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Synchronized Sexual Reproduction of the Seagrass Syringodium Filiforme

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Synchronized Sexual Reproduction of the Seagrass Syringodium Filiforme Revista Ciencias Marinas y Costeras ISSN: 1659-455X ISSN: 1659-407X Universidad Nacional, Costa Rica Samper-Villarreal, Jimena; Loría-Naranjo, Margarita; Tussenbroek, Brigitta I. van; Cortés, Jorge Synchronized sexual reproduction of the seagrass Syringodium filiforme (Cymodoceaceae) in a tropical reef lagoon on the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica Revista Ciencias Marinas y Costeras, vol. 12, no. 1, 2020, January-June, pp. 40-59 Universidad Nacional, Costa Rica DOI: https://doi.org/10.15359/revmar.12-1.3 Available in: https://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=633767926003 How to cite Complete issue Scientific Information System Redalyc More information about this article Network of Scientific Journals from Latin America and the Caribbean, Spain and Journal's webpage in redalyc.org Portugal Project academic non-profit, developed under the open access initiative Synchronized sexual reproduction of the seagrass Syringodium filiforme (Cymodoceaceae) in a tropical reef lagoon on the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica Reproducción sexual sincronizada del pasto marino Syringodium filiforme (Cymodoceaceae) en la laguna de un arrecife tropical en la costa Caribe de Costa Rica Jimena Samper-Villarreal1*, Margarita Loría-Naranjo1, Brigitta I. van Tussenbroek2 & Jorge Cortés1,3 ABSTRACT There has been an increasing effort to understand the mechanisms of sexual reproduction in seagrasses, which is usually synchronized. Synchronization is caused by environmental cues, such as temperature and light availability, and most likely occurs to maximize pollination success. At higher latitudes where seagrass reproductive seasons are clearly marked, intra- annual variability of environmental triggers is significant. Our aim was to identify the period and frequency of sexual reproduction for the manatee grass Syringodium filiforme in a tropical coral reef lagoon, where the above-mentioned environmental triggers are homogenous all year round. The reproductive state and frequency and shoot length of S. filiforme were measured non-destructively in a monospecific patch on the tropical Caribbean coast of Costa Rica. The meadow was surveyed at 1 to 4-month intervals between May 2010 and May 2012. Water turbidity, temperature, and salinity were measured in situ. During the surveyed period, sexual reproduction of S. filiforme was detected in February and May, while seagrass shoot length showed no variation. The moment of seagrass sexual reproduction was not fully explained by the environmental parameters studied. Regardless of the limited environmental variability compared to previous studies at higher latitudes, synchronization of seagrass sexual reproduction at this tropical location is interesting and requires further studies on mechanisms and its possible adaptive advantage. Keywords: flowering, manatee grass, marine angiosperms, phenology, reproductive cymes 1 Centro de Investigación en Ciencias del Mar y Limnología (CIMAR), Ciudad de la Investigación, Universidad de Costa Rica, San Pedro, 11501-2060 San José, Costa Rica; [email protected]* ORCID: https:// orcid.org/0000-0002-7513-7293; [email protected] ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4396-7388, jorge. [email protected] ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7004-8649 2 Unidad Académica Sistemas Arrecifales-Puerto Morelos, Instituto de Ciencias del Mar y Limnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México; [email protected] ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6447-7479 3 Escuela de Biología, Universidad de Costa Rica, San Pedro, 11501-2060 San José, Costa Rica Recibido: 12 setiembre 2019 • Corregido: 16 enero 2020 • Aceptado: 20 febrero 2020 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15359/revmar.12-1.3 49 Rev. Mar. Cost. Vol. 12 (1): 49-68, enero-junio 2020 Licencia Creative Commons Atribución-No-Comercial ISSN: 1659-455X • e-ISSN: 1659-407X Compartir Igual 4.0 Costa Rica Jimena Samper-Villarreal, Margarita Loría-Naranjo, Brigitta I. van Tussenbroek & Jorge Cortés RESUMEN Ha habido un incremento en los esfuerzos por entender los mecanismos de reproducción sexual en pastos marinos, la cual usualmente ocurre de manera sincronizada. Se considera que esta sincronización se da para maximizar el éxito de la polinización. Esta sincronización en la reproducción sexual de pastos marinos es inducida por señales ambientales, como la temperatura y disponibilidad de luz. A mayores latitudes, donde los pastos marinos tienen períodos de reproducción estacional marcados, la variabilidad interanual de estas señales ambientales es significativa. Nuestro objetivo fue identificar el período de tiempo y frecuencia de reproducción sexual del pasto de manatí, Syringodium