Trait mediated interactions in sedimentary shorelines

虽然海洋沉积物底部包含了绝大多数的海洋领域，我们的理解的过程，形成其生物多样性仍然是零碎的。大多数理论预测，在非结构化的海洋沉积物中，捕食在调节群落结构中起着至关重要的作用。事实上，许多开创性的研究表明，在当地规模，捕食者有能力调节猎物种群和社区的动态。然而，捕食的作用不仅仅是捕食者消耗猎物的结果。非消费效应，即捕食者改变中等消费者的特征，也可能影响猎物种群和群落，而不改变消费者的密度。来自岩石海岸和其他著名栖息地的越来越多的证据表明，这些间接效应，一般称为“性状介导的间接相互作用”，可能至少与消耗效应一样重要。不幸的是，在栖息地，如沉积底部，性状介导的相互作用没有得到同样的关注比消费的影响。中等消费者特征的改变，例如其行为模式或摄食率，可能会对较低的营养级产生影响，因此应仔细研究。我建议评估性状介导的间接相互作用，在沉积底部利用一系列的物种和栖息地存在于大西洋地区。该计划的目的是测试一系列的假设，涉及到三个平行的研究方案：在海洋沉积物中的性状与密度介导的相互作用的评估，性状介导的相互作用中的多个捕食者共存的作用，和性状介导的相互作用在掠夺性入侵者的研究。在与海洋沉积物相嵌的分散的生物生境（牡蛎、贻贝和鳗草床）相关的沉积物中已经进行了大量的探索工作，为本提案中提出的研究问题提供了基础。考虑到其范围，该计划的结果预计将有助于沿海沉积物和其他海洋栖息地物种相互作用背后的理论。

Although marine sedimentary bottoms encompass a vast majority of the marine realm, our understanding of the processes that shape their biodiversity remains fragmentary. Most theory predicts that in unstructured marine sediments predation plays a paramount role regulating community structure. Indeed, numerous seminal studies have demonstrated that at the local scale, predators have the ability to regulate the dynamics of prey populations and communities. The role of predation, however, is not only the result of predator consumption of prey. Non-consumptive effects, where a predator modifies a trait of a mid-level consumer may also affect prey populations and communities without modifying the consumer’s density. Mounting evidence from rocky shores and other well-known habitats suggests that these indirect effects, generically known as “trait mediated indirect interactions” may be at least as important as consumptive effects. Unfortunately, in habitats such as sedimentary bottoms, trait mediated interactions have not been given the same attention than consumptive effects. The alteration of a mid-level consumer’s trait, for instance its behavioral patterns or feeding rates, may have consequences that cascade down to lower trophic levels and, therefore, should be carefully examined. I propose to assess trait mediated indirect interaction in sedimentary bottoms by taking advantage of a series of species and habitats present in the Atlantic region. This program aims to test a series of hypotheses that relate to three parallel research scenarios: the assessment of trait versus density mediated interactions in marine sediments, the role of trait mediated interactions in the co-existence of multiple predators, and the study of trait mediated interactions in predatory invaders. Considerable exploratory work already conducted in sediments associated to scattered biogenic habitats (oyster, mussel and eelgrass beds) embedded with marine sediments provides the basis for the research questions raised in this proposal. Considering their scope, the results of this program are expected to contribute to the theory behind species interactions in coastal sediments and other marine habitats.