Sedimentary coasts with their unique forms of life and productive ecosystems are one of the most threatened parts of the biosphere.
This volume analyzes and compares ecological structures and processes at sandy beaches, tidal mudflats and in shallow coastal waters all around the world. Analyses of local processes are paired with comparisons between distant shores, across latitudinal gradients or between separate biogeographic provinces. Emphasis is given to suspension feeders in coastal mud and sand, to biogenic stabilizations and disturbances in coastal sediments, to seagrass beds and faunal assemblages across latitudes and oceans, to recovery dynamics in benthic communities, shorebird predation, and to experimental approaches to the biota of sedimentary shores.

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I Suspension Feeders in Coastal Mud and Sand.- 1 Benthic Suspension Feeders as Determinants of Ecosystem Structure and Function in Shallow Coastal Waters.- 1.1 Introduction.- 1.2 Reefs and Beds.- 1.2.1 Bivalve Molluscs (Bivalvia).- 1.2.2 Vermetids (Gastropoda).- 1.2.3 Sabellids (Polychaeta).- 1.2.4 Serpulids (Polychaeta).- 1.3 Encrustations.- 1.4 Species Groups.- 1.5 Discussion.- References.- 2 Dynamics of Spatial and Temporal Complexity in European and North American Soft-Bottom Mussel Beds.- 2.1 Introduction.- 2.2 The Dynamic Nature of Mussel-Bed Structure.- 2.3 Quantifying Mussel-Bed Structure Using Fractal Geometry.- 2.4 Effects of Mussel Beds on Soft-Bottom Community Structure.- 2.5 Mechanisms of Mussel-Bed Impacts on Soft-Bottom Community Structure.- 2.6 Top-Down vs. Bottom-Up Control of Soft-Bottom Mussel-Bed Community Structure.- 2.7 Conclusions.- References.- 3 Suspension Feeders on Sandy Beaches.- 3.1 Introduction.- 3.2 Beach Morphodynamic Types vs. Community Structure of the Macroinfauna.- 3.3 Beach Morphodynamic Types and Abundances and Population Biology of E. analoga.- 3.4 Tidal Movements and Burrowing Behaviour.- 3.5 Across-and Along-Shore Zonation.- 3.6 Conclusions.- 3.6 References.- 4 Switching Between Deposit and Suspension Feeding in Coastal Zoobenthos.- 4.1 Overview.- 4.1.1 Polychaetes.- 4.1.2 Echinoderms.- 4.1.3 Bivalves.- 4.1.4 Amphipods.- 4.1.5 Soft Corals.- 4.1.6 Most Examples Among Passive Suspension Feeders.- 4.1.7 Adaptation to Suspension Feeding.- 4.2 Example I: Switching to Suspension Feeding in Nereis diversicolor.- 4.2.1 Suspension-Feeding Behaviour.- 4.2.2 Mucus-Net and Particle-Retention Efficiency.- 4.2.3 Filtration Rates.- 4.2.4 Energy Cost of Pumping.- 4.2.5 Adaptation to Suspension Feeding.- 4.2.6 Time Spent on Suspension Feeding.- 4.2.7 Phytoplankton Reduction in Near-Bottom Water.- 4.3 Example II: Switching to Suspension Feeding in Macoma balthica.- 4.3.1 Switching to Suspension Feeding.- 4.3.2 Current Velocity.- 4.3.3 Food Availability.- 4.3.4 Feeding on Siphon Tips.- 4.3.5 Protection Against Lethal Predation.- 4.4 Conclusions.- References.- II Biogenic Stabilization and Disturbances in Coastal Sediments.- 5 Microphytobenthos in Contrasting Coastal Ecosystems: Biology and Dynamics.- 5.1 Contrasting Shores.- 5.2 The Microphytobenthos.- 5.3 Physical and Biological Sediment Properties.- 5.3.1 Sediment Types and Stability.- 5.3.2 Physical Dynamics.- 5.4 Redefining Intertidal Sediments - The Five Phases of Depositional Environments.- 5.5 Comparative Biodiversity.- 5.5.1 Non-cohesive Sediments.- 5.5.2 Cohesive Sediments.- 5.5.3 Niche Diversity.- 5.6 Sediment Stability.- 5.7 Conceptual Model.- 5.8 Conclusions.- References.- 6 Sediment Dynamics by Bioturbating Organisms.- 6.1 Introduction.- 6.2 History of Bioturbation Research.- 6.3 Types of Bioturbation.- 6.3.1 Crawling and Dwelling Traces.- 6.3.2 Deposit Feeders.- 6.3.3 Larger Predators and Grazers.- 6.4 Seasonal Variation.- 6.5 Latitudinal Variation.- 6.6 Changes in Historical Times.- 6.7 Conclusions.- References.- 7 Competitive Bioturbators on Intertidal Sand Flats in the European Wadden Sea and Ariake Sound in Japan.- 7.1 Introduction.