Enclosed Experimental Marine Ecosystems: A Review and Recommendations

1. Front Matter

   Pages I-X

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2. Introduction

   • C. M. Lalli

   Pages 1-6

3. Different Types of Ecosystem Experiments

   • Li Guanguo

   Pages 7-19

4. Marine Microcosms: Small-Scale Controlled Ecosystems

   • Pierre Lasserre

   Pages 20-60

5. Pelagic Mesocosms: I. Food chain Analysis

   • Masayuki Takahashi

   Pages 61-80

6. Pelagic Mesocosms: II. Process Studies

   • U. Brockmann

   Pages 81-108

7. Benthic Mesocosms: I. Basic Research in Soft-Bottom Benthic Mesocosms

   • P. A. W. J. de Wilde

   Pages 109-121

8. Benthic Mesocosms: II. Basic Research in Hard-Bottom Benthic Mesocosms

   • Torgeir Bakke

   Pages 122-135

9. Specific Application of Meso- and Macrocosms for Solving Problems in Fisheries Research

   • Victor Øiestad

   Pages 136-154

10. Application of Mesocosms for Solving Problems in Pollution Research

    • Michael E. Q. Pilson

    Pages 155-168

11. Baltic Sea Eutrophication: A Case Study Using Experimental Ecosystems

    • Sigurd Schulz

    Pages 169-187

12. Mesocosms: Statistical and Experimental Design Considerations

    • John C. Gamble

    Pages 188-196

13. The Use of Mathematical Models in Conjunction With Mesocosm Ecosystem Research

    • T. R. Parsons

    Pages 197-210

14. Back Matter

    Pages 211-221

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The application of mesocosms, defined in this report as artificial 3 3 experimental enclosures ranging in size from 1 m to 10m , to address various problems in the marine sciences has been a relatively recent development. The application of the technology was dictated by the realization that many important ocean processes and interactions cannot be fully understood from observations in the natural environment or in smaller enclosures. Such studies involve, for example, determining the interactions between, and energy transfer from, one trophic level to another, the biogeochemical cycling of elements and compounds, etc. These and similar interactions and rate processes cannot normally be established in situations (nature) where the detection and quantification of rate processes are confused by advection and/or the inability to study the same populations over time. In the case of microcosms, mixed populations of primary producers, consumers, and carnivores cannot be maintained, in balance, for a sufficient length of time to determine normal interactions between the various components of these trophic levels. This report, prepared by SCOR Working Group 85, critically examines past applications of mesocosms to ocean research, though there is no attempt to comprehensively review all literature relevant to the subject. Further, the report outlines some important advances emanating from their use and provides recommendations for future applications. It constitutes the first of two reports from the Working Group (see Introduction).

• ecosystem
• environment
• lake
• mesocosm
• ocean
• pollution
• ecotoxicology

• Department of Zoology, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada

  C. M. Lalli

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