Changes in benthic community structure and sediment characteristics after natural recolonisation of the seagrass Zostera muelleri.

Macrofauna are important contributors to estuarine ecosystem services within and outside of seagrass beds. Here we documented the natural recolonisation of a temperate seagrass (Zostera muelleri) community over 15 years in an urban estuary (Waitemata Harbour, North Island, New Zealand). We also investigated the change in macrofaunal communities in relation to seagrass cover over time, from transition from bare sandflat to seagrass.

Isolation and characterization of microsatellites in the lichen Buellia frigida (Physciaceae), an Antarctic endemic.

Premise Of The Study: Microsatellite markers were characterized for an Antarctic endemic, Buellia frigida, to investigate population structure and origin of Antarctic lichens.

Methods And Results: Five primer sets were characterized. All loci were polymorphic with eight to 16 alleles per locus in a sample of 59 lichens.