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Ecological studies of Codium fragile in New England, USA

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Abstract

The seasonal growth and reproduction of Codium fragile were studied at Boothbay Harbor, Maine, and at Woods Hole and Wings Neck, Massachusetts (USA), in relation to several environmental parameters. Maximum growth and reproduction occur during periods of highest water temperatures and insolation. The effects of various light intensities and temperatures on the photosynthesis rates of C. fragile were determined and correlated with the field results. Optimal conditions for net photosynthesis are 21° to 24°C and 900 to 1100 foot-candles. It is suggested that C. fragile is a warm-temperate plant that is growing near its northern limits in New England, but one that has not extended to its potential southern limits.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Botany, University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire, USA

    R. A. Fralick & A. C. Mathieson

  2. the Jackson Estuarine Laboratory, University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire, USA

    R. A. Fralick & A. C. Mathieson

Authors
  1. R. A. Fralick
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  2. A. C. Mathieson
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Communicated by J. Bunt, Miami

Published with the approval of the Director of the New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Station as Scientific Contribution Number 625.

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Fralick, R.A., Mathieson, A.C. Ecological studies of Codium fragile in New England, USA. Marine Biology 19, 127–132 (1973). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00353583

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00353583

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