Benthic Filtering Reduces the Abundance of Primary Producers in the Bottom Water of an Open Sandy Beach System (Kashimanada Coast, Japan)

Abstract

AbstractThe effect of benthic filtering by the upogebiid shrimp Austinogebia narutensis on the abundance of primary producers in the water column was investigated on a wave‐dominated nearshore zone in central Japan facing the Pacific Ocean. Chlorophyll a concentration in the bottom layer of the water column decreased significantly with increasing population density of A. narutensis, suggesting that shrimp feeding reduces the abundance of phototrophic microorganisms in the bottom layer. Because the upogebiid shrimp commonly occur in the nearshore zone of sandy beaches, similar effects of their benthic filtering as reported in this study can be expected in areas where the shrimp is as densely present.