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Effect of “Brown Tide” Shading on Eelgrass (Zostera Marina L.) Distributions

  • Conference paper
Novel Phytoplankton Blooms

Part of the book series: Coastal and Estuarine Studies ((COASTAL,volume 35))

Abstract

For the past 4 summers (1985–1988), the microalga Aureococcus anophagefferens bloomed in Long Island embayments, causing large scale perturbations in water column dynamics. The “brown tide” algal blooms brought about significant changes in the benthic community as well. The high cell densities (>109 l-1) of A. anophagefferens significantly increased light absorption in the water column (Cosper et al., 1987), and reduced the light available to plants living on the bottom of the embayments. In particular, the temperate water seagrass Zostera marina L. (eelgrass) was affected by the reduced light availability due to the “brown tide” algal blooms.

UMCEES Contribution Number 2035

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Horn Point Environmental Laboratories Center for Environmental and Estuarine Studies, University of Maryland, P.O. Box 775, Cambridge, MD, 21613, USA

    William C. Dennison & Cathleen Wigand

  2. Marine Sciences Research Center, State University of New York, Stony Brook, NY, 11794, USA

    Gregory J. Marshall

Authors
  1. William C. Dennison
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  2. Gregory J. Marshall
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  3. Cathleen Wigand
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Marine Sciences Research Center, State University of New York, Stony Brook, NY, 11794, USA

    Elizabeth M. Cosper , V. M. Bricelj  & E. J. Carpenter ,  & 

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© 1989 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Dennison, W.C., Marshall, G.J., Wigand, C. (1989). Effect of “Brown Tide” Shading on Eelgrass (Zostera Marina L.) Distributions. In: Cosper, E.M., Bricelj, V.M., Carpenter, E.J. (eds) Novel Phytoplankton Blooms. Coastal and Estuarine Studies, vol 35. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-75280-3_37

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-75280-3_37

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-75282-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-75280-3

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