Biodiversity Conservation in the Face of Climate Change: Fucoid Macroalgae Dynamics on Boston Harbor Islands

Presenter

Angel Checo Reynoso

Campus

UMass Amherst

Sponsor

Ayodele C. O'Uhuru, Department of Environmental Conservation, UMass Amherst

Schedule

Session 4, 2:30 PM - 3:15 PM [Schedule by Time][Poster Grid for Time/Location]

Location

Poster Board A26, Campus Center Auditorium, Row 2 (A21-A40) [Poster Location Map]

Abstract

In 2022, the Boston Harbor Islands were labeled among the eleven most endangered historic places in the U.S. due to climate change. Hosting crucial macroalgae, including Ascophyllum nodosum and Fucus spp., these species play a significant role in biodiversity by forming dense intertidal canopies that support diverse marine life. To assess the baseline distribution and density of these macroalgae, intertidal biodiversity data was collected and analyzed during the summer of 2023 from ten sites across five islands in the Boston Harbor: Gallops, Georges, Peddocks, Lovells, and Thompson. Island study sites were gridded into 48m wide areas with 9 quadrants spanning from the upper shore to low mean water. Within this sampling area, 33-38 0.5m2 quadrats were randomly placed for biodiversity surveys. In each quadrat, total counts of mobile invertebrates and percent cover of sessile invertebrates and macroalgae were evaluated. Gallops and Georges Islands exhibited high fucoid diversity (5 species) and were the exclusive islands with A. nodosum present. The frequency of fucoid species occurrence on these islands was 84% and 85%, respectively, while Thompson Island exhibited the least representation, and only two fucoid species were present, F. vesiculosus and F. spiralis at a frequency of 20%. Significantly higher species richness was observed in quadrats containing fucoid species than those without on Gallops Island (p = 0.03). Given the associated biodiversity and the abundance of fucoids on Gallops and Georges, these islands emerge as priorities for conservation efforts in the face of climate change threatening the Boston Harbor Islands.

Keywords

Macroalgae, Intertidal, Biodiversity, Marine ecology, Urban Harbor

Research Area

Biological Organisms

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