Development of periphytic diatoms on different artificial substrates in the sea

Abstract

Morski okoliš je specifično stanište u kojemu su svi supstrati vrlo brzo podložni procesu naseljavanja od strane živih organizama. U ovom istraživanju, koje je provedeno na lokaciji Puntamika kod Zadra, analiziran je perifiton na 11 različitih podloga nakon mjesec dana izlaganja u morskom okolišu (7. ožujak - 6. travanj 2012). Analizirana je abundancija perifitonskih dijatomeja na svakoj podlozi, te na dva izdanka morske cvjetnice Posidonia oceanica L. nađenih blizu lokacije gdje su podloge postavljene. Rezultati su pokazali da postoji, ponegdje i vrlo značajna, razlika u abundanciji dijatomeja ovisno o različitim fizičkim i kemijskim karakteristikama materijala podloge. Taksonomskom analizom zajednice dijatomeja utvrđen je 41 rod, od kojih su rodovi Amphora, Cylindrotheca, Nitzschia, Cocconeis i Navicula bili dominatni.Marine environment is a specific habitat where all substrates are very quickly subjected to colonisation process of living organisms. In this study, that took place at the location Puntamika near Zadar, 11 different artificial substrates were exposed to marine environment for a month (March 7th - April 6th 2012) and consequently periphytic diatoms analysed. The abundance of periphytic diatoms was determined on each of the substrate and on the two shoots of marine seagrass Posidonia oceanica L. Results showed significant differences in the abundance of diatoms between substrates. Such distinction is the consequence of different physical and chemical characteristics of the substrates. Taxonomic analysis of diatom communities revealed 41 diatom genera, and Amphora, Cylindrotheca, Nitzschia, Cocconeis and Navicula were recognized as dominant in peryphitic communities