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CONTRIBUTIONS OF ESTUARINE HABITAT TYPES TO THE ECOLOGICAL INTEGRITY OF A SMALL COVE
Citation:
Cicchetti, G. CONTRIBUTIONS OF ESTUARINE HABITAT TYPES TO THE ECOLOGICAL INTEGRITY OF A SMALL COVE. Presented at NHEERL Post-Doctoral Poster Session, Research Triangle Park, NC, November 3, 1999.
Description:
The U.S. EPA, NHEERL, Atlantic Ecology Division, is investigating ecosystem-level approaches to evaluate ecological integrity at multiple scales. The ultimate goal of our project is to develop an ecosystem-level tool to examine impacts of nitrogen pollution on biological integrity. In FY 1999, we are examining interactions between habitats at the scale of a small (100,000 m2) cove. We seek to better understand the contributions of marsh surface, marsh edge, intertidal flat, shallow subtidal, macroalgal habitat, and deeper subtidal zones to the overall ecological function of estuarine areas. Weare particularly interested in the ways estuarine systems process nutrients and energy from primary producers through top-level consumers. Coggeshall Cove, an undeveloped and uninhabited cove in Narragansett Bay, has been selected for a pilot study in 1999; work in 2000 will examine anthropogenically disturbed (eutrophic) sites as well. In 1999, we sampled Coggeshall Cove at every 15 cm of substrate elevation along transects from the high marsh to the deepest spots within the cove; these transects included all major habitats. We sampled quantitatively with 1.75 m2 drop rings for small nekton, an underwater video camera for larger nekton, 44 cm2 cores for macroinfauna, 5.7 cm2 cores for meiofauna, plus quantitative clips for primary producers. Ancillary data were collected with a hydrolab unit deployed on a mooring, with standard sediment analyses, and with other relevant techniques. Through this 1999 sampling we are determining where the divisions of habitat structure and function exist within a small cove, and we will construct a bioenergetic model for overall cove function based on the contributions of each identified functional habitat. Cluster and regression methods will be used to delineate structural and functional habitats. Bioenergetic modeling will use the mathematical simulation package Madonna
(YouSeeSoftware) to integrate quantitative data and gut content analyses and to examine the contribution of each identified habitat to the overall ecological function and integrity of the cove. We will use this information to identify the most critical components for sampling and modeling in later years. In 2000, we will use a refined procedure to examine effects of nitrogen pollution on an anthropogenic gradient of cove ecosystems. We hypothesize that our ecosystem-based approach can provide a valuable tool for evaluating ecological integrity in estuarine waters.