ǂThe ǂoverlooked suspension feeders

ǂthe ǂfiltering activity of the Bryozoans Schizoporella errata and Bugula neritina in the Northern Adriatic

Ana Fortič (Avtor), Borut Mavrič (Avtor), Petra Slavinec (Avtor), Lovrenc Lipej (Avtor)

Povzetek

Marine fouling communities, characterized by a high abundance of suspension feeders, play a crucial role in regulating ecosystem services, particularly in improving seawater quality. While not typically prioritized in conservation due to their prevalence in degraded or artificial habitats, fouling communities are important for their ecological functions under increasing urbanization and climate change. Bryozoans are an important component of these communities, although their filtering activity is less understood compared to some other groups, such as bivalves and ascidians. In this paper, we aimed to investigate the filtration activity of two widespread fouling bryozoan species, namely Schizoporella errata and Bugula neritina in the northern Adriatic (Slovenia). We measured the clearance rates (CR) of both the species when fed with microalgae to assess their filtration capacity and determine the most suitable units for quantifying the biofiltration. B. neritina exhibited a higher average CR than S. errata. The maximum CR was 32 mL/(h·cm2 ) for the S. errata and 52 mL/(h·cm2 ) for the B. neritina. Due to the morphological and growth differences between the species, the surface area was determined to be the most appropriate unit for expressing the CR. We also examined the CR of the S. errata exposed to fluorescent microplastic beads and identified active feeding areas within the colonies. Feeding zooids in S. errata were concentrated at the terminal growth margins and elevated areas of the frontal budding, as indicated by a higher fluorescence and microsphere density. These results contribute to the existing knowledge on fouling bryozoans in coastal habitats and provide further insights into their potential role as biofilters and contributors to ecosystem functioning.

Ključne besede

mahovnjaki;združba obrasti;ekosistemske storitve;mikroplastika;bryozoans;suspension feeders;fouling community;ecosystem services;microplastics;Schizoporella errata;Bugula neritina;

Podatki

Jezik:	Angleški jezik
Leto izida:	2025
Tipologija:	1.01 - Izvirni znanstveni članek
Organizacija:	NIB - Nacionalni inštitut za biologijo
UDK:	574.5
COBISS:	237846275
ISSN:	2077-1312
Št. ogledov:	473
Št. prenosov:	415
Ocena:	0 (0 glasov)
Metapodatki:

Ostali podatki

Sekundarni jezik:	Slovenski jezik
Sekundarne ključne besede:	mahovnjaki;združba obrasti;ekosistemske storitve;mikroplastika;
Komentar vira:	Soavtorji: Borut Mavrič, Petra Slavinec, Lovrenc Lipej; Nasl. z nasl. zaslona; Opis vira z dne 30. 5. 2025;
Strani:	str. 1-17
Letnik:	ǂVol. ǂ13
Zvezek:	ǂno. ǂ6, [article no.] 1052
Čas izdaje:	2025
DOI:	10.3390/jmse13061052
ID:	26531391