Restoration Objective:
The aim of this study was to determine whether short stipe sporophytes of E. cava growing in warm waters in southern Japan become long stipe sporophytes after transplantation to a locality with lower temperature conditions for 2 years. The growth pattern of E. cava was also studied by monitoring the transplanted sporophytes.
Cause Of Decline:
Ecklonia cava is a large perennial kelp and forms a dense forest along the coast from central to southern Japan. The kelp forest plays an important role as nursery and breeding space for commercial fish, shellfish and other animals, and has high productivity. Recently, it has been reported that marine plant communities, including kelp forests, have disappeared or diminished along the Japanese coast. As an extreme example, 180 ha of E. cava forest disappeared in Tosa Bay, resulting in a collapse of the abalone fishery.
Key Reasons For Decline:
Multiple
Scientific Paper
Growth of Ecklonia cava (Laminariales, Phaeophyta) sporophytes transplanted to a locality with different temperature conditions
Phycological Research, Vol. 50.
https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1440-1835.2002.00274.x
