ABSTRACT
Organismic rate processes, e.g., feeding, respiration, excretion, and growth, are often fundamental to examining the structural and functional roles of bivalves at the population and ecosystem scales. Traditionally, these organismic rate processes have been summed, equivalent to scaling up, to yield population and ecosystem estimates. Frequently, these processes have been grouped together or integrated into ratios, either indices or budgets, in an effort to provide a deeper understanding of the underlying physiological or ecological processes.
