Journal article
Seasonal patterns of abundance, distributions, and phenology in relation to growth strategies of three Sargassum species
Journal of experimental marine biology and ecology, v 74(2)
1984
Featured in Collection : UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
Abstract
Seasonal patterns of abundance of
Sargassum johnstonii Setchell & Gardner,
S. herporhizum Setchell & Gardner, and
S. sinicola Setchell & Gardner var.
camouii (Dawson) Norris & Yensen were observed in the northern Gulf of California where mean monthly sea temperatures range annually from < 14 °C to nearly 30 °C. The three species displayed peaks in size, canopy cover, and fertility in the spring, in between periods of seasonal temperature extremes. Larger plants were the first to develop reproductive structures, suggesting that a threshold in size must be reached before plants become fertile. Fertile receptacles were shed in summer.
S. sinicola var.
camouii retained a greater portion of its primary stipes during the summer dieback than the other two species and showed a second peak in fertility in fall. Whereas tropical
Sargassum are most abundant in winter and temperate-zone
Sargassum are most abundant in summer months, the Gulf of California species achieve maximum size and fertility in between seasons of extreme temperatures. A long-term decline in abundance of
Sargassum was observed at the study site between 1977 and 1981, possibly due to the detrimental effects on
Sargassum of anomalously warm sea temperatures in the Gulf of California in 1978 or to the subsequent effects of warm temperature on food webs in the region.
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Details
- Title
- Seasonal patterns of abundance, distributions, and phenology in relation to growth strategies of three Sargassum species
- Creators
- Richard M. McCourt - University of Arizona
- Publication Details
- Journal of experimental marine biology and ecology, v 74(2)
- Publisher
- Elsevier
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Biodiversity, Earth, and Environmental Science (BEES)
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:A1984SC28700003
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-0000911697
- Other Identifier
- 991019319386404721
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InCites Highlights
Data related to this publication, from InCites Benchmarking & Analytics tool:
- Web of Science research areas
- Ecology
- Marine & Freshwater Biology