The Ecology of Rubble Structures of the South Atlantic Bight: A Community Profile

This community profile provides an introduction to the ecology of the communities living on and around rubble structures in the South Atlantic Bight (Cape Hatteras to Cape Canaveral). The most prominent rubble structures in the bight are jetties built at the entrances to major harbors. After an initial discussion of the various kinds of rubble structures and physical factors that affect the organisms associated with them, the major portion of the text is devoted to the ecology of rubble structure habitats. Community composition, distribution, seasonality, and the recruitment patterns of the major groups of organisms are described. The major physical and biological factors affecting the organization of intertidal, sunlit subtidal, and shaded subtidal communities are presented and the potential effects of complex interactions in structuring these communities are evaluated. The profile concludes with a general review of the effects of rubble structures on nearshore sediment dynamics and shoreline evolution. 295 refs., 33 figs., 4 tabs.