Benthic Macroinfauna

The Benthic Macroinfauna group is comparing the benthic communities of intertidal and shallow subtidal soft-sediment sites that have received oil to those from non-oiled sites. Macroinfaunal communities vary across habitats in taxonomic diversity (polychaetes, bivalves and crustaceans) as well as in functional diversity (e.g., burrowers, tube builders and suspension feeders). This research group is investigating whether the taxonomic diversity of macroinfauna decreases along a gradient of oil impact, if the impacts of oil reduce the communities’ functional diversity and if larger, longer-lived, burrowing species are more susceptible to oil disturbances. Infaunal samples are being collected in multiple habitat types in the Chandeleur Islands as well as Tampa Bay to determine taxonomic, functional and genetic diversity. Mesocosm experiments are being conducted on species of interest (high abundance, keystone role, etc.)

Presentations and Publications

• Application of ecophylogenetics to benthic communities in the Northern Gulf of Mexico. Do functional traits follow phylogeny? Authors: Gadeken, K.; Dorgan, K.M.; Moore, J.; Berke, S.K.
  Poster presentations at: Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology Meeting (Jan 1-7, 2016); Ocean Sciences Meeting (Feb 21-27, 2016)
  

• Oxygen fluxes in Gulf of Mexico sediments Authors: Keller, E.L.; Caffray, T.E.; Berke, S.K.; Dorgan, K.M.; Bell, S.; Robertson, A.; Baltzer, K.; Clemo, W.C.; Gadeken, K.
  Poster presentations at: Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology Meeting (Jan 1-7, 2016); Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill & Ecosystem Science Conference (Feb 1-4, 2016)