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26th Annual

NorthWest Algal Symposium

May 11th-13th, 2012

University of British Columbia Vancouver, Canada

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Contents & UBC Campus Map …………………………… Page 2

Program Schedule …………………………… Pages 3-7

Attractions in Vancouver …………………………… Pages 8-9

Abstracts …………………………… Pages 10-21

Driving directions from off-campus (see blue arrows above) Enter UBC campus by driving WEST on 10th Avenue (= University Avenue) Turn LEFT at Wesbrook Mall (stoplight) Pass the hospital on Right Turn RIGHT on Agronomy Road Turn RIGHT on East Mall (note Starbucks on left corner) Proceed past two buildings; Health Sciences Parkade will be ON THE RIGHT

NWAS Conference

Banquet

Food

Rooms

Parking

Enter by car

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Friday, May 11 15:00 Housing Check-in (Walter Gage Residential Towers, see

map) 17:00 – 18:00 Registration (Beaty Biodiversity Centre, see map) 18:00 – 20:00 Informal Social with pizza dinner (Beaty Biodiversity

Centre) 20:00 – 21:00 Opening Talk from Tom Mumford Saturday, May 12 09:00 - 15:45 Contributed Papers (Beaty Biodiversity Centre) 09:00 Welcoming Remarks - Patrick T. Martone

BIOMECHANICS AND ENGINEERING APPLICATIONS 09:15 PREPARATION OF DIATOM BIOSILICA MONOLAYERS TO ENHANCE

EFFICIENCY OF SOLAR CELLS Jeremy Campbell. Chemical Engineering, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR

09:30 TWO- BIOMECHANICAL COST OF BRANCHING IN WAVE-SWEPT FLEXIBLE MACROALGAE Sam Starko, Barry Claman and Patrick T. Martone. Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC

09:45 DYNAMIC MATERIAL PROPERTIES OF AN ARTICULATED CORALLINE DURING REPETITIVE LOADING IN THE INTERTIDAL Kyra Janot and Patrick T Martone. Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC.

10:00 WHAT A DRAG: BIOMECHANICAL CONSEQUENCES OF INTERTIDAL ALGAL EPIPHYTISM Laura Anderson and Patrick T. Martone. Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC.

10:15 Coffee/Tea Break (Beaty Biodiversity Centre)

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ECOLOGY 10:45 FERRY WAKES INCREASE SEAWEED RICHNESS AND ABUNDANCE IN A

SHELTERED ROCKY INTERTIDAL HABITAT Kyle W. Demes, Rebecca L. Kordas, and Jennifer P. Jorve. Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, B.C.

11:00 HABITAT PARTITIONING AMONG CONGENERS OF THE BROWN ALGA ECTOCARPUS, AND POPULATION STRUCTURE OF ECTOCARPUS SILICULOSUS IN BRITTANY AND GREAT BRITAIN Heather Hunsperger1, Stéphane Mauger2, Sophia Ahmed3, Mickael Le Gac2, Akira F. Peters4, and Myriam Valero2. 1Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA. 2BEDIM, UMR7144, CNRS/UPMC, Roscoff, France. 3 Génétique des algues, UMR 7139 CNRS/UPMC, France. 4 Bezhin Rosko, Santec, France.

11:15 THE EFFECT OF OCEAN ACIDIFICATION ON THE PRODUCTIVITY OF A CALCIFYING RHODOPHYTE. Rebecca J. Guenther and Patrick T. Martone. Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC

11:30 KELP CRABS (PUGETTIA PRODUCTA) EAT KELP SPECIES (NEREOCYSTIS LUETKEANA, ALARIA MARGINATA, SACCHARINA LATISSIMA) FOUND NEAR FRIDAY HARBOR, WASHINGTON Katie Dobkowski. University of Washington, Seattle, WA

11:45 STUCK IN THE MUD: AN INVESTIGATION OF THE FORMATION OF A DWARF, MUD-EMBEDDED MORPHOLOGY OF THE BROWN ALGA FUCUS DISTICHUS IN BAMFIELD INLET, B.C. Carolyn Prentice and Patrick T. Martone. Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC

12:00 Lunch Break (guests are in charge of their own lunch, see list of places to eat on campus for suggestions) Round Table Discussion: “Teaching Students About Macroalgae,” organized by Annette Olson from Oregon State University (Student Union Building, see map)

TAXONOMY 13:30 THE BIOGEOGRAPHY OF SEAWEED SPECIATION IN THE NORTHEAST

PACIFIC Sandra Lindstrom. Department of Botany and Beaty Biodiversity Research Centre and Museum, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC.

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13:45 MOLECULAR ASSISTED ALPHA TAXONOMY REVEALS PSEUDO-CRYPTICDIVERSITY AMONG SPECIES OF BOSSIELLA (FLORIDEOPHYCEAE) IN CANADA Katharine R. Hind and Gary W. Saunders. University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, NB.

14:00 EXTRACTIVE SURVEYS OF THE SEAWEEDS AND SEAGRASSES OF OREGON’S FIRST SUBTIDAL MARINE RESERVES Gayle I. Hansen1, Alix Laferriere2, and Keith Matteson2. 1Oregon State University at EPA, OR. 2Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, Newport, OR.

14:15 A ROSE BY ANY OTHER NAME: TAXONOMIC REVISIONS IN CANADIAN KALLYMENIACEAE (RHODOPHYTA) Bridgette Clarkston1 and Gary W. Saunders2. 1Carl Wieman Science Education Initiative, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, B.C. 2Center for Environmental & Molecular Algal Research, Department of Biology, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, N.B.

