DOCSLIB.ORG

National Management Plan for the Genus Caulerpa

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
National Management Plan for the Genus Caulerpa National Management Plan for the Genus Caulerpa Photo by R. Woodfield, Merkel and Associates Submitted to the Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force Prepared by the Caulerpa Working Group October, 2005 Executive Summary A variety of surveys have confirmed at least twenty-one species and varieties of Caulerpa with populations in different regions of the United States (U.S.). Three species of Caulerpa are thought to be invasive due to their historic and ongoing invasions of U.S. and foreign waters; Caulerpa taxifolia (Aquarium or Mediterranean strain), Caulerpa brachypus and Caulerpa racemosa. In December 1999, the Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force (ANSTF) established the Caulerpa taxifolia (Mediterranean strain) Prevention Committee. The Committee drafted the “Prevention Program for the Mediterranean strain of Caulerpa taxifolia” (Appendix A) which was an extension of the prior "Action plan to prevent the introduction and dispersal of the Mediterranean strain of Caulerpa taxifolia in U.S. waters”. In June 2000 divers detected C. taxifolia (Mediterranean strain) in Agua Hedionda Lagoon located in Carlsbad, CA and a second population in Huntington Harbor, CA. Divers first discovered non-native C. brachypus off the coast of southern Florida in 1999. Concerns have also been raised by scientists about C. racemosa, which has spread rapidly in the Mediterranean, but has not yet produced any problematic populations in U.S. waters. Documented impacts of invasive Caulerpa species include competition with marine plants and macroalgae, direct and indirect impacts on marine invertebrates, direct and indirect impacts on marine vertebrates and economic impacts due to control costs and costs associated with ecosystem alteration. To date, eradication efforts for C. taxifolia in California have cost over $3.7 million in direct control costs, and over $500,000 have been allocated to study the effects of C. brachypus in Florida. In 2002 the ANSTF recommended that a Caulerpa Working Group (CWG) be formed to provide input on the development of a National Management Plan (NMP) that addresses the genus Caulerpa. This NMP was developed with the input of the CWG and other Caulerpa experts to guide the ANSTF and other interested parties in managing Caulerpa species in U.S. waters. A petition to list Caulerpa taxifolia (whole species) and Caulerpa (whole genus) was submitted to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS) on July 6, 2003. Currently the USDA APHIS is working on a pest risk assessment for the genus Caulerpa and will consider listing as Federal noxious weeds species of Caulerpa that are determined to pose a risk to the United States and that meet the International Plant Protection Convention definition of a quarantine pest. The goals of this National Management Plan for the genus Caulerpa are: 1) Prevent the introduction and spread of Caulerpa species to areas in U.S. waters where they are not native. 2) Early detect, rapidly respond to and monitor Caulerpa species in U.S. waters where they are not native. 3) Eradicate Caulerpa populations, in waters to which they are not native, where feasible. 4) Provide long-term adaptive management and mitigate impacts of populations of Caulerpa species in U.S. waters where they are not native and where eradication is not feasible. 5) Educate and inform the public, agencies and policymakers to advocate for preventing the introduction and spread of Caulerpa species. 6) Identify research needs and facilitate research to fill information gaps. 7) Review, assess progress and revise the management plan and continue developing information to meet national management plan goals. i Table of Contents Executive Summary ......................................................................................................................... i Figures............................................................................................................................................ iii Tables ............................................................................................................................................. iii 1. Purpose of this National Management Plan ............................................................................... 1 2. Introduction to the Genus Caulerpa........................................................................................... 3 2.1. Species of Caulerpa which are native to U.S. waters .......................................................... 5 2.2. Species of Caulerpa that may be introduced to U.S. waters to which they are not native... 7 2.2.1. Caulerpa taxifolia.......................................................................................................... 7 2.2.2. Caulerpa brachypus ...................................................................................................... 9 2.2.3. Caulerpa racemosa ..................................................................................................... 