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Durvillaea antarctica | |
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Durvillea antarctica. Washed up on Sandfly Bay, Otago, New Zealand | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Clade: | Diaphoretickes |
Clade: | SAR |
Clade: | Stramenopiles |
Phylum: | Gyrista |
Subphylum: | Ochrophytina |
Class: | Phaeophyceae |
Order: | Fucales |
Family: | Durvillaeaceae |
Genus: | Durvillaea |
Species: | D. antarctica |
Binomial name | |
Durvillaea antarctica (Chamisso) Hariot | |
Durvillaea antarctica, also known as cochayuyo and rimurapa, [1] is a large, robust species of southern bull kelp found on the coasts of Chile, southern New Zealand, and Macquarie Island. [2] [3] [4] [5] D. antarctica, an alga, does not have air bladders, but floats due to a unique honeycomb structure within the alga's blades, which also helps the kelp avoid being damaged by the strong waves. [6] [7]
The species was first described in 1822, [8] as Fucus antarcticus, and revised in 1892 as Durvillaea antarctica. [9] The genus name Durvillaea was given in memory of the French explorer Jules Dumont d'Urville, while the Latin derived epithet refers to antarctic. [10]
In 2012, a taxonomic revision led to the recognition of a new species, Durvillaea poha , based on genetic, morphological and ecological evidence, [3] which was previously recognised as the 'cape' lineage of Durvillaea antarctica. [3] [11] [12] D. poha is the only other species in the genus to share the honeycombed structure and buoyancy of D. antarctica.D. poha occurs only in southern New Zealand and on subantarctic islands (including Snares and Auckland Islands), whereas D. antarctica has a wider distribution, and is found around New Zealand, Chile and other subantarctic islands. In southern New Zealand, D. poha and D. antarctica can be found growing together, although D. poha normally grows higher up or further back on the rock platforms, or in more sheltered bays, where wave force is weaker. D. poha generally has wider fronds than D. antarctica, and can appear more 'orange' across the frond area. [3] [5] Mitochondrial introgression has been observed between the two species, where some plants in Wellington exhibited the nuclear DNA of D. poha but also mitochondrial DNA belonging to D. antarctica. [13]
Further diversity, with additional unclassified lineages have been identified within the species. [5] [12]
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The blades of Durvillaea antarctica are green to golden brown with a leathery texture. The honeycomb structure of the blade gives strength and buoyancy. [6] [7] This novel structure is thought to be responsible for the wide distribution of this genus, as the kelp is able to float when its holdfast fails. It can colonise other coastlines in this manner, and has been shown to carry communities of invertebrates across vast ocean distances from one shore to another. [14] Specimens of D. antarctica have been found to float for up to 210 days, during which time high wind speeds transport kelp rafts up to 10,000 km. [15] Environmental factors such as temperature, solar radiation and surface winds (all of which vary with latitude) affect buoyancy of rafts and their rate of travel. [15] Rafts of D. antarctica are more likely to disperse offshore if plants detach during outgoing tides during autumn and winter. [16] It is thought that this 'rafting' with Durvillaea antarctica and other floating seaweeds allowed a wide range of species to recolonise sub-Antarctic shores scoured clean by ice during the last Ice Age. [17]
The holdfast of D. antarctica is large and is very difficult to remove. D. antarctica has to resist forces equivalent to 1100 km/h on land. [18] [ clarification needed ] The holdfast failing is usually the result of worms and molluscs which feed on the tissue because of the sheltered habitat it creates. [19] It is also common for its host rock to be broken off without the holdfast losing its grip, with this contributing significantly to erosion in some areas. [2] Recruitment rates of this species is very low, therefore the ecological impact of harvesting this species is too great. [19]
