Marine algal (seaweed) flora of São Jorge Island, Azores

Ana Isabel Neto1, Afonso C. L. Prestes1, Roberto Resendes2, Raul M. A. Neto3, Ignacio Moreu1

1 Universidade dos Açores, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Departamento de Biologia and Grupo de Investigação Aquática Insular, IBBC-GBA/cE3c, Rua da Mãe de Deus, 13-A, 9500-321, Ponta Delgada, Portugal; 2 Universidade dos Açores, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Departamento de Biologia, Rua da Mãe de Deus, 13-A, 9500-321, Ponta Delgada, Portugal; 3 N/A, Rua Duque de Saldanha, 10-3Dt, 2675-438, Odivelas, Portugal

Corresponding author(s): Ana Isabel Neto (ana.im.neto@uac.pt)Afonso C. L. Prestes (afonso.cl.prestes@uac.pt)Roberto Resendes (roberto.resendes@uac.pt)Raul M. A. Neto (raulmaneto@gmail.com)Ignacio Moreu (nacho.moreu.badia@gmail.com)

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Citation: Combination of authors, year of data paper publication (in parentheses), Title, Journal Name, Volume, Issue number (in parentheses), and doi of the data paper.

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Abstract

This occurrence dataset lists the macroalgal taxonomic records compiled under occasional collections done at São Jorge Island (central group of the Azores archipelago) and provides information on each species’ ecology and occurrence on the island’s littoral. Collections were undertaken mainly by Island Aquatic Research Group of the Azorean Biodiversity Centre of the University of the Azores (https://ce3c.ciencias.ulisboa.pt/sub-team/island-aquatic-ecology) at the littoral and shallow sublittoral levels.
A total of 84 specimens are registered (including taxa identified only at generic level) belonging to 49 taxa of macroalgae, comprising 34 Rhodophyta, 9 Chlorophyta and 6 Ochrophyta (Phaeophyceae). From these, 21 are new records for the island, three are introduced, and five have an uncertain status. Most species were only sporadically observed on the island’s littoral, but four were commonly found, namely: the Rhodophyta Carradoriella denudata (Dillwyn) A. M. Savoie & G. W. Saunders, Ellisolandia elongata (J. Ellis & Solander) K. R. Hind & G. W. Saunders, and Gelidium spinosum (S. G. Gmelin) P. C. Silva; and the Chlorophyta Ulva intestinalis Linnaeus.
Although representing an incomplete list of the seaweeds occurring in the island of São Jorge, this occurrence dataset is a contribution to the knowledge of the marine alga flora of that island. For each taxon presented, it provides general information on its occurrence on the island’s littoral, and thus contributes to address several biodiversity shortfalls (see Hortal et al. 2015), namely the need to catalogue the Azorean macroalgae (Linnean shortfall) and improve the current information on their local and regional geographic distribution (Wallacean shortfall), as well as on species abundances and dynamics in space (Prestonian shortfall). It aims to provide information for biological studies such as systematics, diversity and conservation, biological monitoring, climate change and ecology, and for academics, students, government, private organizations, and the general public.

Keywords: Macroalgae, seaweeds, Rhodophyta, Ochrophyta, Chlorophyta, Azores, São Jorge Island, native, introduced, uncertain, occurrence data., Occurrence

General description

Additional information: Additional information on this study may also be requested to the first author.

Project details

Project title: Marine algal (seaweed) flora of São Jorge Island, Azores
Personnel: Ana Isabel Neto, Albert Cámara, Afonso Prestes, Camille Fontaine, Francisco Wallenstein, José M. N. Azevedo, Rita Patarra, Ruben Couto, Vanda Brotas
Funding: This study was mainly financed by the following projects/scientific expeditions:
•	Campaign TAPES/2007 (July), under the project “TAPES - Estudo da viabilidade de produção da amêijoa Tapes decussatus (Linnaeus, 1758) em aquacultura intensiva” 2006 - 2009. The Azores Regional Government.
•	Campaign CAMAG-SJG/2008 (August), under the project “Caracterização das massas de água de transição da Ilha de São Jorge”. 2008 - 2009. The Azores Regional Government.
•	Portuguese National Funds, through FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, within the projects UID/BIA/00329/2019 and UID/BIA/00329/2020-2023;
•	Portuguese Regional Funds, through DRCT – Direção Regional da Ciência e Tecnologia, within several projects, since 2013
•	CIRN/DB/UAc (Research Centre for Natural Resources, Universidade dos Açores, Departamento de Biologia)
•	CIIMAR (Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, Porto, Portugal).
Study area descriptions/descriptor: São Jorge Island, located at the Central Group of the Azores archipelago (38°26′10″N, 28°19′47″W), 15 km north of Pico Island, is 54 km long and 6 km wide, with a total area of 244 km2. It is crossed longitudinally by mountains with a maximum altitude of 1053 m at Pico da Esperança, and its elongated and narrow profile makes this island unique in the archipelago (Madeira et al. 1998).
The climate, as in the remaining Azorean Islands, is temperate oceanic, with regular and abundant rainfall, high levels of relative humidity and persistent winds, mainly during winter and autumn (Morton et al. 1998). The island lacks a continental shelf, the tidal range is small (<2 m, see Instituto Hidrográfico 1981) and coasts are subjected to swell and surge most of the year.
With and extension of approximately 139 km, the island’s coastline consists mainly of irregular extensions of bedrock, with high and steep cliffs, mainly on the northern coast. This part of the island is permanently subject to strong and constant abrasion by the sea, which is responsible for shaping the typical fajãs that characterize the island's littoral. The southern coast has a much less pronounced slope. Sandy shores are absent (Madeira et al. 1998).
The rocky-shore communities of São Jorge, like those found all over the archipelago are macroalgae dominated at both intertidal and shallow subtidal levels (Neto et al. 2005). At the intertidal, a higher zone dominated by invertebrates (littorinids and chthamalid barnacles) is followed by patches or fringes of the algae Fucus spiralis Linnaeus and Gelidium microdon Kützing, and some Ulva spp. The mid-shore zone (eulittoral) is covered by algal turfs, composed by soft algae (e.g. Centroceras, Chondracanthus) and/or by articulate calcareous (e.g. Corallina and Jania). The transition to the sublittoral level is mainly dominated by calcareous crusts (first strata), covered by corticated macrophytes e.g. Corallina, Pterocladiella (Neto pers. observ.).
Design description: The algae referred to in this occurrence dataset were collected during field studies at the intertidal São Jorge Island. Collections were done at low tide by walking along the shores and manually collecting one or two specimens of all different species found in each location into previously labelled bags. Species recording data was gathered by registering all species present in the visited locations. All collected specimens were given an individual registration number and vouchers were deposited at the AZB Herbarium Ruy Telles Palhinha, based at the Faculty of Sciences and Technology of the University of the Azores.

Data published through GBIF: http://ipt.gbif.pt/ipt/resource?r=s_jorge_seaweed_flora

Taxonomic coverage

General taxonomic coverage description: All macroalgae were identified to genus or species. In total, 84 taxa were identified belonging to 15 orders and 22 families, distributed by the phyla Rhodophyta (8 orders and 14 families), Chlorophyta (3 orders and 3 families), and Ochrophyta (4 orders and 5 families).
Taxonomic ranks
Phylum: Rhodophyta, Chlorophyta, Ochrophyta
Common names: Red algae, Green algae, Brown algae

Spatial coverage

General spatial coverage: São Jorge Island, Azores, Macaronesia, Portugal (approximately 38°26′10″N 28°19′47″W).
Coordinates: 38°31'48''N and 38°46'1.2''N Latitude; 28°19'48''W and 27°43'55.2''W Longitude 

Temporal coverage: 2007

Temporal coverage: 2008

Natural collections description

Parent collection identifier: AZB Herbarium Ruy Telles Palhinha, Faculty of Sciences and Technology of the University of the Azores.
Collection name: AZB|Marine macroalgae collection of São Jorge (Azores)-Campaign TAPES/2007
Collection identifier: 57499715-7daa-4b9a-9561-08719dc7fb54
Natural collections description

Parent collection identifier: Not applicable
Collection name: AZB|Marine macroalgae occurrence in São Jorge (Azores)-Campaign CAMAG-SJG/2008
Collection identifier: e7f1fecf-954c-4ae4-9feb-bda3ac46b768
Specimen preservation method: Dried and pressed
Specimen preservation method: Dried
Specimen preservation method: Formalin
Specimen preservation method: Other

Methods

Method step description: In the laboratory the specimens were accommodated, sorted and studied following standard procedures used in macroalgae identification.
Species identification was based on morphological and anatomical characters and reproductive structures. Various floras and keys from elsewhere were used for the species identification, namely Schmidt (1931), Taylor (1967, 1978), Levring (1974), Dixon & Irvine (1977), Lawson & John (1982), Irvine (1983), Gayral & Cosson (1986), Fletcher (1987), Afonso-Carrillo & Sansón (1989), Burrows (1991), Boudouresque et al. (1992), Cabioc'h et al. (1992), Maggs & Hommersand (1993), Irvine & Chamberlain (1994), Brodie et al. (2007), Lloréns et al. (2012) and Rodríguez-Prieto et al. (2013). 
A reference collection was made for all specimens collected by giving them an herbarium code number and depositing them at the AZB Herbarium Ruy Telles Palhinha, University of Azores. Depending on the species and on further planned research, different types of collections were made, namely (i) liquid collections using 5% buffered formaldehyde seawater and then replacing it by Kew (Bridsen & Forman 1999); (ii) dried collections, either by pressing the algae (most species) following the method described by Gayral and Cosson (1986) or by letting them air dry (calcareous species); and (iii) silica collections.
Nomenclatural and taxonomic status used here follow Algaebase (Guiry & Guiry, 2020). The database was organized on FileMaker Pro.
Study extent description: Sampling was performed at the island’s intertidal.
Sampling description: Sampling encompassed both physical collections and species presence recordings. For the former, in each sampling location, collections were made at low tide by walking along the shores and manually gathering one or two specimens of all different species found into previously labelled bags. The species recording data was gathered by registering all species present in the sampled locations visited. Complementary data e.g. shore level (high, mid, low), orientation and type of substrate (bedrock, boulders, cobbles, mixed), habitat (tide pool, open rock, gully, crevice, cave) was also recorded.
Quality control description: The methodology adopted in the identification of the collected macroalgae comprised morphological and anatomical observations of the whole specimen or slide preparations with the naked eye and using dissecting and compound microscopes, in order to characterize the diagnosing structures described in the literature and compare them with descriptions from other locations. In more difficult cases, specimens were sent to experts for identification.

Datasets

Dataset description
Object name: Darwin Core Archive Marine algal (seaweed) flora of São Jorge Island, Azores
Character encoding: UTF-8
Format name: Darwin Core Archive format
Format version: 1.0
Distribution: http://ipt.gbif.pt/ipt/archive.do?r=s_jorge_seaweed_flora
Publication date of data: 2020-11-18
Language: English
Licences of use: Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) 4.0 License

Metadata language: English
Date of metadata creation: 2020-04-11
Hierarchy level: Dataset

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