Sources and fate of organic matter in constructed versus natural coastal waterways.

Coastal wetlands are increasingly being converted into canal estates with potential consequences for ecosystem functioning. We compared the sources and fate of organic matter and water quality at four types of canal habitats (entrances and ends of canals, canal lakes and lake edges) and shallow and deep natural habitats (four replicates of each habitat). The fate of labile organic matter was assessed by measuring rates of scavenging of carrion.

Does 'you are what you eat' apply to mangrove grapsid crabs?

In tropical mangroves, brachyuran crabs have been observed to consume high percentages of leaf litter production. However, questions concerning their ability to assimilate this low-quality food remain, as stable isotope analysis of C and N does not seem to support assimilation. Individuals of the common eastern Australian mangrove grapsid Parasesarma erythodactyla feeding on a mangrove leaf litter or mangrove+microphytobenthos diet developed a significantly higher hepatosomatic index than those with access to only sediment.