Jt. Carlton et J. Hodder, BIOGEOGRAPHY AND DISPERSAL OF COASTAL MARINE ORGANISMS - EXPERIMENTALSTUDIES ON A REPLICA OF A 16TH-CENTURY SAILING VESSEL, Marine Biology, 121(4), 1995, pp. 721-730
Observational and experimental studies were conducted on the dispersal
of fouling organisms on a replica of a 16th-century sailing vessel al
ong an 800 km transect from Yaquina Bay, Oregon to San Francisco Bay,
California. The vessel sailed between four bays at slow speeds (3.5 to
4 knots), resided in each bay for approximately 30 d, and spent 1 to
3 d in the open ocean travelling between ports. Natural hull fouling a
nd experimental fouling panels placed on the vessel were sampled upon
departure and arrival at each port. All common fouling species survive
d the open sea voyages between the harbors, with largely no ecological
ly significant changes in abundance nor significant losses in overall
diversity detected. In one port the vessel settled upon the harbor flo
or periodically; several entrained benthic organisms were then transpo
rted 390 km to the next port. Slow-moving, fouled sailing vessels of r
elatively long port residencies may have significantly altered the dis
tributions of marine and estuarine organisms not only globally (leadin
g to the invasions of non-native species) but also along continental m
argins (leading to the alteration of aboriginal patterns of distributi
on). Shipping traffic may further play an important role in gene flow
between isolated populations of obligate estuarine organisms, particul
arly those with non-planktonic larvae.