Comparison of infauna associated with a macroalgae, Caulerpa prolifera, found in southeastern North Carolina Academic Article uri icon

Abstract

  • Submerged aquatic vegetation is largely absent within the estuarine system of southeastern North Carolina, although several species of drift algae are common in the spring and early summer. The presence of a prodominantly tropical alga, Caulerpa prolifera within a southeastern North Carolina estuary permitted examination of infaunal response to the presence of a vegetative habitat. Several mats of Caulerpa were observed in the mouth of Futch Creek, New Hanover County, North Carolina. Benthic samples were taken from within mats of the alga and from the open sandflat 2 m away from the algae. Eighty-six taxa were found. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was performed on the 10 most abundant taxa (3% of the total number of individuals). Five taxa (Mediomastus ambiseta, Ampithoe longimana, Corophium spp., Lembos websteri, and Microprotopus raneyi) were significantly higher within the vegetated habitat, while Acteocina canaliculata was the only taxon to have significantly higher abundances in the unvegetated habitat. Although some taxa were found exclusively in one habitat or the other, 31 taxa were found in both habitat types. Most taxa had higher abundances within the mats of Caulerpa.

Publication Date

  • 1997-04-01