Estimation and Comparison of Epiphyte Loading on Holopelagic Sargassum flfluitans Collected in the North Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico

Details

• Journal Title:
  Gulf and Caribbean Research
• Personal Author:
  Shadle, Sarah ; Lestrade, Olivia ; Elmer, Franziska ; Hernandez, Frank
• NOAA Program & Office:
  NOS (National Ocean Service) ; NCCOS (National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science)
• Description:
  Sargassum natans and S. fluitans (collectively referred to as
  
  Sargassum) are holopelagic brown macroalgae found throughout
  
  the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico (Coston—Clements et
  
  al. 1991). The structural complexity of the Sargassum thallus,
  
  which includes blades and pneumatocysts, provides surface
  
  area for sessile epibiota, including hydroids, bryozoans, polychaetes, diatoms, and other microalgae (Weis 1968, Maples
  
  1984, Stoner and Greening 1984, Calder 1995, Rooker et al.
  
  2006). Combined, Sargassum and its associated epibiota create
  
  a productive base “community” relative to the surrounding and
  
  often oligotrophic open ocean environment (Dooley 1972). As
  
  a result, diverse assemblages of fishes (>100 species), sea turtles
  
  (4 species), seabirds (>20 species), and invertebrates (>145 species) are found in association with Sargassum (SAFMC 2002,
  
  Wells and Rooker 2004, Wang and Hu 2016), which provides
  
  refuge from predators, enhanced feeding opportunities, and
  
  serves to concentrate organisms with flotsam—seeking behaviors (Dooley 1972). Sargassum is often referred to as a nursery
  
  habitat because many of the associated fishes and sea turtles are
  
  juveniles, including commercially and recreationally important
  
  fish species such as Gray Triggerfish (Balistes capriscus), Dolphinfish (Coryphaena hippurus), Tripletail (Lobotes surinamensis), and
  
  Greater Amberjack (Seriola dumerili), among others (Wells a
  
  
• Keywords:
  Epiphytes
• Source:
  Gulf and Caribbean Research, 30(1) SC42-SC46
• DOI:
  https://doi.org/10.18785/gcr.3001.16
• Document Type:
  Journal Article
• Funding:
  Grant no. NA17NOS4510099
• Place as Subject:
  Mexico, Gulf of ; Atlantic Ocean
• Rights Information:
  Other
• Compliance:
  Submitted
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:1185f529b9ef410e5b4167519f24e612aca731ac6c10834f24559899565542ffa483fa95552e4a8abf29ebc099b057f3ce0a5d6d0ffc263068c3f789ee9ebee2
• Download URL:
  https://repository.library.noaa.gov/view/noaa/25719/noaa_25719_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 746.66 KB ]