Seaweed-mediated indirect interaction between two species of meso-herbivores.

Yun, H.Y., Rohde, Sven, Linnane, K., Wahl, Martin and Molis, Markus (2010) Seaweed-mediated indirect interaction between two species of meso-herbivores. Open Access Marine Ecology Progress Series, 408 . pp. 47-53. DOI 10.3354/meps08561.

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Abstract

Previous studies on trait-mediated trophic interactions in marine ecosystems were restricted to pair-wise interactions between one species of meso-herbivore and plant, though multi-grazer interactions are more common in nature. We investigated whether the feeding of one consumer, either the periwinkle Littorina littorea or the isopod Idotea baltica, affected consumption by the other consumer via anti-herbivory defence induction in the brown seaweed Fucus vesiculosus. To test the generality of our findings, we ran similar experiments with seaweed/grazer populations in the North and Baltic Seas (NE Atlantic). Grazer-specificity in induction strength was assessed by using the same species of grazer for induction and consumption. ‘Indirect’ induction effects were assessed by using different species of grazers for induction and consumption. Palatability assays were run with live algae and with reconstituted food to distinguish between different mechanisms of resistance. Grazing by herbivores induced a chemical defence in F. vesiculosus. In the North Sea population, the induced defences were only effective against I. baltica, regardless of inducer identity. The sensitive responses of I. baltica to the induced defences were also detected in the reconstituted food assays using Baltic Sea organisms. Thus, marine meso-grazers may be affected by previous feeding through the same or a different species of consumer by modified prey traits, such as induced chemical defences. Furthermore, the magnitude of the effect in the induced defences can be determined by species-specific sensitivity.

Document Type: Article
Keywords: Marine Biology; Multi-species interactions; Trait-mediated indirect interaction; Fucus vesiculosus; Idotea baltica; Littorina littorea; Herbivore-seaweed interactions
Research affiliation: OceanRep > GEOMAR
OceanRep > GEOMAR > FB3 Marine Ecology > FB3-EOE-B Experimental Ecology - Benthic Ecology
HGF-AWI
Refereed: Yes
Open Access Journal?: No
Publisher: Inter Research
Projects: Future Ocean
Date Deposited: 06 Oct 2010 05:59
Last Modified: 23 Sep 2019 18:54
URI: https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/9219

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