Abstract

Ecological monitoring has been recognized as a key tool for guiding biofouling management practices. A two-year study was designed to collect comprehensive data on the biofouling community progression at Port Canaveral, Florida, using clear recruitment panels and a scanner to directly observe organisms attached to the surface. This method allowed for minimal disruption to the natural community development and aided the collection of a suite of metrics to explore environmental relationships. Seasonal changes in community composition and biofouling pressure, especially at earlier stages, were related to abiotic conditions. Interannual variation within seasonal communities was also observed. The type of dominant organism present impacted the rate at which surfaces were covered (e.g. fastest cover with tunicates) and the overall biomass accumulation (e.g. highest rate with tubeworms). Results highlight that understanding the influence of the time of year and the dominant organism identity is ecologically vital for improving biofouling management.

摘要

生态监测已被认为是指导生物污垢管理实践的关键工具。一项为期两年的研究旨在收集佛罗里达州卡纳维拉尔港生物污损群落进展的全面数据，使用透明的招募面板和扫描仪直接观察附着在表面的生物体。这种方法可以将对自然群落发展的干扰降至最低，并有助于收集一套指标来探索环境关系。群落组成和生物污染压力的季节性变化，特别是在早期阶段，与非生物条件有关。还观察到季节性群落内的年际变化。存在的优势生物体类型影响表面覆盖率（例如，被囊类动物覆盖速度最快）和总生物量积累（例如，管虫覆盖率最高）。结果强调，了解一年中的时间和优势生物特性的影响对于改善生物污垢管理在生态上至关重要。