Abstract:

These datasets were generated from mesocosm experiments conducted from June to September 2017 to examine the effects of predator and habitat diversity on trophic interactions of common coastal fish and crustacean species of the Gulf of Mexico. Prey assemblages composed of diamond killifish (Fundulus xenicus), juvenile Atlantic blue crabs (Callinectes sapidus), and grass shrimp (Palaemonetes spp.) were exposed to combinations of 4 predator species (red drum [Sciaenops ocellatus], Gulf killifish [Fundulus grandis], Gulf toadfish [Opsanus beta], and adult blue crabs [C. sapidus]) and artificial habitats representing 3 habitat forming species (smooth cordgrass [Spartina alterniflora] represented by wooden dowel rods, eastern oyster [Crassostrea virginica] represented by 3D printed PLA oyster clumps, shoal grass [Halodule wrightii] represented by artificial seagrass units (ASU) composed of green ribbon tied to vexar mesh). Prey assemblages were exposed to predator monocultures (4 individuals of 1 species) and polycultures (1 individual from each of 4 species) in habitat monocultures (full bottom coverage of 1 habitat) and polycultures (1/3 bottom coverage of each of 3 habitats). Prey survival was recorded at the end of each 48-hour experiment.

Suggested Citation:

Valentine, John F.; Martin, Charles W.; Alford, Scott B.. 2018. Effects of predator and habitat diversity on coastal food webs, a mesocosm study from June-September, 2017. Distributed by: Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative Information and Data Cooperative (GRIIDC), Harte Research Institute, Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi. doi:10.7266/n7-hhfy-e805

Purpose:

These datasets show the results of an experiment examining effects of habitat and predator diversity on prey populations. Analysis of these data will examine differences in prey survival in different habitat morphologies and a mix of different habitats in the presence of different predator communities (single species and multiple species treatments).

Data Parameters and Units:

