SS38 From Molecules to Ecosystems: A Hierarchy of Mussel Biology and Ecology (Spatial and Temporal Connections)
Date: Tuesday, February 13, 2001, Time: 10:15:00 AM
Location: Cimarron
Carrington, E, , University of Rhode Island, Kingston, USA, carrington@uri.edu
SEASONAL VARIATION IN MUSSEL ATTACHMENT: HYDRODYNAMICS OR ENERGETICS?
The rate at which mussel beds are disturbed strongly influences rocky shore community structure. Predictions of wave-induced disturbance to mussel beds have advanced considerably in recent years with the incorporation of seasonal, annual, and log-term changes in wave climate. One critical parameter for such predictions is the strength of a mussel relative to the force it encounters. This study indicates that the simplifying assumption of constant strength is not valid for Mytilus edulis. Attachment strength was measured monthly for three years in Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island. A distinct seasonal cycle was observed, with a two-fold increase in attachment strength in winter compared to summer. The variation in attachment strength mirrored the seasonal cycle of significant wave height, suggesting that mussels may modify their attachment strength in response to their flow environment. However, reproductive effort of the same population also varied seasonally, with peaks in gonad development coinciding with troughs in attachment strength. Thus, seasonal variation in mussel attachment may reflect an energetic trade-off between byssal thread production and gonad development rather than simply being a response to prevailing wave conditions.
SS38 From Molecules to Ecosystems: A Hierarchy of Mussel Biology and Ecology (Spatial and Temporal Connections)
Date: Tuesday, February 13, 2001, Time: 10:15:00 AM
Location: Cimarron
Carrington, E, , University of Rhode Island, Kingston, USA, carrington@uri.edu
SEASONAL VARIATION IN MUSSEL ATTACHMENT: HYDRODYNAMICS OR ENERGETICS?
The rate at which mussel beds are disturbed strongly influences rocky shore community structure. Predictions of wave-induced disturbance to mussel beds have advanced considerably in recent years with the incorporation of seasonal, annual, and log-term changes in wave climate. One critical parameter for such predictions is the strength of a mussel relative to the force it encounters. This study indicates that the simplifying assumption of constant strength is not valid for Mytilus edulis. Attachment strength was measured monthly for three years in Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island. A distinct seasonal cycle was observed, with a two-fold increase in attachment strength in winter compared to summer. The variation in attachment strength mirrored the seasonal cycle of significant wave height, suggesting that mussels may modify their attachment strength in response to their flow environment. However, reproductive effort of the same population also varied seasonally, with peaks in gonad development coinciding with troughs in attachment strength. Thus, seasonal variation in mussel attachment may reflect an energetic trade-off between byssal thread production and gonad development rather than simply being a response to prevailing wave conditions.
SS38 From Molecules to Ecosystems: A Hierarchy of Mussel Biology and Ecology (Spatial and Temporal Connections)
Date: Tuesday, February 13, 2001, Time: 10:15:00 AM
Location: Cimarron
Carrington, E, , University of Rhode Island, Kingston, USA, carrington@uri.edu
SEASONAL VARIATION IN MUSSEL ATTACHMENT: HYDRODYNAMICS OR ENERGETICS?
The rate at which mussel beds are disturbed strongly influences rocky shore community structure. Predictions of wave-induced disturbance to mussel beds have advanced considerably in recent years with the incorporation of seasonal, annual, and log-term changes in wave climate. One critical parameter for such predictions is the strength of a mussel relative to the force it encounters. This study indicates that the simplifying assumption of constant strength is not valid for Mytilus edulis. Attachment strength was measured monthly for three years in Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island. A distinct seasonal cycle was observed, with a two-fold increase in attachment strength in winter compared to summer. The variation in attachment strength mirrored the seasonal cycle of significant wave height, suggesting that mussels may modify their attachment strength in response to their flow environment. However, reproductive effort of the same population also varied seasonally, with peaks in gonad development coinciding with troughs in attachment strength. Thus, seasonal variation in mussel attachment may reflect an energetic trade-off between byssal thread production and gonad development rather than simply being a response to prevailing wave conditions.
