The abiotic environment of polar marine benthic algae
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Katharina Zacher
Abstract
Due to different oceanographic and geological characteristics, benthic algal communities of Antarctica and the Arctic differ strongly. Antarctica is characterized by high endemism, whereas in the Arctic only a few endemic species occur. In contrast to the Antarctic region, where nutrient levels never limit algal growth, nutrient levels in the Arctic region are depleted during the summer season. Both regions have a strongly seasonally changing light regime, fortified by an ice covering throughout the winter months. After months of darkness, algae are suddenly exposed to high light caused by the breaking up of sea ice. Simultaneously, harmful ultraviolet radiation (UVR) enters the water column and can significantly affect algal growth and community structure. In the intertidal zone, fluctuations of temperature and salinity can be very large. Ice scours can further influence growth and settlement of intertidal algae. The subtidal zone offers a more stable habitat than the intertidal, permitting the growth of larger perennial algae and microbial mats. Polar regions are the areas most affected by global climate change, i.e., glacier retreat, increasing temperature and sedimentation, with as yet unknown consequences for the polar ecosystem.
©2009 by Walter de Gruyter Berlin New York
Articles in the same Issue
- Guest introduction
- Biology of polar benthic algae
- Environment, biogeography and biodiversity
- The abiotic environment of polar marine benthic algae
- Biodiversity, biogeography and zonation of marine benthic micro- and macroalgae in the Arctic and Antarctic
- Notes on the systematics and biogeographical relationships of Antarctic and sub-Antarctic Rhodophyta with descriptions of four new genera and five new species
- Chemical ecology
- Defenses of polar macroalgae against herbivores and biofoulers
- Field studies on deterrent properties of phlorotannins in Antarctic brown algae
- Primary production and ecophysiology
- Benthic microalgal production in the Arctic: applied methods and status of the current database
- Microphytobenthic biomass along gradients of physical conditions in Arctic Kongsfjorden, Svalbard
- Phenology and seasonal physiological performance of polar seaweeds
- Light and temperature demands of marine benthic microalgae and seaweeds in polar regions
- Freezing tolerance and photosynthetic performance of polar seaweeds at low temperatures
- Polar benthic algae in a changing world
- Impact of oceanic warming on the distribution of seaweeds in polar and cold-temperate waters
- Physiological responses of polar benthic algae to ultraviolet radiation
- Drivers of colonization and succession in polar benthic macro- and microalgal communities
- Conclusion and outlook
- Future perspectives on the investigation of polar benthic algae
- Meetings
- Meetings
- Reviewer acknowledgement Bot. Mar. volume 52 (2009)
- Reviewer acknowledgement Bot. Mar. volume 52 (2009)
- Contents index Bot. Mar. volume 52 (2009)
- Contents index Bot. Mar. volume 52 (2009)
- Author index Bot. Mar. volume 52 (2009)
- Author index Bot. Mar. volume 52 (2009)
- Genus/Species index Bot. Mar. volume 52 (2009)
- Genus/Species index Bot. Mar. volume 52 (2009)
Articles in the same Issue
- Guest introduction
- Biology of polar benthic algae
- Environment, biogeography and biodiversity
- The abiotic environment of polar marine benthic algae
- Biodiversity, biogeography and zonation of marine benthic micro- and macroalgae in the Arctic and Antarctic
- Notes on the systematics and biogeographical relationships of Antarctic and sub-Antarctic Rhodophyta with descriptions of four new genera and five new species
- Chemical ecology
- Defenses of polar macroalgae against herbivores and biofoulers
- Field studies on deterrent properties of phlorotannins in Antarctic brown algae
- Primary production and ecophysiology
- Benthic microalgal production in the Arctic: applied methods and status of the current database
- Microphytobenthic biomass along gradients of physical conditions in Arctic Kongsfjorden, Svalbard
- Phenology and seasonal physiological performance of polar seaweeds
- Light and temperature demands of marine benthic microalgae and seaweeds in polar regions
- Freezing tolerance and photosynthetic performance of polar seaweeds at low temperatures
- Polar benthic algae in a changing world
- Impact of oceanic warming on the distribution of seaweeds in polar and cold-temperate waters
- Physiological responses of polar benthic algae to ultraviolet radiation
- Drivers of colonization and succession in polar benthic macro- and microalgal communities
- Conclusion and outlook
- Future perspectives on the investigation of polar benthic algae
- Meetings
- Meetings
- Reviewer acknowledgement Bot. Mar. volume 52 (2009)
- Reviewer acknowledgement Bot. Mar. volume 52 (2009)
- Contents index Bot. Mar. volume 52 (2009)
- Contents index Bot. Mar. volume 52 (2009)
- Author index Bot. Mar. volume 52 (2009)
- Author index Bot. Mar. volume 52 (2009)
- Genus/Species index Bot. Mar. volume 52 (2009)
- Genus/Species index Bot. Mar. volume 52 (2009)
