Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Reefs As Contributors To The Diversity Of Epiphytic Algal Communities In Seagrass Meadows, B. R. Van Elvan

Theses : Honours

It has recently become dogma that reef systems arc a source of diversity to algal epiphyte communities in adjacent seagrass meadows. While this theory had not been tested, it was often cited as the reason for unexpected results in algal studies and marine pollution monitoring. This study examined whether reefs do in fact contribute to the diversity of seagrass epiphytes by testing the effect of distance from reef on seagrass epiphyte communities. The study was conducted in the vicinity of Carnac and Garden Islands and Parmelia Bank, off the coast of Fremantle, Western Australia. Three habitat types were selected as …