Coralline and fleshy algae volume density on epifaunal communities

• Main Authors: Field, Samuel J., Gani, Christopher D.
• Other Authors: Hacker, Sally, Integrative Biology, Oregon State University. Undergraduate Research, Scholarship, and the Arts (URSA), Hatfield Marine Science Center
• Format: Report
• Language: English; unknown
• Published: Oregon State University
• Subjects: Ocean acidification
• Online Access: https://ir.library.oregonstate.edu/concern/defaults/m613mz88k

Carbon dioxide emissions greatly affect the carbon chemistry mechanisms within the ocean. Carbon absorbed by the ocean, drops the pH level and creates an environment that is acidic. Acidic conditions prevent calcification mechanisms in coralline algae, and hinder their ability to establish within the intertidal. Coralline algae display structural relevance in the intertidal, and act as foraging and resting areas for smaller epifauna. Structural differences between calcifying algae and fleshy algae are related to thallus density. Corallines are considerably denser with their calcified thallus in comparison to their fleshy counterparts. Worries grow as ocean acidification begins to alter calcifying algae and diluting their roles in the rocky intertidal. A sample of 72 algae specimen were collected from Yachats State Recreation Area from both mid and low elevation zones. Epifaunal densities and volume metrics were measured for each alga to compare each categories relative importance on gastropod and non-gastropod populations. It was found that non-gastropods hold a preference to coralline algae and no preference of algae is held by gastropods.