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Influences of Salinity and Light Availability on Abundance and Distribution of Tidal Freshwater and Oligohaline Submersed Aquatic Vegetation

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Abstract

Submersed aquatic vegetation (SAV) communities have undergone declines worldwide, exposing them to invasions from non-native species. Over the past decade, the invasive species Hydrilla verticillata has been documented in several tributaries of the lower Chesapeake Bay, Virginia. We used annual aerial mapping surveys from 1998 to 2007, integrated with spatial analyses of water quality data, to analyze the patterns and rates of change of a H. verticillata-dominated SAV community and relate them to varying salinity and light conditions. Periods of declining SAV coverage corresponded to periods where salinities exceeded 7 and early growing season (April to May) Secchi depths were <0.4 m. Increases were driven by the expansion of H. verticillata along with several other species into the upper estuary, where some areas experienced an 80% increase in cover. Field investigations revealed H. verticillata dominance to be limited to the upper estuary where total suspended solid concentrations during the early growing season were <15 mg l−1 and salinity remained <3. The effect of poor early growing season water clarity on annual SAV growth highlights the importance of water quality during this critical life stage. Periods of low clarity combined with periodic salinity intrusions may limit the dominance of H. verticillata in these types of estuarine systems. This study shows the importance of the use of these types of biologically relevant episodic events to supplement seasonal habitat requirements and also provides evidence for the potential important role of invasive species in SAV community recovery.

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  1. Virginia Institute of Marine Science, College of William & Mary, PO Box 1346, Gloucester Point, VA, 23062, USA

    Erin C. Shields, Kenneth A. Moore & David B. Parrish

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  1. Erin C. Shields
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  2. Kenneth A. Moore
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  3. David B. Parrish
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Correspondence to Erin C. Shields.

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Shields, E.C., Moore, K.A. & Parrish, D.B. Influences of Salinity and Light Availability on Abundance and Distribution of Tidal Freshwater and Oligohaline Submersed Aquatic Vegetation. Estuaries and Coasts 35, 515–526 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-011-9460-0

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