Uniformitarianism as a guide to rocky-shore ecosystems in the geological record

2006 ◽  
Vol 43 (8) ◽  
pp. 1119-1147 ◽  
Author(s):  
Markes E Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Rocky Shore ◽  
Rocky Intertidal ◽  
Biological Information ◽  
Rocky Shores ◽  
Continuous Transition ◽  
Geological Record ◽  
Level Change ◽  
Igneous Origin ◽  
Regional Basis ◽  
Insight Into

Literature on Pleistocene and Neogene rocky shores is reviewed from a uniformitarian perspective to assess the fidelity of physical and biological information entrained in the geological record through present-day processes. Coverage by latitude spans tropical to subarctic shores. Variations in paleotopography are illustrated by unconformities between sedimentary accumulations and rocks of igneous or non-igneous origin. Former rocky shores occur across a range of geographic scales that include (i) spot localities, (ii) embayments with continuous transition from exposed outer to protected inner shores, and (iii) entire islands with windward and leeward shores. Differences in rate and magnitude of sea-level change affect rocky-shore physiography. Terrace deposits characterize the Pleistocene, but ramp deposits typify older Neogene shores. On average, species with hard parts account for about 50% of the modern rocky intertidal fauna on a regional basis, regardless of latitude. Biodiversity is highest in mid-latitudes. Fixed organisms with encrusting, wedging, or boring habits (corals, barnacles, oysters, other bivalves, and vermetid gastropods) show high potential for fossilization in growth position. Mobile organisms that cling to rocks (gastropods, crabs, and echinoids) suffer post-mortem transport but may be immured within neptunian dikes or interstices among cobbles and boulders. At best, localized fossil deposits from the Pleistocene reflect <30% of the biodiversity of skeletonized organisms tabulated from modern rocky shores on a regional basis. Uniformitarianism provides little insight into the diversity of soft-bodied organisms (excluding stromatolites) that joined the ecosystem in Precambrian times and the extent to which soft-bodied organisms dominated shore life through later times.

scholarly journals Gastropod diversity at Pulau Punyit and the nearby shoreline – a reflection of Brunei’s vulnerable rocky intertidal communities

2018 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
David J. Marshall ◽  
Azmi Aminuddin ◽  
Pg Saimon Pg Hj Ahmad
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Abiotic Stresses ◽  
Rocky Shore ◽  
Rocky Intertidal ◽  
Habitat Availability ◽  
Rocky Shores ◽  
Gastropod Species ◽  
Brunei Darussalam ◽  
Intertidal Gastropod ◽  
High Shore

Pulau Punyit (PPUN), a small islet on the South China Sea coastline of Brunei Darussalam, represents a significant portion of the country’s natural rocky-shore ecosystem. We carried out a rapid survey of the intertidal gastropod species richness at PPUN, and compared this with species richness at other nearby natural and artificial rocky shores [Tungku Punyit (TPUN), Pantai Jerudong (PJER), Jerudong Park Medical Centre (JPMC) and Pantai Tungku (TUNK)]. A total of thirty two (32) species were collected from all of the shores. Species richness was greatest at the two natural shores studied (numbering 21 and 22 species at PPUN and TPUN, respectively), while the artificial shores were relatively depauperate. The natural shores however differed in species composition, abundance and body size of gastropods. These attributes varied with shore height, and appeared to relate to height-specific differences in abiotic stresses at the shores - at PPUN the high-shore is more exposed to the wind and sun, whereas at TPUN the mid-shore experiences greater sedimentation and mainland acidic seepage. Faunistic differences between the artificial and natural shores (Bray-Curtis similarity analysis) seemingly associate more closely with degree of habitat availability and abiotic stress than with shore proximity. We conclude that the country’s rocky intertidal biodiversity, as reflected by the gastropod diversity, is mainly constituted by the natural rocky shore system. Because this is spatially constrained and vulnerable to locality-specific environmental stresses, this diversity is threatened and deserving of greater protection status.

scholarly journals Application of a Simple, Low-Cost, Low-Tech Method to Monitor Intertidal Rocky Shore Assemblages on a Broad Geographic Scale

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juan Pablo Livore ◽  
María M. Mendez ◽  
Eduardo Klein ◽  
Lorena Arribas ◽  
Gregorio Bigatti
Keyword(s):  
Rocky Shore ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Environmental Data ◽  
Rocky Intertidal ◽  
Marine Biodiversity ◽  
Rocky Shores ◽  
Geographic Scale ◽  
Regional Collaboration ◽  
Biodiversity Changes