10 2.2.4. Other potentially invasive species of Caulerpa........................................................... 13 2.3. Assessment of historic Caulerpa introductions.................................................................. 18 2.3.1. History of Caulerpa taxifolia introduction in California............................................. 19 2.3.2. History of Caulerpa brachypus introduction in Florida.............................................. 19 2.3.3. History of Caulerpa taxifolia introductions in other regions ...................................... 19 2.3.4 Eradication and control efforts for Caulerpa taxifolia ................................................. 20 2.4. Regulation of Caulerpa species in the U.S......................................................................... 22 3. Impacts of Caulerpa Introductions........................................................................................... 23 3.1. Ecological Impacts of Caulerpa Introductions................................................................... 23 3.1.1. Direct and indirect impacts on marine plants .............................................................. 23 3.1.2. Direct impacts on marine herbivores........................................................................... 24 3.1.3. Indirect impacts on marine invertebrates..................................................................... 25 3.1.4. Indirect impacts on marine vertebrates........................................................................ 26 3.2. Economies that Could be Impacted by Caulerpa Infestations ........................................... 26 3.3. Actual costs of Caulerpa control in the U.S....................................................................... 28 3.3.1. Costs of eradication treatment in California................................................................ 28 3.3.2. Costs of control and educational outreach in Florida .................................................. 29 4. Implementation Action Items................................................................................................... 30 4.1. Primary Priorities for Implementation................................................................................ 31 4.2. Secondary Priorities for Implementation............................................................................ 43 4.4. Implementation Table for Action Items ............................................................................. 49 5. References Cited....................................................................................................................... 50 ii Figures Figure 1. Caulerpa taxifolia exhibits a habit typical of the genus: a creeping rhizome produces rhizoids downward and photosynthetic branches (in this case bearing leaf-like pinnules) upward..................................................................................................................................... 3 Figure 2. On the Pacific coast of North America indigenous populations of Caulerpa only exist as far north as Guadalupe Island. ............................................................................................ 5 Figure 3. Caulerpa taxifolia showed vigorous growth, prior to treatment in California................ 7 Figure 4. Caulerpa brachypus patches are growing on coral in FL. .............................................. 9 Figure 5. Caulerpa racemosa can grow rapidly in some environments....................................... 11 Figure 6. Caulerpa prolifera has shown characteristics that might be linked to invasiveness..... 13 Figure 7. Caulerpa cupressoides has been shown to exhibit very fast rates of growth................ 15 Figure 8. Caulerpa scalpelliformis can be considered potentially invasive in U.S. waters. ........ 16 Figure 9. Caulerpa mexicana can grow to 15m deep................................................................... 16 Figure 10. Caulerpa verticillata is another fast growing species of Caulerpa. ............................ 17 Figure 11. Caulerpa sertularioides has the potential to be invasive in coastal California........... 18 Figure 12. Commercial landings for Florida as reported by wholesale seafood buyers from 1988 to 2002 have steadily declined (data provided by NMFS 2004). .......................................... 27 Figure 13. Commercial landings for California, as reported by wholesale seafood buyers for 1988 to 2002 have been highly variable(data provided by NMFS 2004)......................................
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Lipopeptides from Cyanobacteria: Structure and Role in a Trophic Cascade
