The purpose of this thesis was to provide a revision and characterization of the species of nongeniculate coralline algae previously ascribed to the now defunct genus Porolithon / to provide a modern account of selected taxa from the genus Hydrolithon and descriptions of taxa found to conform the generic delimitation of Hydrolithon and to use a phenetic cluster analysis to determine the taxonomic relationships between the various taxa ascribed to the genera Polorithon and Hydrolithon.

x, 156 leaves : ill. ; 29 cm Notes Typescript. (Another copy on microfilm is located in Archives) Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Oregon Includes vita and abstract Bibliography: leaves 150-156

Doctor Scientiae (Biodiversity and Conservation Biology) / The purpose of this thesis was to provide a revision and characterization of the species of nongeniculate coralline algae previously ascribed to the now defunct genus Porolithon; to provide a modern account of selected taxa from the genus Hydrolithon and descriptions of taxa found to conform the generic delimitation of Hydrolithon and to use a phenetic cluster analysis to determine the taxonomic relationships between the various taxa ascribed to the genera Polorithon and Hydrolithon. / South Africa

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / The aim of this study was to document the intertidal and shallow subtidal species of non-geniculate coralline red algae from the South Africa south coast. The main emphasis of the study are encompassed in four research chapters and one concluding chapter focusing on: 1) the documentation of the non-geniculate coralline red algae occurring along the South Africa south coast; 2) revisiting the Leptophytum-Phymatolithon complex in order to resolve the taxonomic status of species previously ascribed to the genus Leptophytum from South African; 3) starting to prepare modern monographic accounts of the higher taxa; and 4) the production of updated keys to all the currently recognised taxa of non-geniculate coralline algae for South Africa. Although nowhere near complete, here we present our findings and report on the current biodiversity status of the non-geniculate coralline red algae after a further four years of extensive sampling.

Orientador: Fosca Pedini Pereira Leite / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Biologia / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-27T11:20:12Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Bueno_Marilia_D.pdf: 1421870 bytes, checksum: 37eb3d9230e7741798f121407dee5d97 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015 / Resumo: Algas calcáreas articuladas estão presentes em costões rochosos ao redor do mundo e formam densos tapetes, os quais abrigam uma fauna muito rica de invertebrados. Dentre eles, os anfípodes são dominantes e sua associação com estas algas foi investigada. Inicialmente foi feita a caracterização do habitat. A biomassa das algas e a abundância total dos anfípodes não diferiram entre as estações do ano, já a composição de espécies de anfípodes apresentou variação, a qual foi atribuída principalmente ao padrão de ocorrência de duas espécies de hialídeos, Apohyale media e Hyale niger, que são dominantes nas algas calcáreas. A biomassa das algas também não variou conforme exposição à ação de ondas. Diferenças na abundância total dos animais foram observadas, sendo encontrados mais animais nos costões mais expostos às ondas. Neste tópico, os tanaidáceos foram incluídos e apenas duas espécies foram encontradas, cada uma associada à um grau de exposição à ação de ondas. Leptochelia aff. dubia foi encontrada apenas nos costões abrigados, enquanto Zeuxo coralensis apenas em costões expostos. Os tapetes de algas coralinas são verticalmente extensos a ponto de terem características físicas (quantidade de sedimento e tamanho de grãos) e biológicas (abundância e composição de espécies de anfípodes) distintas entre as zonas superior e inferior do mesmo tapete. Após a caracterização do habitat, sua utilização pelos anfípodes foi examinada com relação à estrutura (arquitetura) das algas, a altura de ocorrência das algas no costão rochoso e o papel do sedimento na seleção deste habitat. O volume intersticial foi extremamente variável dentre as cinco algas estudadas entretanto, para todas as algas, quanto maior o volume intersticial, maior a abundância dos anfípodes. O habitat formado pelas coralinas, independente da altura no costão, parece ser o fator mais importante na seleção pelos anfípodes. Com relação ao sedimento, sua retenção nos tapetes de algas não se mostrou sazonal e não foi observada relação com a abundância dos anfípodes. Os experimentos de laboratório corroboraram o padrão observado em campo e não indicaram um importante efeito da adição do sedimento na seleção de habitat pelos hialídeos. A malha intrincada formada pelas frondes das algas calcáreas permite a retenção, além do sedimento e da matéria orgânica associada à ele, de diferentes tipos de alimento como microalgas e componentes da meiofauna. Essa gama de itens alimentares pode ser importante na seleção deste local pelos anfípodes, já que a alimentação da alga em si não ocorre, e explicaria a grande variedade de hábitos alimentares apresentados pelos anfípodes associados. A seleção do habitat de coralinas pode também estar relacionada à proteção contra a dessecação, já que retenção de água entre as frondes mantém o ambiente úmido nos períodos de emersão / Abstract: Articulated calcareous algae are distributed on rocky shores worldwide forming dense mats and harboring rich invertebrate assemblages. Amphipods are dominants and their association with coralline algae was investigated. First, the habitat characterization was done. Algae biomass and amphipods abundance did not differ among seasons, but species composition showed a variable pattern mainly in response to occurrence patterns of the dominant hyalids Apohyale media and Hyale niger. Algae biomass did not vary between degrees of wave exposure, however, more amphipods were found at exposed shores. Tanaids were included and an interesting spatial segregation was observed. Only two species were found, each one associated to a degree of wave exposure. Leptochelia aff. dubia was found at sheltered shores, while Zeuxo coralensis at exposed shores. Coralline mats are wide enough to have distinguished upper and lower zones based on physical (amount of sediment and grain size) and biological (amphipods abundance and species composition) features. After characterizing the habitat, its usage by the amphipods was examined through algae structure (architecture), height on shore and the effect of sediment loads on habitat selection. Interstitial volume was highly variable among the five algae studied and a strong positive relation between interstitial volume and amphipods abundance was observed. Coralline habitat, regardless of the height on shore, was probably the main factor governing habitat selection. Sediment retention at coralline mats was not seasonal and no relation with the amphipods was found. Laboratory experiments corroborate the observed field patterns and added sediment had no effect on habitat selection by the hyalids. The intricate canopy of coralline algae allowed retention, not only of sediment and organic matter, but also of microalgae and meiofauna. This wide array of food items may be important for coralline habitat selection by the amphipods, since they do not feed on coralline itself. In this case, coralline could be an important source of food, allowing the coexistence of amphipods having different feeding habits. Water retention may also play an important role, since habitats are maintained humid during emersion periods / Doutorado / Ecologia / Doutora em Ecologia

