Ecosystem Engineers or Engineered by the Ecosystem?
Presentation Type
Event
Full Name of Faculty Mentor
Juli Harding
Other Mentors
Additional Mentor: Louis Keiner,
Major
Marine Science
Minor
Biology
Presentation Abstract
Oyster shell is an important habitat resource for oysters (Crassostrea virginica) as well as resident epifauna and associated transient nekton that depend on heterogenous reef habitat for shelter, food, or reproduction. Relationships between surficial shell and biological metrics on natural fringing reefs in North Inlet, SC were described using traditional methods and aerial photography. Oyster demographics and clump dimensions (length, displacement volume, weight) were quantified. Oysters ranged from 10-100 mm shell height at all reefs. Clump maximum length ranged from 37-280 mm with an average of 127.4 ± 42.9 mm while clump displacement volume ranged from 0.003-0.510L. Relationships between measured shell weight (g/m2; 36-974) and shell cover estimated from high resolution photographs (% shell/m2; 0.046-0.082) on replicate reefs were used to evaluate the efficacy of alternative non-destructive methods to quantify surficial shell.
Location
Lib Jackson Student Union, Atrium
Start Date
17-4-2019 4:30 PM
End Date
17-4-2019 6:30 PM
Disciplines
Oceanography
Recommended Citation
Akers, Mary and LeClaire, Alyssa, "Ecosystem Engineers or Engineered by the Ecosystem?" (2019). Undergraduate Research Competition. 1.
https://digitalcommons.coastal.edu/ugrc/2019/poster/1
Ecosystem Engineers or Engineered by the Ecosystem?
Lib Jackson Student Union, Atrium
Oyster shell is an important habitat resource for oysters (Crassostrea virginica) as well as resident epifauna and associated transient nekton that depend on heterogenous reef habitat for shelter, food, or reproduction. Relationships between surficial shell and biological metrics on natural fringing reefs in North Inlet, SC were described using traditional methods and aerial photography. Oyster demographics and clump dimensions (length, displacement volume, weight) were quantified. Oysters ranged from 10-100 mm shell height at all reefs. Clump maximum length ranged from 37-280 mm with an average of 127.4 ± 42.9 mm while clump displacement volume ranged from 0.003-0.510L. Relationships between measured shell weight (g/m2; 36-974) and shell cover estimated from high resolution photographs (% shell/m2; 0.046-0.082) on replicate reefs were used to evaluate the efficacy of alternative non-destructive methods to quantify surficial shell.