    Lipopeptides from Cyanobacteria : structure and role in a trophic cascade Louis Bornancin To cite this version: Louis Bornancin. Lipopeptides from Cyanobacteria : structure and role in a trophic cascade. Other. Université Montpellier, 2016. English. NNT : 2016MONTT202. tel-02478948 HAL Id: tel-02478948 https://tel.archives-ouvertes.fr/tel-02478948 Submitted on 14 Feb 2020 HAL is a multi-disciplinary open access L’archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est archive for the deposit and dissemination of sci- destinée au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents entific research documents, whether they are pub- scientifiques de niveau recherche, publiés ou non, lished or not. The documents may come from émanant des établissements d’enseignement et de teaching and research institutions in France or recherche français ou étrangers, des laboratoires abroad, or from public or private research centers. publics ou privés. Délivré par Université de Montpellier Préparée au sein de l’école doctorale Sciences Chimiques Balard Et de l’unité de recherche Centre de Recherche Insulaire et Observatoire de l’Environnement (USR CNRS-EPHE-UPVD 3278) Spécialité : Ingénierie des Biomolécules Présentée par Louis BORNANCIN Lipopeptides from Cyanobacteria : Structure and Role in a Trophic Cascade Soutenue le 11 octobre 2016 devant le jury composé de Monsieur Ali AL-MOURABIT, DR CNRS, Rapporteur Institut de Chimie des Substances Naturelles Monsieur Gérald CULIOLI, MCF, Rapporteur Université de Toulon Madame Martine HOSSAERT-MCKEY, DR CNRS, Examinatrice, Centre d’Écologie
    [Show full text]
  • A Forensic and Phylogenetic Survey of Caulerpa Species
    J. Phycol. 42, 1113–1124 (2006) r 2006 by the Phycological Society of America DOI: 10.1111/j.1529-8817.2006.0271.x A FORENSIC AND PHYLOGENETIC SURVEY OF CAULERPA SPECIES (CAULERPALES, CHLOROPHYTA) FROM THE FLORIDA COAST, LOCAL AQUARIUM SHOPS, AND E-COMMERCE: ESTABLISHING A PROACTIVE BASELINE FOR EARLY DETECTION1 Wytze T. Stam2 Jeanine L. Olsen Department of Marine Benthic Ecology and Evolution, Center for Ecological and Evolutionary Studies, Biological Centre, University of Groningen, PO Box 14, 9750 AA Haren, The Netherlands Susan Frisch Zaleski University of Southern California Sea Grant Program, 3616 Trousdale Parkway, Los Angeles, California 90089-0373, USA Steven N. Murray Department of Biological Science, California State University, Fullerton, PO Box 6850, Fullerton, California 92834-6850, USA Katherine R. Brown and Linda J. Walters Department of Biology, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida 32816, USA Baseline genotypes were established for 256 in- researchers interested in the evolution and speciat- dividuals of Caulerpa collected from 27 field loca- ion of Caulerpa. tions in Florida (including the Keys), the Bahamas, Key index words: aquarium trade; Caulerpa; e-com- US Virgin Islands, and Honduras, nearly doubling merce; invasive species; ITS; marine conservation; the number of available GenBank sequences. On the phylogeny; tufA basis of sequences from the nuclear rDNA-ITS 1 þ 2 and the chloroplast tufA regions, the phylogeny of Abbreviations: CTAB, cetyltrimethylammonium bro- Caulerpa was reassessed and the presence of inva- mide; ITS, internally transcribed spacer; MCMC, sive strains was determined. Surveys in central Flor- Markov chain Monte Carlo analysis ida and southern California of 4100 saltwater aquarium shops and 90 internet sites revealed that 450% sold Caulerpa.
    [Show full text]
  • The Cell Walls of Green Algae: a Journey Through Evolution and Diversity
    The cell walls of green algae a journey through evolution and diversity Domozych, David S.; Ciancia, Marina; Fangel, Jonatan Ulrik; Mikkelsen, Maria Dalgaard; Ulvskov, Peter; Willats, William George Tycho Published in: Frontiers in Plant Science DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2012.00082 Publication date: 2012 Document version Publisher's PDF, also known as Version of record Citation for published version (APA): Domozych, D. S., Ciancia, M., Fangel, J. U., Mikkelsen, M. D., Ulvskov, P., & Willats, W. G. T. (2012). The cell walls of green algae: a journey through evolution and diversity. Frontiers in Plant Science, 3. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2012.00082 Download date: 27. Sep. 2021 MINI REVIEW ARTICLE published: 08 May 2012 doi: 10.3389/fpls.2012.00082 The cell walls of green algae: a journey through evolution and diversity David S. Domozych1*, Marina Ciancia2, Jonatan U. Fangel 3, Maria Dalgaard Mikkelsen3, Peter Ulvskov 3 and William G.T.Willats 3 1 Department of Biology and Skidmore Microscopy Imaging Center, Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, NY, USA 2 Cátedra de Química de Biomoléculas, Departamento de Biología Aplicada y Alimentos, Facultad de Agronomía, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina 3 Department of Plant Biology and Biochemistry, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark Edited by: The green algae represent a large group of morphologically diverse photosynthetic eukary- Jose Manuel Estevez, University of otes that occupy virtually every photic habitat on the planet. The extracellular coverings of Buenos Aires and Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y green algae including cell walls are also diverse. A recent surge of research in green algal Técnicas, Argentina cell walls fueled by new emerging technologies has revealed new and critical insight con- Reviewed by: cerning these coverings.