14:30 Coffee/Tea Break (Beaty Biodiversity Centre)

MICROALGAL DIVERSITY 15:00 EXAMINING ALGAL BLOOM POPULATION DIVERSITY IN A SALISH SEA

HETEROSIGMA BLOOM USING MITOCHONDRIAL GENES Megan Black, Michael Jacobs, Chloe Deodato, and Ann Cattolico. University of Washington, Seattle, WA.

15:15 GLOBAL ANALYSIS OF PLASTID DIVERSITY REVEALS NOVEL ALGAL LINEAGES ON CORAL REEFS Jan Janouskovec, Alex Horak, and Patrick J. Keeling. University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC.

15:30 CULTURE-BASED STUDIES ON THE BIODIVERSITY OF CARBONATE-

BORING ALGAE AND CYANOBACTERIA: THE IDENTITY OF PLECTONEMA TEREBRANS (OSCILLATORIALES, CYANOBACTERIA). Charles J. O’Kelly, Geneva J. Mottet, Angela R. Little, and Robin Kodner. Friday Harbor Laboratories, University of Washington, Friday Harbor, WA.

16:00 – 17:00 Pet Algae Workshop: run by Ellie Duffield, Algal and

Fungal UWCC, Biology Department, University of Washington, Seattle, WA. (Niche Cafe)

17:00 – 18:00 Happy Hour and Poster Session (Beaty Biodiversity

Centre)

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POSTERS IMPORTANCE OF HERBIVORE PRESENCE IN UNDERSTANDING THE IMPACTS OF OCEAN ACIDIFICATION ON TIDEPOOL ALGAL COMMUNITIES Kathryn M. Anderson and Christopher D.G. Harley. Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC.

PHYTO’PEDIA: THE PHYTOPLANKTON ENCYCLOPAEDIA OF THE NORTHEAST PACIFIC David Cassis1, Sam Huang2, Tara Ivanochko1, Jongmun Kim3, Ben Moore-Maley1, Gladys Oka1, Aden Sheikh1, Jade Shiller1. 1Department of Earth and Ocean Sciences, 2Department of Biology, 3Curriculum & Pedagogy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC.

THE BENEFITS OF AN INVASIVE SPECIES: A CASE STUDY WITH THE RED SEAWEED GRACILARIA VERMICULOPHYLLA Nicole M. Kollars1, Jeb E. Byers2, and Erik E. Sotka1.1Grice Marine Laboratory, College of Charleston, Charleston, SC. 2Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA.

CULTURE-BASED STUDIES ON THE BIODIVERSITY OF CARBONATE-BORING ALGAE AND CYANOBACTERIA: THE CULTURE COLLECTION. Charles J. O’Kelly and Geneva J. Mottet. Friday Harbor Laboratories, University of Washington, Friday Harbor, WA.

19:00 – 23:00 Banquet (Ponderosa Room, see map)

Plenary Address: SEAWEED COMMUNITIES IN AN ERA OF GLOBAL CHANGE Christopher Harley, Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, B.C. Auction

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Sunday, May 13 09:00 Field Trip to Lighthouse Park (meet outside Beaty

Biodiversity Museum, ** if necessary, leave luggage in Museum)

11:00 Housing check-out (Walter Gage Towers) 14:00 Return from Lighthouse Park

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Attractions in Vancouver On Campus:

1) *U.B.C. Museum of Anthropology - 10 am - 5 pm http://www.moa.ubc.ca/

2) *U.B.C. Botanical Garden – 9:30 am – 5 pm Greenheart Canopy Walkway: 10am-4pm, tours daily http://www.botanicalgarden.ubc.ca/

3) *Nitobe Memorial Garden - 9:30am - 5pm

4) Spanish Bank/Jericho Park – just below U.B.C. – an enjoyable walk along the beach with great views of downtown Vancouver Buses from U.B.C.: 004, 084 (from bus loop) to Tolmie Street or C19 from NW Marine Drive at West Mall

*Within walking distance of the Beaty Biodiversity Museum Off Campus:

1) Stanley Park – activities could include a walk around the seawall, a visit to the Vancouver Aquarium (open 9:30 am – 5 pm), restaurants http://vancouver.ca/parks/parks/stanley/ Buses from U.B.C.: 004 or 014 to Seymour and Pender, transfer to 019

2) Granville Island Public Market – 9am – 7pm Buses from U.B.C.: 004 or 084 to Fir Street

3) China Town Buses from U.B.C.: 004 or 084 to Cordova and Carrall http://www.vancouverchinesegarden.com/

4) Vancouver Art Gallery – 9am – 5pm Buses from U.B.C.: 044 or 014 http://www.vanartgallery.bc.ca/index.html

5) Museum of Vancouver – 10am – 5pm Buses from U.B.C.: 084 or 004 to Burrard Street http://museumofvancouver.ca

6) VanDusen Botanical Garden – 10am – 8pm Buses from U.B.C.: 041 or 043 to Oak Street http://www.vandusengarden.org/

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7) Capilano Suspension Bridge – 9am – 7pm http://www.capbridge.com/

8) Lynn Canyon – 7am – 7pm http://lynncanyon.ca/

9) Grouse Mountain – If the weather cooperates, a trip up Grouse Mountain provides an opportunity for fantastic views of the city http://www.grousemountain.com/

Information on public transportation can be found at http://www.translink.ca/ Adult fares are $2.50 for one zone and $3.75 for two zones (i.e. when travelling to North Vancouver). All fares are $2.50 on Sundays and Holidays.

