IMIS

Publications | Institutes | Persons | Datasets | Projects | Maps
[ report an error in this record ]basket (0): add | show Print this page

Diversity and cover of a sessile animal assemblage does not predict its associated mobile fauna
Birdsey, E.M.; Johnston, E.L.; Poore, A.G.B. (2012). Diversity and cover of a sessile animal assemblage does not predict its associated mobile fauna. Mar. Biol. (Berl.) 159(3): 551-560. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00227-011-1834-0
In: Marine Biology: International Journal on Life in Oceans and Coastal Waters. Springer: Heidelberg; Berlin. ISSN 0025-3162; e-ISSN 1432-1793, more
Peer reviewed article  

Available in  Authors 

Keyword
    Marine/Coastal

Authors  Top 
  • Birdsey, E.M.
  • Johnston, E.L.
  • Poore, A.G.B.

Abstract
    Habitat-forming organisms often determine the structural properties and food resources available to a wide diversity of associated mobile species. Sessile invertebrate assemblages on marine hard substrates support an abundant fauna of mobile invertebrates whose associations with traits of their host assemblages are poorly known. To assess how changes to habitat-forming species are likely to affect their associated mobile fauna, the relationships between abundance, diversity and composition of mobile invertebrates and the diversity, cover and composition of the sessile assemblages they use as habitat were quantified in Sydney Harbour, Australia (33°50'S, 151°16'E). Similar compositions of sessile species were more likely to share a similar composition of mobile species, but univariate measures of the habitat (percent cover, species and functional diversity, prevalence of non-indigenous species) did not predict variation in associated mobile assemblages. These results demonstrate that in this habitat it is difficult to predict the diversity of marine assemblages based on common surrogate measures of biodiversity.

All data in the Integrated Marine Information System (IMIS) is subject to the VLIZ privacy policy Top | Authors