The Evolution of Thallus Form and Survival Strategies in Benthic Marine Macroalgae: Field and Laboratory Tests of a Functional Form Model

Littler, Mark M.; Littler, Diane S.

doi:10.1086/283610

Cited by 793 publications

(498 citation statements)

References 42 publications

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“…Na análise quantitativa, as respectivas espécies foram agrupadas em grupos morfo-funcionais, cujas características morfológicas refletem possíveis variações ambientais (Littler & Littler 1980, 1984, Steneck & Dethier 1994. Na mesma área onde foram realizadas as coletas para fins taxonômicos foi disposto um transecto horizontal de 10 m de comprimento entre 1 e 3 m de profundidade, na faixa de dominância de algas, com exceção da Ponta da Cajaíba, na qual as coletas foram realizadas entre 8 e 9 m, devido à escassez de macroalgas em águas mais rasas.…”

Section: Methodsunclassified

<![CDATA[Caracteriza??o das macroalgas nas comunidades marinhas da ?rea de Prote??o Ambiental de Cairu??, Parati, RJ: subs?dios para futuros monitoramentos]]>

Figueiredo¹,

Barreto²,

Reis³

2004

Rev. bras. Bot.

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-(Characterisation of macroalgae in the marine communities of Cairuçú Environmental Protected Area, Parati, RJ -bases for future monitoring). Macroalgae can be used to indicate biological and physical disturbances in the environment. In this study, the phyto-benthic community structure served to characterise the Cairuçú Protected Area. Six sampling sites represented a variety of environmental conditions inside Parati Bay, RJ. The most wave-exposed site was Ponta da Cajaíba followed by moderately exposed Praia da Conceição, and all the other sites were sheltered. Quali-and quantitative sampling of macroalgae were carried out four times a year. Algal cover was estimated within functional-form groups in the sublittoral zone using 10 m transects, each one with 10-30 random quadrats of 0.04 m 2 . Density of herbivorous sea urchins was estimated within 10 areas of 0.25 m 2 . There were 15 taxa added to the marine flora of Parati district, making a total of 136 taxa. Comparing local floras in southern areas of Rio de Janeiro State, Parati was similar to both Sepetiba Bay and the remaining of Ilha Grande Bay. Ilha Comprida, Saco da Velha, Praia Vermelha and Ponta do Buraco were dominated by corticated, coriaceous and articulated calcareous erect algae showing a lower cover of crustose calcareous algae. Sargassum dominated in more stable environmental conditions being replaced by smaller rhodophytes after its senescent phase, suggesting competition for stratum space. Places more exposed to waves and/or herbivores (Praia da Conceição and Ponta da Cajaíba) were dominated by crustose and small erect algae, in agreement with algae abundance patterns predicted by form and function models dependent on degrees of physical and biological disturbance.Key words -APA Cairuçú, distribution, functional-form groups, macroalgae, physical and biological disturbances RESUMO -(Caracterização das macroalgas nas comunidades marinhas da Área de Proteção Ambiental de Cairuçú, Parati, RJsubsídios para futuros monitoramentos). As macroalgas podem ser usadas para indicar distúrbios biológicos e físicos do ambiente. Neste estudo, a estrutura das comunidades fitobentônicas serviu para caracterizar a Área de Proteção Ambiental de Cairuçú. Seis locais de coleta representaram diversas condições ambientais dentro da Baía de Parati, RJ. O local mais exposto às ondas foi a Ponta da Cajaíba, seguido pela Praia da Conceição, moderadamente exposta às ondas, e os demais foram protegidos. Coletas quali e quantitativas das macroalgas foram realizadas em quatro épocas do ano. A cobertura destas foi estimada em grupos morfo-funcionais no sublitoral em transectos de 10 m, cada um com 10-30 quadrados aleatórios de 0,04 m 2 . A densidade dos ouriços herbívoros foi estimada em 10 áreas de 0,25 m 2 . Foram acrescidos 15 táxons à flora do Município de Parati, totalizando 136. Na comparação entre floras do sul fluminense, Parati assemelha-se ao grupo da Baía de Sepetiba e o restante da Baía da Ilha Grande. A Ilha Comprida, Saco da Velha, Praia Vermelha e Pont...

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Section: Methodsunclassified

<![CDATA[Caracteriza??o das macroalgas nas comunidades marinhas da ?rea de Prote??o Ambiental de Cairu??, Parati, RJ: subs?dios para futuros monitoramentos]]>

Figueiredo¹,

Barreto²,

Reis³

2004

Rev. bras. Bot.

