Are the reported coralline red seaweeds species for the Macaronesian region taxonomically still valid?

43rd European Marine Biology Symposium. Ponta Delgada, Açores, 8-12 de Setembro de 2008

Taxonomy and distribution of rhodolith beds from the Azores, Portugal.

2nd International Rhodolith Workshop. Ciencias Marinas, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California Sur, La Paz, B.C.S., México, 23-29 de Outubro de 2006

New additions to the Azorean algal flora with ecological observations on rhodolith formations.

43rd European Marine Biology Symposium”. Ponta Delgada, Açores, 8-12 de Setembro de 2008

Ontogeny of conceptacles in Amphiroa (Corallinales, Rhodophyta)

XX International Seaweed Symposium. Ensenada, México, 22-26 de Fevereiro de 2010

Efecto espaciotemporal en las propiedades fisicoquímicas del agar nativo de Gracilaria parvispora (Rhodophyta) en el Pacífico Mexicano Tropical (Oaxaca-Chiapas)

Background: Gracilaria parvispora is an invasive red seaweed located in coastal lagoons along the Tropical Mexican Pacific. Gracilaria species are the main source of agar around the world. Goals: Spatial and seasonal trends of the properties of native agar from the invasive seaweed G. parvispora were determined in three localities in the states of Oaxaca and Chiapas belonging to coastal lagoons along the Tropical Mexican Pacific: Ballenato, Paredón, and San Vicente. Methods: Native agar was obtained from dry samples of seaweed and the agar yield, gel strength, melting and gelling temperatures, hysteresis, and sulfate and 3,6-anhydrogalactose content were determined for each sample. Moreover, the polysaccharide structures and the location of sulfate groups in agar samples were identified. Results: The phycocolloid is a polysaccharide agar type. The agar yield was significantly different between seasons and localities, with the highest values during the dry season (19.9 ± 0.004 %) at Paredón (20.6 ± 0.01 %). Gel strength, melting temperature and gel hysteresis showed significant spatial differences; the highest values were obtained in Ballenato (367.3 ± 14.2 g cm−2, 80.2 ± 1.4 °C, 44.3 ± 2.2 °C, respectively); gelling temperature did not show significant differences between localities or seasons. Chemical properties were significantly different between seasons: 3,6-anhydrogalactose content was higher during the dry season (36.2 ± 0.2 %), and sulfate content was higher during the rainy season (12.69 ± 0.21 %). Salinity was significantly different between seasons, and the highest was obtained during the dry season (38.7 ± 0.1). Surface water temperature varied between localities, and the highest mean value was recorded at Paredón (32.5 ± 0.2 °C). Conclusions: The chemical properties of the G. parvispora native agar were lower than the standards for food and industrial use.Antecedentes: Gracilaria parvispora es un alga roja invasora que se encuentra en lagunas costeras del Pacífico Mexicano Tropical. A nivel mundial, las especies de Gracilaria son la fuente principal de agar. Objetivos: Se determinaron las tendencias espaciales y temporales de las propiedades del agar nativo de G. parvispora en tres localidades de los estados de Oaxaca y Chiapas, pertenecientes a lagunas costeras del Pacífico Mexicano Tropical: Ballenato, Paredón y San Vicente. Métodos: Se determinó el rendimiento del agar, la fuerza de gel, la temperatura de fusión y gelificación, la histéresis, y el contenido de sulfatos y 3,6-anhidrogalactosa del agar nativo obtenido de muestras secas de macroalga. Además, se identificaron las estructuras de los polisacáridos y la posición de los grupos sulfato en las muestras. Resultados: El ficocoloide es un polisacárido tipo agar. El rendimiento mostró diferencias significativas entre localidades y temporadas, con valores mayores durante la temporada de secas (19.9 ± 0.004 %) y en Paredón (20.6 ± 0.01 %). La fuerza de gel, la temperatura de fusión y la histéresis mostraron diferencias espaciales significativas; con valores más altos para las muestras de Ballenato (367.3 ± 14.2 g cm-2, 80.2 ± 1.4 °C, 44.3 ± 2.2 °C, respectivamente); la temperatura de gelificación no mostró diferencias significativas entre localidades o temporadas. Las propiedades químicas mostraron diferencias significativas entre temporadas: el contenido de 3,6-anhidrogalactosa fue mayor durante la temporada de secas (36.2 ± 0.2 %), y el contenido de sulfato fue mayor durante la temporada de lluvias (12.69 ± 0.21 %). La salinidad fue significativamente diferente entre temporadas, con mayor valor para la temporada de secas (38.7 ± 0.1). La temperatura superficial del agua varió entre localidades, la más alta se registró en Paredón (32.5 ± 0.2 °C). Conclusiones: Las propiedades químicas de G. parvispora fueron menores a los estándares para su uso industrial y alimenticio

