Natalie Walton
Pronouns: She/her
Research Mentor(s): Samantha Iliff
Co-Presenter:
Research Mentor School/College/Department: EEB / LSA
Presentation Date: April 20
Presentation Type: Poster
Session: Session 6 – 4:40pm – 5:30 pm
Room: League Ballroom
Authors: Natalie Walton, Samantha Iliff, Shreyaan Seth, Jacob Allgeier
Presenter: 32
Abstract
Invertebrates are an essential food resource for many fish species in coastal marine ecosystems. Increasing invertebrate populations in seagrass beds is an approach that has been used to help restore local fisheries. While seagrass is a vital resource for many invertebrates because it provides both food and shelter, detritus is often overlooked as a food source and may be equally as important for sustaining large invertebrate populations. Artificial reefs (ARs) constructed in seagrass beds have been shown to attract populations of fish that excrete vital nutrients for an increased seagrass growth. The purpose of this investigation is to determine how artificial reefs may affect both seagrass and detrital biomass to therefore define their effects on invertebrate populations. This study analyzes the amount of detrital and seagrass biomass, along with the number of invertebrates collected at both 1m and 20m distances from five ARs in Abaco, The Bahamas. Average seagrass biomass was calculated using seagrass blade height, blade width, and shoot density data. Furthermore, detrital biomass was determined by ash-free dry weight. It was found that at 1m the percentage of detrital biomass and seagrass biomass was higher than at 20m. When compared to the number of invertebrates at each distance, this study provides evidence that artificial reefs help promote seagrass and detritus which in turn may support invertebrates. Overall, this study provides evidence that ARs may increase invertebrate populations, support larger food chains, and have the potential to help restore local fisheries. For future studies, we foresee a possibility in investigating the potential for ARs in fisheries restoration and hope to continue to research the role of detrital biomass in sustaining invertebrate populations.
Environmental Studies, Interdisciplinary, Natural/Life Sciences
