Threats
Invasion of environments by other organisms has the ability to cause major population fluctuations in any ecosystem (Alonso &Castro-Diez, 2012). In the case of Rissoidae, their small size could make them easy prey for invading organisms. Competition for food against similar gastropods, or other marine organisms, could also cause increased population pressures on a species (Alonso & Castro-Diez, 2012).
Another major threat to Rissoidae species may come in the form of anthropogenic activities. A paper by Smith (2006) investigates the affects eight chemicals, which are often used on yachts, have on the gastropod Nassarius obsoletus; this was undertaken after members of the species showed sexual abnormities. High coastal populations have been shown to cause major changes in the chemical, physical and biological properties of estuaries. This may come in many forms, including the release of pollutants into the estuary, replacement of natural shorelines with hard surfaces and the alteration of water flow (Inglis & Cross, 2000).Such significant changes have been shown to alter the invertebrate communities which inhabit these ecosystems (Inglis & Cross, 2000).
Global warming has been observed over the past century with evident ties to anthropogenic activity (Doney, et al. 2012). The warming of earth’s oceans and rising sea levels may put pressure on species to relocate their distribution on a local and regional scale (Doney, et al. 2012). For species that are dependent on micro/macro algae, rises in sea-level has the potential to put major stresses on both the producer and consumer (Doney, et al. 2012). Earth’s oceans absorb a large quantity of the atmospheric CO2; this has increased as greenhouse gas emissions have (Hendricks, et al. 2010). As a result, there have been recordings of change in ocean pH, with a trend of acidification (Hendricks, et al. 2010). Ocean acidification has been a proposed threat to invertebrates that are shell-forming or calcareous (Hendricks, et al. 2010). However, it is hard to determine whether these organisms will begin to die-off or adapt to the changing conditions.
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