Shreyaan Seth
Pronouns: he/him/his
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: Shreyaan Seth, Samantha Iliff, Natalie Walton, Jacob Allgeier
Presenter: 33
Abstract
Understanding the underlying factors that determine community composition is a key facet of ecology and the management of natural systems. While competition is a well known and studied determinant of community composition, the same in biogenic habitats such as seagrass beds may be more heavily impacted by structural complexity. This study shows how both can play important roles in shaping invertebrate communities within seagrass bed ecosystems. Via the presence of artificial reefs, we are able to analyze invertebrate community composition across a gradient of structural complexity. We analyzed samples taken from 5 such reefs in seagrass beds off the coast of Abaco, The Bahamas. The sample collection method consisted of dredging at distances ranging from 1m to 20m away from each reef to collect a representative sample of the biota. We then followed a sorting method described in Edgar (1990) involving the sieving of each sample to separate invertebrates by size class (12.5mm to 2mm). Invertebrates were then counted and sorted into groups (gastropod, bivalve, crustacean, other). Relative abundances were calculated and compared, showing negative relationships between the 3 main groups, with the most extreme being that between crustaceans and bivalves (-0.63). We also noted a greater relative abundance of crustaceans at more complex sites, while bivalves and gastropods were better represented at sites with a lower complexity. The results of this study help to both understand what determines the composition of species in communities and quantify the impacts of artificial reefs on the surrounding seagrass environments, providing valuable information with implications for fisheries management.
Environmental Studies, Interdisciplinary, Natural/Life Sciences
