Edge of Eden: Epifaunal Biodiversity of Eelgrass Patches in False Bay

Abstract

The epifaunal community of an eelgrass patch is biodiverse and affected by multiple variables. The mechanism of edge effects in the marine environment remains uncertain and experiments investigating the relationship between epifauna and edge proximity have yielded contradictory results. The results of this experiment highlight species-specific preferences within eelgrass beds based on bed location (small and large patches) and bed character (edge versus center). We found greater species diversity at bed edges in patches regardless of size and location, and discuss how resource availability, competition, and species behavior may influence significant abundance differences between centers and edges of eelgrass beds in False Bay. We found great variability in species abundance across sampling dates but observed consistent edge to center relationships and found magnified differences between edge and centers in the larger patch. The average size of two observed taxa also varied significantly by location and/or bed character.