    [Show full text]
  • Predicting Risks of Invasion of Caulerpa Species in Florida
    University of Central Florida STARS Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2004-2019 2006 Predicting Risks Of Invasion Of Caulerpa Species In Florida Christian Glardon University of Central Florida Part of the Biology Commons Find similar works at: https://stars.library.ucf.edu/etd University of Central Florida Libraries http://library.ucf.edu This Masters Thesis (Open Access) is brought to you for free and open access by STARS. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2004-2019 by an authorized administrator of STARS. For more information, please contact [email protected]. STARS Citation Glardon, Christian, "Predicting Risks Of Invasion Of Caulerpa Species In Florida" (2006). Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2004-2019. 840. https://stars.library.ucf.edu/etd/840 PREDICTING RISKS OF INVASION OF CAULERPA SPECIES IN FLORIDA by CHRISTIAN GEORGES GLARDON B.S. University of Lausanne, Switzerland A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in the Department of Biology in the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Central Florida Orlando, Florida Spring Term 2006 ABSTRACT Invasions of exotic species are one of the primary causes of biodiversity loss on our planet (National Research Council 1995). In the marine environment, all habitat types including estuaries, coral reefs, mud flats, and rocky intertidal shorelines have been impacted (e.g. Bertness et al. 2001). Recently, the topic of invasive species has caught the public’s attention. In particular, there is worldwide concern about the aquarium strain of the green alga Caulerpa taxifolia (Vahl) C. Agardh that was introduced to the Mediterranean Sea in 1984 from the Monaco Oceanographic Museum.
    [Show full text]
  • Vulnerability of Marine Habitats to the Invasive Green Alga Caulerpa Racemosa Var
    Vulnerability of marine habitats to the invasive green alga Caulerpa racemosa var. cylindracea within a marine protected area Stelios Katsanevakis, Yiannis Issaris, Dimitris Poursanidis, Maria Thessalou-Legaki To cite this version: Stelios Katsanevakis, Yiannis Issaris, Dimitris Poursanidis, Maria Thessalou-Legaki. Vulnerabil- ity of marine habitats to the invasive green alga Caulerpa racemosa var. cylindracea within a marine protected area. Marine Environmental Research, Elsevier, 2010, 70 (2), pp.210. 10.1016/j.marenvres.2010.05.003. hal-00602594 HAL Id: hal-00602594 https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00602594 Submitted on 23 Jun 2011 HAL is a multi-disciplinary open access L’archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est archive for the deposit and dissemination of sci- destinée au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents entific research documents, whether they are pub- scientifiques de niveau recherche, publiés ou non, lished or not. The documents may come from émanant des établissements d’enseignement et de teaching and research institutions in France or recherche français ou étrangers, des laboratoires abroad, or from public or private research centers. publics ou privés. Accepted Manuscript Title: Vulnerability of marine habitats to the invasive green alga Caulerpa racemosa var. cylindracea within a marine protected area Authors: Stelios Katsanevakis, Yiannis Issaris, Dimitris Poursanidis, Maria Thessalou- Legaki PII: S0141-1136(10)00070-X DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2010.05.003 Reference: MERE 3450 To appear in: Marine Environmental Research Received Date: 12 March 2010 Revised Date: 6 May 2010 Accepted Date: 7 May 2010 Please cite this article as: Katsanevakis, S., Issaris, Y., Poursanidis, D., Thessalou-Legaki, M. Vulnerability of marine habitats to the invasive green alga Caulerpa racemosa var.
