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214 results for “Seaweeds”
Understanding the local drivers of beta-diversity patterns under climate change: The case of seaweed communities in Galicia, North West of the Iberian Peninsula
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Sexual selection in seaweed? Testing Bateman’s principles in the red alga Gracilaria gracilis
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Data from: Pre-domestication bottlenecks of the cultivated seaweed Gracilaria chilensis
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Large global variations in the carbon dioxide removal potential of seaweed farming due to biophysical constraints
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Data from: Multi-scale drivers of community diversity and composition across tidal heights: an example on temperate seaweed communities
1. Despite recent advances in understanding community assembly processes, appreciating how these processes vary across multiple spatial scales and environmental gradients remains a crucial issue in ecology. 2. This study aimed to disentangle the drivers of diversity and composition of seaweed communities through a gradient of spatial scales based on a hierarchical sampling design consisting of 19 sites distributed in four sectors along the Brittany coastline. Using randomised community matrices and Moran's eigenvector maps (MEMs), we compared i) the relative importance of deterministic and stochastic processes, ii) the environmental correlates of community composition and iii) the scale of variation in community composition for seaweed communities located at two different tidal heights. 3. Processes shaping community patterns are expected to vary along a gradient of tidal heights. Therefore, we specifically examined the following hypotheses: the contribution of deterministic over stochastic processes as well as the relative importance of environmental filtering over biotic interactions should be enhanced for seaweed communities of the infralittoral fringe compared to subtidal ones, whereas dispersal of propagules in the water column should be more restricted resulting in finer-scale variation in community composition for seaweed communities of the infralittoral fringe compared to subtidal communities. 4. Seaweed communities were largely shaped by deterministic processes, although the relative importance of deterministic processes was greater for communities of the infralittoral fringe than for subtidal communities. Sea surface temperature and geophysical variables were correlates of community composition at the two tidal heights; additionally, waves and current were correlated with the composition of the communities of the infralittoral fringe while kelp density was correlated with the composition of subtidal communities. Variation in community composition was observed at a finer scale for infralittoral fringe than for subtidal communities. Synthesis. Our results suggest that the relative importance of deterministic and stochastic processes in structuring seaweed communities varies across tidal heights. Furthermore, the MEMs framework highlights that the nature of environmental correlates and the spatial scale at which they were good correlates of community composition also vary across tidal heights and may therefore be useful to broaden our understanding of community assembly across vertical gradients.
Data from: Below-ground processes control the success of an invasive seaweed
1. Whilst the successful establishment and spread of invasive species can be determined by above ground processes, results are often equivocal. Emergent research, mostly from terrestrial ecosystems, demonstrates that below-ground processes (nutrient cycling, chemical properties) under microbial control can mediate interactions between native and invasive plants. Because microbes can control similar sediment properties in marine ecosystem that influence plant fitness, we argue that below-ground properties should also exert strong control interactions between native and invasive marine macrophytes. 2. We coupled surveys of microbial communities and chemistry of sediments collected from an invasive alga (Caulerpa cylindracea), a native competitor (the seagrass Posidonia oceanica) and unvegetated sediments with a large field experiment, in which we manipulated the presence/absence of the canopies of both species to determine the effects of above- and below-ground processes on the success of C. cylindracea. 3. P. oceanica and C. cylindracea sediments have microbial communities and predicted metabolic process that reflect aerobic and anaerobic conditions, respectively. Moreover, the nutritional quantity of organic matter was higher, but quality was lower in C. cylindracea sediments compared to the two native habitats. The growth of C. cylindracea fragments was equally low in the presence or absence of a P. oceanica canopy, whereas the growth of C. cylindracea was higher in the canopy removed vs. present treatment, possibly because, in the absence of a C. cylindracea canopy, fragments are released from intra-specific competition for resources. 4. Synthesis: Sediment/soil processes are increasingly recognised as important drivers of the success and hence impacts of invasive plants. We extended this theory to marine ecosystems and suggest biotic resistance to invasion may not always be attributable to intact canopies, but may also result from indirect effects of native macrophytes on sediment quality and microbial processes. This information may, in part, resolve why above-ground interactions don't always explain invasive plant success and thus can be used to develop better informed management strategies.
