EFFECTS OF SUBSTRATUM ON THE RECRUITMENT AND DEVELOPMENT OF AN INTERTIDAL ESTUARINE FOULING ASSEMBLAGE

The effect of four substrata (concrete, plywood, fibreglass and aluminium) on the recruitment of species and development of an intertidal estuarine fouling assemblage was examined in Quibray Bay of Botany Bay, New South Wales, Australia. Many species, including the oyster Saccostrea commercialis (Iredale & Roughley) and the barnacles Hexaminius sp., Balanus amphitrite Darwin and Balanus variegatus Darwin, recruited in greater numbers on concrete or plywood surfaces than on fibreglass or aluminium. As a result, patterns of change in the number of species through time were dependent on the substratum. Multivariate analyses indicated that assemblages on different substrata were significantly different after 1 or 2 months of submersion, but became more similar after longer periods (up to 4-5 months). The reasons for this gradual conformity varied depending on the season of submersion and the composition of the species settling in a particular season. The results of this study indicated that the nature of the substratum can affect both initial colonisation of particular species and the development of the assemblage over time. Because the effect of substratum varies with the period of submersion, comparisons of various studies on fouling assemblages using different natural and artificial substrata and for varying lengths of time are likely to be very difficult.