| Abstract Detail
Ecological Section Bensinger, Lesley [1], Mitra, Madhumi [2]. Epiphytic Algae from Zostera marina (Eelgrass) populations of Maryland Coastal Bays. Seagrass and associated epiphytic algal communities are of vital importance to the estuarine wetland community. These epiphytes have lower concentrations of structural carbohydrates and provide important food source for primary consumers that graze or filter feed off these plants, and are a primary food source for wetland fauna. Another ecosystem function of epiphytic algae in estuaries is their role as a nutrient sink. Several species are linked to the presence of high nutrient concentrations including Ulva, Enteromorpha, and Cladophora. Samples of Zostera marina were collected from two sites from the coastal bays of Maryland namely Sinepuxent Bay and Isle of Wight. Epiphytes were removed from the leaf blades of eelgrass samples using a brush and identified using a dissecting scope and a digital Nikon compound microscope. Eelgrass populations tend to form ready associations with members of Chlorophyta and Rhodophyta. Species of Bryopsis, Cladophora, Ulva, Enteromorpha, Polysiphonia, Champia, Porphyra, Agardhiella, and Ceramium were most abundant as epiphytes associated with eelgrass beds at both the localities. This study provides crucial baseline information for future research on the Zostera marina/algal assemblages of the Maryland Coastal Bays.
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1 - University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Natural Sciences, Carver Hall 2108, 1, Backbone Road, Princess Anne, MD, 21853, USA
2 - University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Natural Sciences, Backbone Road, Princess Anne, Maryland, 21853, USA
Keywords:
Epipytic algae
eelgrass
Maryland.
Presentation Type: Poster:Posters for Sections
Session: P
Location: Exhibit Hall (Northeast, Southwest & Southeast)/Hilton
Date: Sunday, July 8th, 2007
Time: 8:00 AM
Number: P49008
Abstract ID:1134 |
