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SUBTIDAL CRUSTACEAN DIVERSITY AND DISTRIBUTION ON SAPELO ISLAND, GA

Abstract

Sandy beach ecosystems provide several important ecosystem functions such as nutrient cycling, the mineralization of organic matter, and the transport of these materials to surrounding environments. Some of the most abundant macrobenthos in the subtidal zones of sandy beaches are crustaceans, pycnogonids, and euphausiids, which are especially important as a food source for other organisms and as bioindicators or keystone species. The diversity of these ecosystems is affected by abiotic factors such as wave action and sediment size. However, on Sapelo Island, Georgia, subtidal crustacean diversity is understudied. Sapelo Island is subjected to little human impact, so common threats to sandy beach ecosystems are not as prominent as on other barrier island beaches. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to compare a protected and exposed beach in order to analyze the effects of wave action and season on subtidal crustacean biodiversity. Crustaceans were collected using a modified beam trawl seasonally and identified to the lowest possible taxonomic level. It was hypothesized that the beach protected from wave action would exhibit greater diversity than that of the beach exposed to wave action. However, results have shown a greater individual abundance and species richness on the exposed beach, with some overlap between species at both beaches. The results of this study will document current crustacean diversity on the island and can aid in further ecological studies investigating subtidal crustaceans and habitat health in the region.

Acknowledgements

GCSU Dept. of Biological and Environmental Sciences

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