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Abstract: Seagrass grazing is an intrinsic disturbance in primarily tropical and subtropical areas. While there is a general parabolic response in seagrass growth to grazing intensity, there is less knowledge on the role of grazing frequency, as well as potential interactions between grazing intensity and frequency. This study experimentally investigated physiological responses in Thalassia hemprichii to simulated (leaf cutting) grazing regimes with different intensities (25% vs. 75%) and frequencies (1 times vs. 3 times) over 35 days in Chwaka Bay (Zanzibar, Tanzania). The results showed that the two high-intensity treatments (75% removal) had 37–41% lower growth rate than the low-intensity/low-frequency treatment, and rhizome sugar and starch content were both affected in a similar way. A 36% lower starch content in the simulated low-intensity/high-frequency regime (25%×3) compared to the one of low-intensity/low-frequency (25%×1) also shows an interaction between grazing intensity and frequency. This suggests that high-intensity (and to some extent frequency) grazing regimes, in comparison to low-intensity regimes, could negatively affect T. hemprichii growth, energy reserves, and thereby the ability to deal with additional stress like light limitation or grazing. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The fish fauna of Thalassia testudinum (König) seagrass beds was studied at two sites in the Grand Cul-de-Sac Marin Bay (Guadeloupe, French West Indies). The first seagrass bed was located near a coral reef and the second was near coastal mangroves. Both habitats were sampled during day and night, using a purse-seine and a trap net. A total of 98 species belonging to 36 families were observed. Distance-based redundancy analyses revealed two site-specific assemblages of fishes. Diel assemblage shifts were more pronounced in the seagrass beds near coral reefs than in those near mangroves, due to the existence of nocturnal trophic incursions of coral reef fishes into seagrass beds. First-order carnivores dominated the trophic structure of the fish assemblages during both day and night. At night, Haemulidae, Holocentridae and Apogonidae took the place of Labridae, Chaetodontidae and Mullidae present by day near the reef. This switch did not occur near the coast where the exchanges between seagrass beds and mangrove appear to be less important than with the reef ecosystem. Thus, it appears that the adjacent seascape habitat setting affects the intensity in diel variability of the seagrass bed fish community. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The south Texas Gulf coast is a unique ecosystem that contains a number of different bay systems. We used random amplification of polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers to assess genetic diversity, differentiation and genetic distance between populations from two different bays that differed significantly in terms of flowering rate and disturbance. We found that while each bay contained a number of unique RAPD profiles, the average genetic diversity in each population was low. Genetic distance between the two populations was also low (F st =0.084) and the majority (92%) of the genetic variation was attributed to differences between individuals within populations. The population from the Laguna Madre location, however, was polymorphic for a larger number of markers, had a higher average genetic diversity and a larger number of unique RAPD profiles. The higher level of flowering at this location most likely accounts for the higher diversity. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

We report the absence of a persistent seed bank in Thalassia hemprichii in NW Philippine seagrass beds. The survival of buried seeds was assessed experimentally since such a capacity is a prerequisite for the formation of seed bank. We found a rapid germination of non-dormant seeds and development into seedlings. Such seedlings could not survive under buried conditions (5 and 10 cm) for longer than a week. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Shoot-to-landscape scale sources of variation in photosynthetic characteristics of Thalassia testudinum, as measured in situ using a submersible pulse-amplitude modulated fluorometer (diving-PAM), were investigated. Shoot-scale variation was assessed to develop a standard-methods protocol for this species. Significant within-shoot and among-shoot scale variation was observed for several PAM-fluorescence parameters. The fraction of incident photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) absorbed by rank 1 (youngest) leaves, 0.67±0.03, was significantly lower than the PAR absorbed by rank 2 and 3 leaves (0.78±0.04 and 0.77±0.04, respectively). Quantum yields (Y) and photosynthetic efficiency (Fv/Fm) exhibited greater variability and generally decreased with increasing leaf age (Y=0.78±0.02, 0.78±0.03, and 0.76±0.06 and Fv/Fm=0.79±0.02, 0.77±0.5, and 0.75±0.06 for rank 1, 2, and 3 leaves, respectively). Maximum fluorescence of light-acclimated leaves (F′m) significantly decreased from the base to the tip of leaves (1032±203, 1059±139, and 793±107 for the base, middle and tip of the leaf) and Y was significantly reduced from 0.68–0.76 to 0.27–0.62 when measured where leaf lesions were present. However, paired comparisons (with versus without lesions at the tip of the leaf) for the base, middle, and tip areas of rank 2 leaves indicated that lesions effects on photosynthesis were localized only to the area of the lesion (tip). The Y exhibited relatively high variability for short-shoots within seagrass die-off patches and were significantly reduced for short-shoots exhibiting die-off symptoms (rotten leaf base grayish-green leaf color, but no lesions). Negative response slopes for Y and Fv/Fm, measured as part of a landscape-scale sampling program, revealed the presence of significant diurnal (time-of-day) and photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) related variation, with a more negative slope for Y. These results indicate that the selection of leaf tissue, short-shoot location, and time of measurement need to be considered when determining photosynthetic rates for seagrasses in situ. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In a survey of the Myeik Archipelago, we documented seven seagrass species in the southern region. Three seagrass species (Cymodocea rotundata, Enhalus acoroides, and Halophila ovalis) have previously been reported in the Myeik Archipelago; three species (Halodule pinifolia, Halodule uninervis, Syringodium isoetifolium) are new reports for the archipelago; and one species (Thalassia hemprichii) is a new report for Myanmar. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]