Spatial patterns and predictor variables vary among different types of primary producers and consumers in eelgrass (Zostera marina) beds.

Eelgrass (Zostera marina) forms extensive beds in coastal and estuarine environments and provides various ecosystem functions. The aboveground part of eelgrass provides habitats for other types of primary producers such as epiphytic microalgae and for epifaunal invertebrate grazers. Because of the different sizes, generation times and resource requirements, these different types of producers and consumers may be affected by different sets of biotic/abiotic factors over multiple spatial scales.

Oyster aquaculture impacts Zostera marina epibiont community composition in Akkeshi-ko estuary, Japan.

Coastal fisheries are in decline worldwide, and aquaculture has become an increasingly popular way to meet seafood demand. While finfish aquaculture can have substantial adverse effects on coastal ecosystems due mostly to necessary feed inputs, bivalves graze on natural phytoplankton and are often considered for their positive ecosystem services. We conducted two independent studies to investigate the effects of long-line Crassostrea gigas oyster aquaculture on Zostera marina seagrass beds and associated epibiont communities in Akkeshi-ko estuary, Japan.