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Article: Allelopathic interactions between sponges on a tropical reef.
- Article from:
- Ecology
- Article date:
- July 1, 1998
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1998 Ecological Society of America. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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INTRODUCTION
Predation and competition for space are among the most important processes that influence the structure of marine benthic communities (Menge and Farrell 1989, Paine 1994). Predation is a major source of mortality for benthic organisms and, in the absence of an escape response, it must either be tolerated or reduced (Lubchenco and Gaines 1981). Competition between neighboring organisms for the acquisition and maintenance of space can be especially intense when substrate availability is limited (Jackson and Buss 1975, Branch 1984). Opportunistic life cycles, habitat selection, differential growth rates, and physical or chemical defenses may assist in the ...