Physical-Biological Interactions Driving the Distribution of the Pelagic Macroalgae Sargassum ...
The holopelagic macroalgae of the genus Sargassum are the ecosystem engineers of a unique open-ocean rafting ecosystem in the subtropical North Atlantic and tropical Atlantic. Over the last decade, increases in biomass in the tropics and Caribbean Sea have been observed. The underlying causes of thi...
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| Format: | Doctoral or Postdoctoral Thesis |
| Language: | English |
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Digital Repository at the University of Maryland
2019
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| Online Access: | https://dx.doi.org/10.13016/ma1t-epks http://drum.lib.umd.edu/handle/1903/21979 |
| Summary: | The holopelagic macroalgae of the genus Sargassum are the ecosystem engineers of a unique open-ocean rafting ecosystem in the subtropical North Atlantic and tropical Atlantic. Over the last decade, increases in biomass in the tropics and Caribbean Sea have been observed. The underlying causes of this regime shift have been difficult to discern without a baseline understanding of the drivers of Sargassum distribution. The objective of this dissertation is to fill this knowledge gap using remote and in situ observations, and coupled ocean circulation, biogeochemical, Lagrangian particle, and Sargassum physiology models. A satellite-derived Sargassum abundance climatology shows the center-of-mass of Sargassum shifting between the tropics, Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and Sargasso Sea throughout the year. Model experiments demonstrate that advection alone can explain up to 60% of the observed distribution at time scales shorter than two months. At longer time scales, the growth and reproductive strategy of the ... |
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