Seagrass die-off in Florida Bay: the role of the marine slime mold, Labyrinthula
Porter D. 1993. Seagrass die-off in Florida Bay: the role of the marine slime mold, Labyrinthula. Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America. 74(2):397
The seagrass, Thalassia testudinum (turtle grass) is the dominant member of the seagrass community in Florida Bay, a large, carbonate sediment lagoonal system between the southern tip of peninsular Florida and the Florida Keys. The western portion of Florida Bay has been little influenced by the direct actions of human activities. However since 1988 large areas of dense seagrass meadows in this region have become defoliated resulting in massive die-off of Thalassia testudinum. These die-off events are positively correlated with the presence of black, necrotic lesions in the leaves of the seagrass prior to die-off. The leaf necrosis is caused by a species of the marine slime mold Labyrinthula. As of January, 1993, there have been no observed seagrass die-off episodes on the Atlantic Ocean side of the Florida Keys. However, similar leaf necrosis symptoms have been observed recently in the seagrass meadows in Hawk Channel between the Keys and the coral reefs to the southeast.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Porter, David
- Units
- EVER
- Keywords
- Florida Bay Everglades National Park FL, Labyrinthula (marine slime mold), Mortality, Plant Studies, Seagrasses