Distribution and characteristics of seaweed/seagrass community in Kagoshima Bay, Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan

Abstract

Distributions of seaweed/seagrass communities were determined from 230 sites along the coast of Kagoshima Bay, southern Japan, during a series of surveys in 2006. Sargassum (brown algae) and Zostera (angiosperm) communities were conˆrmed from 159 and 41 sites, respectively. Of the 19 species of Sargassum and Zostera conrmed in this study, distributional characteristics of 12 major species were also elucidated. Kagoshima Bay is comprised of three diŠerent areas (back, central part and mouth of the bay) as deˆned by the in‰uence of waters entering the bay from the Kuroshio Current. Two Zostera species, Z. marina and Z. japonica, and four temperate species of Sargassum, S. fusiforme, S. hemiphyllum, S. patens, and S. piluliferum, were conˆrmed from all areas.Meanwhile, six subtropical and warm-temperate species, S. alternato-pinnatum, S. crispifolium, S. cristaefolium, S. duplicatum, S. glaucescens, and S. incanum, were not detected in Kagoshima Bay except for some sites, as indicated by a previous survey in 1976; however, we detected them from various sites in the central part and mouth of the bay. We suggest that these species appeared and developed communities in the past 30 years.

Photosynthetic activity including the thermal‐ and chilling‐light sensitivities of a temperate Japanese brown alga Sargassum macrocarpum

“…Consequently, shifts in abundance and distribution of subtropical and temperate algae including Sargassum have been reported (Tanaka et al . , ; Kumagai et al . ); these changes are most evident near their northern or southern limits of distribution (Nakashima et al .…”

Effect of irradiance and temperature on the photosynthesis of a cultivated red alga, Pyropia tenera (= Porphyra tenera), at the southern limit of distribution in Japan

“…Many common temperate species including Undaria pinnatifida (Harvey) Suringar (brown alga) and Zostera marina Linnaeus (angiosperm) can be observed in this region, which is at their southern limit of distribution (Terada 2011;Kawano et al 2012). Incidentally, despite the relatively high latitude (31°N), a number of tropical species in this area has been observed in this region over the past decade (Tanaka et al 2013). Therefore it is reasonable to presume that the warming of local water temperature may result in additional shifts in species composition in this region.…”

“…Incidentally, despite the relatively high latitude (31°N), a number of tropical species in this area has been observed in this region over the past decade (Tanaka et al . ). Therefore it is reasonable to presume that the warming of local water temperature may result in additional shifts in species composition in this region.…”

Japan's nationwide long‐term monitoring survey of seaweed communities known as the “Monitoring Sites 1000”: Ten‐year overview and future perspectives

“…Massive decline of the seaweed vegetation including algal forests has also become a worldwide concern, in relation to seawater temperature rise driven by global warming (Wernberg et al 2011(Wernberg et al , 2013(Wernberg et al , 2016Harley et al 2012;Raybaud et al 2013;Voerman et al 2013;Vergés et al 2014Vergés et al , 2016Vergés et al , 2019Filbee-Dexter & Wernberg 2018). In Japan, shifts in abundance and distribution of subtropical and temperate species of Sargassum have been reported (Tanaka et al 2012(Tanaka et al , 2013Kumagai et al 2018); these changes are generally most evident near their northern or southern limits of distribution (Nakashima et al 2013;Watanabe et al 2014;Terada et al 2016). Moreover, the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake (GEJE) and tsunami disaster in the Sanriku coast, northeastern part of Honshu Island facing the Pacific Ocean, resulted in the loss of its marine vegetation.…”

“…In Japan, shifts in abundance and distribution of subtropical and temperate species of Sargassum have been reported (Tanaka et al . 2012, 2013; Kumagai et al . 2018); these changes are generally most evident near their northern or southern limits of distribution (Nakashima et al .…”