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Graduate Research Fellowship
Impacts and behaviors of the chiton, Katharina tunicata, in the intertidal zone in Kachemak Bay, AK Jennifer Plett Graduate Research Fellow 2002-2003 Kachemak Bay, AK University of Alaska-Fairbanks Grazing is an extremely important factor in structuring communities. One particular grazer, Katharina tunicata, is one of the most abundant species in the intertidal community from California to Alaska, but very little is known about its impacts. For example, in Kachemak Bay, Alaska, Katharina tunicata can have densities up to 108 individuals per m2 (Plett, unpublished data). Because of high densities of K. tunicata as well as extreme tidal range found in Cook Inlet, the Kachemak Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve is an excellent place to conduct this study. Caging manipulations and mensurative experiments will be done to determine the importance of this abundant chiton to structuring rocky intertidal beaches in Kachemak Bay. Objectives for this study can be divided into two categories. First, I will explore indirect effects of K. tunicata on the community structure. And second, I will determine the direct effects of chiton feeding. Return to Project Abstracts |
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Privacy Policy | Disclaimer http://nerrs.noaa.gov/fellowship/grf_sus_21.html