1. Habitat Diversity Prey Recovery Habitat: Describes habitat treatment assigned to each experimental replicate. Control – vexar mesh placed under sand sediment with no structure above the sediment Oyster – 3D printed PLA oyster clumps (mimicking Crassostrea virginica) zip tied to vexar mesh. Vexar was placed under sand sediment so that oyster clumps were the only structure above the sediment. Marsh – dowel rods were placed upright in bottom sand sediment with vexar mesh underneath to mimic marsh grass Spartina alterniflora. Dowels were the only structure above the sediment. ASU – artificial seagrass units (mimicking Halodule wrightii) constructed by tying green ribbon to vexar mesh. Vexar was placed under sand sediment so that ribbon was the only structure above the sediment. Polyculture – Oyster, Marsh, and ASU habitats assigned to 1/3 of tank bottom each with vexar under sand sediment. Vexar was placed under sand so that habitat mimics were the only structure above the sediment. Predator: Predator treatment assigned to each experimental replicate. Control – no predators were added to a replicate. Red Drum – 4 red drum Sciaenops ocellatus were used as predators in a replicate. Blue Crab – 4 male blue crabs Callinectes sapidus were used as predators in a replicate. Gulf Killifish – 4 Gulf killifish Fundulus grandis were used as predators in a replicate. Gulf Toadfish – 4 Gulf toadfish Opsanus beta were used as predators in a replicate. 4 species – 1 individual from each of the 4 predator species used as predators in a replicate. Start.Date: The date that a replicate was initiated. Each replicate was run for 48 hr. Run: Sequential sets of replicates that were started at the same time. Lower numbers denote replicates that were ran earlier than those with higher numbers. Tank can be used with Run to identify individual replicates in this dataset and other datasets associated with this project. Tank: Individual tank that the replicate was conducted in. Tank can be used with Run to identify individual replicates in this dataset and other datasets associated with this project. DO: Average dissolved oxygen measured in mg/L of the experimental replicate. DO was measured at the onset and termination of each replicate and each morning and afternoon of the experiment, generating up to 5 measurements per replicate that are listed in the Habitat Diversity Environmentals worksheet. Temp: Average temperature measured in °C of the experimental replicate. Temperature was measured at the onset and termination of each replicate and each morning and afternoon of the experiment, generating up to 5 measurements per replicate that are listed in the Habitat Diversity Environmentals worksheet. Salinity: Salinity measured in ppt of the experimental replicate. Salinity was measured at the onset of each replicate. Crab: Number of juvenile blue crabs used as prey recovered from a replicate. Shrimp: Number of grass shrimp used as prey recovered from a replicate. Fish: Number of diamond killifish used as prey recovered from a replicate. Total: Number of total prey individuals from all prey species recovered from a replicate. This number is the sum of individual prey species recovered (crab, shrimp, fish). 2. Habitat Diversity Environmentals Habitat: Describes habitat treatment assigned to each experimental replicate. Habitat treatments are the same as listed and describe in the Habitat Diversity Prey Recovery description. Predator: Describes predator treatment assigned to each experimental replicate. Predator treatments are the same listed and described in the Habitat Diversity Prey Recovery description. Run: Describes sequential sets of replicates that were started at the same time. Lower numbers denote replicates that were ran earlier than those with higher numbers. Tank can be used with Run to identify individual replicates in this dataset and other datasets associated with this project. Tank: Describes the individual tank that the replicate was conducted in. Tank can be used with Run to identify individual replicates in this dataset and other datasets associated with this project. Start.Date: Date that the experimental replicate was started. Each replicate was ran for 48 hr. DO: Individual measurements of dissolved oxygen (DO in mg/L). Up to 5 measurements were taken per experimental replicate. Censor malfunction and maintenance sometimes precluded all 5 measurements from being made, thus there are uneven numbers of measurements per replicate and per treatment. These values were used to calculate the average DO listed for each replicate in the "DO" column in the "Habitat Diversity Prey Recovery" datasheet. Temp: Individual measurements of temperature (°C). Up to 5 measurements were taken per experimental replicate. Censor malfunction and maintenance sometimes precluded all 5 measurements from being made, thus there are uneven numbers of measurements per replicate and per treatment. These values were used to calculate the average temperature listed for each replicate in the "Temperature" column in the "Habitat Diversity Prey Recovery" datasheet. 3. Habitat Diversity Prey Sizes Run: Describes sequential sets of replicates that were started at the same time. Lower numbers denote replicates that were ran earlier than those with higher numbers. Tank can be used with Run to identify individual replicates in this dataset and other datasets associated with this project. Tank: Describes the individual tank that the replicate was conducted in. Tank can be used with Run to identify individual replicates in this dataset and other datasets associated with this project. Habitat: Describes habitat treatment assigned to each experimental replicate. Habitat treatments are the same as listed and describe in the Habitat Diversity Prey Recovery description. Predator: Describes predator treatment assigned to each experimental replicate. Predator treatments are the same listed and described in the Habitat Diversity Prey Recovery description. Crab: Carapace width (CW) in mm of individual juvenile blue crab used as prey in experimental replicates. Shrimp: Total length (TL, tip of rostrum to tip of telson) in mm of individual grass shrimp used as prey in experimental replicates. Fish: Total length (TL) in mm of individual diamond killifish used as prey in experimental replicates. 