Behavioural Responses of the Mangrove Fiddler Crabs (Uca Annulipes and U. Inversa) To Urban Sewage Loadings: Results of a Mesocosm Approach
dc.creator | Bartolini, Fabrizio | |
dc.creator | Penha-Lopes, Gil P. | |
dc.creator | Samwel Mchele Limbu | |
dc.creator | Paula, José | |
dc.creator | Cannicci, Stefano | |
dc.date | 2016-06-26T17:11:05Z | |
dc.date | 2016-06-26T17:11:05Z | |
dc.date | 2009 | |
dc.description | The study aimed at investigating the effects of sewage loadings on the behaviour of two fiddler crabs species maintained in a system of experimental mesocosms, built in a mangrove area in Tanzania and inundated with different seawater/sewage mixtures. Our results show that sewage loads led to a modification of the overall activity budget of the crab community as a result of increased hypertrophic conditions (high COD, increased chlorophyll-a concentrations). During their activity period, crabs inside contaminated mesocosms seemed to satisfy their feeding demand faster than those of the control cells, spending a significant longer time in other activities like courtship and territorial defence. Apart from being a good biological indication of ecosystem eutrophication, such a reduced foraging activity by fiddler crabs also depresses their sediment bioturbation activity, important factor for the health of mangrove systems, suggesting practical implications regarding the efficiency of mangrove-based wetlands for treatment of domestic sewage. | |
dc.identifier | Bartolini, F., Penha-Lopes, G., Limbu, S., Paula, J. and Cannicci, S., 2009. Behavioural responses of the mangrove fiddler crabs (Ucaannulipes and U. inversa) to urban sewage loadings: Results of a mesocosm approach. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 58(12), pp.1860-1867. | |
dc.identifier | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11810/2691 | |
dc.identifier | 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2009.07.019 | |
dc.language | en | |
dc.publisher | Elsevier | |
dc.subject | Sewage | |
dc.subject | East Africa | |
dc.subject | Mangrove | |
dc.subject | Fiddler crab | |
dc.subject | Behaviour | |
dc.subject | Ecosystem engineer | |
dc.title | Behavioural Responses of the Mangrove Fiddler Crabs (Uca Annulipes and U. Inversa) To Urban Sewage Loadings: Results of a Mesocosm Approach | |
dc.type | Journal Article, Peer Reviewed |