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BENTHIC SUSPENSION FEEDERS IN PENSACOLA BAY, FL: PRELIMINARY STUDIES CONCERNING IMPACTS ON PHYTOPLANKTON THROUGH GRAZING (ABSTRACT)
Citation:
DiDonato, G. T. BENTHIC SUSPENSION FEEDERS IN PENSACOLA BAY, FL: PRELIMINARY STUDIES CONCERNING IMPACTS ON PHYTOPLANKTON THROUGH GRAZING (ABSTRACT). Presented at Presented at the 15th Biennial International Estuarine Research Federation Conference, 25-30 September 1999, New Orleans, LA, New Orleans, LA, Sept. 25-30, 1999.
Description:
Cultural eutrophication in coastal habitats has become a crucial problem for resource managers and policymakers and a critical area of research in ecological science. Models of eutrophication have been developed for some coastal habitats (e.g., Chesapeake Bay), but research on many other shallow marine embayments is scarce and not synthesized. Recently, estuaries of the northern Gulf of Mexico have become the focus of eutrophication research. The impact on phytoplankton by suspension feeding benthic macroinvertebrates is one topic under study. Evidence emerging worldwide suggests that suspension feeders, particularly bivalves, can remove a substantial amount of phytoplankton production in estuaries. The strength of this connection between benthic and pelagic habitats was examined in Pensacola Bay, FL, a large, shallow estuary typical of the northern Gulf. Preliminary efforts to characterize the benthic fauna of Pensacola Bay utilized benthic samples collected in 1992 and 1996 as part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program. Survey data showed the benthos to be dominated by both bivalves and worms. Intact benthic cores were collected from local sites to examine the significance of benthic grazing, and phytoplankton removal was estimated under laboratory conditions to evaluate the nature of this benthic-pelagic link.