Macroalgae in the Biosphere 2 ocean

Sampling procedure Transect lines divided ocean into quadrats One ring was dropped in a random location within each quadrat Algae within each ring was collected Algae was identified Algae was dried and weighed

Amphiroa Haliptilon Jania

Gelidiopsis Chondrus

Species List RHODOPHYTA CHLOROPHYTA PHEOPHYTA Acanthophora spicifera Amphiroa fragilissima Amphiroa rigida Botryocladia pyriformis Chondria dasyphylla Flahaultia Gracilaria tikvahiae Gelidiopsis intricata Haliptilon cubense Halymenia duchassaingii Jania adhaerens Mesophyllum mesomorphum Peyssonnelia Rhodogorgon carriebowensis Sporolithon CHLOROPHYTA Caulerpa serrulata Chaetomorpha sp. Dictyosphaeria cavernosa Dictyosphaeria ocellata Enteromorpha sp. Ernodesmis verticillata Halimeda incrassata Halimeda tuna Rhipocephalus divericata Rhipocephalus phoenix Valonia aegagropila Valonia macrophysa Valonia utricularis Ventricaria ventricosa PHEOPHYTA Dictyota cervicornis Dictyota divercata Dictyota mertensii Dictyota pulchella Padina sp.

Shannon-Weiner Diversity Indices Oct 1999 0.55 Nov 1999 0.58 Dec 1999 0.55 Jan 2000 0.51 Feb 2000 0.45 Mar 2000 0.42 Jun 2000 0.47 Sep 2000 0.43 Nov 2000 0.52 Jan 2001 0.66 Mar 2001 0.64 Aug 2001 0.59 Jan 2002 0.59 Mar 2002 0.56 May 2002 0.55 Jul 2002 0.62 Sep 2002 0.50 Jan 2003 0.63 Mar 2003 0.65 June 2003 1.21 Aug 2003 1.08 Oct 2003 0.97

Future analyses Correlations with environmental factors light CO2 nutrients Comparisons with natural reef environments

Photo references www.botany.hawaii.edu/ReefAlgae/ What%20plants rmocfis.upr.clu.edu/~ballan/ haliptilon.html www.coralreefnetwork.com/rhodophyta.html www.ne.jp/asahi/marine/ algae/Chondria1.html www.space.com/biosphere2_001110.html (bio2) garion.tzo.com/lynn/ biosphere2.htm (bio2) www.kynn.com/photos/2001/ 03/arizona/biosphere_2