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Decadal-scale changes in the shallow subtidal benthos of an Irish marine reserve by Cynthia D. Trowbridge; Colin Little; Graham M. Pilling; Penny Stirling; Alison Miles is a Earth and Planetary Sciences article available to read on EtoBox.

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## Abstract Long-term annual monitoring of rocky intertidal and shallow subtidal shores of an Irish sea lough (1990–2010) documented major regime shifts in the past decade. When population densities of the purple urchin __Paracentrotus lividus__ plummeted in Lough Hyne Marine Reserve in southwestern Ireland, the warm-water fucalean alga __Cystoseira foeniculacea__ and ephemeral algae proliferated shortly after. We discuss the possible influences of release from herbivory and climate change on this algal proliferation, which blanketed the benthos. Smothering of the benthos led to high levels of shallow subtidal anoxia. Furthermore, the invasive fucalean alga __Sargassum muticum__ has made repeated incursions into the reserve. Although being reduced by persistent eradication efforts (2003–2011), __Sargassum__ is spreading within the lough. Limited seawater flushing and propagule dispersal within the lough and eutrophication in coastal waters may have contributed to community-level changes. Whether the regime change is cyclical (contingent on re-establishment of urchins within the lough and continued eradication of __S. muticum__) or irreversible (the result of critical transitions) r

Who reads Decadal-scale changes in the shallow subtidal benthos of an Irish marine reserve?

Author

Cynthia D. Trowbridge; Colin Little; Graham M. Pilling; Penny Stirling; Alison Miles

Publisher

Walter de Gruyter GmbH

Published

2011

Language

EN

Field

Earth and Planetary Sciences (Physical Sciences)