Saccharina sessilis, lettuce kelp, is a macroalgae that contributes to the primary production in the intertidal zone off of the Oregon Coast. Macroalgae can serve as a bioindicator of increased nutrient input, water quality, and shifts in the intertidal environment. Competition for light exists between macroalgae species and with other...
Sea stars are well known on the Pacific coast as being keystone species. Pisaster ochraceus plays a major role in controlling the lower limits of the high zone mussel beds, normally preying on medium to large-sized species. Leptasterias hexactis is often found feeding on smaller prey. According to the competitive...
Metacarcinus magister, the Dungeness crab, is a commercially important species on the Pacific Northwest coast as the most profitable fishery in Oregon and an important ecological player as both predator and prey. Understanding the spatial distribution of Dungeness throughout different life history stages is beneficial both ecologically and economically. Zostera...
Metacarcinus magister, the Dungeness crab, is a commercially important species on the Pacific Northwest coast as the most profitable fishery in Oregon and an important ecological player as both predator and prey. Understanding the spatial distribution of Dungeness throughout different life history stages is beneficial both ecologically and economically. Zostera...
Disturbance has both direct and indirect ramifications that can influence species abundance, distribution, and ultimately the diversity found within a community. As a result, we might expect disturbance to play a particularly important role in the ability of non-native species to proliferate outside of their native range. In practice, disturbance...