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Reduced Cover of Drifting Macroalgae Following Nutrient Reduction in Danish Coastal Waters

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Abstract

Based on a large dataset from the national Danish monitoring programme, we analysed the temporal variability of drifting algae cover in shallow (1–2 m) water during a period of reduced nutrient loadings. Algal cover was analysed both in absolute terms and relative to eelgrass, Zostera marina, cover to test the hypotheses that (1) the cover of drifting algae and the relative dominance of algae versus eelgrass in shallow waters have declined in parallel to reductions in nutrient levels during the last decades, and (2) spatio-temporal differences in algal cover can be related to differences in nutrient conditions and environmental characteristics. The cover of drifting algae was positively related to total nitrogen concentration and Secchi depth but negatively related to exposure, salinity and mean summer temperature. The cover of drifting macroalgae showed significant declines over the past two decades, paralleling the reduction in nutrient concentrations. The present cover of drifting algae is low (<10 %) and probably pose little threat to the general distribution of eelgrass in shallow Danish waters though local accumulations may still be harmful. However, the ratio between drifting algae cover and eelgrass cover showed no significant trend, reflecting that eelgrass cover had not increased despite the reduced levels of nutrients and drifting algae. This ratio also showed no consistent relationship to water quality probably because different regulation mechanisms govern drifting algae and eelgrass, and feedback mechanisms may delay eelgrass recovery. Reduced drift algal cover may be an early sign of improved ecological status, while further improvements in terms of recovery of eelgrass meadows have longer perspectives.

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Acknowledgments

This project was funded by the Danish Agency for Science, Technology and Innovation (REELGRASS; contract #09-063190), the European Commission (WISER contract #FP7-226273 and DEVOTES contract #FP-308392) and the project WATERS funded by the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency. We thank Michael Stjernholm, Bioscience, Aarhus University, for initial discussions on exposure calculations and Per-Olav Moksnes, Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Sweden, for information on the distribution of algae and eelgrass along the Swedish west coast.

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  1. Jonas Ribergaard Rasmussen

    Present address: , Aalborg commune, VandMiljø, Stigsborg Brygge 5, 9400, Nørresundby, Denmark

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Ole Worms allé 1135, 8000, Aarhus C, Denmark

    Jonas Ribergaard Rasmussen

  2. Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000, Roskilde, Denmark

    Karsten Michael Dromph & Cordula Göke

  3. Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Vejlsøvej 25, 8600, Silkeborg, Denmark

    Dorte Krause-Jensen

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Rasmussen, J.R., Dromph, K.M., Göke, C. et al. Reduced Cover of Drifting Macroalgae Following Nutrient Reduction in Danish Coastal Waters. Estuaries and Coasts 38, 1664–1677 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-014-9904-4

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