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ABSTRACTS (alphabetical order) ORAL PRESENTATIONS WHAT A DRAG: BIOMECHANICAL CONSEQUENCES OF INTERTIDAL ALGAL EPIPHYTISM Laura Anderson and Patrick T. Martone. Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC. Although the intertidal zone is relatively narrow, it boasts a large number of diverse algae. Some of these grow epiphytically, potentially decreasing competition for settlement space, light, and nutrients as well as herbivore pressure. Associated hosts are generally thought to experience negative effects from increases in the above interactions. But what are the mechanical costs of epiphytism in the intertidal zone where wave velocities can exceed 10-20 m/s and threaten to dislodge seaweeds? Do epiphytes increase risk of host dislodgement? Do epiphytes achieve a hydrodynamic benefit by being attached to flexible hosts? To answer these questions, I studied the saccate brown algal epiphyte, Soranthera ulvoidea and its red algal host, Odonthalia flocossa, in the mid to low intertidal zone of the Pacific Northwest. I used a high-speed water flume to measure drag on hosts of this species before and after removing their associated epiphytes. Epiphytes increased drag on hosts by approximately 50% and significantly increased host dislodgement risk, measured as a reduction in water velocity required to induce breakage. As flow increased, drag on epiphytes also increased which increased epiphyte breakage risk. However, drag on epiphytes was less when they were attached to hosts, as opposed to drag measurements on epiphytes alone. In sum, predicted breakage velocities for epiphytized hosts and epiphytes were not significantly different, making it just as likely for a host to break as for an epiphyte to become detached from its host. In this manner, the host in this particular system is negatively impacted by its epiphyte, while the epiphyte gains a slight hydrodynamic benefit from growing on another alga. EXAMINING ALGAL BLOOM POPULATION DIVERSITY IN A SALISH SEA HETEROSIGMA BLOOM USING MITOCHONDRIAL GENES Megan Black, Michael Jacobs, Chloe Deodato, and Ann Cattolico. University of Washington, Seattle, WA. Predicting the ecological effects of harmful algal blooms has been constrained by cryptic taxonomic diversity. Algal blooms contain many taxa yet are usually dominated by a single morphologically defined species of alga. Several studies using micro-satellites have demonstrated extensive cellular level variability within the bloom’s dominant species. However, the question remains whether the dominant species found in a bloom is uniform at broader taxonomic scales. Mitochondrial DNA signatures show extensive differences in Heterosigma cultures that were initiated from blooms occurring world-wide. To determine the amount of variation in mitochondrial genes present within a bloom population, we undertook a gene amplification, cloning, and sequencing approach. We’ve identified many technological considerations in this methodology that will influence the interpretation of results in all genetic

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population diversity studies. An extensive Heterosigma bloom was sampled with the assistance of the Ahlstrom Point salmon farmers in Jervis Inlet, BC on June 14th, 2011. Preliminary data will be presented indicating that wide diversity occurred in a bloom. PREPARATION OF DIATOM BIOSILICA MONOLAYERS TO ENHANCE EFFICIENCY OF SOLAR CELLS Jeremy Campbell. Chemical Engineering, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR Diatoms are marine algae that synthesize silica cell walls known as frustules, which exhibit microscale and nanoscale features. These cellular structures have received increasing attention as natural optically active materials for use in engineered devices such as solar cells. We have developed a method for the preparation of cellular monolayers of the diatom Pinnularia sp. on glass surfaces without the use of chemical modifications or extreme processing conditions. A process for the removal of organic cellular material from the living biofilm which does not remove the silica cell structures is presented. The resulting inorganic nanostructured biosilica films have demonstrated interesting optical properties which show promise in solar device enhancement. A ROSE BY ANY OTHER NAME: TAXONOMIC REVISIONS IN CANADIAN KALLYMENIACEAE (RHODOPHYTA). Bridgette Clarkston1 and Gary W. Saunders2. 1Carl Wieman Science Education Initiative, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, B.C. 2Center for Environmental & Molecular Algal Research, Department of Biology, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, N.B. For the last six years, members of the red algal family Kallymeniaceae have been collected intensely from locations throughout Canada and screened molecularly using the DNA barcode (COI-5P – the 5' region of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase I gene) as a species identification tool. Prior to this survey, there were eight kallymeniacean genera and 18 species reported in the Canadian flora. Following our survey, those numbers have increased to ten genera and 25 species, with new records and overlooked diversity in Callophyllis, Pugetia, Euthora and Beringia. Interestingly, the genera Hommersandia, Cirrulicarpus and Kallymenia were not encountered, despite intensive collecting from locations where species have been reported. Subsequent morphological examination of each species was also conducted, however, in most cases, they failed to determine unequivocal diagnostic features for the new species. Phylogenetic relationships among the Kallymeniaceae were investigated subsequently using large-subunit nuclear ribosomal DNA (LSU), combined LSU and COI-5P data, and, for some genera, nuclear elongation factor 2 sequences (EF2) as well. All datasets were subjected to maximum likelihood and Bayesian analyses, which supported the increased kallymenieacean diversity revealed by the DNA barcode. Following the molecular, morphological and phylogenetic assessments, all potential matches to the new species were investigated in the literature. Here we discuss the highlights of the taxonomic revisions made following the investigation, including descriptions of Salishia gen. nov., Pugetia cryptica sp. nov., Beringia wynnei sp. nov. and Callophyllis schneideri sp. nov.

