IDEA   23902
INSTITUTO DE DIVERSIDAD Y ECOLOGIA ANIMAL
Unidad Ejecutora - UE
congresos y reuniones científicas
Título:
Marine fouling communities in an increasingly active international harbor: temporal patterns of native and exotic species
Autor/es:
SCHWINDT E; TATIÁN M; SAVOYA, V; CASAS, G; BORTOLUS, A
Lugar:
Vancouver
Reunión:
Congreso; 8th International Conference on Marine BioInvasions; 2013
Resumen:
We report the first results of a study on the patterns and processes characterizing the fouling native community invaded by non native ascidians in a cold temperate harbor of Patagonia, Argentina. Fouling plates were deployed with four treatments (with and without exotics, macro-predators exclusion and control cages, n = 7 replicates each) in the increasingly active international harbor of Puerto Madryn city (42 SL) since September 2011. The experiment was seasonally replicated and temperature, salinity and chlorophyll values were monthly obtained together with the cover and density of the organisms settled. Interactions were variable among seasons. Ascidians were absent in winter in all treatments. Native species (mobile and sessile) showed always higher density and cover values than invasive ascidians in all treatments and seasons. The exception was observed in exclusion cages in summer when high ascidian recruitment occurred. Results suggest that a combination of environmental factors (in winter) and macro-predators prevent the invasive ascidians from dominating the native fouling community, which would indirectly have a positive effect on native species.