• IMAS Metadata Catalogue
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Impacts of the Northern Pacific Seastar (Asterias amurensis) and European green crab (Carcinus maenas) on soft sediment assemblages in south east Tasmania

This study compared the individual and combined effects of two introduced marine species in SE Tasmania - the northern Pacific seastar (Asterias amurensis) and the European green crab (Carcinus maenas) - and investigated their impact on native invertebrate fauna using in situ caging experiments.


Both species predate upon bivalves, and this study assessed the biological interaction between these introduced species and native bivalve species - allowing the impact of multiple exotic predator species to be investigated in one system.


The cage experiments have 5 treatment groups, including all combinations of presence (single animal) and absence of seastars and crabs, and a control with neither. Predator activity (number and type of bivalves consumed) was recorded after 8 weeks by suction-sampling each cage and counting and identifying fauna.

Simple

Identification info

Date (Creation)
2007-11-30T14:07:00

Principal investigator

Tasmanian Aquaculture and Fisheries Institute (TAFI) - Ross, Jeff (PhD student)
Tasmanian Aquaculture and Fisheries Institute, University of Tasmania
Private Bag 49
Hobart
TAS
7001
Australia
61 3 6227 7277
61 3 6227 8035 (facsimile)
ORCID ID >

Principal investigator

School of Zoology, University of Tasmania (UTAS) - Johnson, Craig, Prof. (PhD Supervisor)
School of Zoology, University of Tasmania
Private Bag 5
Tasmania
7001
Australia
61 3 6226 2652
61 3 6226 2745 (facsimile)
ORCID ID >

Purpose
To investigate the interactions and impact of two exotic marine species on native invertebrate fauna in SE Tasmania.
Credit
G.M. Ruiz
Credit
C.L. Hewitt
Credit
CSIRO Marine Research Centre for Research on Introduced Marine Pests
Status
Completed

Principal investigator

Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS), University of Tasmania (UTAS) - Ross, Jeff, Dr
IMAS - Taroona
Private Bag 49
Hobart
TAS
7001
Australia
61 3 6227 7281
61 3 6227 8035 (facsimile)
ORCID ID >

Spatial representation type
Text, table
Topic category
  • Biota

Extent

N
S
E
W


Temporal extent

Time period
1997-01-01T15:43:00 1998-01-31T15:43:00

Vertical element

Minimum value
2
Maximum value
3
Identifier
EPSG::5715
Name
MSL depth
Maintenance and update frequency
Not planned

Resource format

Title
Excel
Date
Edition
2003
CAAB - Codes for Australian Aquatic Biota v2.
  • 25 154001
  • Asterias amurensis
  • 28 911009
  • Carcinus maenas
Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Earth Science Keywords Version 8.0
  • ANIMALS/INVERTEBRATES
  • INVASIVE SPECIES
  • SEAFLOOR TOPOGRAPHY
  • SPECIES PREDATION
  • ECHINODERMS
Keywords (Discipline)
  • Temperate Reef
Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Classification (ANZSRC): Fields of Research
  • Invasive Species Ecology
  • Marine and Estuarine Ecology (incl. Marine Ichthyology)
AODN Platform Vocabulary
  • diver
AODN Discovery Parameter Vocabulary
  • Abundance of biota
Keywords (Theme)
  • Shell length

Resource constraints

Classification
Unclassified

Resource constraints

Use limitation
The data described in the record are the intellectual property of the University of Tasmania through the Tasmanian Aquaculture and Fisheries Institute.

Resource constraints

Linkage
http://i.creativecommons.org/l/by/2.5/au/88x31.png

License Graphic

Title
Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 Australia License


>

Website
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/au/

License Text

Other constraints
The citation in a list of references is: citation author name/s (year metadata published), metadata title. Citation author organisation/s. File identifier and Data accessed at (add http link).
Other constraints
Please contact the researcher when accessing the dataset.
Language
English
Character encoding
UTF8
Supplemental Information
Ross, D.J., Johnson, C.R., Hewitt, C.L. and Ruiz, G.M. (2004). Interaction and impacts of two introduced species on a soft-sediment marine assemblage in SE Tasmania. Marine Biology 144: 747-756 DOI10.1007/s00227-003-1223-4 Ross, DJ. (2001). Impact of the northern Pacific seastar Asterias amurensis on soft sediment assemblages, including commercial species, in southeast Tasmania. PhD thesis. University of Tasmania.