Durvillaea antarctica reproduces sexually by producing egg and sperm that are released into the water. Eggs and sperm are produced on specific sites of the frond. A large individual can produce 100 million eggs in twelve hours. [19] The season when reproduction occurs varies with location, but is generally during winter months. [20] Eggs are small and disperse over short distances, and they generally require calm or moderate wave action in order to settle and successfully attach to substrates. [21]
Durvillaea antarctica has a circumpolar distribution between the latitudes of 29°S and 55°S, found in Chile, southern New Zealand, and Macquarie Island. [2] [3] [4] [5] [22] [23] [24] The type locality is Cape Horn, Chile. [6] [20]
It is found on exposed shores, especially in the northern parts of its range, and attaches itself with a strong holdfast. [2] [3]
Holdfasts of D. antarctica are often inhabited by a diverse array of epifaunal invertebrates, many of which burrow into and graze on the kelp. [25] In New Zealand, epifaunal species include the crustaceans Parawaldeckia kidderi , P. karaka [25] and Limnoria stephenseni , and the molluscs Cantharidus roseus , Onchidella marginata , [26] Onithochiton neglectus , [25] and Sypharochiton sinclairi . [27] [28] [29] The intertidal spider Desis marina also inhabits the holdfasts of D. antarctica. [30] [31]
Plants of D. antarctica can detach from substrates, particularly during storms. The kelp floats as a raft and can travel vast distances at sea, driven by ocean currents. Kelp-associated invertebrates can be transported inside of drifting holdfasts, potentially leading to long-distance dispersal and a significant impact upon the population genetic structure of those species. [26] [27] [28] [29]
Fronds of D. antarctica can be infected by an endophytic, phaeophycean algal parasite Herpodiscus durvillaeae (Lindauer) G. R. South. [32] [33] Fronds can also be infected Maullinia , a genus of intracellular, protistan parasites. [34] [35] [36] Based on genetic evidence, both H. durvillaeae and Maullinia have likely been dispersed across the Southern Hemisphere via rafting bull kelp. [33] [34] [36] [37]
Stems and holdfasts of D. antarctica and D. incurvata are harvested from the coast of Chile and is used in Chilean cuisine for various recipes, including salads and stews. [5] In Quechua the species is called: cochayuyo (cocha: lake, and yuyo: weed), and hulte. [5] The Mapuche indigenous people refer to it as collofe or kollof. [5] [38]
The expression remojar el cochayuyo (literally: to soak the cochayuyo) is used in Chilean Spanish to refer to sexual intercourse. [39] The expression derives from the fact that harvested D. antarctica is preserved by being sun-dried and then softened by soaking in a dish of water.
Along with D. poha , blades of D. antarctica are used to make traditional pōhā bags, which are used to carry and store food and fresh water, to propagate live shellfish, and to make clothing and equipment for sports. [40] [41] [42] Pōhā are especially associated with Ngāi Tahu and are often used to carry and store muttonbird (tītī) chicks. [40] [41] The species is called rimurapa in Māori. [1] [40] [41]
Kelps are large brown algae or seaweeds that make up the order Laminariales. There are about 30 different genera. Despite its appearance, kelp is not a plant but a stramenopile, a group containing many protists.
Nereocystis is a monotypic genus of subtidal kelp containing the species Nereocystis luetkeana. Some English names include edible kelp, bull kelp, bullwhip kelp, ribbon kelp, bladder wrack, and variations of these names. Due to the English name, bull kelp can be confused with southern bull kelps, which are found in the Southern Hemisphere. Nereocystis luetkeana forms thick beds on subtidal rocks, and is an important part of kelp forests.
Turakirae Head is a promontory on the southern coast of New Zealand's North Island. It is located at the western end of Palliser Bay, 20 kilometres southeast of Wellington, at the southern end of the Remutaka Range. The headland hosts a series of uplifted Holocene marine terraces and beach ridges that record uplift from past earthquakes. After each earthquake, a new terrace and beach ridge formed below the previous one at sea level. The most recent earthquake to uplift Turakirae Head was the 1855 Wairarapa earthquake, which raised the shoreline up to 6.4 m. Turakirae Head is also home to a seal colony and southern bull kelp.