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FERRY WAKES INCREASE SEAWEED RICHNESS AND ABUNDANCE IN A SHELTERED ROCKY INTERTIDAL HABITAT Kyle W. Demes, Rebecca L. Kordas, and Jennifer P. Jorve. Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, B.C. Because hydrodynamic regimes influence community assemblages, commercial ferry traffic can directly affect neighboring marine ecosystems by altering water movement. One of the largest ferry fleets in the world traverses the calm, protected waters of the Canadian Gulf Islands (British Columbia). To address the effects of ferry wakes on rocky marine intertidal communities, we examined community assemblages in sites impacted by ferry wakes (N = 5) relative to geographically similar control sites not directly exposed to ferry wakes (N = 6). Intertidal communities were significantly different between wake-influenced and control sites. Further analyses revealed that community level differences resulted from differences in seaweed assemblages, while invertebrate assemblages were similar. Sites exposed to ferry traffic displayed significantly greater overall seaweed abundance and seaweed species richness. Nitrate and nitrite concentrations, salinity, fetch, and tidal zonation were not significantly different between wake-impacted and control sites. However, dissolution blocks revealed that wake- impacted sites experienced increased overall water movement. Furthermore, block dissolution was negatively associated with distance from nearest ferry route and not fetch. Although dissolution block cannot disentangle effects of increased flow vs. waves resulting from ferry wakes, we conclude that increased overall water movement from frequent and proximate ferry traffic stimulates primary production in rocky intertidal marine seaweeds by ameliorating mass transfer limitation. KELP CRABS (PUGETTIA PRODUCTA) EAT KELP SPECIES (NEREOCYSTIS LUETKEANA, ALARIA MARGINATA, SACCHARINA LATISSIMA) FOUND NEAR FRIDAY HARBOR, WASHINGTON Katie Dobkowski, University of Washington, Seattle, WA Marine herbivores play a major role in structuring nearshore subtidal kelp-dominated communities like those found near the San Juan Islands, Washington. Observations of transplanted N. luetkeana near Friday Harbor Laboratories on San Juan Island revealed severe damage to blades, stipes, and bulbs. Research indicates that purple sea urchins (Strongylocentrotus purpuratus) and snails (Lacuna vincta) consume kelps and affect distribution in other locations. Red sea urchins (S. franciscanus) found near Friday Harbor generally do not create urchin barrens and small Lacuna snails likely could not cause the damage observed on the juvenile kelps within a one to two week period. Because kelp crabs could cause this damage, laboratory experiments using Pugettia producta, a species observed on kelps, were conducted in seawater tables to assess whether kelp crabs eat kelp species found in the San Juans and if they prefer Nereocystis to other species. In a choice experiment, crabs were offered similarly-sized samples of three kelp species (N. luetkeana, A. marginata, and S. latissima) for a 12 hour period with 12 hours of starvation between. The mass of each kelp piece was recorded before and after each trial; control tanks with kelp but no crabs allowed for estimation of variation in mass not due to consumption. Preliminary results from Summer 2011 data suggest

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that kelp crabs prefer N. luetkeana to A. marginata (adjusted p-value of 0.00242259) and N. luetkeana to S. latissma (adjusted p-value of 0.01012193); A. marginata and S. latissima are not statistically separable (adjusted p-value of 0.70440730). THE EFFECT OF OCEAN ACIDIFICATION ON THE PRODUCTIVITY OF A CALCIFYING RHODOPHYTE. Rebecca J. Guenther and Patrick T. Martone. Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC Marine ecosystems are already stressed by pollution and overfishing and are now being further threatened by ocean acidification. Ocean acidification (OA) is the decrease in the pH of seawaters due to the absorption of CO2 by the world’s oceans. This decrease in pH will inevitably make it harder for calcifying organisms to produce their calcium carbonate skeletons. Calcifying macroalgae are an essential group to study because they are central components of intertidal ecosystems. They provide key ecological functions, such as refugia, protection and substrata for marine invertebrate communities. We grew fronds of Calliarthron tuberculosum, a calcifying rhodophyte, for two months in six different pH treatments in the OA facility at Friday Harbor Laboratories (FHL). These mesocosms are able precisely control pH and temperature in a flow through system. It is expected that with deceased pH, coralline fronds will not be able to grow, calcify and photosynthesize as well as control fronds grown in ambient pH. To test this expectation, we quantified calcification, growth and photosynthetic rates to test the effect of decreased pH on productivity. Results of this study will aid in understanding how future climate change scenarios may impact these widespread coralline species to the changing pH in our oceans. EXTRACTIVE SURVEYS OF THE SEAWEEDS AND SEAGRASSES OF OREGON’S FIRST SUBTIDAL MARINE RESERVES Gayle I. Hansen1, Alix Laferriere2, and Keith Matteson2. 1Oregon State University at EPA, OR. 2Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, Newport, OR. The State of Oregon has recently selected 5 subtidal areas along its coast for designation as marine reserves. The first 2 reserves, established at Redfish Rocks and Otter Rock, were closed to harvest on January 1, 2012. Baseline studies of species richness and biomass began at these reserves in 2011. Comparative study sites were set up inside and outside each reserve, and divers were employed for habitat observations and sampling. A depth-stratified random sampling method was used to study the seaweeds and seagrasses. For the sub-canopy species included in this study, 0.25 m2 quadrats were extracted via scraping, airlifted to a boat, and transported to the laboratory for analysis. After removal of animal and rock debris, seaweed and seagrass species were sorted, identified, spun-dry, and weighed. At Redfish Rocks, 36 quadrats yielded 50 species with up to 24 species/quadrat (x̅ = 9.25). Species distributions were patchy with only 3 species occurring in >50% of the quadrats. Turf species were rare, possibly due to the high current action in this area. The most widespread species was the rosette form of Callophyllis flabellulata. The most dominant species by weight was Laminaria longipes. At Otter Rock, 30 quadrats yielded 112 species with up to 48 species/quadrat (x̅ = 31.9). Many species were widely distributed with

