Bioerosion or bioaccumulation? Shelf‐slope trends for EPI‐ and endobionts on experimentally deployed gastropod shells

Abstract

A total of 59 taxa of epibionts and endobionts occurred on experimentally deployed gastropod shells within one year of emplacement at depths ranging from 15 m to 260 m in the Bahamas. Most of the diversity occurred within 73 m of water depth. The experimental shells at the deepest sites (210 m, 260 m) were essentially pristine. Differences in experimental treatment affected the results: shells in bags contained more bionts than tethered shells, suggesting the bags had more protective areas for biont settlement. Soft‐bodied encrusters were restricted to the upper 73 m while foraminiferans and bryozoans exhibited bathymetric trends to the deepest sites. While boring algae and cyanobacteria were ubiquitous on the shells to 73 m, other bioeroders (e.g., clionid sponges) were rare. Bioaccumulation, rather than bioerosion, is the predominant process affecting mollusc shells during the first year of taphonomic exposure in carbonate systems to depths of 260 m.

Publisher

Taylor & Francis

Publication Date

1-1-1998

Publication Title

Historical Biology

Department

Geology

Document Type

Article

DOI

https://dx.doi.org/10.1080/08912969809386573

Keywords

Epibionts, Endobionts, Bathymetric trends, Carbonates, Bioaccumulation, Bioerosion

Language

English

Format

text

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