Epiphyte loads on seagrasses and microphytobenthos abundance are not reliable indicators of nutrient availability in oligotrophic coastal ecosystems
Abstract
Despite marked gradients in nutrient availability that control the abundance and species composition of seagrasses in south Florida, and the importance of nutrient availability in controlling abundance and composition of epiphytes on seagrasses in other locations, we did not find that epiphyte load on the dominant seagrass, Thalassia testudinum, or that the relative contribution of algal epiphytes to the epiphyte community, was positively correlated with nutrient availability in the water column or the sediment in oligotrophic seagrass beds. Further, the abundance of microphytobenthos, as indicated by Chlorophyll-a concentration in the sediments, was not directly correlated with concentrations of nutrients in the sediments. Our results suggest that epiphyte and microphytobenthos abundance are not unambiguous indicators of nutrient availability in relatively pristine seagrass environments, and therefore would make poor candidates for indicators of the status and trends of seagrass ecosystems in relatively low-nutrient environments like the Florida Keys.
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Additional work has documented weak relationships between nutrient availability and epiphyte loading across seagrass meadows in Florida Bay and the Florida Keys.
“Additional work has further documented weak relationships between nutrient availability and epiphyte loading across seagrass meadows in Florida Bay and the Florida Keys (Frankovich & Fourqurean 1997; Fourqurean, Muth & Boyer 2010).”
From Ocean acidification outweighs nutrient effects in structuring seagrass epiphyte communities (2014) · cites this paper as Fourqurean, Muth & Boyer 2010
Cites
Tomasko, D., & Lapointe, B. (1991) · Marine Ecology Progress Series · doi:10.3354/meps075009 · Cited by 194 · see citing works
Seagrass epiphyte loads along a nutrient availability gradient, Florida Bay, USA
Frankovich, T., & Fourqurean, J. (1997) · Marine Ecology Progress Series · doi:10.3354/meps159037 · Cited by 148 · see citing works
Self-citationFerdie, M., & Fourqurean, J. W. (2004) · Limnology and Oceanography · doi:10.4319/lo.2004.49.6.2082 · Cited by 134 · see citing works
Self-citationVariable responses within epiphytic and benthic microalgal communities to nutrient enrichment
Armitage, A. R., Frankovich, T. A., & Fourqurean, J. W. (2006) · Hydrobiologia · doi:10.1007/s10750-006-0146-8 · Cited by 68 · see citing works
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Ocean acidification outweighs nutrient effects in structuring seagrass epiphyte communities
Campbell, J. E., & Fourqurean, J. W. (2014) · Journal of Ecology · doi:10.1111/1365-2745.12233 · Cited by 60 · see citing works
Self-citationLong-Term Effects of Adding Nutrients to an Oligotrophic Coastal Environment
Armitage, A. R., Frankovich, T. A., & Fourqurean, J. W. (2011) · Ecosystems · doi:10.1007/s10021-011-9421-2 · Cited by 51 · see citing works
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- Authors
- Fourqurean, J. W., Muth, M. F., & Boyer, J. N.
- Affiliations
- Florida International University (US)
- University of Virginia (US)
- Corresponding author
- Fourqurean, James W.
- Venue
- Marine Pollution Bulletin
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2010-07
- Volume
- 60
- Issue
- 7
- Pages
- 971-983
- ISSN
- 0025-326X (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2025419456
- Cited by
- 30
- References
- 4
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 1 · 2018: 2 · 2017: 1 · 2016: 3 · 2015: 1 · 2014: 1 · 2012: 2
- FWCI
- 2.10
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Marine Pollution Bulletin (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Florida International University Digital Commons (Florida International University) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- National Science Foundation
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
- Florida International University
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Oceanography › Marine and coastal plant biology
- Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Oceanography › Marine Biology and Ecology Research
- Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Oceanography › Marine and coastal ecosystems
- Keywords
- seagrass epiphytes, microphytobenthos, nutrient availability, Thalassia testudinum, seagrass meadows, chlorophyll a, sediment nutrients, water column nutrients, indicator species, Florida Keys
- MeSH terms
- Eutrophication, Florida, Marine Biology, Nitrogen, Nutritional Physiological Phenomena, Phosphorus, Phytoplankton, Population Dynamics, Seawater, Ecosystem, Hydrocharitaceae
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