| Contributors | Affiliation | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Phillips, Nicole | Victoria University of Wellington | Principal Investigator, Contact |
| Shima, Jeffrey | Victoria University of Wellington | Co-Principal Investigator |
| Biddle, Mathew | Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI BCO-DMO) | BCO-DMO Data Manager |
These data include information on the reproductive biology and ecology of Ceraesignum (formerly Dendropoma) maximum.
Related Datasets:
Individual Dendropoma (now Ceraesignum) maximum were collected haphazardly from seven sites in April and September 2008. Snails were removed with their shells intact using a chisel and hammer. In the lab the diameter of the opening of the shell was measured in samples from April. Snails were removed from the shell, and sex, length and wet mass were determined. Mass was determined using blotted wet weight. Sex was determined by the presence of a mantle slit and appearance of gonads in females.
BCO-DMO Processing:
| File |
|---|
PhillipsShima_2010_SizeAndSex.csv (Comma Separated Values (.csv), 8.46 KB) MD5:c642c7a87f27270c3a04597a0db50fcc Primary data file for dataset ID 724601 |
| Parameter | Description | Units |
| SITE | sites where collections were made | unitless |
| MONTH | month when snails were collected (Apr = April; Oct = October) | unitless |
| SEX | Male or Female | unitless |
| SHELL_OPENING_DIA | measurement of the diameter of the shell | milimeters (mm) |
| LENGTH | length of the snail after removal from tube | milimeters (mm) |
| WEIGHT | blotted wet mass of snail after removal from shell | grams (g) |
| Dataset-specific Instrument Name | length was determined |
| Generic Instrument Name | Measuring Tape |
| Dataset-specific Description | In the lab the diameter of the opening of the shell was measured in samples from April. |
| Generic Instrument Description | A tape measure or measuring tape is a flexible ruler. It consists of a ribbon of cloth, plastic, fibre glass, or metal strip with linear-measurement markings. It is a common tool for measuring distance or length. |
| Dataset-specific Instrument Name | balance |
| Generic Instrument Name | scale |
| Dataset-specific Description | Snails were removed from the shell, and sex, length and wet mass were determined. |
| Generic Instrument Description | An instrument used to measure weight or mass. |
| Website | |
| Platform | Osenberg et al Moorea |
| Start Date | 2003-05-19 |
| End Date | 2015-07-12 |
Description from NSF abstract:
Ecological surprises are most likely to be manifest in diverse communities where many interactions remain uninvestigated. Coral reefs harbor much of the world's biodiversity, and recent studies by the investigators suggest that one overlooked, but potentially important, biological interaction involves vermetid gastropods. Vermetid gastropods are nonmobile, tube-building snails that feed via an extensive mucus net. Vermetids reduce coral growth by up to 80%, and coral survival by as much as 60%. Because effects vary among coral taxa, vermetids may substantially alter the structure of coral communities as well as the community of fishes and invertebrates that inhabit the coral reef.
The investigators will conduct a suite of experimental and observational studies that: 1) quantify the effects of four species of vermetids across coral species to assess if species effects and responses are concordant or idiosyncratic; 2) use meta-analysis to compare effects of vermetids relative to other coral stressors and determine the factors that influence variation in coral responses; 3) determine the role of coral commensals that inhabit the branching coral, Pocillopora, and evaluate how the development of the commensal assemblage modifies the deleterious effects of vermetids; 4) determine how vermetid mucus nets affect the local environment of corals and evaluate several hypotheses about proposed mechanisms; and 5) assess the long-term implications of vermetids on coral communities and the fishes and invertebrates that depend on the coral.
Note: The Principal Investigator, Dr. Craig W. Osenberg, was at the University of Florida at the time the NSF award was granted. Dr. Osenberg moved to the University of Georgia during the summer of 2014 (current contact information).
| Funding Source | Award |
|---|---|
| NSF Division of Ocean Sciences (NSF OCE) |