜊面临巨大的捕食压力，因此冲浪蛤必须大量定居并招募才能生产一年级的成年蛤。在沙质沉积物中，密集但短暂的贝壳散斑提供了底部粗糙度，可能会影响幼虫和食物到床的流量，并为新兵提供躲避捕食者的庇护所。该 RAPID 项目的目标是确定改变底部粗糙度的短暂贝壳斑块的存在和持久性如何影响北蛤的补充、生长和生存。这项快速反应研究利用了去年在中大西洋湾长期生态系统观测站 (LEO-15) 发生的罕见、高密度的北蛤定居和补充事件。研究人员将于 2009 年春季对 LEO-15 的 Beach Haven Ridge 区域进行调查，使用配备侧扫声纳的自主水下航行器 (REMUS) 来识别贝壳堆积区域，绘制其位置和范围，并测量该区域上方和外部的湍流。潜水员每周进行的岩心取样和贝壳尺寸测量将用于确定和比较贝壳内部和外部的贝壳存活和生长情况。 2009 年秋季将重复进行调查和取样，以检查贝壳区域的持久性，并确定这些贝壳斑块如何影响 2008 年和 2009 年夏季新招募的贝壳斑块的丰度和生长。这项研究将增进对贝壳聚集的短暂性及其对北蛤沉降、死亡率和早期生长的影响的了解。这些结果将有助于了解影响北蛤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信息，并将有助于监测和管理具有生态和商业重要性的陆架物种。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。结果将在同行评审的科学期刊和全国科学会议上公布。