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A COMPARISON OF SAMPLING METHODS OF INTERTIDAL CRUSTACEANS ON SAPELO ISLAND, GA

Abstract

Intertidal crustaceans inhabit the area between the average high and low tides on marine coastlines; however, the diversity of these crustaceans is understudied. This diversity of crustaceans varies based on abiotic conditions associated with each ecosystem, including characteristics such as sediment grain size and wave action. These factors can also affect the efficiency of sampling methods. Differences in sediment size will allow for different types of organisms to burrow, and increased wave action causes more difficult sampling. With varying sampling techniques, these abiotic factors can be explored. Three different sampling methods were compared based on the diversity and abundance of intertidal crustaceans collected at an exposed and protected beach on Sapelo Island, Georgia. The sampling methods included a yabbi-pump, D-net, and modified beam trawl during low tide. It was hypothesized that the beam trawl would be more efficient in collecting a diverse array of organisms, while the yabbi-pump and D-net would focus more on infaunal organisms. After sampling, the organisms collected were sorted, identified, and quantified to analyze the sampling methods and determine which is most efficient in the collection of intertidal crustaceans. The data suggest that the yabbi-pump yielded the highest numbers of smaller crustaceans including copepods and amphipods, while the D-net yielded the highest numbers of hermit crabs and other large intertidal crustaceans. These findings will allow future studies to more easily target species of interest when documenting species diversity.

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