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Changes in Coastal Benthic Algae Succession Trajectories and Assemblages Under Contrasting Nutrient and Grazer Loads

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An Erratum to this article was published on 24 June 2015

Abstract

Eutrophication plays a crucial role in coastal systems, driving changes in the composition and abundance of flora and fauna with consequent effects for the entire ecosystem. Sensitive to nutrient levels, micro- and macroalgal blooms serve as valuable indicators of eutrophication. The San Antonio Bay (Northern Argentinean Patagonia, 40° 43′ S, 64° 56′ W) provides an appropriate system to study in situ eutrophication processes on coastal communities. In a multi-scale approach, using two different kind of settlement substrates (micro: polyethylene terephthalate, and macro: ceramic), the present study followed benthic algal dynamics over one year, distinguishing changes in natural succession and seasonality. Strong differences were found in the biofilm assemblages after three days, marked by tube dwelling diatoms and Cocconeis spp. under high nutrient-grazer conditions and needle like diatoms (e.g. Nitzschia spp., Tabularia spp.) under lower nutrient-grazer loads. The succession continued by the colonization of macroalgae, with a higher recruitment rate in the nutrient and grazer rich environment with a concomitant higher diversity. Our results show that under higher nutrient-grazer conditions natural benthic succession not only differs in trajectory but in its final taxa composition promoting higher biodiversity and biomass accumulation. In addition, taxa specific substrate preferences interfere with the observed eutrophication pattern, suggesting substrate dependant interrelations between the bloom forming taxa. These findings provide evidence that nutrient enrichment can not only affect an established assemblage but also affect the early succession stages, changing the succession trajectory and thus the final assemblage.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by a fellowship (AF, D/11/46030) within the Postdoc-program of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD); grant FONCYT (PICT-2010-0467) to R.J.L., grant PGI-24/Q060 (Universidad Nacional del Sur) to A.M., G.A.K., A.F.; and grants from CONICET, ANPCYT and Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata to OI. Additional support for this study came from the and PICT CONAE-CONICET 04-2010 and Universidad Nacional del Comahue to M.N. We thank Joanna York (University of Delaware) for useful suggestion and comments.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Marine Botany, University of Bremen, Leobener Str. NW2, 28359, Bremen, Germany

    A. Fricke

  2. EA4228 ECOMERS, Faculté des Sciences, Université de Nice-Sophia Antipolis (UNS), Parc Valrose, 06108, Nice Cedex 2, France

    A. Fricke

  3. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Instituto Argentino de Oceanografía (IADO), Florida 4750, Bahía Blanca, B8000FWB, Argentina

    G. A. Kopprio, E. R. Parodi & R. J. Lara

  4. Laboratorio de Ecología, Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras (IIMyC), CONICET - Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Mar del Plata, 7600, Argentina

    D. Alemany, F. Hidalgo, O. Iribarne & P. Martinetto

  5. Instituto de Biología Marina y Pesquera Almirante Storni (IBMPAS), Escuela Superior de Ciencias Marinas, Universidad Nacional del Comahue, Güemes 1030, 8520, San Antonio Oeste, Río Negro, Argentina

    M. Gastaldi & M. Narvarte

  6. Departamento de Biología, Bioquímica y Farmacia, Universidad Nacional del Sur (UNS), San Juan 670, Bahía Blanca, B8000FWB, Argentina

    E. R. Parodi

  7. Departamento de Quimica, Universidad Nacional del Sur, Av. Alem 1253, Bahía Blanca, B8000FWB, Argentina

    A. Martínez

  8. División Ficología, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Paseo del Bosque s/n, 1900, La Plata, Argentina

    E. A. Sar

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  1. A. Fricke
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  2. G. A. Kopprio
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  7. R. J. Lara
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  10. E. A. Sar
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  11. O. Iribarne
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Correspondence to A. Fricke.

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Communicated by James L. Pinckney

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Fricke, A., Kopprio, G.A., Alemany, D. et al. Changes in Coastal Benthic Algae Succession Trajectories and Assemblages Under Contrasting Nutrient and Grazer Loads. Estuaries and Coasts 39, 462–477 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-015-9999-2

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