Implications of macroalgae blooms to the spatial structure of seagrass seascapes: The case of the Anadyomene spp. (Chlorophyta) bloom in Biscayne Bay, Florida

The takeover of Thalassia testudinum by Anadyomene sp. at Biscayne Bay, USA, cannot be simply explained by competition for nitrogen and phosphorous

“…In this bay, persistent blooms of seaweeds of the genus Anadyomene V.J. Lamouroux (Chlorophyta) have been reported since in the north-central inshore section, one of the few areas with abundant seagrass meadows (Collado-Vides et al 2013a, Santos et al 2020. In Biscayne Bay, large patches of Anadyomene sp., the dominant blooming species in the bay, settle on top of dense meadows of the seagrasses Thalassia testudinum and Syringodium filiforme, and completely cover extensive areas of seagrass beds (Collado-Vides et al 2013a).…”

“…In Biscayne Bay, large patches of Anadyomene sp., the dominant blooming species in the bay, settle on top of dense meadows of the seagrasses Thalassia testudinum and Syringodium filiforme, and completely cover extensive areas of seagrass beds (Collado-Vides et al 2013a). The prevalence of the blooms results in a detrimental effect for seagrass biomass and abundance and a seagrass seascape structure fragmentation across the bloom extent (Santos et al 2020). The biomass increase of Anadyomene species in 2007 triggered the transition from a seagrass-dominated system to a seaweed-dominated system in the bloom area of the bay between 2008 and 2009 (Fig.…”

Cascading effects of climate change on recreational marine flats fishes and fisheries

“…For example, in January 2010, Florida (USA) experienced a 12-day cold period leading to decreases in water temperature of over 10 °C (NOAA 2010 ; Adams et al 2012 ). The massive fish kill that ensued included a variety of species resulting in a 60–80% decline in the common snook population (Adams et al 2012 ; Muller and Taylor 2014 ; Stevens et al 2016 ; Santos et al 2020 ) and likely accelerating a long-term decline of bonefish ( A. vulpes ) (Santos et al 2017 ; Brownscombe et al 2019a ). Other such fish kills of various scales have also been reported to occur around the globe when weather-driven cold shock occurs in tropical and sub-tropical zones (e.g., Bohnsack, 1983 , Cyrus and McLean, 1996 , Lamadrid-Rose and Boehlert 1988 ; reviewed in Szekeres et al 2016 ).…”

Influence of seascape spatial pattern on the trophic niche of an omnivorous fish

“…SAV patches are mostly composed of the seagrass Thalassia testudinum, with some patches mixed with Halodule wrightii (seagrass), rhizophytic macroalgae, and drift macroalgae (Lirman et al, 2014). There are distinct SAV seascape structures (i.e., different mosaics and arrangements of SAV patches) along nearshore habitats of Biscayne Bay, which are the result of disturbances associated with freshwater management activities, macroalgae harmful blooms, and other structuring processes (e.g., hydrodynamics, sediment depth, storms) (Santos et al, 2011(Santos et al, , 2015(Santos et al, , 2020Stipek et al, 2020).…”