Data from: Variation in the impact of non-native seaweeds along gradients of habitat degradation: a meta-analysis and an experimental test
Biological invasions are acknowledged among the main drivers of global changes in biodiversity. Despite compelling evidence of species interactions being strongly regulated by environmental conditions, there is a dearth of studies investigating how the effects of non-native species vary among areas exposed to different anthropogenic pressures. Focusing on marine macroalgae, we performed a meta-analysis to test whether and how the direction and magnitude of their effects on resident communities and species varies in relation to cumulative anthropogenic impact levels. The relationship between human impact levels and non-native species impact intensity emerged only for a reduced subset of the response variables examined. Yet, there was a trend for the effects of non-native species on community biomass and abundance and on species abundance to become less negative at heavily impacted sites. By contrast, the magnitude of negative effects of seaweed on community evenness tended to increase with human impact levels. The hypothesis of decreasing severity of invader' impacts along a gradient of habitat degradation was also tested experimentally at a regional scale by comparing the effects of the removal of non-native alga, Caulerpa cylindracea, on resident assemblages among rocky reefs exposed to different anthropogenic pressures. Assemblages at urban and pristine site did not differ when invaded, but did so when C. cylindracea was removed. Our results suggest that, despite the generally weak relationship between human impacts levels and non-native species impacts, more negative impacts can be expected in less stressful environments (i.e. less degraded or pristine sites), where competitive interactions are presumably the driving force structuring resident communities. Implementing strategies for controlling the establishment of non-native seaweeds should be, thus, considered a priority for preserving biodiversity in relatively pristine areas. On the other hand, control of invaders at degraded sites could be warranted to lessen their role as propagule sources.
Data from: Invasive seaweeds transform habitat structure and increase biodiversity of associated species
The visual landscape of marine and terrestrial systems is changing as a result of anthropogenic factors. Often these shifts involve introduced species that are morphologically dissimilar to native species, creating a unique biogenic structure and habitat for associated species within the landscape. While community level changes as a result of introduced species have been documented in both terrestrial and marine systems, it is still unclear how long-term shifts in species composition will affect habitat complexity or its potential to influence the biodiversity of species that occur at the base of the food web. We analysed quadrat photos collected at several subtidal sites in the Gulf of Maine over a 30+ year period, and collected individual seaweed species to determine their complexity and the biodiversity of meso-invertebrates associated with each species. By coupling the relationship of 30+ years of shifts in seaweed assemblages, morphological structure of the seaweed assemblage, and their meso-invertebrates, we determined introduced seaweeds have increased by up to 90%, corresponding to a rise in two-dimensional (2D) structure, and a decline in canopy height of subtidal rocky habitats. The highly complex two-dimensional habitat provided by introduced filamentous red seaweeds supports 2 to 3 times more meso-invertebrate individuals and species that form the base of the food web than simpler forms of morphological habitat. Synthesis: The present study demonstrates a long-term shift in foundation species towards a dominance of invasive seaweeds that directly reduce canopy height and increase the 2D biogenic structure of the habitat. These introduced seaweeds harbour greater biodiversity of species found at the base of the food web than seaweeds with simpler forms such as the native kelp species. Such shifts in habitat structure will propagate to food-webs by influencing the structure of lower trophic level meso-invertebrates and indirectly upper trophic level species that feed on these invertebrates and use the seaweed structure as refuge.
