Comparative survival of bay scallops in eelgrass and the introduced alga, Codium fragile, in a New York estuary |
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Authors: | John M Carroll Bradley J Peterson Dennis Bonal Andrew Weinstock Christopher F Smith Stephen T Tettelbach |
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Institution: | (1) School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA;(2) Department of Biology, Long Island University, CW Post Campus, Brookville, NY 11548, USA;(3) Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County Marine Program, Riverhead, NY 11901, USA |
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Abstract: | Eelgrass, Zostera marina, is generally regarded as the preferred habitat of bay scallops, but in some cases scallop populations have persisted or
increased in areas lacking eelgrass. This suggests that some other substrate(s) may serve important ecological functions for
bay scallops. One candidate is Codium fragile, a macroalgal species with which bay scallops are known to associate and in which we commonly find juvenile and adult bay
scallops in eastern Long Island, New York. In this study, we examined whether survival of planted bay scallops differed in
Codium, eelgrass, and Codium + eelgrass substrates at two sites during August and October of 2 years. Survival of tethered scallops and recoveries of
live free-planted individuals varied with scallop size, planting season and year, but no differences were observed between
the three substrates for a given scallop size and planting date. Crab (particularly Dyspanopeus
sayi) and whelk predation were implicated as important causes of tethered scallop mortalities while emigration and removal by
predators likely contributed to scallop losses. Densities of naturally recruited 0+ years scallops recovered by visual and
suction dredge sampling were similar in the eelgrass and Codium substrates. While our results suggest that Codium may offer some degree of predation refuge for bay scallops, further work needs to weigh the potential disadvantages of this
substrate (such as low DO levels, potential attachment and transport of scallops, and differences in current flow, food availability
and sedimentation relative to eelgrass) to determine if Codium may serve as a valuable habitat for bay scallops throughout their lifespan. |
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