New Perspectives on Western Australian Seagrass and Macroalgal Biogeography

Le résumé fourni par la source

The widespread adoption of new methodologies, especially molecular techniques, has dramatically changed our understanding of how species of seagrasses and macroalgae are classified and distributed. One consequence of this new paradigm is increased uncertainty regarding biogeographic studies based on pre-molecular species records. The question “how does one delineate an individual species?” has changed and differing interpretations may alter how previous assessments are viewed. In some instances, specimens previously regarded as a single species have been shown to represent multiple genetic lineages. An extreme example is that of the red alga Portiera hornemannii , now thought to include 21 cryptic species in the Philippines alone, and possibly up to 96 species in the wider Indo-Pacific. Reworking and reclassification of species based on DNA analyses have sunk many species into one, or combined or reorganized genera. These changes in taxonomic concepts have implications for conservation and biogeographical assessments, but our understanding of many groups is still in its infancy and requires further work. In order to address these mounting challenges, significant investment and a commitment to taxonomic research will be required in the coming decades.

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