Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
CHAPTER 7
Seaweeds Ecology and
Climate Change
Gauna M.C.,* Croce M.E.
and
Fernández C.
The goal of this chapter “
Seaweeds Ecology and Climate Change”
is to introduce
basic concepts on seaweeds' ecology and to emphasize their ecologic role,
within the phenomena of climate change occurring on Earth. We will
illustrate some of the evidences for changes in the seaweed communities
attributed to climate change, focusing mainly on studies about changes in
temperature, UV radiation, sea-level and ocean acidifi cation.
General Aspects of Seaweed Communities
Seaweeds are major components of intertidal and subtidal communities,
contributing signifi cantly to marine primary production and structuring
habitats and nursery grounds for a diverse benthic fauna (Figs. 1 and 2)
(Lüning 1990). Both intertidal and subtidal zones occupy a narrow coastal
area and account for less than 1% of the Earth's surface, and the productivity
of this zone can equal or exceed that of most terrestrial communities,
contributing to about 10% of the marine primary production (Dawes
1998).
