Effects of deposit-feeding bivalve (Macomona liliana) density on intertidal sediment stability

Lelieveld, S. D.; Pilditch, Conrad A.; Green, Malcolm O.

doi:10.1080/00288330.2004.9517223

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Lelieveld, S.D., Pilditch, C.A., & Green, M.O. (2004). Effects of deposit-feeding bivalve (Macomona liliana) density on intertidal sediment stability. New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research. 38(1), 115-128.

Permanent Research Commons link: https://hdl.handle.net/10289/205

Abstract

Effects of macrofaunal feeding and bioturbation on intertidal sediment stability (u*crit) were investigated by manipulating density (0-3 x ambient) of the facultative deposit-feeding wedge shell (Macomona liliana) on the Tuapiro sandflat in Tauranga Harbour, New Zealand. Sediment stability increased up to 200% with decreasing M. liliana density and this was correlated with greater sediment microalgal biomass and mucilage content. The change in stability occurred despite homogeneity of grain size amongst experimental treatments, highlighting the importance of macrofaunal-microbial relationships in determining estuarine sediment erodibility.

Date

2004-03-01

Type

Journal Article

Publisher

The Royal Society of New Zealand

Rights

The final, definitive version of this article has been published in the Journal, New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research, 38(1), (2004), (c) Royal Society of New Zealand at the Royal Society of New Zealand Journals Online webpages.

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