Effects of global warming on seaweed bed ecosystems- Mechanism elucudation by researches at the ecotone between sea areas with different climate characteristics

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25450267
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Aquatic bioproduction science
• Research Institution: Japan Fisheries Research and Education Agency
• Principal Investigator: Yoshida Goro 国立研究開発法人水産総合研究センター, 瀬戸内海区水産研究所, グループ長 (40371968)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): KATO Aki 広島大学, 生物圏科学研究科, 助教 (00452962)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 藻場 / 温暖化 / 水温上昇 / 磯焼け / 温帯性海藻 / 熱帯性海藻 / ホンダワラ類 / コンブ目藻類

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Recently, degradation of seaweed bed ecosystems has been occurring along the Japanese coast against the background of rise of coastal water temperatures. To elucidate the relationship between change in seaweed bed ecosystems and water temperature rises, researches and experiments were conducted at Uwa Sea, which connects the temperate Seto Inland Sea area to warmer Pacific Sea area. Within this small sea area, a compact, clear temperature gradient was observed and seaweed vegetation changed dramatically along it, from a temperate vegetation with large brown algae to a tropical vegetation formed within Isoyake areas. Geographical boundaries between these vegetation having been going northward after early 1990's with increase of water temperature. It was indicated that this changes in seaweed bed ecosystems was not induced by negative physiological effect of increasing temperature to seaweeds, but by intensified topdown control, i.e., increase of grazing pressure by herbivorous animals.

Free Research Field

藻類生理生態学