Marine Ecology Homework: Algae, Habitats, and Adaptations

This assignment delves into the realm of marine ecology, focusing on the characteristics and ecological niches of various algae species found in rocky shore environments. The assignment begins by detailing the key features, including physical descriptions and life histories, of several algae species: Ascophyllum nodosum, Fucus serratus, Fucus vesiculosus, Fucus spiralis, Pelvetia canaliculata, Corallina officinallis, and filamentous green algae. It then explores the reasons behind the prevalence of these algae in rocky shore habitats, emphasizing the biologically rich environment and the algae's ability to withstand environmental changes. The assignment further examines the specific zones within the rocky shore where each species thrives, linking their distribution to factors such as wave exposure, water coverage, sunlight, and tidal influences. For example, it explains why Ascophyllum nodosum is found in the lower shore zone and Pelvetia canaliculata in the upper rocky shores. The assignment draws on scientific literature, including studies on thermal stress resistance, antioxidant capacities, and biogeographical shifts, to support its conclusions. The assignment provides a comprehensive overview of marine algae ecology.

Running head: MARINE ECOLOGY
Marine Ecology
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author’s Note:

1MARINE ECOLOGY
Ans 1:
Ascophyllum nodosum- This is the only species in Ascophyllum genus found mostly in the rocky
regions of Europe. The alga is dichotomously branched with tough, long and leathery fronds with
2 m in length. The life history of the alga is gametes and diploid. The alga is mostly harvested
for the purpose of fertilizers, human consumption and manufacturing of seaweed.
Fucus serratus- The alga is olive brown in colour also known as serrated wrack and grows up to
6 feet with flat fronds about 2 cm wide. The alga branches out dichotomously with the
reproductive bodies generally forming conceptacles. The alga is generally used in Ireland and
France for thalassotherapy and cosmetics and harvested as liquid fertilizer in Scotland.
Fucus vesiculosus- The alga is commonly known as bladder wrack is generally found on the coat
of North Sea was used largely for treating goitre. The fronds grow up to 90 cm in length and 2.5
cm in width. The alga remains attached by a basal disc-shaped holdfast.
Fucus spiralis- This is a brown alga commonly known as spiral or flat wrack and grows up to 30
cm in length. The alga is attached with a disc-shaped holdfast and branches out as irregular
dichotomous. The reproductive bodies are developed as round and swollen structures at the tip of
the branches.
Pelvetia Canaliculata- This is a brown alga commonly known as channelled wrack is mostly
found in the rocky shores of Europe. The alga grows to a maximum length of 15 cm with the
fronds deeply channelled on either side thereby, preventing the alga from drying. Both the sexes
are present in the same plant and the mature alga has yellowish green receptacles.

2MARINE ECOLOGY
Corallina officinallis- The alga is calcareous red seaweed found generally on the rocky shores.
The alga forms calcium carbonate deposits within the cells in order to strengthen the thallus. The
alga has uses in different industries such as dyeing, printing and textile industries. However, the
alga has been predominantly used in the cosmetics industry over the years.
Filamentous green algae- Filamentous green algae are single celled alga that form long visible
chains or filaments. The filaments of alga are interwined thereby, resembling wet wool. The
filamentous green algae grow at the bottom of the shallow water thereby, forming large green
mats. The green colour of the algae is due to the presence of chlorophyll.
Ans 2: The aforementioned algae species are mostly found in the rocky shores because it is a
biologically rich environment and the algae species have the ability to withstand extreme
changes in the weather (Wulff, Field and Mann 2012).
Ans 3: Ascophyllum nodosum is found mostly in the low zone of the shore nearer to the water
because the survival of the alga is threatened by the exposure to the wave. As the low zone has
minimized exposure to waves, the presence of the alga is predominant (Yuan and Macquarrie
2015).
Ans 4: Fucus serratus is predominantly found in the in the low zone of the rocky shore due to
the stability of the zone. This zone is continuously covered with water and has nearly constant
sunlight, water pressure and temperature (Jueterbock et al. 2014).
Ans 5: Fucus vesiculus is mostly found in the intertidal zone due to the presence of the
characteristics of both supra tidal zone and sub tidal zone. As a result, the alga is continuously
supplied with water along with adequate temperature and pressure (Wang et al. 2012).

3MARINE ECOLOGY
Ans 6: Fucus spiralis is greatly decreased in the supra tidal zone due to the uncertainty and
heavy splash of waves (Lopes et al. 2014).
Ans 7: Pelvetia canaliculata is mostly found on the upper rocky shores as the alga requires
periods exposure to the air (Neiva et al. 2014).
Ans 8: The filamentous green algae generally survive in presence of larger algae species in order
to protect them from predators (Fogg 2012).

4MARINE ECOLOGY
References
Fogg, G., 2012. The blue-green algae. Elsevier.
Jueterbock, A., Kollias, S., Smolina, I., Fernandes, J.M., Coyer, J.A., Olsen, J.L. and Hoarau, G.,
2014. Thermal stress resistance of the brown alga Fucus serratus along the North-Atlantic coast:
acclimatization potential to climate change. Marine genomics, 13, pp.27-36.
Lopes, G., Daletos, G., Proksch, P., Andrade, P.B. and Valentão, P., 2014. Anti-inflammatory
potential of monogalactosyl diacylglycerols and a monoacylglycerol from the edible brown
seaweed Fucus spiralis Linnaeus. Marine drugs, 12(3), pp.1406-1418.
Neiva, J., Assis, J., Fernandes, F., Pearson, G.A. and Serrao, E.A., 2014. Species distribution
models and mitochondrial DNA phylogeography suggest an extensive biogeographical shift in
the high‐intertidal seaweed Pelvetia canaliculata. Journal of biogeography, 41(6), pp.1137-1148.
Wang, T., Jónsdóttir, R., Liu, H., Gu, L., Kristinsson, H.G., Raghavan, S. and Ólafsdó ttir, G.,
2012. Antioxidant capacities of phlorotannins extracted from the brown algae Fucus vesiculosus.
Journal of agricultural and food chemistry, 60(23), pp.5874-5883.
Wulff, F., Field, J.G. and Mann, K.H. eds., 2012. Network analysis in marine ecology: methods
and applications (Vol. 32). Springer Science & Business Media.
Yuan, Y. and Macquarrie, D., 2015. Microwave assisted extraction of sulfated polysaccharides
(fucoidan) from Ascophyllum nodosum and its antioxidant activity. Carbohydrate polymers, 129,
pp.101-107.