If you were follwing along on Twitter this weekend, you know that all three of us were at the Benthic Ecology 2010 meeting in Wilmington, NC. Below are some of the more interesting conversations that occurred while livetweeting the event.

Trophic transfer of mercury

SFriedScientist Trophic transfer of mercury #bem2010

SFriedScientist Accumulation of heavy metals is species specific #bem2010

SFriedScientist Study site downstream of largest landfill on the planet #bem2010

SFriedScientist Trophically available metals are in organelles and heat denatured proteins #bem2010
SFriedScientist Hg tissue burden is not the same as total mercury #bem2010

SFriedScientist How much TAM Hg is available in the community? #bem2010

SFriedScientist Polychaetes drive mercury availbility in the ecosystem #bem2010

SFriedScientist Landfills not only release mercury into the sediment, but also create and ideal environment for polycheate dominated communities #bem2010

Seagrass restoration

WhySharksMatter #bem2010 apparently when you move seagrass to a new area, seagrass-eating herbivores eat it. Somehow this is a bad thing?

eclecticechoes Makes restoration harder? RT @WhySharksMatter #bem2010 when you move seagrass to new area, herbivores eat it. Somehow this is a bad thing? 

Pycnogonids

SFriedScientist Paternal care is very rare, only evolved nine times in arthropods #bem2010

SFriedScientist Pycnogonids are the largest arthropod group to exhibit paternal care #bem2010

SFriedScientist Male pycnogonids that carry eggs can guarantee paternity #bem2010

SFriedScientist All species of pycnogonids exhibit paternal care – sex-role reversal #bem2010

Coral and Lionfish

WhySharksMatter #bem2010 Dead coral has drastically different fish communities than live coral with the same structure. Uh oh.

WhySharksMatter #bem2010 Native prey don’t recognize lionfish as predators, which contributes to the success of lionfish as invasive predators

Saltmarsh die off

SFriedScientist Crab herbivory drives salt marsh die off on Cape Cod #bem2010

SFriedScientist Dual mechanism of marsh loss, pre-1970 development triggers trophic cascade resulting in modern die offs #bem2010

SFriedScientist Before 1970 human development is primary driver of marsh loss, after 1970 die-off drives marsh loss at developed marshes #bem2010
SFriedScientist Developed marshes experience >85% die off of native plants #bem2010

More mercury

BomaiBlat resuspension of mercury in the water column increases it’s chances to be reintroduced to the food web #bem2010

BomaiBlat Mercury in the environment is reintroduced to the food web by methylmecury bacteria #bem2010

~Southern Fried Scientist