Climate Change and Algal Communities

Abstract

Climate change is one of the major global concerns jeopardizing human health and wildlife. This event is considered a threat to the marine ecosystem as well. Marine algae are the leading producer in the benthic food chain. Therefore, any change in marine algal communities will disrupt the whole ecosystem. Currently, algal species face significant changes in their abundance and distribution worldwide. Toxic species are frequently invading and causing a phenomenon called the harmful algal bloom, which threatens the seafood industry and public health. This chapter will focus on the significant distribution of algal communities worldwide and the impact of climate change on these marine algal species. Besides, this chapter will shed some light on how these changes affect the marine food chain and ultimately affect human health.

Predicted Changes in the Biogeographical Range of Gracilaria vermiculophylla under Present and Future Climate Scenarios

“…The spread and colonisation of marine macroalgae in non-native regions over recent decades is a phenomenon that has been linked to human activity and global warming, and is expected to intensify during this century as climate change progresses [1,3,6]. Some of the most notorious and successful settlements of non-native macroalgae species have…”

“…The spread and colonisation of marine macroalgae in non-native regions over recent decades is a phenomenon that has been linked to human activity and global warming, and is expected to intensify during this century as climate change progresses [1,3,6]. Some of the most notorious and successful settlements of non-native macroalgae species have been reported in the Mediterranean Sea by Caulerpa racemosa ((Forsskål) J.Agardh, 1873) or in the North Atlantic Sea by Sargassum muticum ((Yendo) Fensholt, 1955) and Rugulopterix okamurae ((E.Y.…”

“…Climate change and the introduction and spreading of non-native species represent a real threat to marine ecosystems generating changes in native biodiversity, creating novel biological interactions, and altering the provision of ecological services [1][2][3]. Global warming is expected to affect marine species distribution ranges, creating novel habitats potentially available to be colonized by non-native species [3][4][5]. Marine traffic and aquaculture have been identified as two of the main vectors of invasion in marine systems, favouring long-distance transportation of sessile organisms such as seaweeds [1,[6][7][8].…”