Multiple Environmental Factors Increase the Niche Complexity and Species Diversity of Brachyuran Crabs in an Intertidal Algal Reef Ecosystem in Northwestern Taiwan.

ABSTRACT: Algal reefs are one of the world's rare and poorly understood ecosystems. They are mainly distributed in the Mediterranean Sea, but one notable exception-an intertidal algal reef ecosystem in northwestern Taiwan-stretches for 27 km along the coast of Taoyuan, making it probably the largest algal reef coast found in shallow water. Despite the reef's rarity and striking characteristics, the coastal land that it is part of has undergone a series of developments and is now surrounded by industrial parks. Brachyuran crabs are one of the most abundant and visible groups of organisms in the intertidal zone. In the present study, we investigated the brachyuran crab community in this reef to provide a more detailed record of brachyuran crab species compositions in this intertidal algal reef ecosyst

SUBMITTER: Li KC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9121363 | biostudies-literature | 2021

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature