We all know that any benthic habitat is routinely colonized by organisms from the water column and adjacent habitats. There are, however, variations in the ‘acceptability’ of any habitat to potential colonists. A PhD student under my supervision, Sara García-Sanz, assessed whether the structural complexity of artificial substrata affected patterns of short-term colonization of post larval faunal assemblages across subtidal habitats within a coastal landscape. Despite considerable among-taxa variability being observed in response to habitat effects, the total abundance of colonizers was majorly affected by the habitat where collectors were deployed, but did not differ among types of collectors. We also found that the largest abundances of colonizers, particularly Echinodermata, were found on sandy patches relative to other habitats, suggesting that the ‘availability’, rather than any particular attribute related to the ‘acceptability’ of artificial collectors, e.g. its structural complexity, was the main driver of patterns of faunal short-term colonization. Check out the “articles” downloading section to find out more.
