![]() It is suggested here that broad-scale comparisons must be redefined regional comparisons should focus on geographical regions with similar tidal regimes, or on systems with different tidal regimes but with similar species communities. Regional comparisons, e.g., between the Caribbean and the Indo-West Pacific, often disregard the significant tidal differences inherent to the ecosystems. The home range of a species on a macrotidal coast may be an order of magnitude greater than that of conspecifics from a microtidal coast, suggesting a need for larger marine parks on macrotidal coasts. The spring-neap tide cycle and its interaction with the diel cycle is a key factor influencing regular short-term variations on tidal coasts. Diel and tidal migrations share several similarities (connection of resting and feeding sites, sequence of species and size groups, site fidelity, homing, constant pathways). On tidal coasts, migrations are tightly coupled to the interactive effect of the diel and tidal cycles which results in complex but predictable patterns of change within and between ecosystems. On coasts with weak tides, twilight migrations connect adjacent habitats. In contrast, tidal ranges and tidal types differ significantly between coasts and regions. ![]() At low latitudes the day-night cycle is relatively stable and uniformly affects activity rhythms of marine organism at all longitudes. Short-term movements of fishes and decapods can lead to regular changes in biomass, diversity, mortality, predation, and flux of energy between adjacent ecosystems. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |