Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-dnltx Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-24T01:39:48.764Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Seasonal and temporal variations in population dynamics of the Carcinus maenas (L.): the effect of an extreme drought event in a southern European estuary

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 February 2010

Filipa Bessa ,
Alexandra Baeta ,
Filipe Martinho ,
Sónia Marques  and
Miguel Ângelo Pardal
Filipa Bessa*
Affiliation:
Institute of Marine Research (IMAR), c/o Department of Zoology, University of Coimbra, 3004-517 Coimbra, Portugal
Alexandra Baeta
Affiliation:
Institute of Marine Research (IMAR), c/o Department of Zoology, University of Coimbra, 3004-517 Coimbra, Portugal
Filipe Martinho
Affiliation:
Institute of Marine Research (IMAR), c/o Department of Zoology, University of Coimbra, 3004-517 Coimbra, Portugal
Sónia Marques
Affiliation:
Institute of Marine Research (IMAR), c/o Department of Zoology, University of Coimbra, 3004-517 Coimbra, Portugal
Miguel Ângelo Pardal
Affiliation:
Institute of Marine Research (IMAR), c/o Department of Zoology, University of Coimbra, 3004-517 Coimbra, Portugal
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: F. Bessa, Institute of Marine Research (IMAR), c/o Department of Zoology, University of Coimbra, 3004-517 Coimbra, Portugal email: afbessa@student.zoo.uc.pt
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

The temporal and spatial variability in population dynamics of the European crab Carcinus maenas (L.) was studied between June 2003 and September 2007 in the Mondego estuary. An extreme climate event (extreme drought) occurred in 2004 and 2005 with a low freshwater flow discharge into the estuary, leading to an increase in salinity. Juveniles' recruitment was continuous throughout each year with a high proportion of young recruits being recorded in the spring of 2005. The proportion of green crabs clearly increased from the mouth to the upstream areas and the proportion of crabs actually in moult followed the same pattern. Parasitization by the endoparasitic barnacle, Sacculina carcini was observed, principally at the mouth of the estuary. The C. maenas population showed a regular size–frequency distribution and structure for both sexes during the study. Secondary production (P) of C. maenas estimated for the 4-year study period was different between years though, P/B ratios were similar during the whole study period. During the drought period, catches of the crab recruits were higher, particularly in the spring, probably due to the increase in salinity, which emphasizes the importance of these extreme events in controlling the abundances of coastal populations.

Keywords

Carcinus maenasseasonal variationpopulation dynamicssecondary productionextreme droughtEuropean estuaryclimate change
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom , Volume 90 , Issue 5 , August 2010 , pp. 867 - 876
Copyright
Copyright © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 2010

