Mark M. Littler’s research while affiliated with Smithsonian Institution and other places

... From an ecological perspective, turf algae are pioneers 33 and opportunists 66,67 , which can form extensive mats even under oligotrophic conditions 68,69 . Furthermore, they can rapidly take over bare substrate due to high growth rates 33,66,70,71 . ...

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Nitrogen fixation and denitrification activity differ between coral‑ and algae‑dominated Red Sea reefs

... It is important to mention that cyanobacteria are the only organisms capable of reducing carbon and nitrogen in aerobic environments, which may be a characteristic that influenced their ecological and evolutionary success in certain coral reef habitats. Blue-green algae are abundant all over the world, they can withstand various extreme conditions, such as severe drought, bright sun and intense heat, rain, high salinity, etc. Cyanobacteria are among the oldest species known on Earth (Littler and Littler, 2013). ...

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Algae as nutritional and bioactive food ingredients

... The coralline algae also noticed on coral frame surfaces. This coralline is a good indicator since the presence of coralline algae might attract the coral spat to attach on the substrate and start metamorphosis (Brown et al., 2017;Littler & Littler, 2013;Villas et al., 2005). During the observation, it was found that this area has started to become a habitat for coral reef fish. ...

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Growth and Survival of Acropora Formosa (Scleractinia: Acroporidae) Coral Fragments and Their Impact on Reef Fish Assemblage in Geluk Island, Terengganu

... colonies were expected to occur in this area. In contrast, the 1998 expedition to the island (Littler et al., 1999) reported approximately one dozen A. palmata colonies confined to Lulu Bay based on casual observation. While targeted surveys of A. palmata were not conducted in 1998, it appears that the population has increased, with our 2006 survey counting more than 100 colonies in Lulu bay, and observations of portions of the wall that were paved with encrusting A. palmata. ...

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The state of coral reef ecosystems of Navassa Island

... . 1997) with British research effort, particularly in the 1960s and 1970s, centred on the Maldives, Chagos Archipelago and the Seychelles, most notably at the Royal Society research station at Aldabra Atoll (Westoll & Stoddart 1971;Stoddart & Westoll 1979). Recent expeditions have included the 1988-1989 Soviet-American Expedition to the Seychelles (Titlyanov et al . 1992) and the Netherlands Indian Ocean Program 1992-1993(van der Land 1994. ...

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Variability, interaction and change in the atmosphere-ocean-ecology system of the Western Indian Ocean

... El más notorio ha sido la disminución de la cobertura coralina acompañada por un aumento de las macroalgas (Littler y Littler, 1985;Hughes, 1994;Szmant, 2002). Esto generalmente se ha asociado a perturbaciones de origen humano, como son eutroficación, altas tasas de sedimentación y sobrepesca, que han generado mortalidad coralina, y una consecuente liberación de espacio, que ha favorecido el crecimiento desmesurado de las algas, lo que a su vez puede desplazar más el coral vivo remanente (Steneck, 1988;Littler et al., 1992;McCook et al., 1997;Te, 1997). En este esquema, sin embargo, el papel de la competencia entre los corales y las macroalgas no es muy claro y se asume que una vez liberadas las algas de sus factores limitantes (disponibilidad de nutrientes y herbivoría por ejemplo), están en plena capacidad de recubrir a los corales. ...

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Coral and macroalgae interactions: Dependence between involved species

... Although recognized as a ubiquitous component of benthic communities, cyanobacteria have been historically regarded as limited to intertidal or very shallow water habitats (Fong and Paul 2011) or as a component of the turf algae (Littler and Littler 1988). In Brazil, cyanobacteria cover significant portions of the reef substrate at greater depths on the Northern coast (~30 m, Cordeiro et al. 2021). ...

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Herbivory and Competition for Space

... Ontogenetic changes Seaweeds can change remarkably during their development (Kilar et al. 1989;Stewart 2006;Steinhagen et al. 2022), yet an overall static approach has prevailed in previous functional ecology research (with few exceptions, e.g., Ryznar et al. 2023). Understanding how functional traits change over the course of normal development would allow the development of comprehensive models, with significant potential in seaweed agriculture. ...

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Seaweed functional ecology models: a comprehensive review of theory and applications

... Two algal functional groups that are sometimes pooled in reef benthic studies, yet have distinct ecological roles, are the crustose coralline algae (CCA) and the algal turfs. CCA are encrusting, calcifying red algae that stabilize the reef framework and support structural complexity (Teichert et al., 2020;Littler and Littler, 2013;Steneck, 1986). They also contribute to carbonate production, possibly more so than reef-building corals (Cornwall et al., 2023). ...

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Benthic algal community dynamics on Palmyra Atoll throughout a decade with two thermal anomalies

... Pictures of macroalgae were taken in-situ. A variety of macromorphological structures, including the thallus (plant body), holdfast, and stipe, were observed, and documented (Taylor et al. 2002;Littler and Littler 2011). In addition, on-site data collection was recorded, including the specimen's shape and color. ...

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Short Communication: Species diversity of macroalgae in Teluk Bidara Beach, Dungun, Terengganu, Peninsular Malaysia