1 Benthic Suspension Feeders as Determinants
of Ecosystem Structure and Function
in Shallow Coastal Waters
R.E DAME, D. BUSHEK, and T.e. PRINS
Publication No. 1259 of the Belle W. Baruch Institute for Marine Biology and
Coastal Research.
1.1 Introduction
Suspension-feeding animals are common macroscopic inhabitants of hardand soft-bottom habitats in shallow coastal waters. Many forms aggregate on
specific bottom types where they take advantage of the free-energy subsidies
provided by waves, tides and wind-driven currents that transport oxygen and
particulate food to them, carry away waste, disperse larvae, and exclude predators. Because these organisms can move and process large amounts of
material between the water column and the bottom, they are often major
agents of benthic-pelagic coupling and nutrient cycling (Dame 1996; Wildish
and Kristmanson 1997). As a group, they have been promoted as system filters
or cleaners because of their suspension-feeding abilities (Newell 1988). Some
reef builders are advocated as erosion-control mechanisms (Kirtley and
Tanner 1968). All of these functional roles imply that benthic suspension
feeders play a significant part in the overall functioning of many shallow
coastal systems.
To be certain that we are clearly understood regarding suspension-feeding
terminology, there are a few terms that should be defined. The more general
term "suspension feeder" refers to animals that retain particles from the water
passing their feeding organs. The term "filter feeder" is often used synonymously with the term suspension feeder; however, filter feeding specifically
describes feeding by passing water through structures that retain particles
according to size and shape (J0rgensen 1966). For example, vermetids (Gastropoda) are suspension feeders that use mucus nets to ensnare particles, but,
in that mode, they are not filter feeders because the net is not very selective
and the animal does not control water flow by the net. In comparison, many
Ecological Studies, Vol. 151
K. Reise (ed.) Ecological Comparisons
of Sedimentary Shores
© Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2001
of Ecosystem Structure and Function
in Shallow Coastal Waters
R.E DAME, D. BUSHEK, and T.e. PRINS
Publication No. 1259 of the Belle W. Baruch Institute for Marine Biology and
Coastal Research.
1.1 Introduction
Suspension-feeding animals are common macroscopic inhabitants of hardand soft-bottom habitats in shallow coastal waters. Many forms aggregate on
specific bottom types where they take advantage of the free-energy subsidies
provided by waves, tides and wind-driven currents that transport oxygen and
particulate food to them, carry away waste, disperse larvae, and exclude predators. Because these organisms can move and process large amounts of
material between the water column and the bottom, they are often major
agents of benthic-pelagic coupling and nutrient cycling (Dame 1996; Wildish
and Kristmanson 1997). As a group, they have been promoted as system filters
or cleaners because of their suspension-feeding abilities (Newell 1988). Some
reef builders are advocated as erosion-control mechanisms (Kirtley and
Tanner 1968). All of these functional roles imply that benthic suspension
feeders play a significant part in the overall functioning of many shallow
coastal systems.
To be certain that we are clearly understood regarding suspension-feeding
terminology, there are a few terms that should be defined. The more general
term "suspension feeder" refers to animals that retain particles from the water
passing their feeding organs. The term "filter feeder" is often used synonymously with the term suspension feeder; however, filter feeding specifically
describes feeding by passing water through structures that retain particles
according to size and shape (J0rgensen 1966). For example, vermetids (Gastropoda) are suspension feeders that use mucus nets to ensnare particles, but,
in that mode, they are not filter feeders because the net is not very selective
and the animal does not control water flow by the net. In comparison, many
Ecological Studies, Vol. 151
K. Reise (ed.) Ecological Comparisons
of Sedimentary Shores
© Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2001