Summary: MARINE ECOLOGY PROGRESS SERIES
Mar Ecol Prog Ser
Vol. 420: 277­281, 2010
doi: 10.3354/meps08873
Published December 16
INTRODUCTION
Trophic interactions structure communities and
influence productivity across multiple trophic levels
(Paine 1980, Heck & Valentine 2007). Most studies
demonstrating such interactions in benthic marine
habitats have focused on the effects of macrograzers
(e.g. fishes, sea urchins and mollusks), whereas
smaller mesograzers (e.g. amphipods) have received
relatively less attention (Thayer et al. 1978, Duffy &
Hay 2000). Mesograzers, however, can exhibit interac-
tion strengths similar to macrograzers (Sala & Graham
2002) and may exert strong top-down effects on the
structure and productivity of benthic macrophyte
assemblages (Duffy & Hay 2000). Amphipods are par-
ticularly important in eelgrass ecosystems because

Source: Anderson, Todd - Department of Biology, San Diego State University

Collections: Biology and Medicine; Environmental Sciences and Ecology