Skip to main content
Log in

Persistence of gametophyte predominance in Chondrus crispus (Rhodophyta, Gigartinaceae) from Nova Scotia after 12 years

  • Note
  • Published:
Hydrobiologia Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Gametophytes predominated clearly over tetrasporophytes in an intertidal population of Chondrus crispus at Tor Bay (Nova Scotia, Canada) in the summer of 1991. Since this species is perennial and the rocky substrate is stable at this site, we predicted that gametophyte predominance would persist after several years. We confirmed this hypothesis by re-sampling the same area in the summer of 2003. This is one of the first long-term studies of the relative abundance of life-history phases done unequivocally at the same site for the Gigartinaceae.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Barry, J. P., C. H. Baxter, R. D. Sagarin & S. E. Gilman, 1995. Climate-related, long-term faunal changes in a California rocky intertidal community. Science 267: 672–675.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bjørnstad, O. N. & B. T. Grenfell, 2001. Noisy clockwork: time series analysis of population fluctuations in animals. Science 293: 638–643.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bolton, J. J. & M. A. P. Joska, 1993. Population studies on a South African carrageenophyte: Iridaea capensis (Gigartinaceae, Rhodophyta). Hydrobiologia 260/261: 191–195.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Craigie, J. S. & J. D. Pringle, 1978. Spatial distribution of tetrasporophytes and gametophytes in four Maritime populations of Chondrus crispus. Canadian Journal of Botany 56: 2910–2914.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • DeWreede, R. E. & L. G. Green, 1990. Patterns of gametophyte dominance of Iridaea splendens (Rhodophyta) in Vancouver Harbour, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Journal of Applied Phycology 2: 27–34.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dyck, L. J. & R. E. DeWreede, 1995. Patterns of seasonal demographic change in the alternate isomorphic stages of Mazzaella splendens (Gigartinales, Rhodophyta). Phycologia 34: 390–395.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dyck, L., R. E. DeWreede & D. Garbary, 1985. Life history phases in Iridaea cordata (Gigartinaceae): relative abundance and distribution from British Columbia to California. Japanese Journal of Phycology 33: 225–232.

    Google Scholar 

  • Garbary, D. J. & R. E. DeWreede, 1988. Life history phases in natural populations of Gigartinaceae (Rhodophyta): quantification using resorcinol. In Lobban, C. S., D. J. Chapman & B. P. Kremer (eds), Experimental Phycology. A Laboratory Manual. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge: 174–178.

    Google Scholar 

  • Haddad, N. M., D. Tilman & J. M. H. Knops, 2002. Long-term oscillations in grassland productivity induced by drought. Ecology Letters 5: 110–120.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hansen, J. E. & W. T. Doyle, 1976. Ecology and natural history of Iridaea cordata (Rhodophyta; Gigartinaceae): population structure. Journal of Phycology 12: 273–278.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hughey, J. R., P. C. Silva & M. H. Hommersand, 2001. Solving taxonomic and nomenclatural problems in Pacific Gigartinaceae (Rhodophyta) using DNA from type material. Journal of Phycology 37: 1091–1109.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Inchausti, P. & J. Halley, 2001. Investigating long-term ecological variability using the global population dynamics database. Science 293: 655–657.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lazo, M. L., M. Greenwell & J. McLachlan, 1989. Population structure of Chondrus crispus Stackhouse (Gigartinaceae, Rhodophyta) along the coast of Prince Edward Island, Canada: distribution of gametophytic and sporophytic fronds. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 126: 45–58.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lindgren, A. & P. Åberg, 1996. Proportion of life cycle stages of Chondrus crispus and its population structure: a comparison between a marine and an estuarine environment. Botanica Marina 39: 263–268.

    Google Scholar 

  • May, G., 1986. Life history variations in a predominantly gametophytic population of Iridaea cordata (Gigartinaceae, Rhodophyta). Journal of Phycology 22: 448–455.

