Distribution and Recent Reduction of Gelidium Beds in Toyama Bay, Japan

Abstract

The distribution and recent reduction of Gelidium beds, i.e. mat-like beds dominated by the agarophyte G. elegans Kutzing in Toyama Bay (Sea of Japan), in which 95% of the coastline is protected artificially, are reported. Gelidium beds were common in shallow waters (usually 1 ha) were restricted to the inner coasts of the bay. In calm and eutrophic areas, however, G. elegans was heavily colonized by epiphytes. In the last decade, two beds were buried in situ and beds in their vicinity were damaged by the stagnation of coastal water and/or sedimentation by silts which accompanied land reclamation. At the other two beds monitored since 1988, Gelidium declined a few times but most prominently in 1998, when episodic long summer rain was recorded. This is the first report, not only on the current status of Gelidium beds other than for the central Pacific Coast of Honshu in Japan, but also concerning reduction of the beds caused by both anthropogenic and natural events.