As algas calcárias crostosas ou CCA (do inglês Crustose Coralline Algae) têm como principal característica a impregnação de carbonato de cálcio em suas paredes celulares. Este grupo é formado atualmente por três ordens, Corallinales, Hapalidiales e Sporolithales, cuja taxonomia é historicamente problemática por se basear na fase tetrasporofítica, fundamental para qualquer identificação até mesmo em nível de ordem. Em virtude disso, diversos estudos, principalmente nos últimos 10 anos, têm incluído ferramentas moleculares como auxílio à taxonomia morfoanatômica deste grupo. O objetivo deste estudo foi investigar a diversidade e a distribuição das CCA ao longo da costa Brasileira, através de dados moleculares e morfoanatômicos. Para isso, foram utilizados quatro marcadores moleculares, UPA, rbcL-3P, COI-5P e psbA, aliados à imagens de microscopia óptica e microscopia eletrônica de varredura, que resultaram na identificação de pelo menos 37 espécies entre Corallinales, Hapalidiales e Sporolithales. Os resultados obtidos a partir das análises de agrupamento dos quatro marcadores demonstraram que as ordens Corallinales e Sporolithales são monofiléticas, e Hapalidiales constitui um grupo não-monofilético (com exceção do marcador psbA, que resolveu a ordem como grupo monofilético). Os resultados também revelaram existência de uma grande diversidade de espécies e gêneros destas ordens no Brasil, além de espécies novas e ao menos um potencial gênero novo para ciência. O estudo também revelou relações filogeográficas entre espécies do Brasil e do Golfo do México e do Indo-Pacífico. Considerando as três ordens de CCA (Corallinales, Hapalidiales e Sporolithales), este estudo representa a primeira tentativa de desvendar de forma mais ampla a diversidade de espécies CCA encontradas ao longo da costa brasileira, utilizando dados moleculares / The Crustose Coralline Algae (CCA) has as a main distinguishing characteristic the calcium carbonate impregnation in their cell walls. This group currently encompasses three orders, the Corallinales, Hapalidiales and Sporolithales, whose taxonomy is historically problematic because it is based on the tetrasporophytic phase, fundamental to any classification, even at the ordinal level. Therefore, many studies, especially in the last 10 years, have included molecular tools to assist the morphological taxonomy of this group. This study aims to investigate the diversity and distribution of the CCA along the Brazilian coast, through molecular and morphoanatomical data. In order to achieve this aim, four markers were used, UPA, rbcL-3P, COI-5P and psbA, allied to light and scanning electron microscopy, that resulted in the identification of at least 37 species between Corallinales, Hapalidiales and Sporolithales. The results of the cluster analyses of the four markers showed that Corallinales and Sporolithales are monophyletic, and Hapalidiales comprises a non-monophyletic group (with the exception of psbA, which resolved the order as a monophyly). Our results also revealed a great diversity of species and genera of these three orders in Brazil, as well as putative new species and at least a new genus. This study also revealed phylogeographic relationships between Brazilian species and species from Gulf of Mexico and from Indo-Pacific oceans. Considering all the three orders of CCA, this study represents the first broad attempt and effort to unveil the diversity of CCA species found on the Brazilian coast using molecular data

