Halimeda incrassata (Bryopsidales, Chlorophyta) reaches the Canary Islands: mid- and deep-water meadows in the eastern subtropical Atlantic Ocean

Carlos Sangil; Laura Martín-García; Julio Afonso-Carrillo; Jacinto Barquín; Marta Sansón

doi:10.1515/bot-2017-0104

Article

Halimeda incrassata (Bryopsidales, Chlorophyta) reaches the Canary Islands: mid- and deep-water meadows in the eastern subtropical Atlantic Ocean

Carlos Sangil
Carlos Sangil is a postdoctoral researcher at the Universidad de La Laguna specialized in taxonomy and ecology of seaweeds. His investigations are focused on the determination of the diversity and structure of the subtidal seaweeds assemblages in relation to environmental variables. These studies include the interaction with herbivores and effects of the climate change.
, Laura Martín-García
Laura Martín-García is a postdoctoral researcher in marine mapping and management at the Universidad de La Laguna. Her thesis dealt with different aspects of the spatial distribution of benthic organisms, including statistical classification of marine habitats, use of distribution modeling techniques and their applications in zonation and management of marine environment. She has collaborated in several projects on marine ecology and biodiversity.
, Julio Afonso-Carrillo
Julio Afonso-Carrillo is currently a researcher in the Department of Botánica, Ecología y Fisiología Vegetal (Universidad La Laguna). He has spent over 35 years at this department as professor of marine botany, focusing his research on marine macroalgae, mainly on floristics, taxonomy and vegetative and reproductive morphology of selected genera (Bothryocladia, Dudresnaya). He has extensively studied the marine flora of the Canary Islands.
, Jacinto Barquín
Jacinto Barquín has a doctor in biology from the University of La Laguna and is an author of numerous studies on Canarian marine fauna (molluscs and crustaceans) and marine cartography of the Canary coasts. He was a professor of marine zoology and zoogeography at the University of La Laguna for almost 30 years, currently he is retired but still carrying out bionomic study campaigns.
and Marta Sansón
Marta Sansón is a professor at Departamento de Botánica, Ecología and Fisiología Vegetal, Universidad de La Laguna, She works on macrophyte biodiversity and ecology. She is particularly interested in combining morphology, phenology and genetics to study macroalgae; to explore interesting habitats for conservation; and to study recent changes in macroalgal populations (decline of canopy-forming species vs. global warming and eutrophication).

Published/Copyright: February 28, 2018

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From the journal Botanica Marina Volume 61 Issue 2

Abstract

Extensive offshore meadows of Halimeda incrassata are documented for the first time in sandy bottoms of La Palma, Canary Islands. Halimeda incrassata forms dense sublittoral assemblages between 20 and 55 m, but isolated populations occur down to 65 m depth. This species currently spreads over an area of 9.14 ha. Population coverage varies with depth, with the highest values at 35–40 m and an average cover of 62.34%. The calcified segments of H. incrassata act as a stable substratum in these soft bottoms for the growth of other macroalgae, such as the rhodophytes Lophocladia trichoclados and Cottoniella filamentosa. Specimens reach lengths of up to 10 cm, shorter than individuals from the Caribbean. Although it is difficult to ascertain whether this species is a recent introduction, there is evidence of a correlation between the increase in population coverage and recent ocean warming, constituting another example of the tropicalization of the marine flora of this region.

Keywords: Canary Islands; Halimeda; La Palma island; offshore meadows; sandy bottoms; tropicalization

About the authors

Carlos Sangil

Carlos Sangil is a postdoctoral researcher at the Universidad de La Laguna specialized in taxonomy and ecology of seaweeds. His investigations are focused on the determination of the diversity and structure of the subtidal seaweeds assemblages in relation to environmental variables. These studies include the interaction with herbivores and effects of the climate change.

Laura Martín-García

Laura Martín-García is a postdoctoral researcher in marine mapping and management at the Universidad de La Laguna. Her thesis dealt with different aspects of the spatial distribution of benthic organisms, including statistical classification of marine habitats, use of distribution modeling techniques and their applications in zonation and management of marine environment. She has collaborated in several projects on marine ecology and biodiversity.

Julio Afonso-Carrillo

Julio Afonso-Carrillo is currently a researcher in the Department of Botánica, Ecología y Fisiología Vegetal (Universidad La Laguna). He has spent over 35 years at this department as professor of marine botany, focusing his research on marine macroalgae, mainly on floristics, taxonomy and vegetative and reproductive morphology of selected genera (Bothryocladia, Dudresnaya). He has extensively studied the marine flora of the Canary Islands.

Jacinto Barquín

Jacinto Barquín has a doctor in biology from the University of La Laguna and is an author of numerous studies on Canarian marine fauna (molluscs and crustaceans) and marine cartography of the Canary coasts. He was a professor of marine zoology and zoogeography at the University of La Laguna for almost 30 years, currently he is retired but still carrying out bionomic study campaigns.

Marta Sansón

Marta Sansón is a professor at Departamento de Botánica, Ecología and Fisiología Vegetal, Universidad de La Laguna, She works on macrophyte biodiversity and ecology. She is particularly interested in combining morphology, phenology and genetics to study macroalgae; to explore interesting habitats for conservation; and to study recent changes in macroalgal populations (decline of canopy-forming species vs. global warming and eutrophication).

Acknowledgements

This study was supported in part by the project “Benthic communities cartography of La Palma” funded by the World Biosphere Reserve La Palma Consortium. We are grateful to all the colleagues of the Consortium for their assistance. Special thanks to H. Verbruggen for examining the material from the Canary Islands.

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Received: 2017-11-28

Accepted: 2018-2-13

Published Online: 2018-2-28

Published in Print: 2018-3-28

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Articles in the same Issue

https://doi.org/10.1515/bot-2017-0104

Keywords for this article

Canary Islands; Halimeda; La Palma island; offshore meadows; sandy bottoms; tropicalization