    Google Scholar 

  • McLachlan, J. L., J. Quinn & C. MacDougall, 1989. The structure of the plant of Chondrus crispus Stackhouse (Irish moss). Journal of Applied Phycology 1: 311–317.

    Google Scholar 

  • Morley, T. L., J. J. Bolton & R. J. Anderson, 2003. Phase dominance and reproductive characteristics in two co-occurring Rhodophyta from the west coast of South Africa. In Chapman, A. R. O., R. J. Anderson, V. J. Vreeland & I. R. Davison (eds), Proceedings of the XVIIth International Seaweed Symposium, Cape Town, South Africa, 28 January-2 February 2001. Oxford University Press, Oxford: 365–371.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mudge, B. & R. Scrosati, 2003. Effects of wave exposure on the proportion of gametophytes and tetrasporophytes of Mazzaella oregona (Rhodophyta: Gigartinales) from Pacific Canada. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 83: 701–704.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Otaíza, R. D., S. R. Abades & A. J. Brante, 2001. Seasonal changes in abundance and shifts in dominance of life history stages of the carrageenophyte Sarcothalia crispata (Rhodophyta, Gigartinales) in south-central Chile. Journal of Applied Phycology 13: 161–171.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Phillips, B., 1994. Ecological Differences between the Isomorphic Phases of Mazzaella lilacina (Rhodophyta, Gigartinaceae): 1) Spore Production, 2) Recruitment Specialization, 3) Resistance to Removal by Wave Action. M.Sc. thesis, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, 113 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Scrosati, R., 2002. An updated definition of genet applicable to clonal seaweeds, bryophytes, and vascular plants. Basic and Applied Ecology 3: 97–99.

    Google Scholar 

  • Scrosati, R. & R. E. DeWreede, 1999. Demographic models to simulate the stable ratio between ecologically similar gametophytes and tetrasporophytes in populations of the Gigartinaceae (Rhodophyta). Phycological Research 47: 153–157.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Scrosati, R., D. J. Garbary & J. McLachlan, 1994. Reproductive ecology of Chondrus crispus (Rhodophyta, Gigartinales) from Nova Scotia, Canada. Botanica Marina 37: 293–300.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Scrosati, R. & B. Mudge, 2004. Effects of elevation, wave exposure, and year on the proportion of gametophytes and tetrasporophytes in Mazzaella parksii (Rhodophyta, Gigartinaceae) populations. Hydrobiologia, in press.

  • Sousa, W. P., 2001. Natural disturbance and the dynamics of marine benthic communities. In Bertness, M. D., S. D. Gaines & M. E. Hay (eds), Marine Community Ecology. Sinauer Associates, Sunderland: 85–130.

    Google Scholar 

  • Taylor, A. R. A. & L. C.-M. Chen, 1994. Chondrus Stackhouse. In Akatsuka, I. (ed.), Biology of Economic Algae. SPB Academic Publishing, The Hague: 35–76.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thornber, C. S. & S. D. Gaines, 2003. Spatial and temporal variation of haploids and diploids in populations of four congeners of the marine algaMazzaella. Marine Ecology Progress Series 258: 65–77.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tveter-Gallagher, E. & A. C. Mathieson, 1980. An electron microscopy study of sporeling coalescence in the red alga Chondrus crispus. Scanning Electron Microscopy 3: 571–579.

    Google Scholar 

  • Underwood, A. J., M. G. Chapman & S. D. Connell, 2000. Observations in ecology: you can’t make progress on processes without understanding the patterns. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 250: 97–115.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Scrosati, R., Mudge, B. Persistence of gametophyte predominance in Chondrus crispus (Rhodophyta, Gigartinaceae) from Nova Scotia after 12 years. Hydrobiologia 519, 215–218 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1023/B:HYDR.0000026600.88646.31

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/B:HYDR.0000026600.88646.31

Navigation