Identifying susceptible regions where biodiversity changes occur at fast rates is essential in order to protect and ameliorate affected areas. Large-scale coastal monitoring programs that focus on long-term variability are scarce, yet the Marine Biodiversity Observation Network Pole to Pole is currently developing a regional collaboration throughout the American continent collecting biodiversity data in coastal habitats with a standardized systematic protocol. The use of photographic methods to collect assemblage data on intertidal rocky shores can be appropriate. The goal of this study was to analyze the performance of a simple, low-cost, non-destructive and low-tech photographic method on a broad geographical scale (∼ 2,000 km) of Atlantic Patagonian coastline. Concurrently, we aimed to identify indicators whose cover, presence or condition can be followed in time and used as beacons of change in biodiversity on these rocky intertidal shores. We also explored the potential relationships between assemblage structure and environmental variables, such as seascape classes. We identified and propose cover of mytilids, Corallina spp. and bare substrate as indicators of change due to their ecological relevance in intertidal assemblages and their visible and rapid response to human stressors or changes in environmental conditions. Finally, we illustrate the practicality and usefulness of remotely accessible environmental data, for instance the seascape classes approach as an integrative tool for large-scale rocky shore studies.

Does the native predator Trophon geversianus exert top-down control on the invasive barnacle Balanus glandula on Patagonian rocky shores?

2019 ◽  
Vol 70 (11) ◽  
pp. 1552
Author(s):  
María José Pio ◽  
María M. Mendez ◽  
David E. Galván ◽  
Gregorio Bigatti ◽  
Kaydee West ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rocky Shore ◽  
Nitrogen Isotope ◽  
Rocky Intertidal ◽  
Rocky Shores ◽  
Field Observations ◽  
Stable Carbon ◽  
Balanus Glandula ◽  
Top Down ◽  
Carbon And Nitrogen ◽  
Intertidal Environments

Trophic interactions between the native gastropod predator Trophon geversianus and the invasive barnacle Balanus glandula may have facilitated the successful expansion of the barnacle along rocky intertidal coastlines in Argentina. In this study, through field observations and a stable isotope reconstruction of the diet of T. geversianus, we assessed whether and how frequently this drilling muricid gastropod consumes the invasive B. glandula on a Patagonian rocky shore. Field observations indicated that B. glandula and T. geversianus co-occur in the middle intertidal. Feeding observations and stable carbon and nitrogen isotope dietary reconstructions showed that T. geversianus readily and successfully consumes B. glandula, but at low rates (4% of diet) relative to native mussel prey, which compete with B. glandula for space. This study shows that T. geversianus exerts little top-down control on this invasive barnacle on Patagonian rocky shores. The success of B. glandula on these shores is plausibly enhanced directly by this weak interaction and indirectly by the preference of T. geversianus for native prey rather than the absence of predators or invader immunity from predation. The results of this study complement previous studies that have shown that tolerance to extreme desiccation stress in harsh intertidal environments is crucial for the establishment of B. glandula.

Intensity of Human Predation on Rocky Shores at Las Cruces in Central Chile

1987 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 143-149 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. René Durán ◽  
Juan Carlos Castilla ◽  
Doris Oliva
Keyword(s):  
Activity Pattern ◽  
Rocky Shore ◽  
Rocky Shores ◽  
Central Chile ◽  
Temporal Grouping ◽  
Human Predation

The rocky shore of central Chile is heavily harvested by mariscadores de orilla and skin-divers, but their catches are not considered in the fishery statistics. The aim of the present paper is to estimate the intensity of human predation and annual catch of each of the species taken at Las Cruces, Central Chile. The activity pattern of both categories of collectors demonstrate a temporal grouping. The observation of mariscadores de orilla and skin-divers in 3 sectors of fringe totalling 1,500 m of rocky shore during 12 months allowed us to estimate the annual catch per species caught (kg per year).

scholarly journals Method for monitoring intertidal communities in a steep rocky shore: a combination of digital image technology and field operational strategy

2007 ◽  
Vol 55 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-27 ◽  
Author(s):  
Danuza Nogueira Moysés ◽  
Andréa de Oliveira R. Junqueira ◽  
Helena Passeri Lavrado ◽  
Sérgio Henrique Gonçalves da Silva
Keyword(s):  
Digital Image ◽  
Field Work ◽  
Benthic Invertebrate ◽  
Rocky Intertidal ◽  
Estimation Methods ◽  
Rocky Shores ◽  
Percent Cover ◽  
Intertidal Communities ◽  
Time Reproduction ◽  
Over Time

