MacroalgalBeds
Macroalgal Beds
Composition
[1] Macroalgal beds are composed of 3 different catagories of algae. They are green (Chlorophyta), brown (Phaeophyta) and red (Phodophyta) algae. What makes a it a macroalgal bed is that it is visible to the human eye. Macroalgae is a plant and therefore convert sunlight into chemical energy via photosynthesis. These the different colors of these plants are based on the pigments that they contain. As you likely already know chlorophyll pigments give the plant a green tint. Chlorophyll is found in all types of the macroalgae. Red algae also contain red and blue pigments called phycobillins. While brown macroalgae contain orange pigments called carotenoids.
Macroalgae is typically found growing off of hard surfaces such as coral skeletons, shells and rocks.
Species
There are many species of macroalgae but only 4 are classified by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) as being capable of growing dense enough to form a macroalgal bed. These are Ulva spp., Gracilaria pacifica, Fucus gardneri and Sargassum muticum. [2]
Role
Macroalgal beds plan many roles in shallow estuaries. One such role is the habitat for juvenile Atlantic blue crab. Atlantic blue crab among many other species use the complex maze of algal to hind lay eggs and provide an introductory habitat for their offspring.[3]
Macroalgal beds and macroalgae in general are the known to utilize excess nitrogen commonly associated with agricultural runoff. In this way macroalgae beds are the mechanism that allows the the oceans to handle the anthropogenic effects associated with our current agricultural practice. [4]
Macroalgal beds can play a beneficial role in aquatic habitats. They can provide food for anthropods, other invertebrates and herbivorous fish, a substrate for gulls to make nests out of and a habitat for small/ developing fish. [4]
Relationship with Coral Reefs
Beneficial Impacts on Coral Reefs
[4] -Primary Production, organic carbon leaking in water, nitrogen fixation and structure/construction
Negative Impacts on Coral Reefs
[5] -Coral reefs are being over ran by macroalgal beds do to a change in Coral microbiome
[6] -How Hypnea sp., Padina sp. and Colpomenia sp. impact protein content in Acropora aspera, coral type
[7] -Macro algal structural impacts on Coral reefs
[4] -Bioerosion
References
- ↑ http://www.unesco.org/csi/pub/source/rs12.htm
- ↑ http://www.sfbaysubtidal.org/PDFS/09-Macroalgal.pdf
- ↑ http://www.dnr.state.md.us/irc/docs/00015761.pdf
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 http://www.dnr.state.md.us/irc/docs/00015761.pdf Cite error: Invalid
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- ↑ http://web.stanford.edu/group/journal/cgi-bin/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Ritchie.pdf
- ↑ http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0044246