ORCID
- Hall-Spencer, Jason: 0000-0002-6915-2518
Abstract
Coastal urbanization is rapidly expanding worldwide while its impacts on seaweed communities remain poorly understood. We assessed the impact of urbanization along an extensive latitudinal gradient encompassing three phycogeographical regions in the SW Atlantic. Human population density, number of dwellings, and terrestrial vegetation cover were determined for each survey area and correlated with diversity indices calculated from seaweed percent cover data. Urban areas had significantly lower calcareous algal cover (-38%), and there was significantly less carbonate in the sediment off urban areas than off reference areas. Seaweed richness averaged 26% less in urban areas than in areas with higher vegetation cover. We observed a remarkable decline in Phaeophyceae and a substantial increase of Chlorophyta in urban areas across a wide latitudinal gradient. Our data show that coastal urbanization is causing substantial loss of seaweed biodiversity in the SW Atlantic, and is considerably changing seaweed assemblages.
DOI
10.1016/j.marpolbul.2013.09.019
Publication Date
2013-11-15
Publication Title
Mar Pollut Bull
Volume
76
Organisational Unit
School of Biological and Marine Sciences
Keywords
Calcareous algae, Macroalgae, Marine biodiversity loss, Phycogeographycal regions, South-West Atlantic, Urbanization metrics, Atlantic Ocean, Biodiversity, Chlorophyta, Environmental Monitoring, Humans, Phaeophyceae, Seaweed, Urbanization
First Page
106
Last Page
115
Recommended Citation
Scherner, F., Horta, P., de, O., Simonassi, J., Hall-Spencer, J., Chow, F., Nunes, J., & Pereira, S. (2013) 'Coastal urbanization leads to remarkable seaweed species loss and community shifts along the SW Atlantic.', Mar Pollut Bull, 76, pp. 106-115. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2013.09.019
