Fungal Diversity Marine fungi: some factors influencing biodiversity

This paper reviews some of the factors that affect fungal diversity in the marine milieu. Although total biodiversity is not affected by the available habitats, species composition is. For example, members of the Halosphaeriales commonly occur on submerged timber, while intertidal mangrove wood supports a wide range of Loculoascomycetes. The availability of substrata for colonization greatly affects species diversity. Mature mangroves yield a rich species diversity while exposed shores or depauperate habitats support few fungi. The availability of fungal propagules in the sea on substratum colonization is poorly researched. However, Halophytophthora species and thraustochytrids in mangroves rapidly colonize leaf material. Fungal diversity is greatly affected by the nature of the substratum. Lignocellulosic materials yield the greatest diversity, in contrast to a few species colonizing calcareous materials or sand grains. The nature of the substratum can have a major effect on the fungi colonizing it, even from one timber species to the next. Competition between fungi can markedly affect fungal diversity, and species composition. Temperature plays a major role in the geographical distribution of marine fungi with species that are typically tropical (e.g. Antennospora quadricornuta and Halosarpheia ratnagiriensis), temperate (e.g. Ceriosporopsis trullifera and Ondiniella torquata), arctic (e.g. Spathulospora antartica and Thraustochytrium antarticum), while others are cosmopolitan (e.g. Ceriosporopsis halima and Lignincola laevis). Salinity is also important in affecting species composition. Many fungi occur primarily in fully saline waters (e.g. Lindra inflata and Ondiniella torquata), others are more frequent in brackish water (e.g. Amylocarpus encephaloides and Aniptodera chesapeakenis), while terrestrial and freshwater species may be able to grow at lower salinities (e.g. Chytridium citriforme, Saprolegnia ferax and Stachybotrys atra). In mangroves many species (e.g. Halophytophthora species), can tolerate great variation in salinity of the water. Some marine fungi are common in occurrence (e.g. Ceriosporopsis halima, Lulworthia spp., and Zalerion maritimum in temperate waters, and Antennospora salina, A. quadricornuata and Lulworthia grandispora in the tropics), while others are rarely collected (e.g. Orbimyces spectabilis and Torpedospora ambispinosa). For the latter group this may be due to seasonality (e.g. Mycaureola dilsea on