Return to search

The genus Spongites (Corallinales, Rhodophyta) in South Africa

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / Coralline red algae (Corallinales, Hapalidiales, Sporolithales: Corallinophycidae, Rhodophyta)
are widespread and common in all the world’s oceans (Adey & McIntyre 1973; Johansen 1981;
Littler et al. 1985; Björk et al. 1995; Aguirre et al. 2007; Harvey & Woelkerling 2007; Littler
& Littler 2013). They achieve their highest diversity in the tropics and subtropics (Björk et al.
1995; Littler & Littler 2013; Riosmena-Rodríguez et al. 2017), and within the photic zone of
rocky shores (Lee 1967; Littler 1973; Adey 1978; Adey et al. 1982; Steneck 1986; Kendrick
1991; Kaehler & Williams 1996; Gattuso et al. 2006; van der Heijden & Kamenos 2015;
Riosmena-Rodríguez et al. 2017) where they serve as important carbonate structures (Adey et
al. 1982; Littler & Littler 1994, 1997; Vermeij et al. 2011) and habitats for a host of marine
species (Foster 2001; Amado-Filho et al. 2010; Foster et al. 2013; Littler & Littler 2013;
Riosmena-Rodríguez et al. 2017). Coralline algae are resilient, inhabiting extreme conditions
that include: low temperatures (Adey 1970, 1973; Freiwald & Hendrich 1994; Barnes et al.
1996; Freiwald 1996; Aguirre et al. 2000; Roberts et al. 2002; Björk et al. 2005; Martone et
al. 2010); limited light exposures (Adey 1970; Littler & Littler 1985; Littler et al. 1985; Liddell
& Ohlhorst 1988; Dullo et al. 1990; Littler & Littler 1994; Iryu et al. 1995; Stellar and Foster
1995; Gattuso et al. 2006; Aguirre et al. 2007; Littler & Littler 2013); severe wave action
(Steneck 1989; Littler & Littler 2013); intense grazing pressures (Steneck 1989; Steneck &
Dethier 1994; Maneveldt & Keats 2008; Littler & Littler 2013), highly fluctuating salinities
(Harlin et al. 1985; Barry & Woelkerling 1995; Barnes et al. 1996; Wilson et al. 2004);
including occurring in freshwater (Žuljevic et al. 2016), and constant sand scouring (Littler &
Littler 1984; D’Antonio 1986; Kendrick 1991; Chamberlain 1993; Dethier 1994).

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:uwc/oai:etd.uwc.ac.za:11394/6957
Date January 2019
CreatorsPuckree-Padua, Courtney Ann
ContributorsManeveldt, Gavin W., Gabrielson, Paul W.
PublisherUniversity of the Western Cape
Source SetsSouth African National ETD Portal
LanguageEnglish
Detected LanguageEnglish
RightsUniversity of the Western Cape

Page generated in 0.0015 seconds