    [Show full text]
  • Caulerpa Racemosa Var. Cylindracea (Forsskal) J.Agardh ; Devant La Côte Ouest Algérienne
    REPUBLIQUE ALGERIENNE DEMOCRATIQUE ET POPULAIRE MINISTERE DE L’ENSEIGNEMENT SUPERIEUR ET DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE UNIVERSITE ABDELHAMID IBN BADIS MOSTAGANEM FACULTE DES SCIENCES DE LA NATURE ET DE LA VIE DEPARTEMENT DES SCIENCES DE LA MER ET DE L’AQUACULTURE FILIERE : HYDROBIOLOGIE MARINE ET CONTINENTALE SPECIALITE : ECOLOGIE ET ENVIRONNEMENT THESE POUR L’OBTENTION DU DIPLOME DE DOCTORAT EN SCIENCES Présentée par : GHELLAI Malika Intitulée : L’expansion, le contrôle et le suivi de l’algue marine invasive : Caulerpa racemosa Var. cylindracea (Forsskal) J.Agardh ; devant la côte ouest algérienne Soutenue le : 1 Juin 2021 Devant le jury composé de : Mme. BENAMAR Nardjess Professeur Université de Mostaganem Présidente Mme. NEMCHI Fadela Maître de conférences A Université de Mostaganem Examinatrice M. KERFOUF Ahmed Professeur Université de Sidi Bel-Abbes Examinateur M. MOUFFOK Salim Professeur Université Oran1 Examinateur M.CHAHROUR Fayçal Maître de conférences A Université Oran 1 Examinateur M.BACHIR BOUIADJRA Benabdellah Maître de conférences A Université de Mostaganem Rapporteur Année universitaire 2020-2021 DEDICACE Je dédie ce travail A ma famille, elle qui m’a doté d’une éducation digne, son amour a fait de moi ce que je suis aujourd’hui : Particulièrement à mes parents, pour le gout à l’effort qu’ils ont suscité en moi, de par leur rigueur, que cette thèse soit le meilleur cadeau que je puisse vous offrir. A mon frère, mes sœurs qui m’ont toujours soutenu et encouragé durant ces années d’études A mon mari qui a toujours été à mes cotés pour me soutenir et m’encourager pour la réalisation de ce travail.
    [Show full text]
  • E-Commerce and Caulerpa: Unregulated Dispersal of Invasive
    RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS E-commerce and Caulerpa: unregulated 75 dispersal of invasive species Linda J Walters1*, Katherine R Brown1, Wytze T Stam2, and Jeanine L Olsen2 Professional aquarists and hobbyists are thought to be the source of invasions of the aquarium strain of the green macroalga Caulerpa taxifolia in the Mediterranean, southern California, and Australia. The US Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA–APHIS) restricted interstate commerce and importation of the Mediterranean clone of C taxifolia prior to the California invasion and is cur- rently deciding if it should strengthen regulation of this genus as more species of Caulerpa are being described as invasive. Here we document the importance of e-commerce as a mode of dispersal for many species of Caulerpa in the United States. We purchased Caulerpa from 30 internet retailers and 60 internet auction sites representing 25 states and Great Britain. Twelve different Caulerpa species were confirmed using DNA sequenc- ing. Only 10.6% of sellers provided the correct genus and species names with their shipments. Thirty purchases of “live rock” provided four species of Caulerpa, as well as 53 additional marine species. Our results confirm the extensive e-commerce availability of this invasive genus and its high dispersal potential via postal services and hobbyists. We recommend that both eBay and the USDA maximize regulation of Caulerpa. Front Ecol Environ 2006; 4(2): 75–79 any species of the green macroalga Caulerpa some of the “feather Caulerpas”: C taxifolia, C sertulari- M(Chlorophyta: Ulvophyceae) are highly invasive oides, and C mexicana) remain extremely popular with and the economics and ecological impacts associated with aquarium hobbyists because they are attractive in salt these introductions are well documented (eg de Villèle water tanks and are easy to clonally propagate (Smith and and Verlaque 1995; Davis et al.
    [Show full text]
  • Syllabus of Msc Degree in Botany W.E.F. 2019-20
    UNIVERSITY OF KERALA THIRUVANANTHAPURAM M.Sc. Degree in Botany (Semester System) Revised Course Structure & Syllabus (w.e.f. 2019 Admissions) October 2018 PG BOARD OF STUDIES IN BOTANY UNIVERSITY OF KERALA M.Sc. Degree in Botany (Semester System) Revised Course structure Semes Paper Hours/ Hours / ESA Title of the Paper Maximum Marks ter Code semester week hours L P 3 CA ESA Total Phycology, Mycology, BO 211 108 6 2 3 25 75 100 Microbiology & Plant Pathology Bryophyta, Pteridophyta & I BO212 Gymnosperms 108 6 2 3 25 75 100 Histology, Reproductive Biology, BO213 Microtechnique & Histochemistry 108 6 3 3 25 75 100 BO214 Practical I 126 7 4 25♦ 75♦ Δ Total for Semester I 450 18 7 13 75 225 300 Taxonomy of Angiosperms, BO 221 Economic Botany & Ethnobotany 108 6 2.5 3 25 75 100 Environmental Biology, Forest BO 222 Botany, Phytogeography & 108 6 2 3 25 75 100 Conservation Biology II Cell Biology, Genetics & Evolution BO 223 108 6 2.5 3 25 75 100 Practical I 100♦ BO 224 Practical II 126 7 4 25 75 100 BO 225 Submission I* (I A+1B) 25+25 50 Total for Semester II 450 18 7 13 100 350 550 Plant Breeding, Horticulture & BO 231 108 6 1.5 3 25 75 100 Biostatistics Biochemistry, Plant Physiology BO 232 & Research Methodology 108 6 3 3 25 75 100 III Molecular Biology, Immunology & BO 233 108 6 2.5 3 25 75 100 Plant Biotechnology BO 234 Practical III 126 7 4 25♦♦ 75♦♦ Δ Δ Total for Semester III 450 18 7 13 75 225 300 Special Paper –I BO 241 Bioinformatics & Biophysics 144 8 2 3 25 75 100 BO 242 Special Paper –II Elective 144 8 5 3 25 75 100 Practical III 100♦♦ IV BO 243 Practical IV 126 7 4 25 75 100 BO 244 Dissertation 36 2 100 100 BO 245 Submissions II** 50 50 BO 246 Comprehensive Viva Voce 25 .
