Research Summary

Determining the effect of invasive species on community structure

West coast estuaries are relatively young and natively without substantial hard substrate. Human manipulation of these environments has introduced many kinds structure from boat docks to invasive species that create hard substrate. Kimberly will examine the effect of a reef-forming invasive species, Ficopomatus enigmaticus, on the community structure of the native mud flats. To begin this study, four reefs will be removed over a six-month period. Mud cores will be taken at several distances from the reefs to determine the extent of the effect of the reefs on the communities in the mud flats. The removals will be monitored over time to determine if recovery of the "native" mud flat community is possible.

To further examine the role of hard substrate in the persistence and spread of invasive species, Kimberly has deployed settlement plate (a form of hard substrate) in ten different locations throughout the Slough. These will be monitored for a year to determine what communities develop on the new hard substrate, how many invasive species utilize the non-native habitat, and if the non-native habitat adds in their spread throughout the Slough.

Another important aspect of this study will involve the monitoring of the spread of Ficopomatus and other invasive species throughout the Slough. Kayaks will be used to survey the intertidal of the main channel of the slough. Invasive species will be located, geo-referenced, and then overlayed (using Archview software) with other physical data like erosion rates, salinity, flow speed. This approach will allow correlation between invasive species distribution and other human mediated disturbances to be made.