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21 species occurring in >50% of the quadrats. Turf species were abundant, and the most widespread species was Pterosiphonia dendroidea. The most dominant species by weight was Desmarestia munda. Overall, 130 seaweed and seagrass species were found in the 2 areas, including >25 new records for Oregon. Species-area and MDS plots will be shown for each reserve. MOLECULAR ASSISTED ALPHA TAXONOMY REVEALS PSEUDO-CRYPTIC DIVERSITY AMONG SPECIES OF BOSSIELLA (FLORIDEOPHYCEAE) IN CANADA Katharine R. Hind and Gary W. Saunders. University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, NB. A floristic survey of the red algal genus Bossiella was conducted using molecular assisted alpha taxonomy (MAAT). This approach uses gene sequence data as a first pass to assess species diversity followed by additional study including detailed morphological observations to delimit species. Currently, four species are recognized in the genus Bossiella in the northeastern Pacific. During a genetic screen using a DNA barcode marker, mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (COI-5P), we found evidence of 19 species groups, 17 of which have ranges that extend into Canadian waters. Due to the large number of species requiring taxonomic assessment, we chose to focus this study on those species with dichotomous branching (B. californica and B. orbigniana). In this study we describe the new species Bossiella robusta K. Hind & G. W. Saunders, sp. nov., elevate the subspecies Bossiella californica subsp. schmittii to species status (Bossiella schmittii (Manza) K. Hind & G.W. Saunders), and resurrect the species Bossiella dichotoma (Manza) P.C. Silva. In addition, using a molecular phylogenetic approach we discovered that Pseudolithophyllum whidbeyense (Foslie) Steneck & Paine has evolutionary affinities among species of Bossiella. This marks the first record of a crustose species in the genus Bossiella and the first time that a coralline algal genus includes both crustose and foliose members. Our finding supports the hypothesis that crustose species have evolved multiple times within the Corallinales. HABITAT PARTITIONING AMONG CONGENERS OF THE BROWN ALGA ECTOCARPUS, AND POPULATION STRUCTURE OF ECTOCARPUS SILICULOSUS IN BRITTANY AND GREAT BRITAIN Heather Hunsperger1, Stéphane Mauger2, Sophia Ahmed3, Mickael Le Gac2, Akira F. Peters4, and Myriam Valero2. 1Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA. 2BEDIM, UMR7144, CNRS/UPMC, Roscoff, France. 3 Génétique des algues, UMR 7139 CNRS/UPMC, France. 4 Bezhin Rosko, Santec, France. The brown macroalga Ectocarpus is an emerging model system for developmental studies, in part because its life cycle can be easily manipulated in the laboratory. However, little is known about the spatial distribution and life histories of Ectocarpus species in the field. We used genetic techniques to determine the distribution of three morphologically similar Ectocarpus species along a shoreline gradient and on various host seaweeds in Brittany, France and Great Britain. E. crouaniorum dominated the upper-intertidal, E. siliculosus was found principally in

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the mid-intertidal, and E. fasciculatus occurred in the lower-intertidal. Intertidal seaweeds hosted Ectocarpus species in accordance with their respective tidal heights, with hosts frequently colonized by just one Ectocarpus species. Additionally, we used microsatellite markers to determine population structure, levels of clonality, and generation (gametophyte: sporophyte) ratios of the species E. siliculosus. As expected, population differentiation increased with the distance between sampling sites. Statistical tests found evidence for clonality among E. siliculosus sporophytes, with greater average clonality in populations lacking gametophytes at the time of sampling. Both winter and summer populations of E. siliculosus appeared to be sporophyte dominated, with putative gametophytes of E. siliculosus found just in summer and only on two host seaweeds: Chorda sp. and potentially Scytosiphon lomentaria. These studies provide first insights into the ecophysiological drivers of species distribution in sympatric Ectocarpus species. Furthermore, this research elucidates the frequency of asexual propagation in field populations, and the location and seasonality of the previously elusive gametophyte life stage of Ectocarpus siliculosus. GLOBAL ANALYSIS OF PLASTID DIVERSITY REVEALS NOVEL ALGAL LINEAGES ON CORAL REEFS Jan Janouskovec, Alex Horak, and Patrick J. Keeling. University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC. Diversity of algal species is far beyond our comprehension, but findings of new and distinct algal lineages have been increasingly rare. A notable exception to this was the recent discovery of Chromera velia, the algal sister-group of malaria and other apicomplexan pathogens, which enabled us unite the contentious origin of the malaria plastid with the equally problematic plastid of related dinoflagellates. The case of Chromera readily illustrates how novel algae can elucidate previously puzzling questions; its long-overlooked existence, however, leads to a much broader question on its own: How many deep-branching algae have we yet failed to find? Here we addressed this by systematically mining plastid sequence out of bacterial surveys on a wide range of ecosystems. Through a comprehensive phylogenetic approach we individually identified ~10000 plastid sequences the majority of which could be confidently assigned to known algal groups. The single but notable exception to this was an uprecedented diversity among apicomplexan-related plastids, which was overwhelmingly associated with coral reef environments and comprised at least six new lineages. The most abundant of these was a clade of an unknown organism closely related to apicomplexan parasites, which was tightly associated with corals in shallow depths, suggestive of a photosynthetic symbiont or parasite. This data provides first evidence for existence of new apicomplexan-related organisms, and suggests these may comprise more complex ecological roles than previously thought and have important impact on our understanding of coral symbiosis, plastid evolution and origins of parasitism in apicomplexans.