    [Show full text]
  • Plant Evolution Acetabularia Is a Genus of Green Algae
    Botany – Plant Evolution Acetabularia is a genus of green algae, specifically of the Polyphysaceae family. Typically found in subtropical waters, Acetabularia is a single- celled organism, but gigantic in size and complex in form, making it an excellent model organism for studying cell biology. The name, Acetabularia, derives from the Latin word acetabulum, a broad, shallow cup used for dipping bread; the upturned cap of Acetabularia resembles such a cup. For this reason, it is also sometimes called mermaid's wineglass.[6] Acetabularia was the first demonstration that genes are encoded by DNA in eukaryotes. Cladophora is a genus of reticulated filamentous Ulvophyceae (green algae). The genus Cladophora contains many species that are very hard to tell apart and classify, mainly because of the great variation in their appearances, which is affected by habitat, age and environmental conditions. Unlike Spirogyra the filaments of Cladophora branch and it doesn't undergo conjugation. They have swimming gametes instead. There are two multicellular stages in its life cycle - a haploid gametophyte and a diploid sporophyte - which look highly similar. The only way to tell the two stages apart is to either count their chromosomes, or examine their offspring. The haploid gametophyte produces haploid gametes by mitosis and the diploid sporophyte produces haploid spores by meiosis. The only visible difference between the gametes and spores of Cladophora is that the gametes have two flagella and the spores have four. Cladophora is an invahsive species damaging the fishing industry and shoreline property values along the Great Lakes in the United States Chara species are multicellular and superficially resemble land plants because of stem-like and leaf-like structures.
    [Show full text]
  • Marine Algae of French Frigate Shoals, Northwestern Hawaiian Islands: Species List and Biogeographic Comparisons1
    Marine Algae of French Frigate Shoals, Northwestern Hawaiian Islands: Species List and Biogeographic Comparisons1 Peter S. Vroom,2 Kimberly N. Page,2,3 Kimberly A. Peyton,3 and J. Kanekoa Kukea-Shultz3 Abstract: French Frigate Shoals represents a relatively unpolluted tropical Pa- cific atoll system with algal assemblages minimally impacted by anthropogenic activities. This study qualitatively assessed algal assemblages at 57 sites, thereby increasing the number of algal species known from French Frigate Shoals by over 380% with 132 new records reported, four being species new to the Ha- waiian Archipelago, Bryopsis indica, Gracilaria millardetii, Halimeda distorta, and an unidentified species of Laurencia. Cheney ratios reveal a truly tropical flora, despite the subtropical latitudes spanned by the atoll system. Multidimensional scaling showed that the flora of French Frigate Shoals exhibits strong similar- ities to that of the main Hawaiian Islands and has less commonality with that of most other Pacific island groups. French Frigate Shoals, an atoll located Martini 2002, Maragos and Gulko 2002). close to the center of the 2,600-km-long Ha- The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Ad- waiian Archipelago, is part of the federally ministration (NOAA) Fisheries Coral Reef protected Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Ecosystem Division (CRED) and Northwest- Coral Reef Ecosystem Reserve. In stark con- ern Hawaiian Islands Reef Assessment and trast to the more densely populated main Ha- Monitoring Program (NOWRAMP) began waiian Islands, the reefs within the ecosystem conducting yearly assessment and monitoring reserve continue to be dominated by top of subtropical reef ecosystems at French predators such as sharks and jacks (ulua) and Frigate Shoals in 2000 to better support the serve as a refuge for numerous rare and long-term conservation and protection of endangered species no longer found in more this relatively intact ecosystem and to gain a degraded reef systems (Friedlander and De- better understanding of natural biological and oceanographic processes in this area.
