Tropical crustose coralline algal community and individual growth responses to light and elevated pCO2

• Other Authors: Dutra, Elizabeth A. (author), Koch, Marguerite (Thesis advisor), Florida Atlantic University (Degree grantor), Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Biological Sciences
• Format: Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: Florida Atlantic University
• Subjects: Marine algae; Algal communities > Monitoring; Coral reef ecology; Ocean acidification
• Online Access: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004365; https://fau.digital.flvc.org/islandora/object/fau%3A31283/datastream/TN/view/Tropical%20crustose%20coralline%20algal%20community%20and%20individual%20growth%20responses%20to%20light%20and%20elevated%20pCO2.jpg

Crustose coralline algae (CCA) are important reef stabilizers and their susceptibility to anthropogenic climate change and ocean acidification (OA) is of concern. Ocean acidification effects on benthic algal communities were determined by the response of CCA, fleshy macroalgae and microalgae to the interaction of pCO2 and light. I examined if elevated pCO2 and light influences CCA dominance by assessing their growth, recruitment and calcification. Elevated pCO2 under natural reef diurnal CO2 cycles did not significantly affect CCA percent cover, calcification rates or survival of adult CCA lobes. No significant community pCO2 effects were observed, rather light controlled dominance. The percent cover of microalgae increased in highlight, while CCA increased in the shade. My results indicate that algal response to irradiance is a more significant driver of reef benthic algal change than pCO2 levels predicted for 2100; however, this conclusion should be corroborated in longer-term and in field experiments. Includes bibliography. Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2015. FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection