Carpinteria Salt Marsh Reserve Annual Report

The following are descriptions of some of the research projects that are being conducted by the users of Carpinteria Salt Marsh Reserve: BIVALVE MOLLUSKS Dr. Mark Page MSI/Biological Sciences UC Santa Barbara Bivalve mollusks constitute one of the important marine zoological resources of Carpinteria Salt Marsh Reserve. Dr. Page's study is aimed at (1) determining the life histories of the most abundant species, (2) elucidating relationships between bivalve distribution and abundance and the physical and biological characteristics of the environment, and (3) determining whether bivalve populations may be used to monitor the environmental quality of the salt marsh habitat. Differential rates of recruitment and mortality have contributed to temporal fluctuations in the population densities of Macoma nasuta and Protothaca staminea, while the population density of Tagelus californianu8 has remained relatively constant. The rates of recruitment of M. nasuta and P. staminea indicate that populations of these species would recover more quickly than those of T. californianus, following major disturbance. Participants in this study include Jenifer Dugan, who is a Ph.D. candidate of UCSB, undergraduate UCSB students Jens Sorensen, Mitch Byrd, and Jeanne McAdara, as well as David Hubbard, who graduated from UCSB with a B.A. This project has been funded by the Giles W. and Elise G. Mead Foundation and the Reserve Manager's Fund and mitigation funds from local developers. Dr. Page is also conducting a water quality study at the marsh which has identified pollutants in the sediments of two tidal creeks. These pollutants could contaminate and affect the abundance of invertebrate species eaten by resident and migrating bird species. This study has been funded by the Reserve Manager's Fund. * * Ms. Teresa Stevens (Dr. A. Kuris) Department of Biological Sciences UC Santa Barbara Ms. Stevens conducted graduate studies regarding the distribution, abundance and food web significance of two species of gastropod, Cerithidea californica and Melampus olivaceus, located at the Reserve. Populations of these two gastropod species may be threatened by a number of factors including loss of habitat due to flood control plans in Franklin Creek and the Apple Road areas, local development and land filling around the Reserve, and chemical contamination as a result of runoff from surrounding agricultural areas. Displacement or local extinction by steepening of creek channels or by contamination of these populations could have a significant impact on the other organisms in the marsh. Funding for this project was provided by the Reserve Manager's Fund. Mr. Jack D. Linn California Department of Fish以下为卡平特里亚盐沼保护区（Carpinteria Salt Marsh Reserve）使用者正在开展的部分研究项目介绍： ### 双壳类软体动物（Bivalve Mollusks）研究 本项目主持人为加州大学圣巴巴拉分校（University of California, Santa Barbara，简称UCSB）生物科学系海洋科学研究所（MSI/Biological Sciences）的马克·佩奇博士（Dr. Mark Page）。 双壳类软体动物是卡平特里亚盐沼保护区重要的海洋动物资源之一。佩奇博士的研究目标包含三项：(1) 明确该区域优势双壳类物种的生活史；(2) 阐明双壳类的分布、丰度与环境物理、生物特征之间的关联；(3) 探究双壳类种群是否可用于监测盐沼生境的环境质量。 研究显示，*Macoma nasuta*与*Protothaca staminea*的种群密度随时间产生波动，其原因为两类物种的种群补充率与死亡率存在差异；而*Tagelus californianus*的种群密度则相对稳定。根据*M. nasuta*与*P. staminea*的种群补充速率，在遭遇大规模扰动后，这两个物种种群的恢复速度将快于*T. californianus*。 本研究的参与者包括UCSB在读博士生珍妮弗·杜根（Jenifer Dugan），该校本科生延斯·索伦森（Jens Sorensen）、米奇·伯德（Mitch Byrd）、珍妮·麦克亚达拉（Jeanne McAdara），以及UCSB本科毕业的戴维·哈伯德（David Hubbard）。本项目由吉尔斯·W·与埃利斯·G·米德基金会（Giles W. and Elise G. Mead Foundation）、保护区管理员基金（Reserve Manager's Fund）以及当地开发商提供的缓解资金（mitigation funds）共同资助。 此外，佩奇博士还在该盐沼开展了一项水质研究，已在两条潮汐溪的沉积物中检出污染物。这类污染物可能会污染并影响本地及迁徙鸟类所摄食的无脊椎动物的种群丰度。该水质研究由保护区管理员基金资助。 * * ### 腹足类动物研究 由A·库里斯博士（Dr. A. Kuris）指导的特蕾莎·史蒂文斯女士（Ms. Teresa Stevens），就职于加州大学圣巴巴拉分校生物科学系。史蒂文斯女士针对保护区内两种腹足类物种——*Cerithidea californica*与*Melampus olivaceus*的分布、丰度及食物网意义开展了研究生研究。 这两种腹足类的种群可能受到多重因素威胁：包括富兰克林溪（Franklin Creek）与苹果路（Apple Road）区域的防洪规划导致的栖息地丧失、保护区周边的本地开发与土地填埋，以及周边农业区径流带来的化学污染。河道渠化加剧或污染引发的种群移位或局部灭绝，可能会对盐沼内的其他生物造成显著影响。本项目由保护区管理员基金资助。 ### 杰克·D·林恩先生的相关研究 杰克·D·林恩先生（Mr. Jack D. Linn） 加州鱼类部门（California Department of Fish）