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

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Publications (144)


The Nature of Turf and Boring Algae and Their Interactions on Reefs
  • Chapter

January 2013

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5 Reads

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12 Citations

Mark M. Littler

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Diane S. Littler




Bloom of the giant anadyomene gigantodictyon sp. nov. (anadyomenaceae, cladophorales) from the outer slope (25-50m) of the belize barrier reef

February 2012

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37 Reads

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19 Citations

Journal of Phycology

A giant form of Anadyomene, most similar to Anadyomene pavonina (J. Agardh) Wille, a rare and diminutive alga endemic to Florida, appeared as up to 10 m long net‐like strands covering 10%–80% of a 0.5 km region of the 25–50 m deep Belizean outer reef slope where none had been present up to 12 months earlier. This new species, described herein as Anadyomene gigantodictyon Littler et D. S. Littler, is characterized by a unistratose blade or cluster of blades formed by the polychotomous branching of uniseriate veins, with the interstices, or spaces between the veins, completely or partially filled with cells that are smaller than those of the veins, with cylindrical to ovate cells. The cells at mid‐blade are 1.7–2.0 mm in length and 0.2–0.3 mm diameter; interstitial cells are parallel and not juxtaposed. All cells are joined in one plane and form species‐specific, fan‐shaped patterns with secondary interstitial cells loosely or tightly woven.


Algae, Turf

January 2011

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51 Reads

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5 Citations

SynonymsAlgae turfs; Algal mats; Low-growing algae; Prostrate algaeDefinitionAlgae turfs are sparse to thick mats of diminutive and juvenile algae less than 2 cm high.Turf communities (Figure 1) are composed of juvenile macroalgae and faster-growing filamentous species accompanied by the ubiquitous blue-greens, diatoms, and detrital sediments. These juvenile and microalgal species assemblages have a high diversity (>100 species in some western Atlantic turfs), although only 30–50 species commonly co-occur at any one time.Algae, Turf. Figure 1Examples of naturally occurring algal turf communities. Upper left: Asparagopsis taxiformis Sporophyte. Upper right: Gelidiopsis intricata. Lower left: Wurdemannia miniata. Lower right: Oscillatoria rosea.Turf algal assemblages, when viewed as a functional indicator group (Littler and Littler, 2007), remain relatively stable year round. They are often able to recover rapidly after being partially consumed by herbivores. Algal turf ...






Citations (86)


... 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 . ...

Reference:

Nitrogen fixation and denitrification activity differ between coral‑ and algae‑dominated Red Sea reefs
The Nature of Turf and Boring Algae and Their Interactions on Reefs
  • Citing Chapter
  • January 2013

... 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). ...

The Nature of Macroalgae and Their Interactions on Reefs
  • Citing Chapter
  • January 2013

... 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. ...

The Nature of Crustose Coralline Algae and Their Interactions on Reefs
  • Citing Chapter
  • January 2013

... 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. ...

The first oceanographic expedition to Navassa Island, U.S.A.: status of marine plant and animal communities.
  • Citing Article
  • Full-text available
  • July 1999

... . 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. ...

Introduction to the Soviet-American Expedition to the Seychelles Islands
  • Citing Article
  • January 1992

Atoll Research Bulletin

... 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. ...

Modification of tropical reef community structure due to cultural eutrophication: The southwestern coast of Martinique. Proc
  • Citing Article
  • January 1992

... 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). ...

Structure and role of algae in tropical reef communities
  • Citing Article
  • January 1988

... 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. ...

Functional-morphological relationships in Sargassum polyceratium (Phaeophyta): Phenotypic and ontogenetic variability in apparent photosynthesis and dark respiration
  • Citing Article
  • January 1989

Journal of Phycology

... 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). ...

The nature of crustose coralline algae and their interactions on reefs
  • Citing Article
  • January 2013

... 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. ...

Algae-Macro
  • Citing Chapter
  • January 2011