TY - JOUR

T1 - Comparative efficiency of Mytilus edulis as engineering species for shallow-water fouling communities on artificial structures in the White Sea

AU - Халаман, В.В.

AU - Комендантов, Александр Юрьевич

AU - Голубовская, Нина Сергеевна

AU - Манойлина, Полина Андреевна

N1 - Publisher Copyright: Copyright © The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom.

PY - 2021/5

Y1 - 2021/5

N2 - Currently, there is little comparative data on 'efficiency' of different engineering species, i.e. species richness, density and biomass of the associated organisms that have been supported by engineering species. The use of fouling communities makes it possible to compare the efficiency of different engineering species under the same conditions, which is necessary to obtain correct estimates and difficult to do when studying natural bottom communities. In this study, we have analysed the fouling communities in four different mussel culture farms in the White Sea to test the following hypotheses. (1) Different engineering species (mussel Mytilus edulis, solitary ascidian Styela rustica, sponge Halichondria panicea) have different assemblages of the associated vagile fauna. (2) Mytilus edulis is the most efficient engineering species, i.e. species richness, species diversity, density and biomass of the associated vagile fauna is higher in the mussel communities than in those dominated by Styela rustica or Halichondria panicea. The first hypothesis was confirmed, while the second was rejected. In all the culture farms studied, all parameters of the mussel-associated vagile fauna were not higher and in most cases were even lower than those of the fauna associated with ascidians or sponges. The reason for this seems to be the very dense packing of mussels in patches. Therefore, Mytilus edulis is not the most efficient engineering species among fouling organisms, at least in the conditions of the subarctic White Sea. The data obtained are particularly important in view of the ever-increasing volume of anthropogenic substrate and fouling communities in coastal marine ecosystems.

AB - Currently, there is little comparative data on 'efficiency' of different engineering species, i.e. species richness, density and biomass of the associated organisms that have been supported by engineering species. The use of fouling communities makes it possible to compare the efficiency of different engineering species under the same conditions, which is necessary to obtain correct estimates and difficult to do when studying natural bottom communities. In this study, we have analysed the fouling communities in four different mussel culture farms in the White Sea to test the following hypotheses. (1) Different engineering species (mussel Mytilus edulis, solitary ascidian Styela rustica, sponge Halichondria panicea) have different assemblages of the associated vagile fauna. (2) Mytilus edulis is the most efficient engineering species, i.e. species richness, species diversity, density and biomass of the associated vagile fauna is higher in the mussel communities than in those dominated by Styela rustica or Halichondria panicea. The first hypothesis was confirmed, while the second was rejected. In all the culture farms studied, all parameters of the mussel-associated vagile fauna were not higher and in most cases were even lower than those of the fauna associated with ascidians or sponges. The reason for this seems to be the very dense packing of mussels in patches. Therefore, Mytilus edulis is not the most efficient engineering species among fouling organisms, at least in the conditions of the subarctic White Sea. The data obtained are particularly important in view of the ever-increasing volume of anthropogenic substrate and fouling communities in coastal marine ecosystems.

KW - Key words Associated fauna

KW - Mytilus edulis

KW - Styela rustica

KW - White Sea

KW - ecosystem engineer

KW - fouling community

KW - TEMPORAL VARIABILITY

KW - LONG-TERM DYNAMICS

KW - HALICHONDRIA-PANICEA

KW - SMALL INTERTIDAL ANIMALS

KW - INVASIVE MUSSEL

KW - KANDALAKSHA BAY

KW - FAUNA CRUSTACEA

KW - ECOSYSTEM ENGINEERS

KW - BENTHIC MACROFAUNA

KW - Associated fauna

KW - MUSSEL BEDS

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85108830993&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - https://www.mendeley.com/catalogue/f35f9b2b-25ea-384e-8b0c-d22a3fa5c187/

U2 - 10.1017/s0025315421000424

DO - 10.1017/s0025315421000424

M3 - Article

VL - 101

SP - 511

EP - 525

JO - Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom

JF - Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom

SN - 0025-3154

IS - 3

ER -