Size, depth and position affect the diversity and structure of rock pool communities in an urban estuary
Nina Schaefer A D , Katherine A. Dafforn A B C , Emma L. Johnston A and Mariana Mayer-Pinto A B
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Room 241, Level 2, Biological Sciences North (D26), UNSW Sydney, Kensington, NSW 2052, Australia.
B Sydney Institute of Marine Science, 19 Chowder Bay Road, Mosman NSW 2088, Australia.
C Department of Environmental Sciences, Level 3, 12 Wally’s Walk, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW 2109, Australia.
D Corresponding author. Email: n.schaefer@unsw.edu.au
Marine and Freshwater Research 70(7) 1034-1044 https://doi.org/10.1071/MF18074
Submitted: 28 February 2018 Accepted: 29 October 2018 Published: 19 December 2018
Abstract
Rock pools provide a range of ecological niches that can support diverse assemblages on rocky shores. As intertidal shores are increasingly lost to developments, understanding the drivers of diversity in rock pools is important for the conservation and construction of these key habitats. In this study we investigated relationships between physical characteristics of rock pools and their biota in an urban estuary. We sampled the biota every 6 weeks for 1 year at sites in the inner and outer zones of Sydney Harbour. In the well-flushed and exposed outer zone, sessile and mobile taxa richness was positively related to rock pool width, whereas only mobile taxa richness was related to depth and volume. In the more urbanised and less exposed inner zone, mobile taxa richness was positively related to rock pool width and volume. In both zones, sessile taxa richness decreased with increasing height on shore. Our results suggest that the biodiversity of intertidal rock pools varies depending on their position in Sydney Harbour and the available species pool. Therefore, restoration efforts should consider rock pool size parameters and local environmental conditions, including location, so designs can be optimised to maximise species diversity in these pools.
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