Title |
Ecosystem features determine seagrass community response to sea otter foraging
|
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Published in |
Marine Pollution Bulletin, December 2017
|
DOI | 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2017.09.047 |
Pubmed ID | |
Authors |
Margot Hessing-Lewis, Erin U. Rechsteiner, Brent B. Hughes, M. Tim Tinker, Zachary L. Monteith, Angeleen M. Olson, Matthew Morgan Henderson, Jane C. Watson |
Abstract |
Comparing sea otter recovery in California (CA) and British Columbia (BC) reveals key ecosystem properties that shape top-down effects in seagrass communities. We review potential ecosystem drivers of sea otter foraging in CA and BC seagrass beds, including the role of coastline complexity and environmental stress on sea otter effects. In BC, we find greater species richness across seagrass trophic assemblages. Furthermore, Cancer spp. crabs, an important link in the seagrass trophic cascade observed in CA, are less common. Additionally, the more recent reintroduction of sea otters, more complex coastline, and reduced environmental stress in BC seagrass habitats supports the hypotheses that sea otter foraging pressure is currently reduced there. In order to manage the ecosystem features that lead to regional differences in top predator effects in seagrass communities, we review our findings, their spatial and temporal constraints, and present a social-ecological framework for future research. |
X Demographics
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Canada | 6 | 30% |
United States | 2 | 10% |
Sweden | 1 | 5% |
Netherlands | 1 | 5% |
Unknown | 10 | 50% |
Demographic breakdown
Type | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Members of the public | 13 | 65% |
Scientists | 7 | 35% |
Mendeley readers
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Unknown | 115 | 100% |
Demographic breakdown
Readers by professional status | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Student > Master | 22 | 19% |
Researcher | 20 | 17% |
Student > Bachelor | 14 | 12% |
Student > Ph. D. Student | 13 | 11% |
Student > Doctoral Student | 7 | 6% |
Other | 18 | 16% |
Unknown | 21 | 18% |
Readers by discipline | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Agricultural and Biological Sciences | 44 | 38% |
Environmental Science | 36 | 31% |
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology | 3 | 3% |
Earth and Planetary Sciences | 2 | 2% |
Veterinary Science and Veterinary Medicine | 1 | <1% |
Other | 7 | 6% |
Unknown | 22 | 19% |