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Experimental Harvests of Five Species of Macroalgae Along the Oregon Coast
Author(s) -
Young J. J.,
Herczeg B. A.,
Shapiro L.P.
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
journal of phycology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.85
H-Index - 127
eISSN - 1529-8817
pISSN - 0022-3646
DOI - 10.1111/j.0022-3646.2003.03906002_182.x
Subject(s) - biology , transect , growing season , biomass (ecology) , resource (disambiguation) , fishery , ecology , computer network , computer science
Macroalgae are the basis of a major global industry. Their nutritional and chemical values have brought strong economic pressure for commercial harvest permits to the State of Oregon, USA. Historically, Oregon has denied these requests because of a lack of understanding of harvest effects on the resource. Three species of phaeophytes ( Laminaria setchellii, Alaria marginata, Fucus gardneri ) and two rhodophytes ( Mastocarpus papillatus, Mazzaella splendens ) were subjected to various treatments to determine their ability to recover from harvest. Three year experiments were designed to compare the effects of harvesting during different seasons, different amounts, and different methods. Permanent transects and plots were placed in three study sites along the Oregon coast. Here we present the results from the first growing season. Only A. marginata was found to regain pre‐harvest biomass within one growing season; all species will be monitored for regrowth and resettlement for the next two growing seasons to provide a basis for the management of the potential economic resource.