Understanding the effects of sessile animal communities on biodiversity formation and feeding habitat in coastal ecosystems

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K05791
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 40030:Aquatic bioproduction science-related
• Research Institution: Kitasato University
• Principal Investigator: Hirose Masato 北里大学, 海洋生命科学部, 講師 (10809114)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: 固着性動物 / 種組成 / 出現動態 / 小型甲殻類 / コケムシ / 摂餌生態 / 多様性 / 環境収容力

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The relationships between the species composition and seasonality of sessile organisms, and their habitat environments, and small benthic organisms inhabiting these sessile organisms were clarified by survey using settlement panels and observation of bottom communities by ROV in Otsuchi Bay, Okirai Bay, and Matsushima Bay. The environmental DNA in the seawater was also used to verify the results of the survey using settlement panels. Furthermore, the species composition, abundance, and feeding behavior of small crustaceans that using sessile organism assemblage were also investigated to provide an overview of their life history and their importance in coastal ecosystems. In addition, the feeding ecology of tufted bryozoan Bugula neritina, which is the dominant species on the settlement plates, was observed under different water temperatures, currents, and food concentrations, to clarify the relationship between the environmental factors and food intake.

Free Research Field

動物学，系統分類学，形態学，生態学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究は，三陸沿岸域の養殖施設等にみられる固着性動物について，細かな環境の違いでその種組成や生物量が大きく異なることを明らかとした．この結果は当該海域における固着性動物の出現動態の把握や今後の予測を行う上で重要な知見になると期待される．また本研究は，固着性動物群集に棲み込む小型底生生物の具体的な種組成や生物量のほか，異なる環境下でのフサコケムシの摂餌量も初めて明らかにした．これらの結果はいずれの動物も沿岸域の餌料環境や生物量に少なからず影響を及ぼすことを示しており，ここで得られた具体的なデータは，今後の沿岸生態系モデルの構築や環境収容力推定において有用な情報を提供すると期待される．