Keywords
Colombian Caribbean
structure of communities
macroalgae
sedimentation
How to Cite
Abstract
Increased rates of sedimentation in the marine environment as a consequence of increased runoff, deforestation, inappropriate agricultural practices, etc, is a matter of concern due to the negative impacts on the ecology of coral reefs. Benthic algae are amongst the most important biological components of such ecosystems, however, little is known about the impacts of sedimentation on the ecology of tropical benthic algae. In this study we explored the effects of different types of sediment on the abundance and community structure of the algae in the Tayrona National Natural Park, Colombian Caribbean. The results showed that the addition of different types of sediments (from land, river, and marine) had minor effects on the cover, diversity and community structure of the algae. The different type of sediments added did not significantly change the algal structure, however there were rare species with low abundance that occurred preferentially in specific sediment treatments. We conclude that there are a wide range of responses of algae to nature of the sediments.References
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