A gribble /ˈgɹɪbəl/ is any of about 56 species of marine isopod from the family Limnoriidae. They are mostly pale white and small crustaceans, although Limnoria stephenseni from subantarctic waters can reach 10 mm (0.4 in).
Durvillaea is a genus of large brown algae in the monotypic family Durvillaeaceae. All members of the genus are found in the southern hemisphere, including Australia, New Zealand, South America, and various subantarctic islands. Durvillaea, commonly known as southern bull kelps, occur on rocky, wave-exposed shorelines and provide a habitat for numerous intertidal organisms. Many species exhibit a honeycomb-like structure in their fronds that provides buoyancy, which allows individuals detached from substrates to raft alive at sea, permitting dispersal for hundreds of days over thousands of kilometres. Durvillaea species have been used for clothing, tools and as a food source by many indigenous cultures throughout the South Pacific, and they continue to play a prominent role in Chilean cuisine.
Durvillaea willana is a large species of southern bull kelp endemic to New Zealand.
Onithochiton neglectus neglectus is a subspecies of chiton in the family Chitonidae.
The 1855 Wairarapa earthquake occurred on 23 January at about 9.17 p.m., affecting much of the Cook Strait area of New Zealand, including Marlborough in the South Island and Wellington and the Wairarapa in the North Island. In Wellington, close to the epicentre, shaking lasted for at least 50 seconds. The moment magnitude of the earthquake has been estimated as 8.2, the most powerful recorded in New Zealand since systematic European colonisation began in 1840. This earthquake was associated with the largest directly observed movement on a strike-slip fault, maximum 18 metres (59 ft). This was later revised upward to about 20 m (66 ft) slip, with a local peak of 8 m (26 ft) vertical displacement on lidar studies. It has been suggested that the surface rupture formed by this event helped influence Charles Lyell to link earthquakes with rapid movement on faults.
Onchidella marginata is a species of air-breathing sea slug, a shell-less marine pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Onchidiidae.
The Founder Takes All (FTA) hypothesis refers to the evolutionary advantages conferred to first-arriving lineages in an ecosystem.
Ceridwen Fraser is a biogeographer, currently serving as a Professor in the Department of Marine Science at the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand. She focuses her studies on ecology, evolution, climate change, and how they are all significant to the southern hemisphere, specifically at higher latitudes such as Antarctica.
Durvillaea poha is a large, robust species of southern bull kelp found in New Zealand.
Durvillaea amatheiae is a large, robust species of southern bull kelp found in Australia.
Durvillaea fenestrata is a large, robust species of southern bull kelp endemic to the subantarctic Antipodes Islands of New Zealand.
Durvillaea incurvata is a large, robust species of southern bull kelp endemic to Chile.
Durvillaea chathamensis is a large, robust species of southern bull kelp endemic to the Chatham Islands of New Zealand.
Durvillaea potatorum is a large, robust species of southern bull kelp found in Australia.
Pōhā are traditional Māori bags made from southern bull kelp, which are used to carry and store food and fresh water, to propagate live shellfish, and to make clothing and equipment for sports. Pōhā are especially associated with Ngāi Tahu, who have legally recognised rights for harvesting source species of kelp.
Pyrophyllon subtumens is an obligate red algal epiphyte of Durvillaea southern bull-kelp, and is endemic to New Zealand.
Maullinia is a genus of intracellular, phytomyxid parasites found across the Southern Hemisphere though primarily in Chile, The Prince Edward Islands, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand. These parasites infiltrate the cells of their brown algal hosts via cytoplasmic extensions called plasmodia that divide synchronously, becoming increasingly multi-nucleate and engulfing the host cell organelles as they grow. Eventually, as the plasmodia fill the entire cell volume, the host cells become hypertrophied and grow to 3- 4x their original size, showing up as swollen appendages or galls on the host tissue at a macroscopic level. These swollen regions will burst alongside the mature Maullinia plasmodia, releasing biflagellated zoospores to the inter- and extracellular space to disperse the infection further. Zoospores can come from sporangial plasmodia, as in M. ectocarpii, or from resting spores, as in M. braseltonii.