Book contents
- Interactions in the Marine Benthos
- The Systematics Association Special Volume Series
- Interactions in the Marine Benthos
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Preface
- Contributors
- Chapter 1 Introduction
- Chapter 2 The Intertidal Zone of the North-East Atlantic Region
- Chapter 3 The Ecology of Rocky Subtidal Habitats of the North-East Atlantic
- Chapter 4 Rocky Intertidal Shores of the North-West Atlantic Ocean
- Chapter 5 Subtidal Rocky Shores of the North-West Atlantic Ocean
- Chapter 6 Shallow Water Muddy Sands of the North-West Atlantic Ocean
- Chapter 7 Biodiversity and Interactions on the Intertidal Rocky Shores of Argentina (South-West Atlantic)
- Chapter 8 Species Interactions and Regime Shifts in Intertidal and Subtidal Rocky Reefs of the Mediterranean Sea
- Chapter 9 The Restructuring of Levant Reefs by Aliens, Ocean Warming and Overfishing
- Chapter 10 North-East Pacific
- Chapter 11 The North-East Pacific
- Chapter 12 Consumer–Resource Interactions on an Environmental Mosaic
- Chapter 13 Where Three Oceans Meet
- Chapter 14 Rocky Shores of Mainland China, Taiwan and Hong Kong
- Chapter 15 Biogeographic Comparisons of Pattern and Process on Intertidal Rocky Reefs of New Zealand and South-Eastern Australia
- Chapter 16 The Past and Future Ecologies of Australasian Kelp Forests
- Chapter 17 Kropotkin’s Garden
- Chapter 18 Biofilms in Intertidal Habitats
- Chapter 19 Interactions in the Deep Sea
- Chapter 20 Overview and Synthesis
- Index
- Systematics Association Special Volumes
- References
Chapter 18 - Biofilms in Intertidal Habitats
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 07 September 2019
- Interactions in the Marine Benthos
- The Systematics Association Special Volume Series
- Interactions in the Marine Benthos
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Preface
- Contributors
- Chapter 1 Introduction
- Chapter 2 The Intertidal Zone of the North-East Atlantic Region
- Chapter 3 The Ecology of Rocky Subtidal Habitats of the North-East Atlantic
- Chapter 4 Rocky Intertidal Shores of the North-West Atlantic Ocean
- Chapter 5 Subtidal Rocky Shores of the North-West Atlantic Ocean
- Chapter 6 Shallow Water Muddy Sands of the North-West Atlantic Ocean
- Chapter 7 Biodiversity and Interactions on the Intertidal Rocky Shores of Argentina (South-West Atlantic)
- Chapter 8 Species Interactions and Regime Shifts in Intertidal and Subtidal Rocky Reefs of the Mediterranean Sea
- Chapter 9 The Restructuring of Levant Reefs by Aliens, Ocean Warming and Overfishing
- Chapter 10 North-East Pacific
- Chapter 11 The North-East Pacific
- Chapter 12 Consumer–Resource Interactions on an Environmental Mosaic
- Chapter 13 Where Three Oceans Meet
- Chapter 14 Rocky Shores of Mainland China, Taiwan and Hong Kong
- Chapter 15 Biogeographic Comparisons of Pattern and Process on Intertidal Rocky Reefs of New Zealand and South-Eastern Australia
- Chapter 16 The Past and Future Ecologies of Australasian Kelp Forests
- Chapter 17 Kropotkin’s Garden
- Chapter 18 Biofilms in Intertidal Habitats
- Chapter 19 Interactions in the Deep Sea
- Chapter 20 Overview and Synthesis
- Index
- Systematics Association Special Volumes
- References
Summary
Intertidal biofilms are a diverse mixture of bacteria, algae as well as sporelings of macroalgae embedded in a polysaccharid matrix. As the primary colonisers of newly formed surfaces, biofilms undergo a succession of different microbe assemblage until the mature state is reached. A biofilm can act as primary producers and as such recycle nutrients in a habitat. It will influence macrobiota by providing a food source or sending out cues to settlers. Biofilms themselves will be controlled by these settlers. This interaction between bottom-up and top-down plays a crucial part for the functioning of the rocky shore ecosystems. However, the diversity of biolfilms as well as it nature to react quickly to environmental changes makes identification and quantification of the individual compounds a difficult task. Subsequently, the understanding of biofilms in general and intertidal, rocky shore microbe assemblages has always tied to techniques and methods available at the time of study. This chapter focusses on the techniques that have greatly contributed to increasing knowledge of biofilms and discusses their findings. Nonetheless, newly developed methods promise to further this knowledge of the ecological role of biofilms on rocky coastlines.
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- Information
- Interactions in the Marine BenthosGlobal Patterns and Processes, pp. 448 - 473Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2019
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