Marine biodiversity in rocky subtidal habitats:Spatio-temporal dynamics, controlling factors and conservation

沿海海洋生物栖息地和生物正以前所未有的速度受到人类活动的破坏，大多数影响没有引起注意，因为没有投入足够的资源来描述我们海洋中的生命。在这个项目中，我们建议开发一个工具和监测计划，以帮助管理芬迪湾的区域，这些区域最近被支持组织渔业和海洋部(DFO)确定为具有生态和生物重要性的区域。该项目将测试利用聚落网箱(收集器)作为监测岩石潮下生境底栖海洋无脊椎动物和小型底栖鱼类生物多样性的工具。收集者提供了一种方法，以标准化的方式比较不同地点和地区的生物多样性，对环境的影响很小。物种的鉴定将基于形态特征和DNA条形码。采集器将使用空间嵌套研究设计，在新不伦瑞克西南部的5个地区检查生物多样性的空间和时间格局，以及这些格局与物理因素(温度、盐度、海底类型)的关系。采集器中发现的物种群将与现场海底样本中的物种进行比较，以校准这一监测工具。野外实验将量化捕食对幼虫定居和定居后早期死亡率的影响。除了为一般生物多样性的监测和管理提供有用的科学信息外，该项目还将研究具有特殊生态和/或经济意义的物种的定居模式，例如美洲龙虾。这项拟议的研究预计将提供科学数据，这些数据应立即有助于DFO对芬迪湾生态和生物重要区域的管理，并有望导致开发一种标准化的工具和协议，DFO今后将能够用来继续监测这些和其他重要海洋区的生物多样性。

Coastal marine habitats and organisms are being compromised at an unprecedented rate by human activities and most effects are going unnoticed because insufficient resources are invested in describing what lives in our oceans. In this project, we propose to develop a tool and monitoring program to assist the management of regions in the Bay of Fundy that have recently been identified as Ecologically and Biologically Significant Areas by the supporting organization, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO). This project will test the use of settlement cages (collectors) as a tool for monitoring biodiversity of benthic marine invertebrates and small benthic fishes in rocky subtidal habitats. The collectors offer a method for comparing biodiversity among sites and regions in a standardized way with low impact to the environment. Identification of species will be based on morphological characteristics and DNA barcoding. Collectors will be used to examine spatial and temporal patterns of biodiversity using a spatially nested study design in 5 areas in southwestern New Brunswick, and the relationship of these patterns to physical factors (temperature, salinity, bottom type). The group of species found in the collectors will be compared to those in bottom samples from the sites to calibrate this monitoring tool. A field experiment will quantify the impact of predation on larval settlement and early post-settlement mortality. In addition to generating useful scientific information for the monitoring and management of biodiversity in general, this project will examine settlement patterns of species with particular ecological and/or economical significance, such as the American lobster. The proposed research is expected to provide scientific data that should immediately contribute to DFO's management of Ecologically and Biologically Significant Areas in the Bay of Fundy and is expected to result in the development of a standardized tool and protocol DFO will be able to use to continue monitoring biodiversity in these and other significant marine areas in the future.