Climate variability in the North Atlantic has been linked in part to the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). The NAO influences marine ecosystems in the northwestern Atlantic and the transport variability of the cold Labrador Current (LC). Understanding historic patterns and predicting future changes in LC transport require long-term and high-resolution climate records that are not available from instrumental data sets. This thesis presents the first century-scale sea surface temperature (SST)reconstructions from the Northwestern Atlantic using Mg/Ca ratios in the long-lived crustose coralline algae Clathromorphum compactum. which is characterized by a high Mg-calcite skeleton exhibiting annual growth increments. Results indicate strong correlations between interannual variations in Mg/Ca ratios and instrumental SST. The 131-year algal Mg/Ca record reveals NAO-type periodicities and evidence of past cold events and warming periods associated with basin-wide ecosystem shifts. Negative correlations between LC volume transport and algal Mg/Ca reflect the cooling influence of the LC on eastern Canadian shelf ecosystems.

Climate variability in the North Atlantic has been linked in part to the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). The NAO influences marine ecosystems in the northwestern Atlantic and the transport variability of the cold Labrador Current (LC). Understanding historic patterns and predicting future changes in LC transport require long-term and high-resolution climate records that are not available from instrumental data sets. This thesis presents the first century-scale sea surface temperature (SST)reconstructions from the Northwestern Atlantic using Mg/Ca ratios in the long-lived crustose coralline algae Clathromorphum compactum. which is characterized by a high Mg-calcite skeleton exhibiting annual growth increments. Results indicate strong correlations between interannual variations in Mg/Ca ratios and instrumental SST. The 131-year algal Mg/Ca record reveals NAO-type periodicities and evidence of past cold events and warming periods associated with basin-wide ecosystem shifts. Negative correlations between LC volume transport and algal Mg/Ca reflect the cooling influence of the LC on eastern Canadian shelf ecosystems.

In the Arctic, shallow sea-floor communities have been documented to shift abruptly from an invertebrate-dominated state to a state with high macroalgal abundance. Climate warming, resulting in increased water temperatures and decreased sea ice cover, could trigger such regime shifts in benthic ecosystems, but the underlying mechanisms are not clear. To gain a better understanding, a mechanistic model of algal growth and interspecific competition was applied in two marine ecosystems in northwestern Svalbard. Unravelling the effects of light and temperature on the model parameters, the current study showed that light is a key factor determining the algal dominance in the two ecosystems. Changes in sea-ice cover, which alters the underwater light regime, is therefore considered the most likely trigger for invertebratealgae regime shifts. A continued prolonging of the ice-free season in the Arctic is likely to occur in the upcoming years, considering the current climatic development. Thus, it is expected that macroalgal cover in shallow rocky-bottom communities will continue to increase, altering species composition and function in seasonally ice-covered arctic ecosystems. / I ekosystem på grunda havsbottnar i Arktis har snabba, kraftiga förändringar i artsammansättning och ekosystemstruktur dokumenterats. Organismsamhällen som tidigare främst utgjorts av ryggradslösa organismer och hårda kalkalger har plötsligt blivit dominerade av olika tångarter. Den globala uppvärmningen medför högre ytvattentemperatur och minskat havsistäcke i Arktis, vilket i sin tur innebär förbättrade ljusförhållanden. Dessa förändringar tros kunna utlösa regimskiften där de ekosystemen övergår från ett stadium dominerat av ryggradslösa djur, till ett stadium dominerat av tång. Mekanismerna bakom sådana regimskiften är emellertid inte kartlagda. Denna studie syftade därför till en bättre förståelse för regimskiften i Arktiska havsbottenekosystem. En mekanistisk modell för algtillväxt och konkurrens tillämpades på två marina organismsamhällen i nordvästra Svalbard, som genomgått sådana regimskiften. Temperatur- och ljusberoendet hos modellens parametrar uppskattades först utifrån kunskap från ett antal tidigare studier. Med hjälp av modellen testades sedan hur fördelningen av alger påverkades av temperatur- och ljusförändringar. Modelleringen indikerade att ljusförhållanden var avgörande för expansionen av tång i de två studerade organismsamhällena på Svalbard, och att ljusförändringar således kan vara en huvudsaklig orsak till regimskiften i Arktis. Med tanke på den nuvarande klimatutvecklingen är en fortsatt förlängning av den isfria säsongen mycket sannolik. Detta kommer troligen innebära en vidare expansion av tång samt förändrad artsammansättning och ekosystemfunktion i grunda, arktiska havsbottenekosystem.

