Incorporating Structural Response into the Prediction of Disturbance of a Competitive Dominant on Wave-Swept Rocky Shores

University Of Rhode Island, Kingston RI

Investigators

Abstract

This project will focus on the study of the structural response to wave action of an ecologically important intertidal mussel, Mytilus edulis. Preliminary experiments have demonstrated mussel attachment strength varies seasonally, peaking in winter and declining in summer. This cycle in attachment strength may represent a plastic response to seasonal shifts in wave climate, or alternatively, may reflect temporal shifts in the allocation of energetic resources between reproduction and attachment. Laboratory experiments will determine the environmental and metabolic cues to which mussels respond and the time lag between cue and response. In addition, field experiments will measure the seasonal variability of the forces imposed on mussels, and of their attachment strength and reproductive condition. Together, these experiments will allow for predictions of the rate of disturbance of mussels that can be verified with measurements of disturbance in the field. This study will provide a detailed understanding of the mechanics which allow this species to dominate wave?swept shores, and will enhance the ability to predict the rate of disturbance of this ecologically important species. Furthermore, this study allows for the prediction of the quantitative response of mussels to any future shifts in wave climate. Given current evidence that increases in wave exposure may be common in the near future, these estimations are likely to form a valuable test of the ability to predict the ecological consequences of climate change.