A review of Florida seaweeds indicates a highly diverse flora within a large coastal zone (over 700 km) spanning more than 7° of latitude, containing tropical, subtropical, and temperate communities. Surprisingly, there have been relatively few detailed floristic studies of Florida seaweeds, except for the Florida Keys and on the east coast. The patterns are a reflection of the early predominance of winter visitors and lack of resident phycologists. The seaweeds of the west coast of Florida were virtually ignored until the 1950s. We estimate that the state's seaweed flora consists of at least 670 taxa including 219 green, 97 brown, 349 red algae, and at least 3 species of Vaucheria. Such a compilation is significantly higher than the numbers of taxa recorded for Florida by Taylor (1960), as well as those for North Carolina (i.e. Schneider & Searles, 1991), and Caribbean reefs (Littler & Littler, 2000). The majority of Florida seaweeds have tropical/Caribbean affinities, although a significant temperate component also occurs, presumably reflecting the influence of the northern floras of the Gulf of Mexico and south‐eastern coast of the US. The tropical nature of the state's flora is supported by the R/P and R + C/P indices of Feldman (1937) and Cheney (1997) with these ratios being 3.6 and 5.8, respectively. Florida's seaweed diversity is enhanced by the extensive salt marsh and seagrass communities of the west coast, plus the coral reef habitats of the Florida Keys. The present review summarizes several important historical studies, conspicuous geographic patterns, the type of communities, and the structure of a guide to the seaweeds of Florida. The guide will also serve as a historical reference for possible anthropogenic impacts in the future.
Physiological integration of Thalassia testudinum short shoots enables clones to function at a higher level of physiological organization than that of the short shoots themselves. Shaded short shoots connected to non-shaded short shoots had blade growth rates and proximate organic constituent levels equal to non-shaded controls. Shaded short shoots physically isolated from neighboring short shoots had blade growth rates and organic constituent levels different from both controls and shaded short shoots connected to non-shaded short shoots. Support of shaded short shoots appeared to be primarily from older short shoots connected to the shaded short shoots. The amelioration of localized light limitation results in an increased ability of clones to persist in heterogeneous environments. This increases the probability of the clone later encountering more favourable sites through a wider physical spread.
Three forms of the iota-producing carrageenophyte, Eucheuma denticulatum, and four forms of the kappa-producing carrageenophyte, Kappaphycus alvarezii, obtained from seaweed farms in the Philippines have been grown in the laboratory under unialgal and axenic conditions. Comparison of media indicates that seed stocks of both species can be cultured using enriched seawater media ranging from ESS and SWMD-1 to inexpensive soil extract (Erdshreiber's) or holding in sterile seawater for up to three weeks. Micropropagation has been successful with at least two forms of each species resulting in clonal propagation from axenic explants within 4 to 8 weeks. Callus development and branch regeneration has also been induced in two forms of each species. The results indicate that culture facilities in the farming areas of the Philippines could maintain high-yielding and rapidly growing seed stock for the seaweed farmers.
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