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“…In response to this herbivore pressure, macroalgae have developed diVerent strategies, one of which is the defense of tissues in ways that makes them less palatable for potential consumers (reviewed in DuVy and Hay 1990;Cronin 2001). To reduce tissue palatability, algae use defense strategies known as: (1) structural or morphological defense, e.g., the calciWcation of tissue (Littler and Littler 1980), (2) chemical defense, e.g., synthesis and accumulation of unpalatable compounds (Amsler and Fairhead 2006), and (3) nutritional defense, e.g., algae are less palatable due to their low nutritional quality (Lubchenco and Gaines 1981;DuVy and Paul 1992).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Species-specific defense strategies of vegetative versus reproductive blades of the Pacific kelps Lessonia nigrescens and Macrocystis integrifolia

et al. 2008

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Chemical defense is assumed to be costly and therefore algae should allocate defense investments in a way to reduce costs and optimize their overall Wtness. Thus, lifetime expectation of particular tissues and their contribution to the Wtness of the alga may aVect defense allocation. Two brown algae common to the SE PaciWc coasts, Lessonia nigrescens Bory and Macrocystis integrifolia Bory, feature important ontogenetic diVerences in the development of reproductive structures; in L. nigrescens blade tissues pass from a vegetative stage to a reproductive stage, while in M. integrifolia reproductive and vegetative functions are spatially separated on diVerent blades. We hypothesized that vegetative blades of L. nigrescens with important future functions are more (or equally) defended than reproductive blades, whereas in M. integrifolia defense should be mainly allocated to reproductive blades (sporophylls), which are considered to make a higher contribution to Wtness. Herein, within-plant variation in susceptibility of reproductive and vegetative tissues to herbivory and in allocation of phlorotannins (phenolics) and N-compounds was compared. The results show that phlorotannin and N-concentrations were higher in reproductive blade tissues for both investigated algae. However, preferences by amphipod grazers (Parhyalella penai) for either tissue type diVered between the two algal species. Fresh reproductive tissue of L. nigrescens was more consumed than vegetative tissue, while the reverse was found in M. integrifolia, thus conWrming the original hypothesis. This suggests that future Wtness function might indeed be a useful predictor of anti-herbivore defense in large, perennial kelps. Results from feeding assays with artiWcial pellets that were made with air-dried material and extract-treated Ulva powder indicated that defenses in live algae are probably not based on chemicals that can be extracted or remain intact after airdrying and grinding up algal tissues. Instead, anti-herbivore defense against amphipod mesograzers seems to depend on structural traits of living algae.

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“…(Sand-Jensen and Borum 1991;Duarte 1995). The high surface-area to volume ratio of these mass-forming macroalgae favours rapid nutrient uptake, high production and rapid growth rates, which enable them to outcompete the original vegetation (Littler and Littler 1980;Hein et al 1995;Pedersen and Borum 1997). Eutrophication effects on the benthic vegetation of coastal waters are reviewed by Schramm and Nienhuis (1996) for Europe and by Thorne-Miller et al (1983), Tewari and Joshi (1988), Brown et al (1990) and Valiela et al (1997) for other parts of the world.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Regulation of spatial and seasonal variation of macroalgal biomass in a brackish, eutrophic lake

Malta

Verschuure

Nienhuis

2002

Helgoland Marine Research

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Processes leading to biomass variation of Ulva were investigated at two contrasting sites in the eutrophic Veerse Meer (The Netherlands). Ulva species dominated at the Middelplaten site, while at the Kwistenburg site a mixture of Ulva spp. and Chaetomorpha linum dominated. Total summer macroalgal biomass was higher at Middelplaten than at Kwistenburg (282 and 79 g DW m -2 , respectively). Growth rates of Ulva spp. were high at both sites in May 1992 (cage mean 0.28-0.30 day -1 ), but quickly dropped to lower values (0.05-0.10 day -1 ). In May, growth rates were significantly highest at Kwistenburg, while during the rest of the season growth rates were similar for both sites. Temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, salinity, light attenuation, phytoplankton and nutrient concentrations did not differ between sites. The relation between variation in Ulva spp. growth rates and environmental parameters was analysed using stepwise multiple regression, showing that light and temperature were the main variables regulating Ulva spp. growth rates. As Ulva growth rates were similar for both sites but biomass was much lower at Kwistenburg it was concluded that a large amount of produced biomass was lost at Kwistenburg. Although the exact reason for this remains unclear, it seems most likely that transport of macroalgae by wind and waves is a very important factor. This study shows the importance of simultaneously measuring growth rates and biomass at a high temporal resolution to reveal the mechanisms responsible for spatial variation in macroalgal biomass in shallow coastal areas.

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The Evolution of Thallus Form and Survival Strategies in Benthic Marine Macroalgae: Field and Laboratory Tests of a Functional Form Model

Cited by 793 publications

References 42 publications

<![CDATA[<b>Caracteriza??o das macroalgas nas comunidades marinhas da ?rea de Prote??o Ambiental de Cairu??, Parati, RJ</b>: <b>subs?dios para futuros monitoramentos</b>]]>

<![CDATA[<b>Caracteriza??o das macroalgas nas comunidades marinhas da ?rea de Prote??o Ambiental de Cairu??, Parati, RJ</b>: <b>subs?dios para futuros monitoramentos</b>]]>

Species-specific defense strategies of vegetative versus reproductive blades of the Pacific kelps Lessonia nigrescens and Macrocystis integrifolia

Regulation of spatial and seasonal variation of macroalgal biomass in a brackish, eutrophic lake

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