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ICES Journal of Marine Science: Journal du Conseil Advance Access originally published online on April 22, 2008
ICES Journal of Marine Science: Journal du Conseil 2008 65(6):851-861; doi:10.1093/icesjms/fsn060
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© 2008 International Council for the Exploration of the Sea. Published by Oxford Journals. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org

Oceanographic gradients and patterns in invertebrate assemblages on offshore oil platforms

Henry M. Page, Carolynn S. Culver, Jenifer E. Dugan and Brent Mardian

Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA

Correspondence to H. M. Page: tel: +1 805 8937568; fax: +1 805 8938062; e-mail: page{at}lifesci.ucsb.edu

Page, H. M., Culver, C. S., Dugan, J. E., and Mardian, B. 2008. Oceanographic gradients and patterns in invertebrate assemblages on offshore oil platforms. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 65: 851–861.

We explored variability in the composition and cover of subtidal macroinvertebrate assemblages, and the recruitment and growth rates of selected invertebrate species, on seven offshore oil and gas platforms arrayed across a gradient in oceanographic conditions in the Santa Barbara Channel, CA, USA. The major macroinvertebrate taxa (sea anemones, mussels, barnacles, tubiculous amphipods, hydroids, and sponges) were common to all platforms. However, discriminant function analysis (DFA) revealed that the assemblages of two platforms (Gilda and Gail) clearly differed from the other platforms, a pattern attributable, in part, to the presence of conspicuous exotic species (the anemone, Diadumene sp., and encrusting bryozoan, Watersipora subtorquata) on these platforms. If these exotic species were excluded from the analysis, platforms in proximity to each other generally tended to have invertebrate assemblages more similar to each other than to platforms located farther away. Spatial variation in barnacle recruitment onto ceramic plates and mussel growth rate reflected prevailing oceanographic gradients. The existence of along-channel patterns in the composition of platform invertebrate assemblages, and in invertebrate recruitment and growth associated with oceanographic gradients, suggests that assemblages attached to platforms or other artificial structures may be useful barometers of short and perhaps longer term change in ocean climate.

Keywords: artificial substrata, biogeographical transition, recruitment, species boundaries

Received 23 July 2007; accepted 8 March 2008; advance access publication 22 April 2008.


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