Flowers and fruit of the seagrass Halophila ovalis subsp. bullosa (Setchell) Hartog are reported from the Nasese intertidal flats, Laucala Bay, Fiji Islands, and described for the first time. The observation of pistillate and staminate flowers completes the flowering event reporting of this endemic Fijian taxon, and also resolves its taxonomic identity. Lack of prior descriptions of H. ovalis subsp

Podostemaceae are submerged haptophytes growing on rocks in fast currents, where no or rarely one macrophyte co-occurs. Due to the extreme ecology, culture was difficult. We cultured Terniopsis chanthaburiensis in slow-flowing water, with which a set of nutrients was supplied at regular intervals. Filtration and coculture of shrimps substitute for the current, which removes microbes and cleans the

Tropical seagrasses support abundant and diverse epiphytic microalgae that form the base of seagrass food webs. To help better understand the influence of structural variability of tropical seagrass meadows on associated microalgal epiphytes, we quantified the relative abundance and distribution of epiphytic microphytes in subtidal meadows of Thalassodendron ciliatum with varying seagrass canopy structure

Sea level rise and more frequent storm and precipitation events associated with climate change are predicted to increase salinity fluctuations in estuarine and inshore areas, where foundation species such as eelgrass (Zostera marina L.) will be exposed to more frequent salinity changes. Effects of acute hyposalinity exposure on seagrasses remain poorly understood compared to the effects of more prolonged

Nowadays, due to deforestation, poor soil management and improper farming techniques, reservoir and lake sedimentation is a serious problem in Ethiopia. Despite the severity of the problem, there is no documented study on the use of macrophytes as a biological management option for sediment loading. A sediment trap field experiment was conducted from July to September 2017 to assess the efficiency

Factors that strongly affect morphological features and reproductive effort of charophytes (Charophyta, Characeae) are the depth of occurrence and light availability. Eutrophication of waters and global warming change the level and transparency of waters. As a response to light limitation, an elongation of the charophyte thallus and a decrease in the number of mature oogonia with increasing depth have

Seagrasses in the Eastern Tropical Pacific (ETP) region are currently only found at a limited number of locations. Seagrass meadows are a threatened coastal habitat worldwide, and there is already a report of seagrass loss in the ETP. Here, we characterize seagrasses at two new locations in Costa Rica, El Jobo and Matapalito, to provide further information on spatial and temporal variability of seagrasses

Turions are vegetative, dormant overwintering storage organs produced by perennial aquatic plants in autumn. They are storage organs for non-structural carbohydrates and also mineral substances (N, P). Contents of photosynthetic pigments (chlorophyll a and b, carotenoids), storage carbohydrates (starch and five free sugars) and of mineral nutrients (N, P) were estimated in mature autumnal turions of

The tropical seagrass Halophila stipulacea is the most dominant and widespread seagrass species in the Gulf of Aqaba (GoA, northern Red Sea). In light of the ecological services provided by H. stipulacea in its native regions, and its reported colonization and dispersion in non-native areas, there is a growing global interest in understanding its vegetative development and growth strategies under varying

The contribution of pollen mediated gene flow in demographic stability is largely dependent on how far pollen can be dispersed, as well as how this dispersal affects the mating in breeding individuals. In this study patterns of pollen dispersal and mating systems in Rhizophora racemosa populations of the Cameroon Estuary complex (CEC) were assessed from 29 adult trees with their progeny seedlings (i

Coastal, freshwater wetlands in northern Australia are at risk of increased saltwater intrusion associated with sea-level rise, which threatens the persistence of numerous freshwater plant species by increasing salinity. Waterlilies (Nymphaea) are widespread in northern Australia, and their loss from these wetlands will be detrimental, both ecologically and culturally. This study aimed to define the

Large scale disturbances associated with anthropogenic activities or natural disasters can destroy primary habitat-forming species like corals, seagrasses and seaweeds. However, little research has documented if and on how large-scale disturbances affect secondary habitat formers, such as epiphytes and small animals that depend on biogenic habitats. Here we quantified changes in the abundance of both

Plant functional connectivity integrates species-environment interactions, dispersal vectors, and landscape structure variables to understand species’ spatial responses to habitat fragmentation. Functional connectivity is still poorly understood for aquatic plants despite the promise it holds for informing wetland conservation across landscapes. Through a landscape genetics approach, we quantified

Phenotypic plasticity is common in aquatic monocots, but is sometimes mistaken with heteroblasty. In Eriocaulaceae, aquatic and amphibious species may present interesting adaptive morphological features. However, Paepalanthus saxicola var. pilosus is unusual by having two leaf morphotypes and scapes that can be partially submerged or completely exposed. This taxon also presents an uncertain identity

Aquatic plants live in anoxic sediments that favor formation of hydrogen sulfide, a known phytotoxin. We investigated how the phenology of reproductive life stages of wild rice (Zizania palustris Poaceae), an annual aquatic graminoid, is influenced by rooting zone sulfur geochemistry in response to elevated sulfate and sulfide. In addition, we characterized how redox conditions in the rooting zone

The interspecific competition of aquatic macrophytes may be density-dependent and its outcome has importance for the monospecific and mixed stands zonation in tropical estuaries. To evaluate the growth of Spartina alterniflora and Crinum americanum and the effect of the initial densities on their competition we developed a laboratory experiment using five planting densities of young individuals (8:0

This study aimed to assess the effects of temperature on growth and photosynthetic performance of hybrid Napier grass (a C4 plant) as compared to giant reed (a C3 plant). The plants were grown under 20/16 °C, 28/24 °C and 36/32 °C day/night temperature, respectively, in walk-in growth cabinets. The optimum temperature for plant growth and photosynthesis of hybrid Napier grass was 28/24 °C. At higher

Tidal wetlands support plant communities that facilitate carbon storage, accrete soil, and provide habitat for terrestrial and aquatic species. Climate change is likely to alter estuaries through sea-level rise and changing precipitation patterns, although the ecological responses are uncertain. We were interested in plant responses to physiological stress induced by elevated water salinity and flooding

Clonality and sexual reproduction are important drivers of spatial genetic structure (SGS) in seagrass meadows. However, few genetic studies have focused on the annual or short-lived perennial seagrass Zostera japonica, which has been declining dramatically along coastal regions of China. In this study, we assessed the effects of asexual and sexual reproduction on the dispersal of Z. japonica using

Epiphytes on seagrass (Zostera marina) growing in the lower intertidal were examined along an estuarine gradient within Yaquina Bay, Oregon over a period of 4 years. The Yaquina Estuary receives high levels of nutrients from the watershed during the wet season and from the ocean during the dry season. Mean epiphyte biomass per unit seagrass leaf surface area (epiphyte load) peaked during the summer

A disjunct population of the annual form of the seagrass Zostera marina that occurred in the upper intertidal zone of Yaquina Bay, Oregon was sampled to determine whether there were differences in recruitment, growth, survivorship and morphology associated with microtopographic location on the sand flat. Population responses of seagrass found in areas differing by only a few cm in vertical elevation

A review and analysis of the experimental literature on seagrass shading evaluated the relationships among experimental light reduction, experimental duration, additional modifying factors and common meadow-scale seagrass response metrics to determine whether there were consistent statistical relationships. Modifying factors included study latitude, field site depth, season of experiment initiation

We examined macrophyte-environment relationships in shallow lakes located within the Prairie Parkland and Laurentian Mixed Forest provinces of Minnesota. Environmental variables included land cover within lake watersheds, and within-lake, water and sediment characteristics. CCA indicated that sediment fraction smaller than 63 μm (f<63), open water area, turbidity, and percent woodland and agricultural