Foundation species are important components of ecosystems because they provide habitat and ameliorate stressful conditions for residents. This thesis considers the role of surfgrasses (Phyllospadix spp.) as dynamic foundation species on the coast of Oregon in two studies. Chapter 2, which presents an observational survey of two Phyllospadix congeners, investigates...
Macroinvertebrates constitute the backbone of megafaunal communities in benthic ecosystems around the globe. Many macroinvertebrates have vital roles in benthic ecosystems, ranging from enhancing habitat complexity to providing staple food sources for other organisms. Regardless of how familiar macroinvertebrates are to the general public, very few studies have attempted to...
The high productivity of Eastern Boundary Upwelling Ecosystems (EBUE), some of the most productive ecosystems in the globe, is attributed to the nutrient rich waters brought up through upwelling. Climate change scenarios for coastal upwelling systems, predict an intensification of coastal upwelling winds. Associated with intensification in upwelling are biogeochemical...
This dissertation focuses on the importance of pelagic subsidies in the Northeast Pacific to rocky shore community regulation. My results document the patterns of pelagic subsidy supply, determine if those subsidies are correlated with community structure, and examine if community regulation differs between areas of high- and low-subsidies. Understanding how...
This report is concerned with environmental and animal internal temperatures in the intertidal zone at low tide. Daily sea surface temperatures at Agate Beach, Ore., are compared to weekly measurements made near-by. Greater range and fluctuations are revealed by daily measurements. Data are provided on animal internal temperatures at low...
The Northern California Current (NCC) ecosystem exhibits extreme seasonal, interannual and interdecadal shifts in the abiotic environment and shifts in primary and higher production. This variability is also apparent in the spatial structure of the ecosystem with nearshore-shelf waters (<150 m isobath) being highly productive and having a different community...
Most benthic marine organisms have a bipartite life with an early pelagic stage that enables dispersal of offspring, connecting spatially separated populations, and a late stage where individuals reside in a benthic habitat. Settlement of pelagic offspring to bottom associated substrates is the process that connects the two life history...
Mitigating for increased human impact to the seafloor associated with resource extraction activities and renewable energy development can benefit from an understanding of the distribution of sensitive marine benthic species. Habitat suitability predictive modeling is a cost effective statistical tool to infer species distribution patterns from constrained sampling locations. However,...