Saltmarsh grass supports fishery food webs in subtropical Australian estuaries

Kristin I Jinks; Michael A Rasheed; Christopher J Brown; Andrew D Olds; Thomas Schlacher; Marcus Sheaves; Paul H York; Rod M Connolly

doi:10.1016/j.ecss.2020.106719

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Saltmarsh grass supports fishery food webs in subtropical Australian estuaries

Journal article

Open access

Peer reviewed

Saltmarsh grass supports fishery food webs in subtropical Australian estuaries

Kristin I Jinks, Michael A Rasheed, Christopher J Brown, Andrew D Olds, Thomas Schlacher, Marcus Sheaves, Paul H York and Rod M Connolly

Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, Vol.238, pp.1-9

2020

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecss.2020.106719

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Abstract

coastal wetlands

salt marsh

sporobolus virginicus

sulfur

urbanization

fisheries

All fishery food webs are ultimately underpinned by organic matter produced by algae and plants, some of it supplied by primary producers at the fringes of fish habitats. This is no different in tropical and subtropical estuaries where secondary production by crustaceans and finfish may depend on coastal wetlands (e.g. mangroves, seagrass, saltmarshes) abutting channels. Coastal urbanisation is a major cause of wetland loss globally. Hypothetically, reduced wetland area may propagate to less fisheries production if wetland contributions to food webs are substantial - this is the prime question addressed here. We sampled key fisheries species in subtropical estuaries in reaches of moderate urbanisation (18-33% of shoreline hardened) and in reference locations dominated by wetlands, on the east coast of Australia. We used triple stable isotopes (C, N, S) to estimate (using mixing models) the trophic contributions of the key primary producers to regional fisheries species. Organic matter from wetland plants, particularly saltmarsh grass (Sporobolus virginicus), underpinned fishery food webs in most cases (with median contributions ranging from 18 to 88% for saltmarsh grass, followed by 6-70% for C3 wetland plants (e.g. mangroves, phragmites) and 3-36% by benthic algae). Moderate levels of urban transformation of estuarine margins did not change the dominance of wetland carbon for fish and crustaceans in settings without significant seagrass meadows. Given the demonstrated importance of saltmarshes, and other coastal wetlands, to regional fisheries production, conservation of these habitats is necessary in the face of multiple anthropogenic threats.

Details

Title: Saltmarsh grass supports fishery food webs in subtropical Australian estuaries
Authors: Kristin I Jinks (Author) - Griffith University
Michael A Rasheed (Author) - James Cook University
Christopher J Brown (Author) - Griffith University
Andrew D Olds (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast - School of Science and Engineering
Thomas Schlacher (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast - School of Science and Engineering
Marcus Sheaves (Author) - James Cook University
Paul H York (Author) - James Cook University
Rod M Connolly (Author) - Griffith University
Publication details: Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, Vol.238, pp.1-9
Publisher: Academic Press
Date published: 2020
DOI: 10.1016/j.ecss.2020.106719
ISSN: 0272-7714
Grants: Predicting fisheries change from cumulative impacts to aquatic habitats, DE160101207, Australian Research Council (Australia, Canberra) - ARC
Predicting interactive effects of multiple stressors on marine ecosystems, DP180103124 , Australian Research Council (Australia, Canberra) - ARC
Environmental features shape habitat values for fish: effects on diversity and productivity in Central Queensland estuaries, DAF1498CQB3, Department of Primary Industries (Australia, Brisbane) - DAF
Ecological valuation tools to protect seagrass during coastal development, LP160100492 , Australian Research Council (Australia, Canberra) - ARC
Organisation Unit: School of Science and Engineering - Legacy; School of Science, Technology and Engineering
Language: English
Record Identifier: 99450973502621
Output Type: Journal article

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Collaboration types: Domestic collaboration
Web Of Science research areas: Marine & Freshwater Biology; Oceanography

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