Lobophora (Dictyotales, Phaeophyceae) from the western Indian Ocean: diversity and biogeography

Allelopathic interactions between the brown algal genus Lobophora (Dictyotales, Phaeophyceae) and scleractinian corals

Allelopathy has been recently suggested as a mechanism by which macroalgae may outcompete corals in damaged reefs. Members of the brown algal genus Lobophora are commonly observed in close contact with scleractinian corals and have been considered responsible for negative effects of macroalgae to scleractinian corals. Recent field assays have suggested the potential role of chemical mediators i...

The Diversity and Biogeography of Western Indian Ocean Reef-Building Corals

This study assesses the biogeographic classification of the Western Indian Ocean (WIO) on the basis of the species diversity and distribution of reef-building corals. Twenty one locations were sampled between 2002 and 2011. Presence/absence of scleractinian corals was noted on SCUBA, with the aid of underwater digital photographs and reference publications for species identification. Sampling e...

Species Diversity, Phylogeny and Large Scale Biogeographic Patterns of the Genus Padina (Phaeophyceae, Dictyotales).

The brown algal genus Padina (Dictyotales, Phaeophyceae) is distributed worldwide in tropical and temperate seas. Global species diversity and distribution ranges, however, remain largely unknown. Species-level diversity was reassessed using DNA-based, algorithmic species delineation techniques based on cox3 and rbcL sequence data from 221 specimens collected worldwide. This resulted in estimat...

The Generation of a Biodiversity Hotspot: Biogeography and Phylogeography of the Western Indian Ocean Islands

Biogeography and Change among Regional Coral Communities across the Western Indian Ocean

Coral reefs are biodiverse ecosystems structured by abiotic and biotic factors operating across many spatial scales. Regional-scale interactions between climate change, biogeography and fisheries management remain poorly understood. Here, we evaluated large-scale patterns of coral communities in the western Indian Ocean after a major coral bleaching event in 1998. We surveyed 291 coral reef sit...