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Effect of unidirectional water currents on displacement behaviour of the green sea urchin Strongylocentrous droebachiensis

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 May 2013

Bryan L. Morse  and
Heather L. Hunt
Bryan L. Morse*
Affiliation:
Department of Biology, University of New Brunswick, PO Box 5050, Saint John, New Brunswick, E2L 4L5, Canada
Heather L. Hunt
Affiliation:
Department of Biology, University of New Brunswick, PO Box 5050, Saint John, New Brunswick, E2L 4L5, Canada
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: B.L. Morse, Department of Biology, University of New Brunswick, PO Box 5050, Saint John, New Brunswick, E2L 4L5, Canada email: bryanlmorse@gmail.com
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Abstract

Sea urchins can have important ecological effects on benthic communities through their aggregation and feeding behaviour. Urchin movement has been demonstrated to be negatively affected by wave action, but the impact of unidirectional tidal currents on urchin movement has not been investigated. This study examines the effect of unidirectional water velocity on the direction of displacement and movement rate of the green sea urchin, Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis. In laboratory flume experiments there was a clear effect of water currents on the displacement of sea urchins. At speeds ≤30 cm s−1 urchins moved across the current in a downstream direction, but at speeds of ≥36 cm s−1 the urchins switched directions by more than 90° and moved across the current in an upstream direction. There was a significant effect of flow speed on urchin movement speed, with urchin movement speed decreasing as water current speed increased.

Keywords

Strongylocentrotus droebachiensisgreen sea urchindisplacementmovementunidirectional currentflumebehaviour
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom , Volume 93 , Issue 7 , November 2013 , pp. 1923 - 1928
Copyright
Copyright © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 2013 

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