Data from: Variation in thermal stress response in two populations of the brown seaweed, Fucus distichus, from the Arctic and subarctic intertidal
It is unclear whether intertidal organisms are 'preadapted' to cope with the increase of temperature and temperature variability or if they are currently at their thermal tolerance limits. To address the dichotomy, we focused on an important ecosystem engineer of the Arctic intertidal rocky shores, the seaweed Fucus distichus and investigated thermal stress responses of two populations from different temperature regimes (Svalbard and Kirkenes, Norway). Thermal stress responses at 20°C, 24°C and 28°C were assessed by measuring photosynthetic performance and expression of heat shock protein (HSP) genes (shsp, hsp90 and hsp70). We detected population-specific responses between the two populations of F. distichus, as the Svalbard population revealed a smaller decrease in photosynthesis performance but a greater activation of molecular defence mechanisms (indicated by a wider repertoire of HSP genes and their stronger upregulation) compared with the Kirkenes population. Although the temperatures used in our study exceed temperatures encountered by F. distichus at the study sites, we believe response to these temperatures may serve as a proxy for the species' potential to respond to climate-related stresses.
Data from: Canopy facilitates seaweed recruitment on subtidal temperate reefs
1. Facilitation through physical stress amelioration has been largely overlooked in subtidal marine ecosystems, where abiotic gradients are perceived to be benign. However, seemingly subtle changes in marine environmental conditions can alter community structure across vast areas, and therefore, the type of interactions and any refuge provided by marine foundation species. This could have substantial implications for community organization. 2. We measured net recruitment rates of subtidal seaweeds under experimentally modified canopy densities, across 1000 km of coastline, to examine the nature of interactions between seaweed canopies and recruits. 3. Contrary to expectations, facilitation, as evidenced by higher recruitment under canopies, was observed throughout all conditions for Scytothalia dorycarpa and under partial canopies at three of four locations for Sargassum spp., whilst competitive interactions remained prevalent for Sargassum under closed canopies. 4. Supply side dynamics were also of major importance to recruitment success for Scytothalia. For Sargassum, the interaction strength between recruits and the canopy became increasingly positive towards lower latitudes, suggesting the canopy environment was mitigating stress across the latitudinal climate gradient. 5. Synthesis. Positive interactions and stress amelioration play an important and previously unrecognized role in determining the recruitment success and viability of seaweeds in subtidal marine ecosystems. These results challenge long held paradigms about the general importance of canopy competition and force a rethink of how seaweed interactions affect habitat resilience to disturbances in subtidal ecosystems.
Data from: Tracing the trans-Pacific evolutionary history of a domesticated seaweed (Gracilaria chilensis) with archaeological and genetic data
The history of a domesticated marine macroalga is studied using archaeological, phylogeographic and population genetic tools. Phylogeographic and population genetic analyses demonstrated that the cultivated red alga Gracilaria chilensis colonised the Chilean coast from New Zealand. Combining archaeological observations with phylogeographic data provided evidence that exchanges between New Zealand and Chile have occurred at least before the Holocene, likely at the end of the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) and we suggest that migration probably occurred via rafting. Furthermore, the remarkably low microsatellite diversity found in the Chilean populations compared to those in New Zealand is consistent with a recent genetic bottleneck as a result of over-exploitation of natural populations and/or the process of domestication. Therefore, the aquaculture of this seaweed, based essentially on clonal propagation, is occurring from genetically depressed populations and may be driving the species to an extinction vortex in Chile.
