Examining the dynamic nature of epiphytic microalgae in the Florida Keys: What factors influence community composition?

ABSTRACT: The factors that influence the composition of marine epiphytic microalgal assemblages are poorly-understood. To address this short-coming, 93 samples were collected from four distinct regions in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (FKNMS) during winter and summer months to test the model that epiphytic microalgal communities are influenced by environmental gradients related to different sites, seasons, and host macrophyte species. One hundred and eighty-three morphotypes from 13 classes (7 phyla) were identified, dominated by 106 Bacillariophyta (77 identified to species equivalent or below), 37 Cyanophyta (13 identified to species equivalent or below), and 30 Dinophyta (21 identified to species equivalent or below). The largest proportion of variability in epiphytic communities was

SUBMITTER: Stanca E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9481181 | biostudies-literature | 2021 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature