Standard Presentation 2024 Australian Marine Sciences Association Annual Meeting combined with NZMSS

Revealing new geniculate coralline red algae species in Tasmania (#18)

Patrick T. Martone 1 , Jakop Schwoerbel 2 , Anusuya Willis 2
  1. Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
  2. Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Battery Point, TAS, Australia

Coralline algae (subclass Corallinophycidae) are a large, globally distributed, group of calcifying red algae (Rhodophyta). Through their influence on invertebrate and macroalgal settlement coralline algae are an important component of coastal habitats, but they are particularly vulnerable to warming and ocean acidification. Taxonomy is the fundamental basis of ecosystem ecology and to accurately assess climate impacts on coralline algal communities or unravel their ecological roles a clear understanding of coralline taxonomy is necessary. Currently, only 15 geniculate coralline species are recognized in Tasmania, yet field collections indicate a diversity of morphologies, habitats, and questionably applied species names. We used common barcoding genes (rbcL, psbA, CO1) as well as full organellar genomes to identify >300 samples of geniculate coralline algae collected from Tasmanian intertidal and subtidal environments.  Preliminary results suggest the diversity of geniculate coralline algae is much higher than previously thought with at least 6 new species in the genera Corallina and Jania alone. Corallina officinalis, one of the species most commonly identified in Tasmania, is likely absent from the island. These results combined with voucher specimens in Hobart (HO) and Vancouver (UBC) herbaria provide an updated baseline for further work resolving species diversity of this group in Tasmania.