Bivalve Filter Feeders: In Estuarine And Coastal Ecosystem Processes (nato Asi Series (closed) / Nato Asi Subseries G: (closed))

Bivalve filter-feeding mollusks are important components of coastal ecosystems because they remove large quantities of suspended material from the water and excrete abundant amounts of reactive nutrients. These animals are also major prey for numerous predators including birds, fish, mammals, and invertebrates; furthermore, they are significant food resources for humans. While studies on the organismic and population level have dominated bivalve ecology, the recent focus on the ecosystem roles of filter feeding systems has led to larger-scale investigations. With this approach the specific topics of physiology, grazing, predation, nutrient cycling, physical environment, computer simulation modeling, and environmental management are combined into a meaningful whole. Front Matter....Pages I-VII Feeding Physiology of Bivalves: Time-Dependence and Compensation for Changes in Food Availability....Pages 1-24 Infaunal Filter-Feeding Bivalves and the Physiological Response to Short-Term Fluctuations in Food Availability and Composition....Pages 25-56 Phytoplankton-Mussel Bed Interactions in Intertidal Ecosystems....Pages 57-84 Grazing of Natural Particulates by Bivalve Molluscs: A Spatial and Temporal Perspective....Pages 85-148 Invertebrate Predators and their Role in Structuring Coastal and Estuarine Populations of Filter Feeding Bivalves....Pages 149-195 The Impact of Bird Predation on Marine and Estuarine Bivalve Populations: A Selective Review of Patterns and Underlying Causes....Pages 197-243 The Role of Bivalve Filter Feeder Material Fluxes in Estuarine Ecosystems....Pages 245-269 The Uptake of Organic Matter and the Release of Inorganic Nutrients by Bivalve Suspension Feeder Beds....Pages 271-298 Hydrodynamic Control of Bivalve Filter Feeders: A Conceptual View....Pages 299-324 Bivalve Feeding and the Benthic Boundary Layer....Pages 325-369 Perspectives on Field Studies and Related Biological Models of Bivalve Growth and Carrying Capacity....Pages 371-420 A Set of Models to Investigate the Role of Benthic Suspension Feeders in Estuarine Ecosystems....Pages 421-454 Why Carrying Capacity Models are Useful Tools for Management of Bivalve Molluscs Culture....Pages 455-477 Integrated Estuarine Management — Obtaining a Sustainable Yield of Bivalve Resources While Maintaining Environmental Quality....Pages 479-511 Preliminary Observations on the Hydrodynamics of Filter Feeding in Zebra Mussels....Pages 513-514 Pelagic — Benthic Interactions in an Enclosed Coastal Ecosystem: The Impact of Mytilus Edulis Populations on Water Quality in the South Docks, Liverpool....Pages 515-516 Ecosystem Modelling: Sensitivity of Physical Characteristics to Spatial Box Design....Pages 517-518 Oyster Farming Impact on the Environment of a Mediterranean Lagoon (THAU)(Preliminary results of the OXYTHAU programme)....Pages 519-521 Biodeposit Production in Mediterranean Shellfish Farms : Non-Linear Relationships with the Environment....Pages 523-525 Biological and Physical Processes in Mediterranean Coastal Ecosystems : Field Measurements and Modeling....Pages 527-529 Delaware Bay Oyster Populations: Effects of Seed Movement, Harvesting, and Diseases....Pages 531-534 Physiology and Grazing Working Groups Joint Report....Pages 535-538 Predation and Population Dynamics Working Group Report....Pages 539-541 Material Processing....Pages 543-547 Working Group Report: Modelling....Pages 549-555 Physical Factors....Pages 557-559 The Role of Scientists in the Management of Coastal Ecosystems....Pages 561-564 Bivalve Filter Feeders and Estuarine and Coastal Ecosystem Processes: Conclusions....Pages 565-569 Back Matter....Pages 571-582