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Flowering and seed production in the subtropical seagrass, Halodule wrightii (shoal grass)

  • Joseph L. Kowalski is a research associate at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley in Edinburg, Texas. He has studied the ecology and physiology of seagrasses and macroalgae for more than 20 years. Current research focuses on the impact of hyposalinity on the metabolism of seagrasses.

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    Hudson R. DeYoe is a Professor at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley in south Texas. His expertise is in aquatic ecology with a focus on algal and seagrass ecology and human impact on aquatic systems.

Veröffentlicht/Copyright: 25. Mai 2016

Abstract

Reproductive structures of the seagrass, Halodule wrightii Ascherson (shoal grass) are cryptic and ephemeral, but were found on several occasions at several sites over more than a decade in the subtropical Laguna Madre (USA). Structures align with descriptions for H. wrightii. Male, but no female flowers were found, but the numerous fruit-bearing shoots imply the occurrence of pistillate flowers. Mean seed bank density was 890 seeds m-2 (1900–5200 m-2). Sexual reproduction in H. wrightii is more common than previously believed and the seed bank reserve may contribute to its ecological role as a colonizer of disturbed sediments.

Award Identifier / Grant number: Advanced Research Program Grant #003658-419

Funding statement: We thank L.H. Hirsch for sample processing and thanks to Don Hockaday of The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Coastal Studies Laboratory for his assistance and the use of the lab and equipment. We are grateful for critical review and discussion of an earlier version of the manuscript by Tim Glasby, Brigit van Tussenbroek, Jud Kenworthy, and to Patrick Larkin for comments on an early version. We thank two anonymous reviewers for improvement of the original manuscript. This research was funded by The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (Advanced Research Program Grant #003658-419) and a grant from The University of Texas-Pan American Faculty Research Council. This is publication number CSS 2016-02 of the UTRGV Center for Subtropical Studies

About the authors

Joseph L. Kowalski

Joseph L. Kowalski is a research associate at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley in Edinburg, Texas. He has studied the ecology and physiology of seagrasses and macroalgae for more than 20 years. Current research focuses on the impact of hyposalinity on the metabolism of seagrasses.

Hudson R. DeYoe

Hudson R. DeYoe is a Professor at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley in south Texas. His expertise is in aquatic ecology with a focus on algal and seagrass ecology and human impact on aquatic systems.

Acknowledgments:

We thank L.H. Hirsch for sample processing and thanks to Don Hockaday of The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Coastal Studies Laboratory for his assistance and the use of the lab and equipment. We are grateful for critical review and discussion of an earlier version of the manuscript by Tim Glasby, Brigit van Tussenbroek, Jud Kenworthy, and to Patrick Larkin for comments on an early version. We thank two anonymous reviewers for improvement of the original manuscript. This research was funded by The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (Advanced Research Program Grant #003658-419) and a grant from The University of Texas-Pan American Faculty Research Council. This is publication number CSS 2016-02 of the UTRGV Center for Subtropical Studies.

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Received: 2015-11-26
Accepted: 2016-4-14
Published Online: 2016-5-25
Published in Print: 2016-6-1

©2016 by De Gruyter

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