scholarly journals Disease outbreaks associated with recent hurricanes cause mass mortality of sea urchins in Nova Scotia

2010 ◽  
Vol 408 ◽  
pp. 109-116 ◽  
Author(s):  
RE Scheibling ◽  
C Feehan ◽  
JS Lauzon-Guay
Keyword(s):  
Nova Scotia ◽  
Sea Urchins ◽  
Disease Outbreaks ◽  
Mass Mortality

scholarly journals Validating the identity of Paramoeba invadens, the causative agent of recurrent mass mortality of sea urchins in Nova Scotia, Canada

2013 ◽  
Vol 103 (3) ◽  
pp. 209-227 ◽  
Author(s):  
CJ Feehan ◽  
J Johnson-Mackinnon ◽  
RE Scheibling ◽  
JS Lauzon-Guay ◽  
AGB Simpson
Keyword(s):  
Nova Scotia ◽  
Causative Agent ◽  
Sea Urchins ◽  
Mass Mortality

Predation by Rock Crabs (Cancer irroratus) on Diseased Sea Urchins (Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis) in Nova Scotia

1984 ◽  
Vol 41 (12) ◽  
pp. 1847-1851 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert E. Scheibling
Keyword(s):  
Nova Scotia ◽  
Sea Urchins ◽  
Mass Mortality ◽  
Strongylocentrotus Droebachiensis ◽  
Significant Preference ◽  
Laboratory Findings ◽  
Cancer Irroratus ◽  
Feeding Experiments ◽  
Defensive Behaviors ◽  
Strong Attachment

Predation of morbid sea urchins (Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis) by rock crabs (Cancer irroratus) and other predators was observed using SCUBA during an outbreak of disease in southwestern Nova Scotia in August 1983. Disease increases susceptibility of sea urchins to predation by precluding natural defensive behaviors including spine projection, strong attachment to the substratum, and aggregation. In laboratory feeding experiments, rock crabs preferred diseased or narcotized sea urchins over healthy ones and fed upon them at a much higher rate than crabs given only healthy sea urchins as prey. Rock crabs showed no significant preference between diseased and narcotized sea urchins. Rock crabs clearly preferred mussels over healthy or diseased sea urchins. Although rock crabs do not appear to be important predators of healthy sea urchins, from field and laboratory findings I conclude that they contribute to mass mortality of sea urchins by preying upon morbid individuals during outbreaks of disease.

The dynamics of destructive grazing of kelp beds by sea urchins in Nova Scotia

2020 ◽  
pp. 871-871
Author(s):  
R. E. Scheibling ◽  
A. W. Hennigar ◽  
T. Balch
Keyword(s):  
Nova Scotia ◽  
Sea Urchins ◽  
Kelp Beds

Destructive Grazing of Kelp by Sea Urchins in Eastern Canada

1976 ◽  
Vol 33 (6) ◽  
pp. 1278-1283 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. A. Breen ◽  
K. H. Mann
Keyword(s):  
Nova Scotia ◽  
Sea Urchin ◽  
Sea Urchins ◽  
Large Contribution ◽  
Eastern Canada ◽  
Kelp Beds ◽  
Urchin Grazing

Destruction of kelp beds by sea urchins has been documented in St. Margaret’s Bay, Nova Scotia, and also appears to be taking place in other parts of eastern Canada. Continued sea urchin settlement onto grazed areas prevents the return of kelp and other algae for long periods. Because of the large contribution of kelp beds to coastal productivity, the disappearance of kelp from large areas is alarming. Dynamics of sea urchin grazing are discussed.

Relationship Between Destructive Grazing by the Sea Urchin, Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis, and the Abundance of American Lobster, Homarus americanus, on the Atlantic Coast of Nova Scotia

1981 ◽  
Vol 38 (11) ◽  
pp. 1339-1349 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. G. Wharton ◽  
K. H. Mann
Keyword(s):  
Population Structure ◽  
Nova Scotia ◽  
Sea Urchins ◽  
Atlantic Coast ◽  
Homarus Americanus ◽  
Strongylocentrotus Droebachiensis ◽  
American Lobster ◽  
History Of ◽  
Kelp Bed ◽  
The Relationship

Relationships between percentage cover of macroalgae, population structure of sea urchins (Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis), and the history of the lobster fishery were examined at nine sites distributed along the Atlantic coast of Nova Scotia from Guysborough County in the northeast to Pubnico in the southwest. At Pubnico there was dense algal cover and a small number of urchins living in crevices, and at Cape Sable there was an area of transition, but at all other sites there were urchin-dominated barren grounds. When the population structure of the urchins was compared with that previously observed in St. Margaret's Bay before, during, and after destruction of beds of kelp (Laminaria spp. and Agarum) by overgrazing, it was concluded that kelp bed destruction occurred on the coast north of Halifax prior to 1970, and on the coast south of Halifax after 1970. From the records of American lobster (Homarus americanus) catches it was concluded that a critical decline in catches at each site occurred a few years after kelp bed destruction. Information from various sources is synthesized into a coherent theory of the relationship between lobsters, other predators, sea urchins, and kelp.Key words: lobsters, Homarus americanus; sea urchins, Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis; destructive grazing, kelp, Laminaria, Agarum

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