Microphytobenthos

Abstract:

Microphytobentos (microscopic algae living on benthic surfaces at the photic zone ofmarine environments) are the most important primary producers on apparentlyunvegetated coastal zones. Those microalgal communities are mainly composed bydiatoms and cyanophytes, although other microalgal groups can be also represented. Theactual importance of microphytobentos on trophic food webs as well as on the dynamicof coastal and estuarine sediments has been only recently studied. Biomass of benthicmicroalgae in some habitats can match or even excess those of bacterial populations, overall in sheltered muddy locations. Recent studies stated that microphytobenthos is thebasis for the maintenance of secondary producers in submerged and intertidal shallowapparently unvegetated systems. Additionally, production of exopolysaccharides by thoseorganisms is responsible of potential higher resistance of upper sediments to tidalerosion. Difficulties inherent to the study of those communities (mud interferences,patching distribution) are currently being solved by the development of new techniques(such as new designed fluorometers and flow cytometry techniques, as well asmathematic distribution models). An overview of taxomonic studies developed in thosebiotopes is included in this review. Emergent topics on microphytobentos, such asdevelopment of whole-sediment toxicity bioassays, are promising fields for furtherstudies that will be also reviewed in the text. © 2009 by Nova Science Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.

Año de publicación:

2011

Keywords:

Fuente:

scopus