Bottom-Up Versus Top-Down Control of Macroalgal Blooms

MIRTA TEICHBERG; MARTINETTO PAULINA; SOPHIA FOX

Ecological Studies. Seaweed Biology

Springer-Verlag

Lugar: Berlin; Año: 2012;

Macroalgal blooms have increased worldwide due to anthropogenic activities. Coastal eutrophication and overfishing are two of the main influences that have led to macroalgal blooms. However, the relative roles of nutrient supply and grazing pressure in macroalgal bloom formation are still unresolved. This chapter provides an overview of occurrences of macroalgal blooms and their ecological consequences and discusses the role of bottom-up and top-down controls of macroalgal growth in shallow estuaries, coral reefs, and intertidal or subtidal rocky shores, in order to understand how different systems may compare in response to these controls. We conclude with a future outlook on how eutrophication and overfishing in combination with other environmental factors may influence macroalgal bloom occurrences.