Wave energy and intertidal productivity

• Published in: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS Vol. 84; no. 5; pp. 1314 - 1318
• Main Authors: Leigh, E.G. Jr, Paine, R.T, Quinn, J.F, Suchanek, T.H
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 01.03.1987; National Acad Sciences
• Subjects: ALGAE; ALGUE; Animal and plant ecology; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Biological and medical sciences; Biological Sciences: Ecology; CRECIMIENTO; CROISSANCE; Crops; ECOLOGIA MARINA; ECOLOGIA VEGETAL; ECOLOGIE MARINE; ENERGY SOURCES; FUENTE DE ENERGIA; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; GROWTH; ILE; INTERTIDAL ENVIRONMENT; Intertidal zones; ISLANDS; ISLAS; LEAF AREA; Marine; MARINE ECOLOGY; Mussels; Ocean waves; PHYTOECOLOGIE; PLANT ECOLOGY; Postelsia palmaeformis; Productivity; Sea water; Sea water ecosystems; SOURCE D'ENERGIE; SUPERFICIE FOLIAR; SURFACE FOLIAIRE; Synecology; tatoosh island; Tropical rain forests; WASHINGTON; Wave energy; Waves; ZONA DE INTERMAREA; ZONE INTERTIDALE; USA, Washington, Tatoosh I; Productivity; Algae; Tropical zone; Wave breaking; North Pacific; Crustacea; Marine environment; Arthropoda; Pacific Ocean; Invertebrata; Mollusca; Sea wave; Thallophyta
• ISSN: 0027-8424; 1091-6490
• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.84.5.1314

In the northeastern Pacific, intertidal zones of the most wave-beaten shores receive more energy from breaking waves than from the sun. Despite severe mortality from winter storms, communities at some wave-beaten sites produce an extraordinary quantity of dry matter per unit area of shore per year. At wave-beaten sites of Tatoosh Island, WA, sea palms, Postelsia palmaeformis, can produce >10 kg of dry matter, or 1.5 × 108J, per m2in a good year. Extraordinarily productive organisms such as Postelsia are restricted to wave-beaten sites. Intertidal organisms cannot transform wave energy into chemical energy, as photosynthetic plants transform solar energy, nor can intertidal organisms ``harness'' wave energy. Nonetheless, wave energy enhances the productivity of intertidal organisms. On exposed shores, waves increase the capacity of resident algae to acquire nutrients and use sunlight, augment the competitive ability of productive organisms, and protect intertidal residents by knocking away their enemies or preventing them from feeding.