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DYNAMIC MATERIAL PROPERTIES OF AN ARTICULATED CORALLINE DURING REPETITIVE LOADING IN THE INTERTIDAL Kyra Janot and Patrick T Martone. Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC.

Organisms in the intertidal zone must contend with high drag forces during periods of exposure to high velocity waves. Sessile organisms can reduce these forces by remaining small or exhibiting a streamlined shape; this is achieved by flexible algae when they reconfigure branches and blades in flow. Unlike fleshy algae, articulated corallines are flexible only at discrete, uncalcified joints, which are spaced at regular intervals along the otherwise calcified thallus. This innovation of joints, called genicula, has likely been integral to the success of articulated corallines in the intertidal. Given this, the material properties of genicular tissue should reflect some selection for dealing with repetitive wave action. Segments of Calliarthron tuberculosum were subjected to cyclical loading and unloading using an Instron tensometer, and stiffness and semi-permanent deformation were compared between the first and second cycles at three different levels of maximum strain. Semi-permanent deformation increased with an increase in maximum strain, but did not increase with further cycling to the same strain. Stiffness increased after the first cycle for segments pulled to a low maximum strain, but decreased after the first cycle for segments pulled to higher maximum strains. Articulated corallines may benefit from limiting deformation when hit with smaller waves, while yielding to a lower genicular stiffness when hit with larger waves. If these algae take time to recover from deformation, yielding too often might limit their capability to stay erect during low tides. However, a decrease in stiffness may result in more lengthening of genicula, which may facilitate further bending and increased flexibility during high tides.

THE BIOGEOGRAPHY OF SEAWEED SPECIATION IN THE NORTHEAST PACIFIC

Sandra Lindstrom. Department of Botany and Beaty Biodiversity Research Centre and Museum, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC.

The northeast Pacific region from California to the Aleutian Islands harbors one of the most diverse cool temperate marine biotas in the world despite episodic glaciation through the Pleistocene from Puget Sound north and west to the Aleutian Islands. Despite this diversity, there is no consensus on nearshore marine biogeographic provinces or patterns in this region. Results of recent molecular studies of seaweeds in this region suggest that (1) some species of seaweed are endemic to the Monterey Peninsula, California, (2) Cape Mendocino, California, provides a natural barrier to the distribution of high intertidal and possibly other species of seaweeds, (3) the eastern end of the Strait of Juan de Fuca on southern Vancouver Island also provides a barrier to genotype homogenization, (4) the northern Gulf of Alaska is a geographic endpoint for both eastern and western distributions of species, some previously thought to be more widely distributed, as well as an area with its own endemic species, and (5) the Aleutian Islands offer examples of (a) stepping-stone distribution of species between the eastern and western Pacific, (b) relictual populations and species, and (c) recent speciation. Examples will be presented of species or clades of seaweeds supporting these patterns.

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CULTURE-BASED STUDIES ON THE BIODIVERSITY OF CARBONATE-BORING ALGAE AND CYANOBACTERIA: THE IDENTITY OF PLECTONEMA TEREBRANS (OSCILLATORIALES, CYANOBACTERIA). Charles J. O’Kelly, Geneva J. Mottet, Angela R. Little, and Robin Kodner. Friday Harbor Laboratories, University of Washington, Friday Harbor, WA. Carbonate-boring oscillatorioid cyanobacteria are ubiquitous in modern oceans, have a fossil history that dates to the early Paleozoic, and play a significant role in global carbon cycling and related processes. Most reports have assigned these cyanobacteria to one species, Plectonema terebrans. However, recent results from molecular inventories of field-collected samples suggest that this “one” may be many, and as Scolecia filosa (the ichnospecies name for boreholes thought to be made by P. terebrans) is used to infer the bathymetry and climate of ancient carbonate reefs, knowledge of the biodiversity responsible for this trace is important. No culture-based studies exist on these organisms. We obtained pink oscillatorioid cyanobacteria from carbonates at two temperate-zone locations, the Salish Sea and Massachusetts Bay. Nine of the eleven cultures that we obtained bored into calcium carbonate in the laboratory. Casts of the boreholes from these cultures were identical with those in field-collected samples. Cell dimensions of cultured strains were slightly larger than those originally reported for P. terebrans, but otherwise the morphology of the strains was comparable with the protologue. In phylogenetic trees (partial 16s rRNA gene), the nine strains formed a clade, distinct both from sequences of cultures assigned to P. terebrans and from GenBank sequences obtained from field-collected samples. The two non-boring cultures differed from the rest both in morphology and in gene sequence. We think that our carbonate-boring cultures are representative of authentic P. terebrans. We predict that pink oscillatorioid cyanobacteria from subtidal carbonates elsewhere will belong to this clade. STUCK IN THE MUD: AN INVESTIGATION OF THE FORMATION OF A DWARF, MUD-EMBEDDED FORM OF FUCUS DISTICHUS IN BAMFIELD INLET, B.C. Carolyn Prentice and Patrick T. Martone. Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC Fucus distichus is a brown alga that is morphologically plasticity. On rocky shores, F. distichus is typically long and strap-like, with swollen, reproductive tips (receptacles) and a holdfast for attachment. A considerably smaller, mud-embedded morphology, which lacks both receptacles and a holdfast, exists in estuaries and salt marshes. Although this dwarf form was once thought to be a separate species, recent DNA barcoding has shown that F. distichus is morphologically plastic. However, the mechanism responsible for the formation of dwarf F. distichus populations is still unclear. One hypothesis is that dislodged fragments of typical F. distichus individuals drift into an estuary, where they become entangled in vegetation and become embedded in mud. Gradually, these fragments change into the dwarf form. In this study, I wanted to determine if this hypothesis could explain the formation of dwarf F. distichus populations in Bamfield Inlet, B.C. First, I conducted transplants in an attempt to induce the formation of the dwarf, mud-embedded F. distichus morphology in the field. I also carried out a lab experiment to investigate the role that salinity and substrate-type play in these morphological changes. My results suggest