Content Information

Content type
Physical measurement
Description
Abundance of sea stars

Identifier

Code
Abundance of biota
Identifier
http://vocab.nerc.ac.uk/collection/P06/current/UPMS
Name
Number per square metre
Name
Shell length

Identifier
http://vocab.nerc.ac.uk/collection/P06/current/UXMM
Name
Millimetres

Distribution Information

Distribution format
  • Excel

Distributor

Principal investigator

Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS), University of Tasmania (UTAS) - Ross, Jeff, Dr
ORCID ID >

OnLine resource
DATA - Main study data [direct download]

OnLine resource
DATA - length-frequency of green crab [direct download]

OnLine resource
imas:TAF_DJRoss_Impacts_northern_pacific_seastar_european_green_crab_soft_sediment_GV

MAP - Sites of caging experiments

OnLine resource
View and download this data through the interactive IMAS Data Portal.

Resource lineage

Statement
Five treatment groups contained all combinations of presence (single animal) and absence of crabs and seastars in cages. There was also an unmanipulated plot (1m2) without cage or animals added. Cages were constructed of (1mx1 m base x 0.7m high) steel frame with legs (0.5m long) to anchor cage into sediment with 100-150mm of the cage side was buried. The cage top and sides were covered in plastic mesh (6mm). To control for patchiness of infauna in the analysis of treatment effects, we used a randomised complete-block design. The experiment ran for 8 weeks before cages and predators were removed. Two sampling techniques were used. Treatment plots were sampled with cores (150mm diameter, 100mm deep) to estimate abundance of infaunal and epifaunal organisms (>1mm). Three replicate cores were extracted at random positions for each plot. Samples were not taken within 0.1m of the cage perimeter to avoid edge effects. The entire contents of the plots were sampled to a 0.1m depth using a diver-operated air-driven suction device. To do this, an open square frame (1mx 1m) was inserted into the sediment to isolate the plot, and all contents vacuumed into a 1mm meshbag. Samples were sieved (1.0mm mesh) before fixing in 5-10% buffered formalin with Rose Bengal stain, and then rinsed in freshwater before storing in 100% ethanol. Infaunal and epifaunal organisms (>1mm) in core samples were sorted and identified to the lowest possible taxon. Suction samples were sieved again (2.0mm mesh), and all bivalves and the echinoid Echinocardium cordatum were sorted and identified to species. The number of clams (Fulvia tenuicostata and Katelysia rhytiphora) eaten by each predator was counted in suction samples. Undamaged, empty shells with gaping valves identified bivalves that were eaten by seastars. Bivalve hinges with only a fraction of the shell remaining were identified as prey eaten by crabs. The lengths of live and undamaged empty bivalves were measured in all treatments.
Hierarchy level
Dataset
Hierarchy level
Dataset

Platform

Identifier

Code
diver

Metadata

Metadata identifier
ce40ae30-9eef-11dc-a243-00188b4c0af8

Language
English
Character encoding
UTF8

Point of contact

Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS), University of Tasmania (UTAS) - IMAS Data Manager

Type of resource

Resource scope
Dataset
Metadata linkage
https://metadata.imas.utas.edu.au/geonetwork/srv/eng/catalog.search#/metadata/ce40ae30-9eef-11dc-a243-00188b4c0af8

Point of truth URL of this metadata record

Date info (Creation)
2020-08-14T11:53:53
Date info (Revision)
2020-08-14T11:53:53

Metadata standard

Title
ISO 19115-3:2018
 
 

Overviews

thumbnail
large_thumbnail

Spatial extent

N
S
E
W


Keywords

Shell length
AODN Discovery Parameter Vocabulary
Abundance of biota
AODN Platform Vocabulary
diver
Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Classification (ANZSRC): Fields of Research
Invasive Species Ecology Marine and Estuarine Ecology (incl. Marine Ichthyology)
Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Earth Science Keywords Version 8.0
ANIMALS/INVERTEBRATES ECHINODERMS INVASIVE SPECIES SEAFLOOR TOPOGRAPHY SPECIES PREDATION

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