Hidden in plain sight: species richness and habitat characterisation of sublittoral pebble beds
dc.contributor.author | Evans, J | |
dc.contributor.author | Attrill, Martin | |
dc.contributor.author | Borg, JA | |
dc.contributor.author | Cotton, Peter | |
dc.contributor.author | Schembri, PJ | |
dc.date.accessioned | 2018-09-10T08:53:52Z | |
dc.date.available | 2018-09-10T08:53:52Z | |
dc.date.issued | 2018-02 | |
dc.identifier.issn | 0025-3162 | |
dc.identifier.issn | 1432-1793 | |
dc.identifier.other | 35 | |
dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/10026.1/12271 | |
dc.description.abstract |
Sublittoral pebble beds are generally considered to be impoverished, but the physical and biological characteristics of these habitats are poorly known. We characterised nineteen pebble bed sites in the Maltese Islands, providing detailed habitat data for Mediterranean sublittoral pebble beds for the first time. Nearly 40,000 individuals belonging to 332 taxa were recorded in all, with total richness estimated to reach 440 taxa; molluscs, crustaceans and polychaetes were the most diverse faunal groups. This high diversity is likely due to the structural complexity of the pebble beds, which had a vertically stratified arrangement of sediment particles that is likely maintained through periodic physical disturbance. Variation in the biotic assemblage from site to site was correlated with changes in the quantity of sand and silt, with the area of the pebble bed, with water depth, and with the thickness of the pebble layer. This indicates that pebble-bed macrofaunal assemblages are sensitive to changes in hydrodynamic conditions and sediment loading, to alterations to the stratification of the pebble beds, and to fragmentation of the habitat patches. These results contradict assertions that sublittoral pebble beds are impoverished, instead showing that they can be highly diverse habitats supporting biotic assemblages that respond to a complex set of environmental variables. The present findings enable better understanding of the ecological importance of pebble beds and of the potential impacts of anthropogenic disturbance, enabling more informed decisions for habitat conservation and management. | |
dc.format.extent | 35- | |
dc.language | en | |
dc.language.iso | en | |
dc.publisher | Springer Verlag | |
dc.title | Hidden in plain sight: species richness and habitat characterisation of sublittoral pebble beds | |
dc.type | journal-article | |
dc.type | Journal Article | |
plymouth.author-url | https://www.webofscience.com/api/gateway?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=PARTNER_APP&SrcAuth=LinksAMR&KeyUT=WOS:000424326200013&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=ALL_WOS&UsrCustomerID=11bb513d99f797142bcfeffcc58ea008 | |
plymouth.issue | 2 | |
plymouth.volume | 165 | |
plymouth.publication-status | Published | |
plymouth.journal | Marine Biology | |
dc.identifier.doi | 10.1007/s00227-018-3292-4 | |
plymouth.organisational-group | /Plymouth | |
plymouth.organisational-group | /Plymouth/Faculty of Science and Engineering | |
plymouth.organisational-group | /Plymouth/Faculty of Science and Engineering/School of Biological and Marine Sciences | |
plymouth.organisational-group | /Plymouth/PRIMaRE Publications | |
plymouth.organisational-group | /Plymouth/REF 2021 Researchers by UoA | |
plymouth.organisational-group | /Plymouth/REF 2021 Researchers by UoA/UoA06 Agriculture, Veterinary and Food Science | |
plymouth.organisational-group | /Plymouth/REF 2021 Researchers by UoA/UoA07 Earth Systems and Environmental Sciences | |
plymouth.organisational-group | /Plymouth/Research Groups | |
plymouth.organisational-group | /Plymouth/Research Groups/Marine Institute | |
plymouth.organisational-group | /Plymouth/Users by role | |
plymouth.organisational-group | /Plymouth/Users by role/Academics | |
dcterms.dateAccepted | 2018-01-16 | |
dc.rights.embargodate | 2019-1-30 | |
dc.identifier.eissn | 1432-1793 | |
dc.rights.embargoperiod | Not known | |
rioxxterms.versionofrecord | 10.1007/s00227-018-3292-4 | |
rioxxterms.licenseref.uri | http://www.rioxx.net/licenses/all-rights-reserved | |
rioxxterms.licenseref.startdate | 2018-02 | |
rioxxterms.type | Journal Article/Review |