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Almeida, M.J. and Queiroga, H. (2003) Physical forcing of onshore transport of crab megalopae in the northern Portuguese upwelling system. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 57, 1091–1102.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Anger, K. (2006) Contributions of larval biology to crustacean research: a review. Invertebrates Reproduction and Development 49, 175–205.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Aronson, R.B., Thatje, A., Clarke, L.S., Peck, D.B., Blake Wilga, C.D. and Seibel, B. (2007) Climate change and invasibility of the Antarctic benthos. The Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics 38, 129–154.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Attrill, M.J. and Power, M. (2000) Effects on invertebrate populations of drought-induced changes in estuarine water quality. Marine Ecology Progress Series 203, 133–143.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Audet, D., Miron, G. and Moriyasu, M. (2008) Biological characteristics of a newly established green crab (Carcinus maenas) population in the Southern Gulf of St. Lawrence, Canada. Journal of Shelfish Research 27, 427–441.Google Scholar
Baeta, A., Cabral, H.N., Neto, J.M., Marques, J.C. and Pardal, M.A. (2005) Biology, population dynamics and secondary production of the green crab Carcinus maenas (L.) in a temperate estuary. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 65, 43–52.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Balthis, W.L., Hyland, J.L. and Beorden, D.W. (2006) Ecosystem responses to extreme natural events: impacts of three sequential hurricanes in fall 1999 on sediment quality and condition of benthic fauna in the Neuse River Estuary, North Carolina. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 119, 367–389.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Benke, A.C. (1979) A modification of the Hynes method for estimating secondary production with particular significance for multivoltine populations. Limnology and Oceanography 24, 168–171.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Berrill, M. (1982) The life cycle of the green crab Carcinus maenas at the northern end of its range. Journal of Crustacean Biology 2, 31–39.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Broekhuysen, G.J. (1936) On development, growth and distribution of Carcinides maenas (L.). Archives Neerlandaises de Zoologie 2, 257–399.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cardoso, P.G., Brandã, A., Pardal, M.A., Raffaelli, D. and Marques, J.C. (2005) The resilience of Hydrobia ulvae populations to anthropogenic and natural disturbances. Marine Ecology Progress Series 289, 191–199.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cardoso, P.G., Bankovic, M., Raffaelli, D. and Pardal, M.A. (2007) Polychaete assemblages as indicators of habitat recovery in a temperate estuary under eutrophication. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 71, 301–308.Google Scholar
Cardoso, P.G., Raffaelli, D., Lillebø, A.I., Verdelhos, T. and Pardal, M.A. (2008) The impact of extreme flooding events and anthropogenic stressors on the macrobenthic communities dynamics. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 76, 553–565.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cassie, R.M. (1954) Some uses of probability paper in the analysis of size–frequency distributions. Australian Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 3, 513–522.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cassie, R.M. (1963) Tests of significance for probability paper analysis. New Zealand Science Review 6, 474–482.Google Scholar
Cieluch, U., Anger, K., Aujoulat, F., Buchholz, F., Charmantier-Daures, M. and Charmantier, G. (2004) Ontogeny of osmoregulatory structures and functions in the green crab Carcinus maenas (Crustacea, Decapoda). Journal of Experimental Biology 207, 325–336.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cohen, A.N., Carlton, J.T. and Fountain, M. (1995) Introduction, dispersal and potential impacts of the green crab Carcinus maenas in San Francisco Bay, California. Marine Biology 122, 225–237.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Crothers, J.H. (1968) The biology of the shore crab Carcinus maenas (L.). I. The background anatomy, growth and life history. Field Studies 2, 407–434.Google Scholar
Dolbeth, M., Cardoso, P.G., Ferreira, S.M., Verdelhos, T., Raffaelli, D. and Pardal, M.A. (2007) Anthropogenic and natural disturbance effects on a macrobenthic estuarine community over a 10-year period. Marine Pollution Bulletin 54, 576–585.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Dolbeth, M., Martinho, F., Viegas, I., Cabral, H. and Pardal, M.A. (2008) Estuarine production of resident and nursery fish species: conditioning by drought events? Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 78, 51–60.Google Scholar
Goddard, J.H., Torchin, M.E., Kuris, A.M. and Lafferty, K.D. (2005) Host specificity of Sacculina carcini, a potential biological control agent of the introduced European green crab Carcinus maenas in California. Biological Invasions 7, 895–912.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Grosholz, E.D. and Ruiz, G.M. (1995) Spread and potential impact of the recently introduced European green crab, Carcinus maenas, in central California. Marine Biology 122, 239–247.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Harley, C.D., Hughes, A.R., Hultgren, K.M., Miner, B.M., Sorte, C., Thornber, C.S., Rodriguez, L.T., Tomanek, L. and Williams, L. (2006) The impacts of climate change in coastal marine systems. Ecology Letters 9, 228–241.Google Scholar
Lazzari, M.A. (2002) Epibenthic fishes and decapod crustaceans in northern estuaries: a comparison of vegetated and unvegetated habitats in Maine. Estuaries 25, 1210–1218.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lillebø, A.I., Pardal, M.A. and Marques, J.C. (1999) Population structure, dynamics and production of Hydrobia ulvae (Pennant) (Mollusca: Prosobranchia) along an eutrophication gradient in the Mondego estuary (Portugal). Acta Oecologica 20, 289–304.Google Scholar
Lynch, B.R. and Rochette, R. (2007) Circatidal rhythm of free-roaming sub-tidal green crabs, Carcinus maenas, revealed by radio-acoustic positional telemetry. Crustaceana 80, 345–355.Google Scholar
Maes, J., Taillieu, A., Van Damme, P.A., Cottenie, K. and Ollevier, A. (1998) Seasonal patterns in the fish and crustacean community of a turbid temperate estuary (Zeeschelde estuary, Belgium). Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 47, 143–151.Google Scholar
