Developing Salt-Marsh Restoration Strategies to Optimize Habitat Use by the Blue Crab, Callinectes sapidus (2009)

This study focused on the predator-prey relationship of the blue crab, Callinectes sapidus, to the marsh periwinkle, Littoraria irrorata, and olive nerite, Neritina reclivata, to determine the extent of resource utilization by blue crabs in created marsh of different ages and unaltered reference sites in coastal Alabama. The following metrics were compared among sites: (1) predation potential imposed on Littoraria and Neritina by Callinectes, as measured by tethering experiments; (2) the frequency of sublethal injuries in shells of Littoraria and Neritina; (3) shell morphology of Littoraria and Neritina; (4) Callinectes abundance; and (5) the physical structure provided by the smooth cordgrass, Spartina alterniflora, and the black needlerush, Juncus roemerianus. All predation metrics were significantly and positively correlated with one another and crab activity was regulated by the filtering effect of Spartina and Juncus. By integrating dynamical measures of predator–prey interactions with comparisons of the availability of potential prey species, this study provides a mechanistic view of the development of ecological function and the potential for energy export in restored salt-marsh habitats.