Regulation of transcription is an important molecular mechanism through which organisms can respond to environmental change. Environmentally-related transcriptional variation can play a significant role in evolution, potentially acting as a mechanism for the formation of new adaptive phenotypes. Organisms are most sensitive to the influence of external environmental variation during development, yet very few studies have explored environmentally-related transcriptional variation in early life history stages. Marine invertebrate metamorphosis, where intimate larval-environment interactions trigger settlement onto the benthos and a drastic morphological shift from larval to adult form, exemplifies the influence of environment on development. Variation in both the timing of metamorphosis and the form of specific metamorphic inductive cues, even at an intraspecific level, suggests that larvae have molecular mechanisms for surviving settlement and metamorphosis in a range of environmental conditions. The extent of transcriptional variation at metamorphosis remains largely unknown due to limited information on both the natural inductive cues and the molecular mechanisms directing metamorphosis in marine invertebrates. Contributing to current understanding of the interplay between genes, environment and phenotype during development, I explored molecular and ecological aspects of metamorphosis in a marine invertebrate, the tropical abalone Haliotis asinina. First, I employed cDNA microarray methods to identify candidate genes and document widespread transcriptional changes occurring in Haliotis asinina larvae during larval development and metamorphosis. Microarray results reveal that as the abalone veliger larva matures, it requires coordinated regulation of temporally different gene batteries involved in a wide range of physiological and developmental processes associated with the transition to a new, benthic habitat. All candidate genes showed changes in expression following exposure of larvae to coralline algae, an external inductive cue, demonstrating the remarkable effect of environment on transcription during marine invertebrate metamorphosis. 144 genes, ~40% of which are novel, were identified as candidates for a role in H. asinina metamorphosis. This high proportion of novel genes indicates that the conserved signaling pathways operating in marine invertebrate metamorphosis likely regulate the expression of taxon-specific genes. The relationship between abalone larvae and their natural inductive cue, coralline algae, is species-specific. To characterize the metamorphic cue preferences of Haliotis asinina larvae from Heron Island Reef, Australia, I documented larval induction response to a number of different coralline algae species commonly found in adult H. asinina habitat. H. asinina larvae exhibit highly specific responses to induction of metamorphosis by different coralline algae species, with 0 – 100% metamorphosis by 48 hours post induction depending on algae species. Unlike any other abalone species studied, the most effective inducers of Heron Island Reef H. asinina are articulated corallines of the genus Amphiroa. Comparing the response of different larval families to select species of coralline algae indicated that coralline algae community composition is likely to significantly impact H. asinina population structure. Additionally, I compared larval response to dead and live coralline algae to show that induction specificity is driven by chemical, not physical, properties. Characterization of the surface cell biomarkers of three different coralline algae species indicates that algal biomolecular composition relates to variations in H. asinina induction response. To explore the influence of variation in larval induction environment, I compared transcription patterns of 17 metamorphosis-related genes in Haliotis asinina larvae induced by three different species of coralline algae. H. asinina post-induction gene expression profiles vary according to the species of coralline algae inducer. This transcriptional variation occurs in genes with diverse functions and spatial expression patterns, highlighting the global nature of the impact of benthic microhabitat on gene expression. The environment-specific modulation of gene expression in H. asinina post-induction may be a means for marine invertebrates to cope with changes in their settlement environment at metamorphosis. Genes expressed in the larval sensory structures acting to detect external metamorphic cues may be particularly good candidates for studying environmentally-related transcriptional variation. I identified three novel genes expressed in putative sensory structures of Haliotis asinina larvae just prior to metamorphosis. The spatial and temporal expression patterns of these genes correlate with changes in larval ciliation patterns throughout metamorphosis, strongly suggestive of a role in metamorphic initiation. The three genes exhibit significant overlap in spatial expression profiles, indicative of genetic crosstalk between different sensory systems at metamorphosis. Transcriptional variation in gastropod sensory system genes may have assisted the evolution of different metamorphic inductive cues for different species. The results presented here establish an important role for transcriptional variation during marine invertebrate metamorphosis. Transcriptional variation underlies the morphological change from larval to adult body plan and also appears to assist larval recruitment in variable benthic habitats. Modulation of gene expression at metamorphosis in response to the environment may ultimately influence marine invertebrate species biogeography and evolution.