Settlement and survival of epiphytes on two intertidal crustose coralline alga

• Published in: Journal of experimental marine biology and ecology Vol. 213; no. 2; pp. 247 - 260
• Main Authors: Figueiredo, Marcia A.de O, Norton, Trevor A, Kain (Jones), Joanna M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 12.06.1997
• Subjects: Antifouling; Corallinaceae; Crustose coralline alga; Epiphytes; Light; Marine; Phymatolithon; Phymatolithon lenormandii; Phymatolithon purpureum; Rhodophyta; Substrata; ANE, Irish Sea, Isle of Man; Crustose coralline alga; Epiphytes; Substrata; Antifouling; Light; Phymatolithon
• ISSN: 0022-0981; 1879-1697
• DOI: 10.1016/S0022-0981(96)02766-9

The effects of the microtopography of the surface and the antifouling ability of crustose coralline alga on the recruitment of epiphytes were tested under different shading conditions. In experiments set up on the south coast of Isle of Man, British Isles, during autumn and winter, epiphyte settlement and survival on Phymatolithon lenormandii (Aresch) Adey and P. purpureum (P. & H. Crouan) Woelkerling and Irvine were compared on epoxy replicas as well as dead and living crusts. Differences in the density of epiphyte germlings between replicas of the surface of two crust species were due to their surface textures. The rough-surfaced P. lenormandii had a higher density of epiphytes, probably because it provides a better refuge for Ulva and Enteromorpha spp. zoospores than for Fucus zygotes, which are larger and thus less protected by crust protuberances on wave washed shores. On the shore, shading with neutral roofs was less effective than canopy algae in cutting out light and suppressing Fucus germlings. Living crusts strongly retarded epiphyte recruitment, but this was dependent on light levels on the shore. The factors influencing this process need to be identified, because mechanical and chemical mechanisms cannot yet be distinguished.