This paper introduces a method for temporal studies of steep rocky intertidal communities. It combines the use of digital image technology with field methodology, so that a wide area of the community can be sampled in a short time. Two current nondestructive percent cover estimation methods (visual estimation and point intersection) were compared in terms of cost, operational advantages and data quality, with a proposed method for a sucessional study . The proposed method used sequential photos to sample multiple fixed vertical transects over time. Reproduction of the mid-intertidal transect over time was possible by overlaying temporal transects in an image editing program. This method was similar to the point intersection quadrat method used to estimate percent cover. Benefits included reduced time on field work, economic advantages and other advantages of using digital photography, such as recording. Temporal photography of transects provided measurements of recruitment, mortality and population growth, and made it possible to manufacture an animation of sucessional stages. We suggest that this is the best method for providing information and understanding on the process of succession and for monitoring benthic invertebrate intertidal communities on steep rocky shores.

scholarly journals Discovery of a new species of genus Typhlodromus Scheuten (Acari: Phytoseiidae: Typhlodrominae) on rocky shore habitat from Lanyu Island

2017 ◽  
Vol 22 (10) ◽  
pp. 1639
Author(s):  
Jhih-Rong Liao ◽  
Chyi-Chen Ho ◽  
Chiun-Cheng Ko
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
Rocky Shore ◽  
Biological Control Agent ◽  
Control Agent ◽  
Morphological Description ◽  
Rocky Shores ◽  
Mountain Areas ◽  
Phytoseiid Mites ◽  
First Time ◽  
A New Species

Phytoseiid mites have been intensively surveyed in Taiwan during the past decades because of their potential as biological control agent. Despite the fact, many regions of Taiwan remain under-explored especially in mountain areas and neighboring islands. Typhlodromus (Anthoseius) crossostephium sp. nov. was collected from Crossostephium chinense (L.) Makino (Asteraceae) on rocky shore habitat during a survey on Lanyu Island. In this paper, presence of a phytoseiid mite on rocky shores is reported for the first time. A detailed morphological description of the new species and a key to the Taiwanese species of subgenus Anthoseius are provided.

Rocky shores and development of the Pliocene-Pleistocene Arroyo Blanco Basin on Isla Carmen in the Gulf of California, Mexico

2006 ◽  
Vol 43 (8) ◽  
pp. 1149-1164 ◽  
Author(s):  
James M Eros ◽  
Markes E Johnson ◽  
David H Backus
Keyword(s):  
Sea Level ◽  
Gulf Of California ◽  
Rocky Shore ◽  
Normal Faults ◽  
Rocky Shores ◽  
Last Interglacial ◽  
Marine Terraces ◽  
Shell Beds ◽  
History Of ◽  
Cap Rock

Arroyo Blanco Basin on Isla Carmen preserves a 157 m thick, nearly complete record of Pliocene–Pleistocene history in the Gulf of California. Examples of rocky-shore geomorphology occur on all margins of this trapezoidal-shaped, 3.3 km2 basin. A shoreline is developed in low relief on Miocene andesite from the Comondú Group at the rear of the basin parallel to the long axis of the island. Two end walls trace normal faults that stayed active during the life of the basin and maintained steep rocky shores. The basin is 64% filled by calcarudite and calcarenite derived from crushed rhodolith debris. Other facies include shell beds and stringers of andesite conglomerate that define a 4°–6° ramp. The ramp expanded onshore through Pliocene time, based on a succession of overlapping range zones for 22 macrofossils typical of Lower through Upper Pliocene strata in the Gulf of California. The unconformity exposed 1 km inland at the rear of the basin is between Miocene volcanics and Pleistocene cap rock at an elevation of 170 m above sea level. Whole rhodoliths encrusted on andesite pebbles occur above this unconformity. Presumably, the older Miocene-Pliocene unconformity is buried beneath the ramp. Four marine terraces with sea cliffs notched in Pliocene limestone occur at elevations of 68, 58, 37, and 12 m. The 12 m terrace is associated regionally with the last interglacial epoch between 120 000 and 135 000 years ago. Juxtaposition of ramp and terrace features in the same exhumed basin supports a long history of gradual Pliocene subsidence followed by episodic Pleistocene uplift.

