Journal of Tropical Oceanography ›› 2019, Vol. 38 ›› Issue (3): 79-88.doi: 10.11978/2018084CSTR: 32234.14.2018084

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[RETRACTED] Species composition of coralline algae and its spatial characteristics related to environmental factors in Sanya coral reefs, China

Xinming LEI1,2,Hui HUANG1,2,3(),Jiansheng LIAN1,2,Yuyang ZHANG1,2,Jianhui YANG1   

  1. 1. Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510301, China
    2. Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Marine Biology, Guangzhou 510301
    3. CAS Tropical Marine Biological Research Station in Hainan, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Sanya 572000, China
  • Received:2018-08-16 Revised:2018-09-27 Online:2019-05-20 Published:2019-06-17
  • Contact: Hui HUANG E-mail:huanghui@scsio.ac.cn
  • Supported by:
    National Natural Science Foundation of China(41306144);National Natural Science Foundation of China(41676150);National Key Research and Development Plan(2017YFC0506301);Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences(XDA13020402);Science and Technology Planning Project of Guangdong Province, China(2017B0303014052)

Abstract:

Coralline algae are important functional group in the coral reef ecosystem. This study was carried out by a series of line transects run underwater with SCUBA apparatus from the reef flat to a depth of 9 m in each of the 11 research stations within the Sanya Coral Reefs in 2010. Among the inshore sites and the offshore sites of Sanya reefs, species composition and abundance of coralline algae were examined in relation to environmental factors. A total of 25 species belonging to three families and 10 genuses were identified, with the family Corallinaceae dominated in the study area. The eight dominant species were Amphiroa ephedraea, Mesophyllum simulans, Neogoniolithon fosliei, M. mesomorphum, Pneophyllum conicum, Porolithon onkodes, and Hydrolithon boergesenii. The sampling stations were divided into inshore type and offshore type based on the results of multivariate statistical analysis. The coralline algae species at the inshore sites were mainly turbidity, deposition rate (0~63 μm) and suspended solids (SS) tolerance species, while the species at the offshore sites were mainly light-dependent and sediment sensitive species. The results of community similarity analysis based on species composition and abundance of coralline algae showed the significant spatial variability. The correlation analysis between biotic and abiotic variables indicated that the best 2-variable combination (turbidity and salinity) showed a significant effect on the pattern of coralline algae assemblages between the two types of research sites in Sanya reefs. The living cover of coralline algae showed that deeper water is higher than that in shallow water due to the different degree of disturbance at the same study sites. This result suggests that physical disturbance, either natural or man-made, is a more important factor in regulating the coralline algae community structure within the coral reef distinct zone of Sanya.

RETRACTED: http://www.jto.ac.cn/CN/10.11978/2018084R

Key words: Coralline algae, species composition, spatial characteristics, environmental factors, Sanya reefs

CLC Number: 

  • Q948.8