- 7.2 Large Bioturbators.- 7.3 Lugworms in the Wadden Sea.- 7.4 Effects of Lugworms on the Benthic Community.- 7.5 Ghost Shrimps in the Ariake Sound Estuarine System in Japan.- 7.6 Effects of the Ghost Shrimp Expansion and Decline.- 7.6.1 Effects on Sediment Properties.- 7.6.2 Effects on Invertebrates.- 7.7 Comparisons Between Biogeographic Regions.- References.- 8 Biological and Physical Processes That Affect Saltmarsh Erosion and Saltmarsh Restoration: Development of Hypotheses.- 8.1 Introduction.- 8.2 Managed Realignment.- 8.2.1 Physical Factors.- 8.2.2 Biological Factors.- 8.2.2.1 Effects of the Flora.- 8.2.2.2 Effects of Invertebrates.- 8.3 Managing Sediment Accretion and Development of Saltmarsh Vegetation in Managed Realignment Sites.- 8.3.1 Physical Factors.- 8.3.2 Biological Factors.- 8.4 Loss of Saltmarsh Vegetation by Lateral Erosion of Creeks.- 8.5 Managing Reduction of Lateral Creek Erosion.- 8.6 Conclusions.- References.- III Seagrasses and Benthic Fauna of Sediment Shores.- 9 Common Structures and Properties of Seagrass Beds Fringing the Coasts of the World.- 9.1 Introduction.- 9.2 Distribution and Zonation.- 9.3 Structure of the Seagrass Community.- 9.4 Seagrass Production.- 9.5 Seagrass Dynamics.- 9.6 Worldwide Decline of Seagrass Beds.- 9.7 Conclusions.- References.- 10 The Leaf Canopy of Seagrass Beds: Faunal Community Structure and Function in a Salinity Gradient Along the Swedish Coast.- 10.1 Introduction.- 10.1.1 Zostera marina (L.).- 10.1.2 Aims of the Study.- 10.2 Features of the Study Area.- 10.2.1 Effects of Salinity.- 10.2.2 Physical Settings and Substrate Characteristics.- 10.3 Methods.- 10.3.1 Vegetation and Leaf Canopy Fauna.- 10.3.2 Predators.- 10.4 Results.- 10.4.1 Zostera marina: Standing Stock and Leaf Area.- 10.4.2 Leaf Fauna.- 1004.3 Couplings Between Leaf Fauna and Infauna.- 100404 Predators.- 10.5 Concluding Remarks.- References.- 11 Energy Flow in Benthic Assemblages of Tidal Basins: Ria Formosa (Portugal) and Sylt-Rømø Bay (North Sea) Compared.- 11.1 Introduction.- 11.2 Description of the Sites.- 11.3 Material and Methods.- 11.3.1 Primary Production.- 11.3.2 Secondary Production.- 11.4 Production.- 11.4.1 Primary Production.- 11.4.2 Secondary Production.- 11.5 Energy Flow and Nutrient Cycle.- References.- 12 Soft-Bottom Fauna of a Tropical (Banc d'Arguin, Mauritania) and a Temperate Juist Area, German North Sea Coast) Intertidal Area.- 12.1 Introduction.- 12.2 Areas, Materials and Methods.- 12.3 Results.- 12.3.2 Faunal Inventories.- 12.3.3 Structure and Distribution of Macrozoobenthos Assemblages.- 12.4 Discussion.- References.- 13 Tropical Tidal Flat Benthos Compared Between Australia and Central America.- 13.1 Introduction.- 13.2 Tropical Tidal Flats in Australia and Central America.- 13.3 Species Diversity and Abundance.- 13.3.1 Species Richness in Tropical Tidal Flats.- 13.3.2 Similarity in Taxonomic Compositions.- 13.3.3 Individual Abundances.- 3.4 Community Structure and Distribution.- 13.4.1 Spatial Zonation Along Environmental Gradients.- 13.4.2 Trophic Groups.- 13.4.3 Species Interactions.- 13.4.3.1 Promotive Interactions.- 13.4.3.2 Repressive Interactions.- 13.5 Conclusions.- References.- IV Structural Dynamics and Trophic Supplies to Sedimentary Shores.- 14 Recovery Dynamics in Benthic Communities: Balancing Detail with Simplification.- 14.1 Introduction.- 14.2 Searching for Generality Part I.- 14.3 Some General Mechanisms Influencing Recovery.- 14.3.1 Seasonality.- 14.3.2 Hydrodynamic.- 14.3.3 Mobility.- 14.3.4 Opportunistic Responses.- 14.3.5 Biotic Interactions.- 14.4 Searching for Generality Part II.- 14.5 Critical Scales of Disturbance and Recovery Dynamics.- 14.6 Recovery: a Useful Tool for Assessing Broad-Scalev and Cumulative Effects?.- 14.7 Searching for Generality Part III: the Need to Improve the Information Base.- 14.8 Conclusions.- References.- 15 Population Dynamics of Benthic Species on Tidal Flats: the Possible Roles of Shorebird Predation.- 15.1 Introduction.- 15.2 Production-Consu…