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that salinity may not be as influential in the formation of dwarf F. distichus populations as originally thought and that other factors may be responsible for these morphological changes. Further, dwarf F. distichus populations may actually arise from another attached form of F. distichus that can be found on small rocks within my study site, rather than the individuals I transplanted from a more exposed, higher salinity rocky shore. BIOMECHANICAL COST OF BRANCHING IN WAVE-SWEPT FLEXIBLE MACROALGAE Sam Starko, Barry Claman and Patrick T. Martone. Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC Drag forces imposed by harsh water or wind conditions can greatly affect survivorship of sessile organisms. Adaptations for surviving these conditions include reducing the magnitude of the forces experienced and increasing resistance to impact forces. The morphological diversity of macroalgae and extreme flow conditions of their coastal habitat makes them a particularly interesting case study of flow-induced forces on the evolution of plants. We used computer-manufactured synthetic seaweed fronds of 4 representative shapes to isolate the effect of morphology on drag, removing confounding factors associated with live-specimen testing. Free-attachment of the synthetic fronds allowed for isolation of the effects of compaction-type reconfiguration of the thalli, removing effects of gross reconfiguration from bending at the stipes. Branched morphologies consistently experienced greater drag forces than blade-like morphologies, regardless of material stiffness. Stiffness, however, was found to have an effect on reconfiguration only in branched morphologies, suggesting hydrodynamic advantages to blade-like morphologies. A meta-analysis revealed that, in order to compensate for their hydrodynamic disadvantage, branched seaweeds have evolved greater attachment strengths. POSTERS IMPORTANCE OF HERBIVORE PRESENCE IN UNDERSTANDING THE IMPACTS OF OCEAN ACIDIFICATION ON TIDEPOOL ALGAL COMMUNITIES Kathryn M. Anderson and Christopher D.G. Harley. Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC. Although the number of studies done each year looking at the impacts of ocean acidification on marine organisms has increased dramatically over the last 5 years, studies on the impacts of ocean acidification continue to be primarily lab based and focused on the physiology and performance of individual organisms, mostly calcifying invertebrates. It is important that we begin to look at the broader impacts of ocean acidification in realistic assemblages of interacting species and whenever possible conduct such research in situ. Many species of marine macroalgae experience elevated growth rates in water that has been acidified by the addition of CO2; however the degree to which this carbon addition affects an alga’s productivity varies across taxa with potentially large consequences in interspecific competition and species diversity. Using tidepools in situ, I simultaneously manipulated pCO2 and herbivore access to see if the top down control herbivores often express on natural macroalgal communities may help alleviate the

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changes in community structure caused by ocean acidification. Initial data indicates that there is an increase in species richness in response to increased pCO2, but that this change is not seen in the presence of herbivores. Such initial findings help demonstrate the importance of context and realism when attempting to understand and predict the impacts of climate change. PHYTO’PEDIA: THE PHYTOPLANKTON ENCYCLOPAEDIA OF THE NORTHEAST PACIFIC David Cassis1, Sam Huang2, Tara Ivanochko1, Jongmun Kim3, Ben Moore-Maley1, Gladys Oka1, Aden Sheikh1, Jade Shiller1. 1Department of Earth and Ocean Sciences, 2Department of Biology, 3Curriculum & Pedagogy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC. A web-based encyclopaedia of Northeast Pacific microphytoplankton has been developed using light microscopy and high quality digital imaging tools. This student-developed online resource was based on a year of samples collected at Jericho Pier, Vancouver, twice a week. It includes complete ecological and taxonomical profiles of the most common phytoplankton species, taxonomic keys for local diatoms and dinoflagellates, an at-a-glance photo-identification guide, a thorough embedded glossary, as well as high resolution “virtual slides” of seasonal assemblages. This information compendium will enhance the teaching and learning opportunities in UBC’s Department of Earth and Ocean Sciences (EOSC) courses. It was specifically designed for EOSC 442: Climate Measurement and Analysis, a new course for the Combined Majors in Science program, designed to teach students how to develop local time series of environmental variables based on oceanographic and atmospheric field measurements. The online encyclopaedia will familiarize students with our local plankton and therefore enable them to make the critical step to evaluating time-series samples as indicators of environmental change. The completed encyclopaedia will be made available to other courses in Earth and Ocean Sciences, Botany, and Zoology as well as the Beaty Biodiversity Museum. The online encyclopaedia is funded by UBC’s EOSC Department and the Teaching and Learning Enhancement Fund (TLEF). THE BENEFITS OF AN INVASIVE SPECIES: A CASE STUDY WITH THE RED SEAWEED GRACILARIA VERMICULOPHYLLA Nicole M. Kollars1, Jeb E. Byers2, and Erik E. Sotka1.1Grice Marine Laboratory, College of Charleston, Charleston, SC. 2Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA. Though potentially threatening to local economies, species invasions provide scientists unique opportunities to understand the function of communities and ecosystems. Gracilaria vermiculophylla is a red seaweed native to East Asia and invasive to much of the northern hemisphere. While the alga’s entanglement in gear is an annoyance to shrimp and crab fishermen, Gracilaria may be an example of an invasive whose presence in an introduced habitat has a positive ecological effect. On the estuarine mudflats of the southeastern US, the native decorator worm Diopatra cuprea (Onuphidae; Polychaeta) attaches Gracilaria drift fragments to its tube and thus provides an anchor for the algae onto an otherwise unsuitable substrate. Though Diopatra is known to be herbivorous, preliminary feeding assays suggest the polychaete does not prefer to consume the invasive alga. Instead, we propose that Diopatra is farming these seaweeds to feed on the epifaunal community (amphipods, crabs and gastropods) the algae attract. By

