title: Mass and metabolism of a mussel bed.
abstract: A mussel bed dominated by Mytilus edulis contained large concentrations of living consumer biomass, with over 14 kg dry weight/m2distributed among eleven species. An additional 14.4 kg dry weight/m2was present as empty shell fragments that contributed to community structure. Field measurements of community respiration for this dense animal system showed a roughly hyperbolic response to increasing current speed. In still water, oxygen uptake was 0.2g O2/m2/hr while in currents over 0.1 m/sec it quickly rose to about 2.7 g O2/m2/hr.
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Oceanography, University of Rhode Island, 02881, Kingston, R. I., U.S.A.
authors.forename: Scott W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Nixon
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Oceanography, University of Rhode Island, 02881, Kingston, R. I., U.S.A.
authors.forename: Candace A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Oviatt
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Oceanography, University of Rhode Island, 02881, Kingston, R. I., U.S.A.
authors.forename: Caroline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rogers
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Oceanography, University of Rhode Island, 02881, Kingston, R. I., U.S.A.
authors.forename: Kenneth
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Taylor