4. Habitat Diversity Recovered Prey Prey: Species of each recovered prey individual. crab - juvenile blue crab shrimp - grass shrimp fish - diamond killifish Run: Describes sequential sets of replicates that were started at the same time. Lower numbers denote replicates that were ran earlier than those with higher numbers. Tank can be used with Run to identify individual replicates in this dataset and other datasets associated with this project. Tank: Describes the individual tank that the replicate was conducted in. Tank can be used with Run to identify individual replicates in this dataset and other datasets associated with this project. Habitat: Describes habitat treatment assigned to each experimental replicate. Habitat treatments are the same as listed and describe in the Habitat Diversity Prey Recovery description. Predator: Describes predator treatment assigned to each experimental replicate. Predator treatments are the same listed and described in the Habitat Diversity Prey Recovery description. Size: Size of individual prey recovered from an experimental replicate. Carapace width (mm CW) was recorded for juvenile crabs. Total length (mm TL) was measured for grass shrimp (tip of rostrum to tip of telson) and diamond killifish. **Replicates in which recovered individuals were lost or damaged before measurements could be taken were excluded from this list.** 5. Habitat Diversity Missing Prey Prey: Species of each missing prey individual. crab - juvenile blue crab shrimp - grass shrimp fish - diamond killifish Run: Describes sequential sets of replicates that were started at the same time. Lower numbers denote replicates that were ran earlier than those with higher numbers. Tank can be used with Run to identify individual replicates in this dataset and other datasets associated with this project. Tank: Describes the individual tank that the replicate was conducted in. Tank can be used with Run to identify individual replicates in this dataset and other datasets associated with this project. Habitat: Describes habitat treatment assigned to each experimental replicate. Habitat treatments are the same as listed and describe in the Habitat Diversity Prey Recovery description. Predator: Describes predator treatment assigned to each experimental replicate. Predator treatments are the same listed and described in the Habitat Diversity Prey Recovery description. Size: Size of individual prey missing from an experimental replicate. Carapace width (mm CW) was recorded for juvenile crabs. Total length (mm TL) was measured for grass shrimp (tip of rostrum to tip of telson) and diamond killifish. **Missing prey were recorded by removing recovered measurements from the measurements of all prey used in a replicate (i.e., Missing = Total - Recovered). Replicates in which recovered individuals were lost or damaged before measurements could be taken were excluded from this list.** 6. Habitat Diversity Predator Crab Sizes Run: Describes sequential sets of replicates that were started at the same time. Lower numbers denote replicates that were ran earlier than those with higher numbers. Tank can be used with Run to identify individual replicates in this dataset and other datasets associated with this project. Tank: Describes the individual tank that the replicate was conducted in. Tank can be used with Run to identify individual replicates in this dataset and other datasets associated with this project. Habitat: Describes habitat treatment assigned to each experimental replicate. Habitat treatments are the same as listed and describe in the Habitat Diversity Prey Recovery description. Predator: Describes predator treatment assigned to each experimental replicate. Blue Crab – 4 male blue crabs Callinectes sapidus were used as predators in a replicate. 4 species – 1 individual from each of the 4 predator species used as predators in a replicate CW: Carapace width (CW) in mm of predator blue crabs used in experimental replicates. Recovered: Whether an individual predator blue crab was recovered alive at the end of the experimental replicate. 7. Habitat Diversity Predator Gulf Killifish Sizes Run: Describes sequential sets of replicates that were started at the same time. Lower numbers denote replicates that were ran earlier than those with higher numbers. Tank can be used with Run to identify individual replicates in this dataset and other datasets associated with this project. Tank: Describes the individual tank that the replicate was conducted in. Tank can be used with Run to identify individual replicates in this dataset and other datasets associated with this project. Habitat: Describes habitat treatment assigned to each experimental replicate. Habitat treatments are the same as listed and describe in the Habitat Diversity Prey Recovery description. Predator: Describes predator treatment assigned to each experimental replicate. Gulf Killifish – 4 Gulf killifish Fundulus grandis were used as predators in a replicate. 4 species – 1 individual from each of the 4 predator species used as predators in a replicate TL: Total length (TL) in mm of predator Gulf killifish used in experimental replicates. Recovered: Whether an individual predator Gulf killifish was recovered alive at the end of the experimental replicate. 8. Habitat Diversity Predator Gulf Toadfish Sizes Run: Describes sequential sets of replicates that were started at the same time. Lower numbers denote replicates that were ran earlier than those with higher numbers. Tank can be used with Run to identify individual replicates in this dataset and other datasets associated with this project. Tank: Describes the individual tank that the replicate was conducted in. Tank can be used with Run to identify individual replicates in this dataset and other datasets associated with this project. Habitat: Describes habitat treatment assigned to each experimental replicate. Habitat treatments are the same as listed and describe in the Habitat Diversity Prey Recovery description. Predator: Describes predator treatment assigned to each experimental replicate. Gulf Toadfish – 4 Gulf toadfish Opsanus beta were used as predators in a replicate. 4 species – 1 individual from each of the 4 predator species used as predators in a replicate TL: Total length (TL) in mm of predator Gulf Toadfish used in experimental replicates. Recovered: Whether an individual predator Gulf Toadfish was recovered alive at the end of the experimental replicate. 9. Habitat Diversity Predator Red Drum Sizes Run: Describes sequential sets of replicates that were started at the same time. Lower numbers denote replicates that were ran earlier than those with higher numbers. Tank can be used with Run to identify individual replicates in this dataset and other datasets associated with this project. Tank: Describes the individual tank that the replicate was conducted in. Tank can be used with Run to identify individual replicates in this dataset and other datasets associated with this project. Habitat: Describes habitat treatment assigned to each experimental replicate. Habitat treatments are the same as listed and describe in the Habitat Diversity Prey Recovery description. Predator: Describes predator treatment assigned to each experimental replicate. Red Drum – 4 red drum Sciaenops ocellatus were used as predators in a replicate. 4 species – 1 individual from each of the 4 predator species used as predators in a replicate. TL: Total length (TL) in mm of predator red drum used in experimental replicates. Recovered: Whether an individual predator red drum was recovered alive at the end of the experimental replicate.

Individual Files: