Despite historical references to the contrary, recent study of Panamanian seaweed diversity has revealed a marine flora rich in species, including species new to science and species that may represent sources of important natural compounds. This project will elucidate patterns of seaweed diversity through intensive SCUBA-based field surveys in the Caribbean Sea and eastern tropical Pacific, live culture of field-collected specimens, and comparisons of seaweed DNA. The work will result in the establishment of a baseline of seaweed diversity upon which environmental change can be assessed, and upon which evolutionary hypotheses can be tested. Specifically, a strategy is outlined to explain why algal species composition on Caribbean and Pacific coasts of Central America is so similar, in comparison to the general pattern of zoological diversity in which distinct (though closely related) species inhabit opposite coasts.
A major initiative of this project is to establish a collaborative of seaweed scientists in southern Central America that will promote long-term study of seaweed evolution and biogeography. Over 40 students and scientists (from universities in Panama, Costa Rica, El Salvador, and Colombia, the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, and collaborating American Institutions) will receive training in seaweed identification, molecular systematics and seaweed culturing as part of this research, or through taxonomic workshops. The research will advance an understanding of the distribution and diversity of tropical seaweeds, as well as the biotic history of the Central American Isthmus, and culminate in a series of bi-lingual identification guides to the marine flora of Panama. The Office of International Science and Engineering is co-funding this award to help support US student participation in this international research activity.
Marine macroalgae or seaweeds are commonly misunderstood as slimy, smelly, or gross; in short, a problem to be remedied, an ailment to be treated, or a scourge to be eradicated. Seaweeds can, indeed, have negative impacts in marine ecosystems; some of them can kill coral tissue if they come into direct contact with it, and when seaweeds grow to bloom proportions, usually as a result of high nutrient concentrations, they cause problems for coastal communities that must deal with rotting seaweed and/or wade beyond suspended populations to swim. However, seaweeds should also be recognized as a source of important industrial, biomedical and nutritional compounds, and for their significant contributions to marine communities. Along with phytoplankton and sea grasses, seaweeds form the base of marine food webs and serve as habitat for commercially important fish, crustaceans and molluscs, among others. Seaweeds also provide important ecosystem services such as absorbing excess nutrients from industrial and municipal sources, as well as utilizing atmospheric carbon dioxide and producing oxygen. The seaweeds of southern Central America have received very little scientific scrutiny. Despite a long history of botanical investigation on land, not to mention long term studies of coral reef ecology throughout the region, the marine flora has remained largely unexplored. Prior to our work, visits to the isthmian region were limited to short trips in 1910 by Marshal Avery Howe, a famous botanist working on behalf of the New York Botanical Garden, and then several short visits by now famous marine explorer Sylvia Earle in the 1960s. In the late 1990s and the early 2000s, we began to realize that a rich resource of seaweed diversity was being overlooked. Based on the collective efforts of four institutions supported by this grant, we now estimate that the marine flora of Panama is comprised of over 450 Caribbean species and nearly 200 Pacific species, making it one of the richest marine floras in either the western tropical Atlantic or the eastern tropical Pacific. These species richness estimates represent a 4-fold and 2-fold increase over the last assessment made in 1972. Increases in species richness are due to the recognition of new species, as well as new distribution records. For example an estimated 11 species of small green algae were discovered in the marine flora from fouled surfaces. These species have never been reported in Panama or anywhere in southern Central America, and with one exception none has a DNA sequence match in any public repository, suggesting that these diminutive green algae are new to science. In addition, our DNA sequence data has revealed that some Caribbean species have been collected from Pacific waters. The recognition of new species and the significant range expansions warrants targeting these species in future bio-prospecting work and environmental management. In addition to the biodiversity resources identified by this project, several significant human resource developments were made. This project sought not only to characterize the marine flora, but also to identify and train a network of energetic, young scientists from throughout Central and Latin America. Four phycological training workshops, one of which was conducted in Spanish exclusively for Panamanian undergraduates, were conducted with funding directly from or leveraged by this grant. In total, training was provided for 9 post graduate, 35 graduate and 15 undergraduate students with 40 coming from 10 Latin American countries. Many of these Latin American participants also hold teaching positions at their home institutions multiplying the dividends from these workshops. Furthermore, many have continued to collaborate on research projects amongst course participants and/or with principle investigators. In addition to training through workshops, 20 undergraduate students (including 12 from under represented groups in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)) from Roger Williams University received training in the collection, preservation, and morphological and molecular characterization of tropical marine algae. Four senior theses were completed based on this work. Nearly half of the students trained with support from this grant are currently engaged in or have completed graduate programs, while the remainder are all employed in the sciences or science education, or are currently completing undergraduate studies. Lastly, 2 Central American scholars received support to collaborate on semester-long research at Roger Williams University, while three additional Panamanian students participated in field work. Of these 5 students, 3 were from under-represented groups in STEM. Other products of this project include a series of web available resources for research and teaching as well as informational posters geared towards the general public. Major specimen contributions were made to the teaching and research herbarium collections at four universities and many DNA sequences submitted to GenBank and BOLD, public databases for sequence information. We also have developed a database for Panamanian seaweeds and a template based on this database that is being used for other biodiversity studies.