Data from: Divergence within and among seaweed siblings (Fucus vesiculosus and F. radicans) in the Baltic Sea
Closely related taxa provide significant case studies for understanding evolution of new species but may simultaneously challenge species identification and definition. In the Baltic Sea, two dominant and perennial brown algae share a very recent ancestry. Fucus vesiculosus invaded this recently formed postglacial sea 8000 years ago and shortly thereafter Fucus radicans diverged from this lineage as an endemic species. In the Baltic Sea both species reproduce sexually but also recruit fully fertile new individuals by asexual fragmentation. Earlier studies have shown local differences in morphology and genetics between the two taxa in the northern and western Bothnian Sea, and around the island of Saaremaa in Estonia, but geographic patterns seem in conflict with a single origin of F. radicans. To investigate the relationship between northern and Estonian distributions, we analysed the genetic variation using 9 microsatellite loci in populations from eastern Bothnian Sea, Archipelago Sea and the Gulf of Finland. These populations are located in between earlier studied populations. However, instead of bridging the disparate genetic gap between N-W Bothnian Sea and Estonia, as expected from a simple isolation-by-distance model, the new populations substantially increased overall genetic diversity and showed to be strongly divergent from the two earlier analysed regions, showing signs of additional distinct populations. Contrasting earlier findings of increased asexual recruitment in low salinity in the Bothnian Sea, we found high levels of sexual reproduction in some of the Gulf of Finland populations that inhabit extremely low salinity. The new data generated in this study supports the earlier conclusion of two reproductively isolated but very closely related species. However, the new results also add considerable genetic and morphological complexity within species. This makes species separation at geographic scales more demanding and suggests a need for more comprehensive approaches to further disentangle the intriguing relationship and history of the Baltic Sea fucoids.
Figure 2 in Seaweed reproductive biology: environmental and genetic controls
Figure 2: Synthetic overview of gamete formation, fusion and meiosis in Chlamydomonas with indications of the genes involved and their conservation in other algae (black, highly conserved; blue, somewhat conserved; red, not conserved).
Figure 1 in Seaweed reproductive biology: environmental and genetic controls
Figure 1: Schematic representation of algal life cycles. Diploid and haploid stages are marked by white and black arrows, respectively. (A) Brown algal life cycle. Fucales are characterized by a diplontic life cycle. Meiosis in the reproductive tissue is immediately followed by gametogenesis and syngamy producing a diploid zygote. Most algae such as Dictyota, Scytosiphon and Laminaria exhibit a diplohaplontic life cycle where a haploid gametophyte alternates with a diploid sporophyte. Here following meiosis the resulting spore develops into a multicellular organism. Both haploid and diploid phases may be of identical morphology (isomorphic) (Dictyota), or the two phases may develop differently (heteromorphic) with either the gametophyte (Laminaria) or the sporophyte (Scytosiphon) being microscopic. Many unicellular algae (Chlamydomonas) are characterized by a haplontic life cycle where the formation of a zygote is immediately followed by a meiotic division. (B) Simplified diplohaplontic life cycle of Ectocarpus siliculosus. Meiosis (a) takes place in the sporophyte (diploid) to produce haploid spores. First cell division in germinating spores is asymmetric (b) and they grow into multicellular gametophytes. Gametophytes produce morphologically identical but physiologically differentiated male and female gametes (c), which fuse to form a zygote. After a symmetrical first cell division (d) the zygote grows into a diploid sporophyte. Alternatively, gametes that do not meet a partner of the opposite sex grow into diploid parthenosporophytes by means of parthenogenesis combined with endoreduplication (e) or into a haploid parthenosporophyte (f). The latter produces meiospores via a nonreductive apomeiotic event (g). (C) Life cycle of the red alga Chondrus showing three distinct stages: the gametophyte, the sporophyte and the carposporophyte, which develops parasitically on the gametophyte after fertilization. Loops connecting a generation with itself denote asexual reproduction mediated by vegetative reproduction (e.g. fragmentation, propagule formation) (Fucus, Dictyota), the formation of asexual spores (mitospores) (Dictyota, Ectocarpus, Laminaria), mitosis (Chlamydomonas) or parthenogenetic development of unfertilized (female) gametes (Scytosiphon, Laminaria, Ectocarpus). Figure adapted from Bogaert et al. (2013).
