Abstract/Description/Artist Statement
Predator–prey interactions in marine benthic systems can have important indirect effects mediated through environmental signaling. Predators can reveal their presence through the release of chemical cues, influencing the activity and feeding rates of other potential prey through non-consumptive effects, which may ultimately shape energy allocation and survival in targeted populations. Along the Atlantic coast of the United States, predatory crabs overlap spatially with polychaete prey such as the clamworm Alitta succinea, creating consistent predation pressure. This study will set up the experimental system needed to examine the physiological responses of clamworms to both direct and indirect predation cues under controlled laboratory conditions. Four treatments will be established: 1) worms alone with control water, 2) worms with a crab allowed direct interaction, 3) worms with a crab prevented from direct interaction, 4) worms alone exposed to crab cue-conditioned water. Each treatment will include three replicated aquaria, each containing 6-10 worms. Feeding protocols will be standardized across treatments, and fecal pellet production will be collected over 7 days of exposure and weighed to quantify the worms’ feeding rates. Worms’ body mass will be measured before and after the exposure to calculate individual growth over the experimental period. Worms exposed to predator presence or predator-conditioned water are expected to reduce their feeding activity relative to control conditions due to induced stress. These findings could support the understanding of how predation presence influences benthic community dynamics in estuarine ecosystems.
Faculty Advisor/Mentor
Gloria Massmba N'Siala
Faculty Advisor/Mentor Email
gmassamb@odu.edu
Faculty Advisor/Mentor Department
Department of Biological Sciences
College/School Affiliation
College of Sciences
Student Level Group
Undergraduate
Presentation Type
Poster
Included in
Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Commons, Marine Biology Commons, Other Physiology Commons
Predator-prey responses of the clamworm Alitta succinea to direct interaction with crabs and chemical cues
Predator–prey interactions in marine benthic systems can have important indirect effects mediated through environmental signaling. Predators can reveal their presence through the release of chemical cues, influencing the activity and feeding rates of other potential prey through non-consumptive effects, which may ultimately shape energy allocation and survival in targeted populations. Along the Atlantic coast of the United States, predatory crabs overlap spatially with polychaete prey such as the clamworm Alitta succinea, creating consistent predation pressure. This study will set up the experimental system needed to examine the physiological responses of clamworms to both direct and indirect predation cues under controlled laboratory conditions. Four treatments will be established: 1) worms alone with control water, 2) worms with a crab allowed direct interaction, 3) worms with a crab prevented from direct interaction, 4) worms alone exposed to crab cue-conditioned water. Each treatment will include three replicated aquaria, each containing 6-10 worms. Feeding protocols will be standardized across treatments, and fecal pellet production will be collected over 7 days of exposure and weighed to quantify the worms’ feeding rates. Worms’ body mass will be measured before and after the exposure to calculate individual growth over the experimental period. Worms exposed to predator presence or predator-conditioned water are expected to reduce their feeding activity relative to control conditions due to induced stress. These findings could support the understanding of how predation presence influences benthic community dynamics in estuarine ecosystems.