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Between a rock and a hard place: combined effect of trampling and phototrophic shell-degrading endoliths in marine intertidal mussels

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Abstract

Ecosystems often face a complex combination of natural and anthropogenic disturbances. The assessment of anthropogenic pressures and co-occurring natural stressors is crucial to our understanding of ecosystem structures, dynamics and their conservation. The present study provides the first experimental assessment of the combined effects of trampling (anthropogenic stressor) and endolithic induced erosion (natural stressor) on two coexisting intertidal mussel species, Mytilus galloprovincialis (de Lamarck, 1819) and Perna perna (Linnaeus, 1758). Mixed beds of the two species experiencing a wide range of endolithic parasitation were exposed to increasing intensities of human trampling. Our results clearly show that endolith-infested mussels are more vulnerable to trampling than non-infested individuals. At high trampling intensities, P. perna suffered significantly lower mortalities rates than M. galloprovincialis. More than 20% of large, infested M. galloprovincialis individuals were crushed even at low trampling intensities. Unexpectedly, mortalities rates decreased with mussel size, suggesting a sheltering role of larger conspecifics. Beyond ecological interest, such findings can provide critical experimental support for conservation and management actions.

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Acknowledgements

Mussels were collected under permit number RES2014/12 issued by the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries to the Department of Zoology and Entomology at Rhodes University. We thank S. Donovan, G.C. Cadée and the Editor for their comments.

Funding

This research was funded by projects UID/Multi/04326/2013, IF/01413/2014/CP1217/CT0004 from the Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT-MEC, Portugal) and further supported by the South African Research Chairs Initiative (SARChI) of Department of Science and Technology (DST) and the National Research Foundation (NRF).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. CCMAR-CIMAR – Associated Laboratory, University of Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139, Faro, Portugal

    Katy R. Nicastro & Christopher D. McQuaid

  2. Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, 6140, South Africa

    Gerardo I. Zardi

Authors
  1. Katy R. Nicastro
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  2. Christopher D. McQuaid
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  3. Gerardo I. Zardi
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Gerardo I. Zardi.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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All applicable international, national and/or institutional guidelines for the care and use of animals were followed by the authors.

Sampling and field studies

All necessary permits for sampling and observational field studies have been obtained by the authors from the competent authorities and are mentioned in the acknowledgements, if applicable.

Additional information

Communicated by B. W. Hoeksema

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Nicastro, K.R., McQuaid, C.D. & Zardi, G.I. Between a rock and a hard place: combined effect of trampling and phototrophic shell-degrading endoliths in marine intertidal mussels. Mar Biodiv 49, 1581–1586 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12526-018-0924-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12526-018-0924-3

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