Effects of a commercial mussel Mytilus edulis lay on a sublittoral, soft sediment benthic community

Abstract

A commercial mussel Mytilus edulis lay was established in 1998 in western inner Swansea Bay (Wales, UK) in a shallow, sublittoral, high tidal energy environment, on a substrate which previously supported a diverse inshore, sand/muddy sand benthic community. Within a year of commencement of this fishery, a significant change in the species composition of the benthic community occurred, with a decrease in the number of species and in the total number of individuals. The abundance of carnivorous and deposit feeding benthic species increcised, whilst the mussels out-competed other benthic filter feeding organisms, preventing the settlement of these organisms by ingestion of the larvae, and removed other benthic organisms by physical smothering.