Ecologists are beginning to realize the importance of materials or organisms transported across ecosystem boundaries. This research will investigate the link between marine and terrestrial systems by studying the effects of seaweed washed ashore during the hurricane season on species inhabiting subtropical islands. The seaweed is consumed by flies and crustaceans, which are eaten by lizards and predatory arthropods; those predators in turn consume terrestrial herbivores. To determine the effect of marine subsidies on island food webs, two experiments will be conducted in which amounts of seaweed are manipulated on entire small islands or plots within large islands, respectively. A complementary study of the relationship between natural variation in marine subsidies and island food-web components will assess the generality of the experimental results. This research will be integrated with previous studies on the impact of hurricanes on island food webs, and will add to the growing body of knowledge on how natural and anthropogenic disturbances influence ecosystem processes. This project will combine research and education in several ways. Undergraduate students will be trained in the field and encouraged to conduct independent research. Local high school students will be given the opportunity to participate in the field. Conclusions of the proposed research will be relevant to several areas of applied ecology, including biological control of pest species in agroecosystems. Especially because of the recent rise in the frequency of major hurricanes in the North Atlantic basin, findings will be of interest to a broad range of scientists and the general public.