    [Show full text]
  • New Records of Benthic Marine Algae and Cyanobacteria for Costa Rica, and a Comparison with Other Central American Countries
    Helgol Mar Res (2009) 63:219–229 DOI 10.1007/s10152-009-0151-1 ORIGINAL ARTICLE New records of benthic marine algae and Cyanobacteria for Costa Rica, and a comparison with other Central American countries Andrea Bernecker Æ Ingo S. Wehrtmann Received: 27 August 2008 / Revised: 19 February 2009 / Accepted: 20 February 2009 / Published online: 11 March 2009 Ó Springer-Verlag and AWI 2009 Abstract We present the results of an intensive sampling Rica; we discuss this result in relation to the emergence of program carried out from 2000 to 2007 along both coasts of the Central American Isthmus. Costa Rica, Central America. The presence of 44 species of benthic marine algae is reported for the first time for Costa Keywords Marine macroalgae Á Cyanobacteria Á Rica. Most of the new records are Rhodophyta (27 spp.), Costa Rica Á Central America followed by Chlorophyta (15 spp.), and Heterokontophyta, Phaeophycea (2 spp.). Overall, the currently known marine flora of Costa Rica is comprised of 446 benthic marine Introduction algae and 24 Cyanobacteria. This species number is an under estimation, and will increase when species of benthic The marine benthic flora plays an important role in the marine algae from taxonomic groups where only limited marine environment. It forms the basis of many marine information is available (e.g., microfilamentous benthic food chains and harbors an impressive variety of organ- marine algae, Cyanobacteria) are included. The Caribbean isms. Fish, decapods and mollusks are among the most coast harbors considerably more benthic marine algae (318 prominent species associated with the marine flora, which spp.) than the Pacific coast (190 spp.); such a trend has serves these animals as a refuge and for alimentation (Hay been observed in all neighboring countries.
    [Show full text]
  • Download Download
    BIODIVERSITAS ISSN: 1412-033X Volume 21, Number 5, May 2020 E-ISSN: 2085-4722 Pages: 1823-1832 DOI: 10.13057/biodiv/d210508 Morphological variation of two common sea grapes (Caulerpa lentillifera and Caulerpa racemosa) from selected regions in the Philippines JEREMAIAH L. ESTRADA♥, NONNATUS S. BAUTISTA, MARIBEL L. DIONISIO-SESE Plant Biology Division, Institute of Biological Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, University of the Philippines Los Baños. College, Laguna 4031, Philippines. ♥email: [email protected] Manuscript received: 26 February 2020. Revision accepted: 6 April 2020. Abstract. Estrada JL, Bautista NS, Dionisio-Sese ML. 2020. Morphological variation of two common sea grapes (Caulerpa lentillifera and Caulerpa racemosa) from selected regions in the Philippines. Biodiversitas 21: 1823-1832. Seagrapes, locally known in the Philippines as “lato” or “ar-arusip”, are economically important macroalgae belonging to the edible species of the genus Caulerpa. This study characterized and compared distinct populations of sea grapes from selected regions in the Philippines and described the influence of physicochemical parameters of seawater on their morphology. Morphometric, cluster and principal component analyses showed that morphological plasticity exists in sea grapes species (Caulerpa lentillifera and Caulerpa racemosa) found in different sites in the Philippines. These are evident in morphometric parameters namely, assimilator height, space between assimilators, ramulus diameter and number of rhizoids on stolon wherein significant differences were found. This evident morphological plasticity was analyzed in relation to physicochemical parameters of the seawater. Assimilator height of C. racemosa is significantly associated and highly influenced by water depth, salinity, temperature and dissolved oxygen whereas for C. lentillifera depth and salinity are the significant influencing factors.
    [Show full text]