Host genetics, phenotype and geography structure the microbiome of a foundational seaweed
<p>Interactions between hosts and their microbiota are critical to the functioning and resilience of eukaryotic macro-organisms. Critically, for hosts that play foundational roles in communities, understanding what drives these interactions is essential for informing restoration and conservation of entire ecosystems. Here, we investigated the relative influence of host traits and the surrounding environment on microbial communities associated with the foundational seaweed Phyllospora comosa. We collected data on 16 morphological and functional phenotypic traits, host genetics (using 354 Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms) and surface-associated microbial communities (using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing) from 160 individuals sampled from eight sites spanning Phyllospora's entire latitudinal distribution (1300 km). Combined, these factors explained 54% of the overall variation in Phyllospora's associated microbial community structure, much of which was related to the local environment (~32%). We found that putative "core" microbial taxa (i.e. present on all Phyllospora individuals sampled) exhibited slightly higher association with host traits when compared to "variable" taxa (not present on all individuals). We identified several key genetic loci and phenotypic traits in Phyllospora that were strongly related to multiple microbial amplicon sequence variants, including taxa with known associations to seaweed defense, disease and tissue degradation. This information on how host-associated microbial communities vary with host traits and the environment enhances our current understanding of holobionts and how they are structured. Such understanding can be used to inform management strategies of these important and vulnerable habitats.</p>
Data on Fucus vesiculosus tip growth, seaweed branching, wave exposure and fragmentation level – a mesocosm experiment in 2022
<p><span>Data on <em>Fucus vesiculosus</em> tip growth, seaweed branching, the wave exposure and fragmentation level in each basin, and the weeks of monitoring. Tip growth was measured as increases in tip length over the study (the linear regression slope value), branching as<span> the change in number of apices recorded per seaweed individual during the experiment (June to September 2022). </span></span></p>
Figure 11 in Range expansion of some non-indigenous seaweeds along the coasts of Brittany - English Channel
Figure 11: (a) Main regions of interest for nonindigenous species dispersion along the coast of Brittany. Main ports with pontoons (circles in shades of red). Dataset from www. portsdebretagne.fr. Main oyster farming areas in blue (Magallana gigas). Dataset "Cadastre conchylicole" obtained on the site geo.data. gouv.fr. Data were updated in 2020 for Finistère and Morbihan, in 2017 for Côtes d'Armor, in 2016 for Ille-et-Vilaine, in 2011 for LoireAtlantique. (b) Main vectors for nonindigenous species along the coast of Brittany. Some presumed examples of dispersion for maritime traffic in light blue (e.g. Symphyocladiella dendroidea), oyster transfer in orange (e.g. Polyopes lancifolius), marginal dispersion in dark blue (e.g. Pachymeniopsis lanceolata or Solieria sp.).
Figure 10 in Range expansion of some non-indigenous seaweeds along the coasts of Brittany - English Channel
Figure 10: Symphyocladiella dendroidea from Brittany: (a) general habit showing alternate branches and ultimate proliferations; (b) dried specimen from Brest marina (Herbarium of the European Institute for Marine Studies); (c) apex with characteristic pyramidal outline aspect; (d) branches bearing cystocarps; (e) series of tetrasporangia in branchlets. Scale bars: (a and b) 500 µm; (c–e) 200 µm.
Figure 8 in Range expansion of some non-indigenous seaweeds along the coasts of Brittany - English Channel
Figure 8: Polysiphonia morrowii from Brittany: (a) dried specimen from Brest marina (Herbarium M. Helias); (b) general habit showing characteristic spike branches; (c) apex with secondary branches giving a spike aspect; (d) transverse section with four pericentral cells; (e) rhizoid with open section; (f) variation in branch tips; (g) tetrasporangia. Scale bars: (a) 5 cm; (b) 500 µm; (c) 100 µm; (d–g) 20 µm.
Figure 5 in Range expansion of some non-indigenous seaweeds along the coasts of Brittany - English Channel
Figure 5: Botryocladia wrightii from Brittany: (a) in situ material from Tréveneuc (picture by F. Gully and M. Cochu); (b) general habit; (c) cortex and subcortex in transverse section; (d) immature cystocarp lacking carpostome in surface view. Scale bars: (a and b) 2 cm; (c and d) 100 µm.
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