New confirmed depth limit of Antarctic macroalgae: Palmaria decipiens found at 100 m depth in the Southern Ocean

Robinson, Ben J.O.; Morley, Simon A.; Rizouli, Anastasia; Sarantopoulou, Joanne; Gkafas, Georgios A.; Exadactylos, Athanasios; Küpper, Frithjof C.

doi:10.1007/s00300-022-03071-y

Cited by 4 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 33 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Considering that both light quality and quantity depend on depth, this factor could also contribute to structure macrophyte distribution and influence Species Richness, especially with regards to red algae that are more adapted to lower irradiance and usually thrive best in deeper waters [7]. For most of them, light defines the lower limit of their depth distribution, with rare exceptions [76]. The sampling stations in MP1 and MP2 actually counted the highest number of Rhodophyta.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Salinity as a Key Factor in Structuring Macrophyte Assemblages in Transitional Water Bodies: The Case of the Apulian Coastal Lagoons (Southern Italy)

et al. 2023

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Coastal lagoons are dynamic transitional water ecosystems hosting valuable biological communities, including rich and diverse macrophyte assemblages. Aquatic macrophytes must cope with large fluctuations of environmental conditions on a spatial and seasonal scale. Salinity is one of the most variable parameters, changing from nearly freshwater to hypersalinity, and it is known to have a strong influence on the composition and structure of macrophyte assemblages. This study is focused on the effect of salinity on macrophyte communities of the eight most important coastal lagoons of Apulia (south-eastern Mediterranean Sea). A set of eleven transitional water body types (sensu Water Framework Directive) were allocated in a range of meso- to hyperhaline lagoons. Macrophyte sampling was carried out between 2011 and 2019, and a total of 324 samples (18 sampling stations × 2 seasons × 9 years) was analyzed. Then, macrophyte occurrence in each transitional water body (T-WB) was expressed as frequency values (%) and assemblages were compared to assess any similarity in relation to four salinity classes (mesohaline, polyhaline, euhaline and hyperhaline). Species richness varied according to the salinity class, being much higher in polyhaline and euhaline T-WBs and strongly decreasing at the extremes of the salinity range (mesohaline and hyperhaline T-WBs). Moreover, the statistical analysis showed a high resemblance of macrophyte assemblages of T-WBs within the same salinity class, which shared a great number of species. Four distinct macrophyte communities were distinguished, reflecting the salinity conditions of different T-WB types and confirming the effectiveness of a lagoon typology based on this descriptor.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Salinity as a Key Factor in Structuring Macrophyte Assemblages in Transitional Water Bodies: The Case of the Apulian Coastal Lagoons (Southern Italy)

et al. 2023

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

Deep-living and diverse Antarctic seaweeds as potentially important contributors to global carbon fixation

Tait,

Chin,

Nelson

et al. 2024

Commun Earth Environ

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Global models predict that Antarctica has little suitable habitat for macroalgae and that Antarctic macroalgae therefore make a negligible contribution to global carbon fixation. However, coastal surveys are rare at southern polar latitudes (beyond 71° S), and here we report diverse and abundant macroalgal assemblages in un-navigated coastal habitats of the Ross Sea from 71.5°–74.5° S. We found extensive macroalgal assemblages living at depths >70 m and specimens of crustose coralline algae as deep as 125 m. Using global light modelling and published photosynthetic rates we estimate that Antarctic macroalgae may contribute between 0.9–2.8 % of global macroalgal carbon fixation. Combined, this suggests that Antarctic macroalgae may be a greater contributor to global carbon fixation and possibly sequestration than previously thought. The vulnerability of these coastal environments to climate change, especially shifting sea ice extent and persistence, could influence Southern Ocean carbon fixation and rates of long-term sequestration.

show abstract

Strong correlations of sea ice cover with macroalgal cover along the Antarctic Peninsula: Ramifications for present and future benthic communities

Amsler

Klein

et al. 2023

Elem Sci Anth

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Macroalgal forests dominate shallow hard bottom areas along the northern portion of the Western Antarctic Peninsula (WAP). Macroalgal biomass and diversity are known to be dramatically lower in the southern WAP and at similar latitudes around Antarctica, but few reports detail the distributions of macroalgae or associated macroinvertebrates in the central WAP. We used satellite imagery to identify 14 sites differing in sea ice coverage but similar in terms of turbidity along the central WAP. Fleshy macroalgal cover was strongly, negatively correlated with ice concentration, but there was no significant correlation between macroinvertebrate cover and sea ice. Overall community (all organisms) diversity correlated negatively with sea ice concentration and positively with fleshy macroalgal cover, which ranged from around zero at high ice sites to 80% at the lowest ice sites. Nonparametric, multivariate analyses resulted in clustering of macroalgal assemblages across most of the northern sites of the study area, although they differed greatly with respect to macroalgal percent cover and diversity. Analyses of the overall communities resulted in three site clusters corresponding to high, medium, and low fleshy macroalgal cover. At most northern sites, macroalgal cover was similar across depths, but macroalgal and macroinvertebrate distributions suggested increasing effects of ice scour in shallower depths towards the south. Hindcast projections based on correlations of ice and macroalgal cover data suggest that macroalgal cover at many sites could have been varying substantially over the past 40 years. Similarly, based on predicted likely sea ice decreases by 2100, projected increases in macroalgal cover at sites that currently have high ice cover and low macroalgal cover are substantial, often with only a future 15% decrease in sea ice. Such changes would have important ramifications to future benthic communities and to understanding how Antarctic macroalgae may contribute to future blue carbon sequestration.

show abstract

New confirmed depth limit of Antarctic macroalgae: Palmaria decipiens found at 100 m depth in the Southern Ocean

Cited by 4 publications

References 33 publications

Salinity as a Key Factor in Structuring Macrophyte Assemblages in Transitional Water Bodies: The Case of the Apulian Coastal Lagoons (Southern Italy)

Salinity as a Key Factor in Structuring Macrophyte Assemblages in Transitional Water Bodies: The Case of the Apulian Coastal Lagoons (Southern Italy)

Deep-living and diverse Antarctic seaweeds as potentially important contributors to global carbon fixation

Strong correlations of sea ice cover with macroalgal cover along the Antarctic Peninsula: Ramifications for present and future benthic communities

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About