The Change in Macroalgal Assemblages through the Saldanha Bay/Langebaan Lagoon Ecosystem (South Africa)

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dc.contributor.authorSchils, T
dc.contributor.authorDe Clerck, O
dc.contributor.authorLeliaert, F
dc.contributor.authorBolton, J J
dc.contributor.authorCoppejans, E
dc.date.accessioned2021-10-08T06:54:54Z
dc.date.available2021-10-08T06:54:54Z
dc.date.issued2001
dc.description.abstractSaldanha Bay and Langebaan Lagoon form together one of the few sheltered habitats within the Benguela Marine Province; a wide gradient in environmental factors is found here. The West Coast National Park was established to protect this unique ecosystem, but at the same time an industrially expanding harbour marks this area. In an effort to understand the biological composition of the Saldanha/Langebaan ecosystem, the intertidal macroalgal assemblages were studied in relation to the relatively well-known South African West Coast flora. Three distinct floral entities were identified using various analytical techniques (similarity coefficients, CCA and TWINSPAN): (i) the species poor, though distinct, salt marshes; (ii) the Lagoon sites; and (iii) the Bay and West Coast sites. The transition between the latter two is located at the mouth of the Lagoon. The species richness of the Bay/West Coast entity is larger than in the Lagoon. The change in algal composition can be explained in terms of the environmental variables of which wave exposure is the most significant. Other important environmental parameters are water surface temperature and salinity, which were found to be negatively correlated with wave exposure. Biogeographical affinities of the different algal entities of the Bay/Lagoon system were also determined in relation to the entire South African shoreline. The Bay/West Coast entity supports a typical West Coast flora, with some noticeable effects of uplift of subtidal species into the infralittoral fringe and morphological variation in less exposed areas. The algal flora of the Lagoon is also dominated by West Coast species, but is typified by species characteristic of sheltered habitats, and with a number of species which otherwise only occur on the geographically distant South Coast (east of Cape Agulhas). The algae from the salt marshes occur widely in tropical mangroves and warm temperate salt marshes.
dc.identifier.apacitationSchils, T., De Clerck, O., Leliaert, F., Bolton, J. J., & Coppejans, E. (2001). The Change in Macroalgal Assemblages through the Saldanha Bay/Langebaan Lagoon Ecosystem (South Africa). <i>Botanica Marina</i>, 44(3), 174 - 177. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/34371en_ZA
dc.identifier.chicagocitationSchils, T, O De Clerck, F Leliaert, J J Bolton, and E Coppejans "The Change in Macroalgal Assemblages through the Saldanha Bay/Langebaan Lagoon Ecosystem (South Africa)." <i>Botanica Marina</i> 44, 3. (2001): 174 - 177. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/34371en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationSchils, T., De Clerck, O., Leliaert, F., Bolton, J.J. & Coppejans, E. 2001. The Change in Macroalgal Assemblages through the Saldanha Bay/Langebaan Lagoon Ecosystem (South Africa). <i>Botanica Marina.</i> 44(3):174 - 177. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/34371en_ZA
dc.identifier.issn0006-8055
dc.identifier.issn1437-4323
dc.identifier.ris TY - Journal Article AU - Schils, T AU - De Clerck, O AU - Leliaert, F AU - Bolton, J J AU - Coppejans, E AB - Saldanha Bay and Langebaan Lagoon form together one of the few sheltered habitats within the Benguela Marine Province; a wide gradient in environmental factors is found here. The West Coast National Park was established to protect this unique ecosystem, but at the same time an industrially expanding harbour marks this area. In an effort to understand the biological composition of the Saldanha/Langebaan ecosystem, the intertidal macroalgal assemblages were studied in relation to the relatively well-known South African West Coast flora. Three distinct floral entities were identified using various analytical techniques (similarity coefficients, CCA and TWINSPAN): (i) the species poor, though distinct, salt marshes; (ii) the Lagoon sites; and (iii) the Bay and West Coast sites. The transition between the latter two is located at the mouth of the Lagoon. The species richness of the Bay/West Coast entity is larger than in the Lagoon. The change in algal composition can be explained in terms of the environmental variables of which wave exposure is the most significant. Other important environmental parameters are water surface temperature and salinity, which were found to be negatively correlated with wave exposure. Biogeographical affinities of the different algal entities of the Bay/Lagoon system were also determined in relation to the entire South African shoreline. The Bay/West Coast entity supports a typical West Coast flora, with some noticeable effects of uplift of subtidal species into the infralittoral fringe and morphological variation in less exposed areas. The algal flora of the Lagoon is also dominated by West Coast species, but is typified by species characteristic of sheltered habitats, and with a number of species which otherwise only occur on the geographically distant South Coast (east of Cape Agulhas). The algae from the salt marshes occur widely in tropical mangroves and warm temperate salt marshes. DA - 2001 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town IS - 3 J1 - Botanica Marina LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PY - 2001 SM - 0006-8055 SM - 1437-4323 T1 - The Change in Macroalgal Assemblages through the Saldanha Bay/Langebaan Lagoon Ecosystem (South Africa) TI - The Change in Macroalgal Assemblages through the Saldanha Bay/Langebaan Lagoon Ecosystem (South Africa) UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/34371 ER - en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11427/34371
dc.identifier.vancouvercitationSchils T, De Clerck O, Leliaert F, Bolton JJ, Coppejans E. The Change in Macroalgal Assemblages through the Saldanha Bay/Langebaan Lagoon Ecosystem (South Africa). Botanica Marina. 2001;44(3):174 - 177. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/34371.en_ZA
dc.language.isoeng
dc.publisher.departmentDepartment of Biological Sciences
dc.publisher.facultyFaculty of Science
dc.sourceBotanica Marina
dc.source.journalissue3
dc.source.journalvolume44
dc.source.pagination174 - 177
dc.source.urihttps://dx.doi.org/10.1515/BOT.2001.038
dc.subject.otherScience General
dc.titleThe Change in Macroalgal Assemblages through the Saldanha Bay/Langebaan Lagoon Ecosystem (South Africa)
dc.typeJournal Article
uct.type.publicationResearch
uct.type.resourceJournal Article
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