Effect of climatic variation on the relative abundance of the red alga Gelidium robustum in Baja California Sur, Mexico

Companies in Mexico make heavy use of the red alga Gelidium robustum as a raw material for the agar industry. An overview is presented of several recent changes in the annual harvest of the organism in Mexico. These changes have resulted from an increase in harvesting effort and significant environm...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of applied phycology 2000, Vol.12 (2), p.177-183
Main Authors: HERNANDEZ-GUERRERO, C. J, CASAS-VALDEZ, M, ORTEGA-GARCIA, S, HERNANDEZ-VAZQUEZ, S
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animal and plant ecology
Animal, plant and microbial ecology
Biological and medical sciences
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Gelidium robustum
Marine
Mexico, Baja California
Rhodophyta
Sea water ecosystems
Synecology
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Summary:Companies in Mexico make heavy use of the red alga Gelidium robustum as a raw material for the agar industry. An overview is presented of several recent changes in the annual harvest of the organism in Mexico. These changes have resulted from an increase in harvesting effort and significant environmental changes. Findings are presented from a study enacted to evaluate the influence of interannual variability in the sea surface temperature, wind speed, and upwelling index on the relative abundance of G. robustum for the period 1980-90. Findings suggested strong links between environmental fluctuations and the relative abundance of the species. The influence of El Ni o and La Ni a phenomena on species abundance values was also considered.
ISSN:0921-8971
1573-5176
DOI:10.1023/A:1008103120247