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Habitat use of seagrass-associated fauna in St. Joseph Bay
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Habitat use of seagrass-associated fauna in St. Joseph Bay

University of West Florida,
Master of Science (MS), University of West Florida
2019

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Abstract

Anthropogenic disturbances, such as habitat fragmentation, can disrupt seagrass microhabitat availability and increase the availability of seagrass bed edges. This research focused on microhabitat selection and substrate use of seagrass-associated invertebrates in St. Joseph Bay, Florida, emphasizing edge effects and habitat selection of the sea urchin Lytechinus variegatus. Monthly field surveys were conducted in Thalassia testudinum beds in St. Joseph Bay, Florida, in 2017 and 2018. Microhabitat use pertained to edge effects and substrate use pertained to usage of pen shells, mussels, and seagrass by sea urchins. Settlement plates were deployed to analyze the importance of the semi-infaunal bivalve Atrina rigida (pen shells) for sessile invertebrates in seagrass habitat. Results show that L. variegatus prefers interior seagrass habitat compared to edge habitat, whereas other epibenthic macrofauna displayed mixed results for microhabitat selection. Sea urchins displayed a preference for Modiolus americanus mussel substrate. A sea urchin mortality event occurred during a cold spell. Results also suggest that sessile fauna utilize A. rigida as hard substrate due to a lack of alternative options. The results have implications for seagrass overgrazing events, seagrass-associated faunal responses to climate change, and habitat destruction.
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