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Publication Date
2022-05-09
First Advisor
Laura A. Katz
Document Type
Honors Project
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts
Department
Biological Sciences
Keywords
Tide pools, algae, macroalgae, foraminifera, SAR, forams, rocky intertidal, ecology, biodiversity, molecular tools
Abstract
Foraminifera are part of a major group of diverse and important eukaryotes called SAR. Foraminifera hold important roles in marine environments making them good bioindicators and organisms worth studying. Foraminifera inhabit a variety of environments including tide pools where they interact with algae, yet there is not much known about foraminiferal communities on macroalgae in tide pools. Previous studies on epiphytic microbial communities have been morphology based or have not specifically looked at foraminifera. Similarly, of the few molecular studies investigating micro-eukaryotic diversity in tide pools, none have focused on foraminifera. This pilot study uses molecular methods to explore foraminiferal diversity on macroalgae in tide pools in Acadia National Park in Maine. The results of this study show that molecular tools can successfully characterize foraminiferal diversity on macroalgae in tide pools, that foraminiferal communities vary across algae species from different tide pools, and that macroalgae in tide pools host a wide variety of foraminiferal species. The implications of this study help us to better understand microbial biodiversity in extreme environments, specifically tide pools, which is especially important in the midst of climate change.
Rights
©2022 Rebecca Harrigan. Access limited to the Smith College community and other researchers while on campus. Smith College community members also may access from off-campus using a Smith College log-in. Other off-campus researchers may request a copy through Interlibrary Loan for personal use.
Language
English
Recommended Citation
Harrigan, Rebecca, "Macroalgal-Associated Foraminifera in Tide Pools" (2022). Honors Project, Smith College, Northampton, MA.
https://scholarworks.smith.edu/theses/2441
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