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providing a consistent food source, Gracilaria may be increasing the fitness of a native species considered to be an ecosystem engineer and consequently the invasive may have a positive impact on these mudflat ecosystems. We are also using G. vermiculophylla- specific microsatellites to document the alga’s invasion history. We generated a microsatellite library using 454 next-generation sequencing technology and loci are currently being screened for polymorphism. The results of these combined efforts will provide the scientific community with insights into invasion biology and the evolutionary ecology of biotic associations. CULTURE-BASED STUDIES ON THE BIODIVERSITY OF CARBONATE-BORING ALGAE AND CYANOBACTERIA: THE CULTURE COLLECTION. Charles J. O’Kelly and Geneva J. Mottet. Friday Harbor Laboratories, University of Washington, Friday Harbor, WA. As the role of carbonate-boring algae and cyanobacteria in tropical reef ecosystems becomes both better understood and of greater concern in the contexts of anthropogenic global warming and ocean acidification, it becomes more important to understand the biodiversity of the algae and the contributions made by individual species to reef productivity and reef dissolution rates. Here, we report the current status of our library of carbonate-boring algal and cyanobacterial strains, isolated predominantly from the tropical waters of Hawai`i and the cold-temperate waters of Washington and Massachusetts. As of March 2012, the collection contains 355 strains, including 60 cyanobacteria (genera Hyella, Mastigocoleus, Plectonema), 208 chlorophytes (genera Dilabifilum, Eugomontia, Gomontia, Monostroma, Ostreobium, Phaeophila, Ruthnielsenia, Ulvella), and 87 rhodophytes (“Porphyra” assemblage: genera Bangia, Pyropia, Wildemania). We assess strains for their ability to bore into calcareous substrata and, to a limited degree, for their temperature tolerance, and we prepare casts for direct comparison of boreholes with ichnotaxa (trace fossil taxa) from the literature. We also obtain “barcode” DNA sequences from selected strains. From morphological, physiological, and molecular data, we infer that the global biodiversity of carbonate-boring algae and cyanobacteria is significantly greater than previously recognized, and that all species are not globally distributed as is commonly assumed for many taxa. Biodiversity appears to be particularly high among organisms assigned to the genera Hyella, Ostreobium, Phaeophila, and Plectonema, as well as the “Porphyra” assemblage. For some of these genera, the common practice of referring all or most collections to a single species has been falsified; the actual number of entities (putative species) documented may be in the tens or even (for Ostreobium) in the hundreds. Algae here assigned to Dilabifilum, collected from upper-intertidal barnacles at various Salish Sea and Vancouver Island locations, are seldom reported in either the phycological or geological literature, and may represent new taxa.

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ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION TEACHING STUDENTS ABOUT MACROALGAE Annette Olson. Oregon State University The challenges of teaching about the macroalgae can vary widely with the goals of the educator, the educational setting, and the preparation of the students or audience. In an academic setting, students may be exposed to the macroalgae at various levels—in an introductory biology or botany course, in a field course (e.g., marine biology or Zoo Bots), or in a full-term course dedicated to the macroalgae. For the lay public, education may be in the field (e.g., beach naturalist or beach-watcher programs), in an aquarium or museum, or at a web-site. The training of field crews in algal identification poses other challenges. This roundtable discussion will be an opportunity for educators with diverse academic and interpretive experiences to explore the challenges of teaching about macroalgae in various settings, and to share the approaches they have found useful (or not) in engaging their audience(s) and enhancing knowledge and skills related to the macroalgae. To contribute in advance to this discussion, please send examples describing teaching challenges and/or successful approaches to Annette at lottia@comcast.net. PET ALGAE WORKSHOP Ellie Duffield. Algal and Fungal UWCC, Biology Department, University of Washington, Seattle, WA. After giving a brief history of pet algae making, I will show you how to make and maintain a pet alga: easy feeding and caring instructions and the best algae for pets. Then you will have the opportunity to create your own beautiful pet! All algal pet making supplies provided for up to 50 pets. A minimum $10 donation to NWAS for each pet alga is requested. One pet per person.