PRELIMINARY STUDIES OF SEASONALITY, ECOLOGY, AND SPECIES COMPOSITION OF ULVOID ALGAL BLOOMS IN WASHINGTON STATE

Author: Nelson, T.¹

Source: Journal of Phycology, Volume 36, Supplement 3, December 2000 , pp. 51-51(1)

Publisher: Blackwell Publishing

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Abstract:

Blooms of green macroalgae can devastate important finfish and shellfish habitats. Ulvaria obscura, a relatively unstudied green alga, is a major contributor to these blooms in the San Juan Islands, Washington State, USA. The biomass and productivity of this and other ulvoid algae were measured seasonally for two years. Experiments comparing the growth rates, responses to desiccation, photoacclimation, and grazer preference of U. obscura and Ulva fenestrata were conducted. Ulvaria blooms tended to occur in the subtidal while Ulva blooms were often intertidal. Both genera bloomed between late June and September. Despite their superficial similarity, Ulvaria and Ulva display markedly different physiological and ecological responses. Ulva was capable of faster growth, had higher rates of photosynthesis, and was more desiccation tolerant than Ulvaria. Ulvaria, however, appears to be more resistant to grazing than Ulva.

Document Type: Research article

DOI: 10.1046/j.1529-8817.1999.00001-151.x

Affiliations: 1: Blakely Island Field Station, Seattle Pacific University, Seattle, WA 98119-1997, USA

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