Marine algal flora of São Miguel Island, Azores

Este artículo contiene 52 páginas, 4 tablas, 15 figuras.Background The macroalgal flora of the Island of São Miguel (eastern group of the Azores Archipelago) has attracted the interest of many researchers in the past, the first publications going back to the nineteenth century. Initial studies were mainly taxonomic, resulting in the publication of a checklist of the Azorean benthic marine algae. Later, the establishment of the University of the Azores on the Island permitted the logistic conditions to develop both temporal studies and long-term research and this resulted in a significant increase on research directed at the benthic marine algae and littoral communities of the Island and consequent publications. Prior to the present paper, the known macroalgal flora of São Miguel Island comprised around 260 species. Despite this richness, a significant amount of the research was never made public, notably Masters and PhD theses encompassing information regarding presence data recorded at littoral and sublittoral levels down to a depth of approximately 40 m around the Island and the many collections made, which resulted in vouchers deposited in the AZB Herbarium Ruy Telles Palhinha and the LSM- Molecular Systematics Laboratory at the Faculty of Sciences and Technology of the University of the Azores. The present publication lists the macroalgal taxonomic records, together with information on their ecology and occurrence around São Miguel Island, improving the knowledge of the Azorean macroalgal flora at local and regional scales. New information A total of 12,781 specimens (including some identified only to genus) belonging to 431 taxa of macroalgae are registered, comprising 284 Rhodophyta, 59 Chlorophyta and 88 Ochrophyta (Phaeophyceae). Of these, 323 were identified to species level (212 Rhodophyta, 48 Chlorophyta and 63 Ochrophyta), of which 61 are new records for the Island (42 Rhodophyta, 9 Chlorophyta and 10 Ochrophyta), one an Azorean endemic (Predaea feldmannii subsp. azorica Gabriel), five are Macaronesian endemisms (the red algae Botryocladia macaronesica Afonso-Carrillo, Sobrino, Tittley & Neto, Laurencia viridis Gil-Rodríguez & Haroun, Millerella tinerfensis (Seoane-Camba) S.M.Boo & J.M.Rico, Phyllophora gelidioides P.Crouan & H.Crouan ex Karsakoff and the green alga Codium elisabethiae O.C.Schmidt), 19 are introduced species (15 Rhodophyta, two Chlorophyta and two Ochrophyta) and 32 are of uncertain status (21 Rhodophyta, five Chlorophyta and six Ochrophyta).This research was supported by several projects, expeditions and campaigns (see Funding above) and lately by the project “ACORES-01-0145-FEDER-000072” funded the Operational Programme Azores 2020 (85% ERDF and 15% regional funds). Thanks are due to the campaign teams for their critical involvement in this project (Abel Sentíes, Aina del Alcázar, Ana Alfaya, Ana Belén Villalba Lapeña, Ana Santos, Ana Sofia Carreiro, André Amaral, Andrea Tracana, Ane Laborda, Anna Lloveras Armengol, António Brigos Plafon, Berta Solé Nadal, Camille Fontaine, Carlos Rius, Carles Mir, Caroline Terral, Catarina Santos, Cláudia Hipólito, Daniela Gabriel, Edward Hehre, Emanuel Xavier, Eduardo García, Enrique Almira, Esteban Belles, Eunice Nogueira, Fátima Vaz Pinto, Francisco Wallenstein, Gustavo M Martins, Heather Baldwin, Isadora Moniz, Jana Verdura, Joana Pombo, João Brum, João Faria Santos, João Ferreira, Laura Busquier, Marco Enoch, Maria Ana Dionísio, Maria Machín-Sánchez, Maria Vale, Marlene Terra, Mónica Martínez, Mutue Toyota Fujii, Patrícia Madeira, Pedro Raposeiro, Richard Fralick, Richard Thompson, Rocío Sánchez, Ruben Couto, Rubén Mosquera, Rui Sousa, Sara Peres, Tarso Costa, Tito Silva, Valeria Cassano, Virginie Leyendecker). Edgar Rosas Alquicira and Karla León Cisneros were supported by the Programme AlBan, the European Union Programme of High Level Scholarships for Latin America (through scholarships E05D060221MX and E05D060520MX), “Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología” (doctoral scholarships 176162 and 157904) and the UNAMUNO Programme of PhD Scholarships for Europe. Eva Cacabelos was supported by a postdoctoral grant (Project M1420-09-5369-FSE-000002) from ARDITI (Regional Agency for Development of Research, Technology and Innovation of Madeira). Andrea Z. Botelho was supported by a PhD grant (M3.1.a/F/083/2015), awarded by Fundo Regional da Ciência e Tecnologia (FRCT). Afonso C.L. Prestes was supported by a PhD grant (M3.1.a/F/083/2015), awarded by Fundo Regional da Ciência e Tecnologia (FRCT). Rita F. Patarra was supported by a Science and Technology Management Fellowship grant (SFRH/BGCT/135478/2018), awarded by Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT I.P.). Manuela I. Parente was supported by a Postdoc grant (SFRH/BPD/34246/2006), awarded by Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT).Peer reviewe

Coralline Algae in a Changing Mediterranean Sea: How Can We Predict Their Future, if We Do Not Know Their Present?

In this review we assess the state of knowledge for the coralline algae of the Mediterranean Sea, a group of calcareous seaweeds imperfectly known and considered highly vulnerable to long-term climate change. Corallines have occurred in the Mediterranean area for ∼140 My and are well-represented in the subsequent fossil record; for some species currently common the fossil documentation dates back to the Oligocene, with a major role in the sedimentary record of some areas. Some Mediterranean corallines are key ecosystem engineers that produce or consolidate biogenic habitats (e.g., coralligenous concretions, Lithophyllum byssoides rims, rims of articulated corallines, maerl/rhodolith beds). Although bioconstructions built by corallines exist virtually in every sea, in the Mediterranean they reach a particularly high spatial and bathymetric extent (coralligenous concretions alone are estimated to exceed 2,700 km2 in surface). Overall, composition, dynamics and responses to human disturbances of coralline-dominated communities have been well-studied; except for a few species, however, the biology of Mediterranean corallines is poorly known. In terms of diversity, 60 species of corallines are currently reported from the Mediterranean. This number, however, is based on morphological assessments and recent studies incorporating molecular data suggest that the correct estimate is probably much higher. The responses of Mediterranean corallines to climate change have been the subject of several recent studies that documented their tolerance/sensitivity to elevated temperatures and pCO2. These investigations have focused on a few species and should be extended to a wider taxonomic set