A Lower Pennsylvanian encrusting tabulate coral from a rocky shore environment developed on the Mississippian—Pennsylvanian unconformity surface in northwestern Arkansas

1993 ◽  
Vol 67 (6) ◽  
pp. 1064-1068 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gregory E. Webb
Keyword(s):  
Rocky Shore ◽  
Wave Attenuation ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Limiting Factors ◽  
Rocky Shores ◽  
Highly Sensitive ◽  
Substrate Stability ◽  
Abundance And Diversity ◽  
High Wave Energy ◽  
Unconformity Surface

Paleozoic corals are very rare in rocky shore settings. The only Paleozoic encrusting coral so far reported from this environment is Favosites sp. from Ordovician rocky shore deposits in Manitoba, Canada (Johnson and Baarli, 1987). Reading and Poole (1961) reported corals and brachiopods that occur between, and “coating,” boulders from a Silurian rocky shore in England, but it appears that the corals and brachiopods only occur in the sediment enveloping the boulders, not as encrusters on the surfaces of the boulders. One reason for the sparse record of Paleozoic corals in rocky shore settings is the scarcity of described Paleozoic rocky shore deposits themselves. Johnson (1988) found only 20 examples of Paleozoic rocky shores in a compilation of references on ancient rocky shores from the literature. The paucity of described ancient rocky shores has been attributed to the prevalence in the past of epicontinental seas with little relief upon which to develop rocky shores and with higher wave attenuation farther from shore (Boucot, 1981; Harland and Pickerill, 1984). Johnson (1988) concluded that the major reason for the rarity of ancient rocky shores in the literature is the difficulty with which they are recognized and studied, owing to the relatively poor exposure of most unconformity surfaces. The rocky shore environment was also probably hostile to many Paleozoic coral genera. Recent scleractinian corals may serve as analogues because they are also not very abundant in rocky shore settings despite their great abundance in similar shallow-water, high-wave-energy reefal environments. Turbidity and relative substrate stability may be important limiting factors for corals in rocky shore environments. Many corals are known to be highly sensitive to sediment in the water column. Substrate stability (Wilson, 1987) and the scouring effects of sand in high-energy environments (Palmer and Palmer, 1977) also have been shown to affect the abundance and diversity of organisms encrusting cobbles and boulders.

scholarly journals Effects of human trampling on a rocky shore fauna on the Sao Paulo coast, southeastern Brazil

2009 ◽  
Vol 69 (4) ◽  
pp. 993-999 ◽  
Author(s):  
MN. Ferreira ◽  
S. Rosso
Keyword(s):  
Rocky Shore ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Southeastern Brazil ◽  
Rocky Shores ◽  
Density And Biomass ◽  
Turn Over ◽  
Rocky Shore Communities ◽  
Vacation Period ◽  
Chthamalus Bisinuatus

Increased tourist activity in coastal regions demands management strategies to reduce impacts on rocky shores. The highly populated coastal areas in southeastern Brazil are an example of degradation caused by development of industry and tourism. Among different shore impacts, trampling has been intensively studied, and may represent a significant source of stress for intertidal fauna. A randomised blocks design was applied to experimentally study the effects of two different trampling intensities on richness, diversity, density and biomass of the rocky shore fauna of Obuseiro beach, Guarujá, southeastern Brazil. Blocks were distributed in two portions of the intertidal zone, dominated respectively by Chthamalus bisinuatus (Cirripedia) and Isognomon bicolor (Bivalvia). Blocks were trampled over three months, simulating the vacation period in Brazil and were monitored for the following nine months. Results indicate that Chthamalus bisinuatus is vulnerable to trampling impacts. Richness, diversity and turn-over index tended to be higher in trampled plots four months after trampling ceased. In general, results agree with previous trampling studies, suggesting that even low intensities of trampling may cause some impact on intertidal communities. Management strategies should include isolation of sensitive areas, construction of boardwalks, visitor education and monitoring programmes. In Brazil, additional data obtained from experimental studies are necessary in order to achieve a better understanding of trampling impacts on rocky shore communities.

scholarly journals The Biodiversity of Gastropods In Karapyak Rocky Shores, Pangandaran Region, West Java Province, Indonesia

Omni-Akuatika ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Asep Sahidin ◽  
Zahidah Zahidah ◽  
Herman Hamdani ◽  
Indah Riyantini ◽  
Roni Sewiko
Keyword(s):  
Cluster Analysis ◽  
Spatial Distribution ◽  
Rocky Shore ◽  
Rocky Shores ◽  
West Java ◽  
The Family ◽  
Average Abundance

Pangandaran rocky shores have a unique ecosystem and a variant of invertebrate organisms such as mollusk from the gastropod class. This study aims to analyze the biodiversity of gastropods on the rocky shore of Karapyak beach. This research consists of 5 stations. The quadrant set by 1 m x 1 m vertically toward the sea. The result found 773 individuals scattered in nine families. The family of Neritidae dominated (43%), followed by family cyprinoids with 6.3%. Nerita plicata is a species found to dominate in every station with an average abundance (256 ± 10) and/m2. Using the Bray-Curtis cluster analysis, showed variations in the distribution and abundance of different gastropods vertically into the ocean and uniformly distributed horizontally to the shore. Substrate and tidal are the main variables in the spatial distribution of gastropods in the Karapyak beach.

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