Abstract
Sargassum fusiforme is a seaweed species that plays an important role in the diverse communities of the flora and fauna of coastal food webs. Assessments of its biomass and energy allocation in addition to allometric organ growth have important ecological value for understanding the community structure, carbon storage, and resource assessment of seaweed beds during periods in which they thrive. In this study, the morphology of Sargassum fusiforme and the biomass of organs and total organisms in the maturation period were studied, and the allometric relationships for different organs of Sargassum fusiforme were analyzed using the standardized major axis (SMA). In the maturation period of Sargassum fusiforme, branch number, height × stem diameter were the prior independent variables, and the optimum biomass was y = 0.002x1.107 (R2 = 0.923). The biomass allocation ratio of blades was the highest (38.33%), followed by stems (32.90%) and receptacles (28.77%). The growth rates of the various organs were found to differ, and the rate of biomass increase for the blades and stems tended to converge. The rate of receptacle biomass growth of Sargassum fusiforme was the highest in the maturation period, and the rate of organ biomass increase was Wb < Ws < Wt < Wr, which reflects the trade-off with energy allocation as a strategy used by Sargassum fusiforme.
Highlights
Published: 23 November 2021Seaweed is one of the primary producers in coastal marine ecosystems and is responsible for maintaining material circulation and energy flow [1]
The longitude and latitude of the 30 × 30 cm random sampling plot was recorded according to the global positioning system (GPS), and samples were cut from the reefs, using a small shovel to maintain the integrity of the fronds as much as possible, and preserved in seawater containing 7% formaldehyde
The biomass of all the organs was lowest for the receptacles (0.31 ± 0.29 g), accounting for 28.77% of the total biomass, and the highest for blades (0.3 ± 0.18 g)
Summary
Seaweed is one of the primary producers in coastal marine ecosystems and is responsible for maintaining material circulation and energy flow [1]. It is a blue (marine) carbon sink and performs irreplaceable functions in fishery resources conservation and water purification [2]. The biomass during maturation periods is one of the basic biological parameters of seaweed, which represents the accumulation of material and energy in the organism [3]. The assessment of a coastal zone’s blue carbon sequestration potential is based on the evaluation of its seaweed resources in the maturation period, and the assessment of seaweed resources, in turn, is based on the organism biomass. Traditional seaweed biomass surveys have been carried out mainly by quadrat and transect analysis, but the required sample collection is time-consuming and often hindered by strong wind and waves, which cause serious ecological damage, especially to endangered species [4,5].
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