title: Trophic linkage of a temperate intertidal macrobenthic food web under opportunistic macroalgal blooms: A stable isotope approach.
abstract: The effects of blooms of opportunistic green macroalgae, Ulva prolifera, on the trophic structure of the macrobenthic food web in a temperate intertidal zone on the western coast of Korea were evaluated using carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes. Biomasses of Ulva and microphytobenthos (MPB) increased significantly at the macroalgae-bloom and the non-bloom sites, respectively, from March to September 2011. The δ(13)C values of most the consumers were arrayed between those of MPB and Ulva at both sites, and differed according to feeding strategies at the macroalgae-bloom site. Seasonally increasing magnitudes in δ(13)C and δ(15)N values of consumers were much steeper at the macroalgae-bloom site than at the non-bloom site. Our findings provide evidence that blooming green macroalgae play a significant role as a basal resource supporting the intertidal macrobenthic food web and their significance varies with feeding strategies of consumers as well as the resource availability.
authors.affiliation: Department of Marine Bioscience, Gangneung-Wonju National University, Gangneung 210-702, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Hyun Je
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: School of Earth Sciences & Environmental Engineering, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Gwangju 500-712, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Eunah
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Han
authors.affiliation: School of Earth Sciences & Environmental Engineering, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Gwangju 500-712, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Young-Jae
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: School of Earth Sciences & Environmental Engineering, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Gwangju 500-712, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: ckkang@gist.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Chang-Keun
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Kang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D059001:Aquatic Organisms; D018533:Biomass; D002247:Carbon Isotopes / Q000032:analysis; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods; D005068:Eutrophication; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D020387:Food Chain; D007448:Invertebrates; D009587:Nitrogen Isotopes / Q000032:analysis; D056910:Republic of Korea; D012624:Seaweed / Q000254:growth & development; D044445:Ulva / Q000254:growth & development
chemical_list: D002247:Carbon Isotopes; D009587:Nitrogen Isotopes
keywords: Intertidal flat; Macrobenthos; Opportunistic macroalgal blooms; Stable isotopes; Trophic structure; Ulva