filiforme, en una laguna de arrecife tropical, donde los factores ambientales mencionados son homogéneos a lo largo del año. El estado y frecuencia reproductiva, así como la longitud de los haces, de S. filiforme se midieron de manera no destructiva en un parche monoespecífico de una pradera en la costa Caribe de Costa Rica. Esta pradera se muestreó en intervalos de 1 a 4 meses entre mayo del 2010 y mayo del 2012. La turbidez del agua, temperatura y salinidad se midieron in situ. Nuestro estudio identificó reproducción sexual durante el período de muestreo para S. filiforme en febrero y mayo en el sitio de estudio; mientras que la longitud de haces no evidenció variación. El momento de reproducción sexual de pasto marino no fue explicado de lleno por los parámetros ambientales estudiados. Su sincronización en esta ubicación tropical, a pesar de contar con variabilidad ambiental limitada en comparación con estudios previos a mayores latitudes, es interesante y amerita más investigación sobre los mecanismos y la posible ventaja adaptativa de la reproducción sexual sincronizada en pastos marinos. Palabras clave: floración, manatí, angiospermas marinas, fenología, cimas reproductivas INTRODUCTION through clonal spread by fragmenta- tion and rhizome elongation (Walker Seagrass meadows provide et al. 2001; Kendrick et al. 2005; Ack- many ecosystem services, includ- erman, 2006; Kendrick et al. 2012). ing serving as nursery grounds, con- Several decades ago, sexual repro- tributing to carbon sequestration, duction was considered unimportant. supporting complex food webs, and However, new genetic studies and the enhancing coastal stability (Orth et al. development of new markers have 2006a; Nordlund et al. 2018; James et now revealed higher seagrass genetic al. 2019). Despite their acknowledged variability than what was previously importance, seagrass meadows are thought, leading to a new paradigm declining worldwide (Waycott et al. of sexual reproduction with a more 2009). For instance, recent evidence significant role in seagrass population shows seagrass declining in the Carib- dynamics (Marbà & Walker, 1999; bean (Van Tussenbroek et al. 2014). Waycott et al. 2006; Van Tussenbroek Seagrasses are flowering plants et al. 2009). Sexual reproduction leads that produce seeds, though most pop- to higher genetic diversity and po- ulations can be maintained exclusively tential population fitness (Bijak et al. 50 Rev. Mar. Cost. Vol. 12 (1): 49-68, enero-junio 2020. ISSN: 1659-455X • e-ISSN: 1659-407X DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15359/revmar.12-1.3 Synchronized sexual reproduction of seagrass Syringodium filiforme (Cymodoceaceae) in a tropical reef lagoon on the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica 2018), which in turn is essential for Syringodium filiforme Kütz- meadow resilience. ing (“manatee seagrass”) is a tropical Research efforts have been in- seagrass found in the western tropical creased to understand the processes Atlantic from Florida (USA) to Vene- involved in the sexual reproduction of zuela, including the Gulf of Mexico and seagrasses (Orth et al. 2006b; Van Tus- the Caribbean Sea, and Bermuda (Short senbroek et al. 2009; Kendrick et al. et al. 2010). Classified as a colonizer 2012; McMahon et al. 2014) and the or opportunistic seagrass, its resistance role of marine animals in floral or seed capacity is low compared to other sea- predation, pollination, or dispersal of grasses (Bijak et al. 2018; O’Brien et seeds (Van Tussenbroek et al. 2012; al. 2018b). Population genetics using Van Tussenbroek & Muhlia-Montero, microsatellite markers has evidenced 2013; Van Tussenbroek et al. 2016b). limited genetic diversity for S. filiforme Seagrasses have a suite of morpholog- in Florida and the subtropical Atlantic ical and anatomical adaptations to en- region (Bijak et al. 2018). Syringodi- able sexual reproduction in the marine um filiforme limited distribution, low environment (Van Tussenbroek et al. genetic diversity, and life strategy high- 2009). However, an often-overlooked light the need to further understand its adaptation to reproduction in the sea is sexual reproductive mechanisms. the timing of sexual reproduction. This seagrass species repro- Seagrass sexual reproduction is duces asexually as well as sexually. synchronized most likely to maximize Asexual reproduction occurs with the pollination as a response mechanism horizontal growth of its monopodial to limited pollen dispersal, potential rhizome and leads to extensive ge- pollen wastage, or flower herbivo- netically identical rhizome sections, ry (Van Tussenbroek et al. 2008; Van while sexual reproduction in this di- Tussenbroek et al. 2016a). This syn- oecious species occurs by pollination chronization in sexual reproduction of flowers on terminal cymose inflo- can occur daily or be caused by envi- rescences (Tomlinson & Posluszny, ronmental cues, such as lunar cycles, 1978). Sexual reproduction
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