XVI International Botanical Congess

Studies of the reproductive phenology of siphonous green seaweeds (Bryopsidales) indicate that bouts of sexual reproduction can play an important ecological role within tropical marine communities. In Caribbean Panama, declines in thallus density or percent algal cover during seasonal peaks of sexual reproduction by species of Caulerpa, Halimeda, and Penicillus are offset by subsequent algal recruitment or regrowth, creating annual cycles of algal abundance. Comparative studies in other regions of the Caribbean (St. Croix, V.I. & Key Largo, FL) indicate that although sex is a common and widespread reproductive tactic, the seasonal timing and intensity of reproductive bouts shifts with increasing latitude. This talk highlights the latest results of ongoing studies of sexual reproduction by tropical green algae. Collaborative work on algal biochemistry and related patterns of herbivory associated with the sexual reproduction of Halimeda will also be discussed.