Beach Food Webs and Biodiversity

Topic

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This page is a core topic for Beaches as proposed by ESRP learning program

The following pages are associated with beach forage fish spawning:

Related Pages	Related Documents
Eelgrass Pacific herring Impacts of Shoreline Armoring Bulkhead Removal Feasibility for Localized Restoration Measuring Coastal Bluff Recession Rates Throughout the Puget Sound Region Beach Strategies for Nearshore Restoration and Protection in Puget Sound Mdethier Shoreline Monitoring Database	Hayes et al 2011 bulltrout use in skagit bay Vines et al 2000 creosote and herring spawn Stick et al 2014 herring stock status 2012.pdf Gustafson et al 2006 cherry point herring status.pdf Carls et al 1999 herring PAH exposure effects Guttman 2009 backshore vegetation.pdf Dethier et al 2016 impacts of armoring Lambert & Chamberlin 2023 beach nourishment science synthesis.pdf

Notes[edit]

This core topic page is intended to capture bioenergetic dynamics of beaches, particularly primary production and detrital food webs that produce forage and sustainance for birds, fish, and other biota that we manage.
The biota and thus food webs found on beaches are defined by elevations zones related to tides. These Tidal Data are gathered and analyzed by the NOAA National Ocean Service.
As an ecotone between aquatic and terrestrial habitats, beaches have a high biodiversity.
Substrate, salinity and elevation strongly define biota. Dethier 1990 provides a classification of coastal habitats including beaches and their typical biological composition.
The relative importance of the primary production provided by Eelgrass and Macroalgae also differs based on sub-tidal sediment texture.