Estuarine Benthic Algae

McGlathery, Karen J.; Sundbäck, Kristina; Fong, Peggy

doi:10.1002/9781118412787.ch8

Cited by 11 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 198 publications

(225 reference statements)

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“…In the case of brown algae, most of them (14) occur in the marine environment. These results agree with those described by McGlathery et al (2013), who indicated that brown and red algae are almost exclusively marine species and the Chlorophyta can occasionally be abundant in the lower salt marsh zone in estuaries.…”

Section: Type Of Environment and Substratesupporting

confidence: 82%

Inventory of benthic marine and estuarine algae and Cyanobacteria for Tabasco, México

2017

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Studies of benthic marine and estuarine algae as well as Cyanobacteria are in their early stages in the littoral of the state of Tabasco. Sixty seven taxa of seaweeds are currently known from Tabasco. The inventory of these organisms was made based on samples obtained in six localities, three of them in marine and three in estuarine environments. We found 147 species and subspecific taxa with Rhodophyta having the greatest number with 84, followed by Chlorophyta 44, and finally Phaeophyceae 19. In addition, the 26 species of Cyanobacteria collected are recorded for the first time for the coast of Tabasco since there are no previous reports. The presence of 115 species of benthic marine and estuarine algae is reported for the first time for Tabasco. Most of the new records are Rhodophyta (53.9%), followed by Chlorophyta (29.5%) and Phaeophyceae (16.6%). Of the 115 new records of algae for Tabasco, Gayliella fimbriata and Grateloupia subpectinata are new records also for the Mexican Atlantic. The highest number of species was recorded for Sanchez Magallanes breakwater, while the lowest number of taxa was recorded for Mecoacan Lagoon. According to the Feldmann and Cheney indexes the algal flora of the coast of Tabasco is tropical. The greatest diversity was found during the rainy season.

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Section: Type Of Environment and Substratesupporting

confidence: 82%

Inventory of benthic marine and estuarine algae and Cyanobacteria for Tabasco, México

2017

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“…Many studies reported a higher biomass of MPB in sediments with a high percentage of fine particles (mud) compared to more sandy sediments [16][17][18][19][20]. The main mechanisms behind the difference are thought to be the lower resuspension of algal cells in muddy habitats compared to sandy areas and higher concentration of nutrients in pore water of finer sediment [18,21].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessing biomass and primary production of microphytobenthos in depositional coastal systems using spectral information

et al. 2021

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In depositional intertidal coastal systems, primary production is dominated by benthic microalgae (microphytobenthos) inhabiting the mudflats. This benthic productivity is supporting secondary production and supplying important services to humans including food provisioning. Increased frequencies of extreme events in weather (such as heatwaves, storm surges and cloudbursts) are expected to strongly impact the spatiotemporal dynamics of the microphytobenthos and subsequently their contribution to coastal food webs. Within north-western Europe, the years 2018 and 2019 were characterized by record-breaking summer temperatures and accompanying droughts. Field-calibrated satellite data (Sentinel 2) were used to quantify the seasonal dynamics of microphytobenthos biomass and production at an unprecedented spatial and temporal resolution during these years. We demonstrate that the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) should be used with caution in depositional coastal intertidal systems, because it may reflect import of remains of allochthonous pelagic productivity rather than local benthic biomass. We show that the reduction in summer biomass of the benthic microalgae cannot be explained by grazing but was most probably due to the high temperatures. The fivefold increase in salinity from January to September 2018, resulting from reduced river run-off during this exceptionally dry year, cannot have been without consequences for the vitality of the microphytobenthos community and its resistance to wind stress and cloud bursts. Comparison to historical information revealed that primary productivity of microphytobenthos may vary at least fivefold due to variations in environmental conditions. Therefore, ongoing changes in environmental conditions and especially extreme events because of climate change will not only lead to changes in spatiotemporal patterns of benthic primary production but also to changes in biodiversity of life under water and ecosystem services including food supply. Satellite MPB data allows for adequate choices in selecting coastal biodiversity conservation and coastal food supply.

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“…Macroalgae can be found fixed by a holdfast to hard substrate when it is available in soft‐sediments (Krueger‐Hadfield et al 2016); such as on oyster reefs and shell fragments (Thomsen et al 2006). However, in coastal lagoons macroalgae tend to be free‐floating or anchored by tubes of the polychaete Diopatra cuprea on subtidal and intertidal flats (McGlathery et al 2001, 2012). Diopatra cuprea is a tube‐forming polychaete that facilitates macroalgae on soft‐sediment flats by incorporating thalli into its tube, anchoring macroalgae to the sediment (Thomsen and McGlathery 2005; Kollars et al 2016).…”

Section: Model Group Model Name Parametersmentioning

confidence: 99%

Predicting benthic macroalgal abundance in shallow coastal lagoons from geomorphology and hydrologic flow patterns

Besterman

McGlathery

Reidenbach

et al. 2020

Limnology & Oceanography

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Macroalgae structure coastal ecosystems affecting metabolism, nutrient dynamics, and food webs. Spatially explicit prediction of macroalgal abundance is critical for understanding coastal ecosystems and trajectories. However, models of macroalgal distribution tend to be mechanistic and generalize poorly, or biogeographic and too coarse to use over spatial scales most appropriate to ecosystem research and management (1-100 km 2). Our objective was to develop spatial distribution models for benthic macroalgae in soft-sediment environments. We compared macroalgal abundance quantified as percent cover, with environmental drivers on 1 ha intertidal flats in a > 900 km 2 lagoon system along the Atlantic Coast of Virginia, U.S.A. Physical drivers of macroalgae (e.g., depth-mediated light availability, exposure to waves) are related to bed morphology. We developed a novel topographic index (τ) to determine whether bed morphology predicts macroalgal abundance. This topographic index described variation in elevation occurring over spatial scales relevant to macroalgae, ranging from smooth to hummocky (τ = 0.01-1.07). Models tested τ along with mean elevation, fetch, and water residence time as predictors of macroalgal abundance. τ, and the interaction with water residence time, were most strongly related to macroalgal abundance. Hummocky flats accumulated less macroalgae than smoother flats, but exceptions occurred with short residence times. Model error (root mean square error) was low, varying between 8% and 18% across models. These models, based on readily measured physical features, are a useful approach for assessing macroalgal abundance in relation to shoreline hardening, species invasions, sea-level rise, and changing sedimentation affecting coastal ecosystems.

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Estuarine Benthic Algae

Cited by 11 publications

References 198 publications

Inventory of benthic marine and estuarine algae and Cyanobacteria for Tabasco, México

Inventory of benthic marine and estuarine algae and Cyanobacteria for Tabasco, México

Assessing biomass and primary production of microphytobenthos in depositional coastal systems using spectral information

Predicting benthic macroalgal abundance in shallow coastal lagoons from geomorphology and hydrologic flow patterns

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