Geographical and experimental assessment of the distribution ofGracilaria species (Rhodophyta: Gigartinales) in relation to temperature

Abstract

Tolerance and growth at temperatures from 0° to 36°C were investigated using 15 species and strains ofGracilaria Grev. isolated from tropical and temperate coasts of the Atlantic and eastern Pacific Oceans. All survived a minimum of 15°C and, with two exceptions, a maximum of 28°C. Only two species tolerated 34°C and none 36°C which was rapidly lethal. Isolates intolerant of temperatures less than 15°C were generally species known only from tropical waters, whereas species isolated from temperate waters tended to be eurythermal, and most seemed not to be restricted to cooler waters. Maximum growth of warm-water isolates tended to occur over a broad range of warmer temperatures, 20°C and higher, and usually extended to the upper limits of thermal tolerance. Isolates from temperate waters showed maximum growth at 20° or 15°C, and there was no appreciable growth of any of the isolates below 10°C. These experimental results are in accord with known distributional patterns ofGracilaria. There is a correlation between temperature and number of species, with most species reported from warm-water areas where the mean water temperature is 25°C or more. Where the 3-month mean minimum temperature is less than 20°C, there is a rapid decline in number of species. In the eastern Atlantic, the relationship is less obvious as few species have been reported from the warm-water region. This is quite likely the result of other environmental factors.