A Survey of Algae growth on/around Artificial and
Natural reefs in the Pinellas County area
Brittany M. Gallagher
St. Petersburg College, Biology program
St. Petersburg College, Biology program
Abstract:
Algae are vital to Florida reefs, yet not much is known about their distribution, abundance, and community dynamics. There have been few studies conducted on possible variation within species composition and succession of algae species on shallow reefs in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico. The coral-algal species composition can vary between artificial and natural reefs in the area. It is known that as producers of organic material and oxygen, algae are critical to aquatic ecosystem food web dynamics and that they provide habitat for species of fish and invertebrates, and so are important components of the reef community. I randomly sampled, measured, pressed, and identified algae from artificial and natural reefs in the Pinellas county area. The results of this survey could be used to study a coral-algal interaction such as competition for space on the reef.
Algae are vital to Florida reefs, yet not much is known about their distribution, abundance, and community dynamics. There have been few studies conducted on possible variation within species composition and succession of algae species on shallow reefs in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico. The coral-algal species composition can vary between artificial and natural reefs in the area. It is known that as producers of organic material and oxygen, algae are critical to aquatic ecosystem food web dynamics and that they provide habitat for species of fish and invertebrates, and so are important components of the reef community. I randomly sampled, measured, pressed, and identified algae from artificial and natural reefs in the Pinellas county area. The results of this survey could be used to study a coral-algal interaction such as competition for space on the reef.