Marques, J.C., Martins, I., Teles-Ferreira, C. and Cruz, S. (1994) Population dynamics, life history, and production of Cyathura carinata (Krøyer) (Isopoda: Anthuridae) in the Mondego estuary (Portugal). Journal of Crustacean Biology 14, 258–272.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Marques, J.C., Pardal, M.A., Nielsen, S.N. and Jørgensen, S.E. (1997) Analysis of the properties of exergy and biodiversity along an estuarine gradient of eutrophication. Ecological Modelling 102, 155–167.Google Scholar
Marques, J.C., Nielsen, S.N., Pardal, M.A. and Jørgensen, S.E. (2003) Impact of eutrophication and river management within a framework of ecosystem theories. Ecological Modelling 166, 147–168.Google Scholar
Marques, S.C., Azeiteiro, U.M., Martinho, F. and Pardal, M.A. (2007) Climate variability and planktonic communities: the effect of an extreme event (severe drought) in a southern European estuary. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 73, 725–734.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Martinho, F., Leitão, R., Viegas, I., Dolbeth, M., Neto, J.M., Cabral, H.N. and Pardal, M.A. (2007) The influence of an extreme drought event in the fish community of a southern Europe temperate estuary. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 75, 537–546.Google Scholar
McGaw, I.J. and Naylor, E. (1992) Salinity preference of the shore crab Carcinus maenas in relation to coloration during intermoult and to prior acclimation. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 155, 145–159.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McLusky, D.S. and Elliott, M. (2004) The estuarine ecosystem ecology, threats and management. 3rd edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Moksnes, P.-O., Phil, L. and Montfrans, J. (1998) Predation on postlarvae and juvenile of the shore crab Carcinus maenas: importance of shelter, size and cannibalism. Marine Ecology Progress Series 166, 211–225.Google Scholar
Nagaraj, M. (1993) Combined effects of temperature and salinity on the zoeal development of the green crab, Carcinus maenas (Linnaeus, 1758) (Decapoda: Portunidae). Scientia Marina 57, 1–8.Google Scholar
Naylor, E. (1962) Seasonal changes in a population of Carcinus maenas (L.) in the littoral zone. Journal of Animal Ecology 31, 601–610.Google Scholar
Neves, A., Cabral, H.N. and Gordo, L.S. (2006) Distribution and abundance patterns of decapods crustaceans in the Sado Estuary, Portugal. Crustaceana 80, 97–11.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nogueira, A.J. (1992) ANAMOD—extracção dos componentes modais de distribuições de frequências de variáveis biométricas. Provas de aptidão pedagógica e capacidade científica. University of Coimbra, Portugal.Google Scholar
Pardal, M.A., Marques, J.C., Metelo, I., Lillebø, A.I. and Flindt, M.R. (2000) Impact of eutrophication on the life cycle, population dynamics and production of Ampithoe valida (Amphipoda) along an estuarine spatial gradient (Mondego estuary, Portugal). Marine Ecology Progress Series 196, 207–219.Google Scholar
Pardal, M.A., Cardoso, P.G., Sousa, J.P., Marques, L.C. and Raffaelli, D. (2004) Assessing environmental quality: a novel approach. Marine Ecology Progress Series 267, 1–8.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Patrício, J., Neto, J.M., Teixeira, H., Salas, F. and Marques, J.C. (2009) The robustness of ecological indicators to detect long-term changes in the macrobenthic of estuarine systems. Marine Environmental Research, 68, 25–30.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Queiroga, H., Costlow, J.D. and Moreira, M.H. (1994) Larval abundance patterns of Carcinus maenas (Decapoda, Brachyura) in Canal de Mira (Ria de Aveiro, Portugal). Marine Ecology Progress Series 111, 63–72.Google Scholar
Raffaelli, D., Conacher, A., McLachlan, H. and Emes, C. (1989) The role of epibenthic crustacean predators in an estuarine food web. Coastal Shelf Science 28, 149–160.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Reid, G., Abelló, P., Kaiser, M.J. and Warman, C.G. (1997) Carapace colour, inter-moult duration and physiological ecology of the shore crab Carcinus maenas. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 44, 203–211.Google Scholar
Richmond, C., Wethey, D.S. and Woodin, S.A. (2007) Climate change and increased environmental variability: demographic responses in an estuarine harpacticoid copepod. Ecological Modelling 209, 189–202.Google Scholar
Scharf, F.S., Manderson, J.P., Fabrizio, M.C., Pessutti, J.P., Rosendale, J.E., Chant, R.J. and Bejda, A.J. (2004) Seasonal and interannual patterns of distribution and diet of bluefish within a Middle Atlantic Bight estuary in relation to abiotic and biotic factors. Estuaries 27, 426–436.Google Scholar
Styrishave, B., Andersen, O. and Depledge, M.H. (2003) In situ monitoring of heart rates in shore crabs Carcinus maenas in two tidal estuaries. Effects of physico-chemical parameters on tidal and diel rhythms. Marine and Freshwater Behaviour and Physiology 36, 161–175.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Styrishave, B. (2004) Frequency of moulting by shore crabs Carcinus maenas (L.) changes their colour and their success in mating and physiological performance. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 313, 317–336.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sprung, M. (2001) Larval abundance and recruitment of Carcinus maenas L. close to its southern geographic limit: a case of match and mismatch. Hydrobiologia 449, 153–158.Google Scholar
Ter Braak, C. and Smilauer, P. (1998) CANOCO reference manual and user's guide to Canoco for Windows: software for Canonical Community Ordination (version 4). Ithaca, NY: Microcomputer Power.Google Scholar
Thibault, K.M. and Brown, J.H. (2008) Impact of an extreme climatic event on community assembly. Ecology 105, 3410–3415.Google Scholar
Thiel, M. and Dernedde, T. (1994) Recruitment of shore crabs (Carcinus maenas) on tidal flats: mussel clumps as an important refuge for juveniles. Helgoländer Meeresuntersuchungen 48, 321–332.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Thresher, R.E., Werner, M., Høeg, J.T., Svane, I., Glenner, H., Murphy, N.E. and Wittwer, C. (2000) Developing the options for managing marine pests: specificity trials on the parasitic castrator, Sacculina carcini, against the European crab, Carcinus maenas, and related species. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 254, 37–51.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Van der Meeren, G.I. (1992) Location of spawning shore crabs, Carcinus maenas (L., 1758) (Decapoda, Brachyura). Crustaceana 63, 92–94.Google Scholar