Effects of Epibenthic Jellyfish, Cassiopea spp., on Faunal Community Composition of Bahamian Seagrass Beds

Elizabeth W. Stoner; Lauren A. Yeager; Craig A. Layman

Effects of Epibenthic Jellyfish, Cassiopea spp., on Faunal Community Composition of Bahamian Seagrass Beds

Elizabeth W. Stoner¹^,*, Lauren A. Yeager^1,2, and Craig A. Layman^1,3

¹Biological Sciences Department, Florida International University, North Miami, FL 33181, USA. ²Current address - Institute of Marine Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Morehead City, NC 28557, USA. ³Current address - Department of Applied Ecology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA. *Corresponding author.

Caribbean Naturalist, No. 12 (2014)

Abstract
Pelagic jellyfish blooms have been observed frequently in many parts of the world, which can affect various aspects of marine ecosystems. While specific effects of jellyfish blooms on pelagic marine communities are well described, there is little information on the effects of epibenthic jellyfish on benthic marine fauna. Cassiopea spp. (upside-down jellyfish) are relatively sessile, epibenthic jellyfish that live in seagrass habitats, and may be found in high densities in shallow coastal water bodies. In this study, we surveyed seagrass beds on Abaco, The Bahamas, that had similar seagrass cover but naturally varying densities of Cassiopea. We found that benthic taxa richness was lower in plots with high jellyfish densities; however, overall benthic animal densities and biomass did not differ between plots. Benthic community composition differed between plots with high versus low jellyfish densities. Our findings suggest that Cassiopea jellyfish may have subtle effects on benthic fauna communities, perhaps mediated through several mechanistic pathways.

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