Hurricanes temporarily weaken human-ecosystem linkages in estuaries.

Intense disturbances such as hurricanes may drastically affect ecosystems, producing both acute and long-term changes along coastlines. By disrupting human activities (e.g.

Common fear molecules induce defensive responses in marine prey across trophic levels.

Predator-prey interactions are a key feature of ecosystems and often chemically mediated, whereby individuals detect molecules in their environment that inform whether they should attack or defend. These molecules are largely unidentified, and their discovery is important for determining their ecological role in complex trophic systems. Homarine and trigonelline are two previously identified blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) urinary metabolites that cause mud crabs (Panopeus herbstii) to seek refuge, but it was unknown whether these molecules influence other species within this oyster reef system.

Barnacles as biological flow indicators.

Hydrodynamic stress shapes the flora and fauna that exist in wave-swept environments, alters species interactions, and can become the primary community structuring agent. Yet, hydrodynamics can be difficult to quantify because instrumentation is expensive, some methods are unreliable, and accurately measuring spatial and temporal differences can be difficult. Here, we explored the utility of barnacles as potential biological flow-indicators.

Predator signaling of multiple prey on different trophic levels structures trophic cascades.

The capacity of an apex predator to produce nonconsumptive effects (NCEs) in multiple prey trophic levels can create considerable complexity in nonconsumptive cascading interactions, but these effects are poorly studied. We examined such effects in a model food web where the apex predator (blue crabs) releases chemical cues in urine that affect both the intermediate consumer (mud crabs seek shelter) and the basal prey (oysters are induced to grow stronger shells). Shelter availability and predator presence were manipulated in a laboratory experiment to identify patterns in species interactions.

Induced defenses as a management tool: Shaping individuals to their environment.

Many prey species can adjust morphology to reduce predation risk in response to predator cues. Enhancing prey defenses using predator cues may improve survival of cultivated species and enhance species restoration efforts, but assessment of such benefits at industrially relevant scales is needed. We examined how raising a model foundation species, oysters (Crassostrea virginica), under commercial hatchery conditions with cues from two common predator species can improve survival across a variety of predator regimes and environmental conditions.