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  • Benthic Ecosystems
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Factors controlling marine and estuarine sublittoral macrofauna

Helgoländer wissenschaftliche Meeresuntersuchungen volume 30, pages 445–454 (1977)Cite this article

Abstract

The state of knowledge of marine and estuarine sublittoral benthic synecology may be said to be still in a descriptive stage of study. Much of the recent literature of the subject concerns either qualitative and quantitative descriptions of communities or associations, or concepts of such associations including diversity, stability and succession. It is the purpose of this paper to present a theory, based on a hierarchy of multiple limiting physical and biotic factors, for study of the controls governing community composition, biomass and productivity. Three major biotic factors are considered as qualitative and quantitative controls: food supply, supply of colonizing larvae, and interspecies competition. They are discussed and new techniques are suggested which may help in understanding the mechanisms of control.

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  1. Department of the Environment, Fisheries and Marine Service, Biological Station, EOG 2XO, St. Andrews, N.B., Canada

    D. J. Wildish

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Wildish, D.J. Factors controlling marine and estuarine sublittoral macrofauna. Helgolander Wiss. Meeresunters 30, 445–454 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02207853

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Helgoland Marine Research

ISSN: 1438-3888

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