磯焼けの機構と克服技術としての海中造林

概要

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A new understanding resulting from recent studies on the mechanism of marine algal succession has enabled a means to control its process. Crustose coralline red algae occur as climax communities, called coralline flats, due to biological and hydrographical factors in the process of sublittoral cyclic succession. Coralline flats enlarge its area when other climatic phases of large perennial brown algae, marine forest, are reduced by combined hydrographical factors. High temperatures and/or low nutrients result in decreased marine forest. Destructive grazing by dense populations of herbivors maintain the coralline flats. Since the secondary metabolite of crustose corallines, dibromomethane, induces normal metamorphosis of sea urchin larvae, this algal-origin chemical enforces the interaction between herbivors and coralline flats. Marine afforestation in coralline flats contributes towards reduction of grazing pressure due to the growth of large annuals at the primary stage. This relative decrease in grazing pressure drives algal succession towards the marine forest phase. An increased survival of large perennials establishes the marine forest in the final stage. Sustained coralline flats called "Isoyake", which have wrought considerable damages to the fisheries industry, could be restored ecologically with this technology.
野生生物保護学会の論文