BIOLOGY OF SEAWEEDS OF ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE
125
3. U.S.S.R.
Data on the standing crops of brown and red algae in the Russian
seas have been supplied by Zenkevitch (1963). Thus, for the Murman
coast of the Barents Sea standing crops of Laminaria sp. are estimated
at between 500-600 000 tons fresh weight, and for the White Sea up to
800000 tons. The density of the Laminaria cover appears greatest
down to 10m (32.8 ft). The Sea of Japan is rich in economically
important brown seaweeds (Laminaria japonica, L. dentigera, Alaria
crassifolia), whereas certain of the water masses are poor in their algal
populations (Kara Sea, Laptev Sea, Chutotsk Sea, Sea of AZOV, Caspian
Sea, Aral Sea). In the Baltic Sea there is a progressive impoverishment
of the flora with lowering of salinity. Estimates of the rockweed
populations have also been given. On the west Murman coast of the
Barents Sea the average standing crops of Ascophyllum nodosum and
Fucus vesiculosus were 16 and 9.4 kg/m2 respectively, whereas for the
White Sea the quantities varied between 8-9 and 15-16 kg/m2 for
Ascophyllum and 2-4 and 8-9 kg/m2 for Fucus vesiculosus.
The most important of the red algae is the species of Phylbphora
forming the " Zernov (Zernova) Phyllophora Sea " in the Black Sea.
This plant mass is thought to have originated from detached fragments
of littoral plants, and to have been maintained by vegetative growth.
Zenkevitch (1963) places the standing crop at 5-6 000 000 tons fresh
weight, with densities varying between 1-7-1 3 kg/m3. The predominant
species, according to Zenkevitch, is Phyllophora rubens var. nervosa.
Vinogradov (1962) gives a similar estimate for the standing crop, and
states that the area of seabed covered is 10 000-11 000 km2, and
that three species (Phyllophora nervosa, P. brodiaei and P. membranifolia) are present. The " field " is situated in the north-west part of the
Black Sea, and according to Vinogradov there are changes in its boundaries due to strong currents near the sea bed. The water temperature
in the algal mass was 4-5°C higher than that of the rest of the sea.
According to Zenkevitch, the Phyllophora beds lie at depths between
30-60 m. Yakubova (quoted by Caspers, 1957) placed the depths at
40-65 m, and considered that they were displaced southward compared
with the original plotting by Zernov. Smaller quantities of Phyllophora
(29 kg/m2) are reported at depths of 6-22 m off the Murman comt of the
White Sea. Harvestable areas of Gloiopeltis capillaris occur in the
littoral of the Sea of Japan.
4. Australia and New Zealand
The standing crop of Macrocystis pyrifera on the east coast of
Tasmania has been estimated as 355 000 tons fresh weight, covering an
125
3. U.S.S.R.
Data on the standing crops of brown and red algae in the Russian
seas have been supplied by Zenkevitch (1963). Thus, for the Murman
coast of the Barents Sea standing crops of Laminaria sp. are estimated
at between 500-600 000 tons fresh weight, and for the White Sea up to
800000 tons. The density of the Laminaria cover appears greatest
down to 10m (32.8 ft). The Sea of Japan is rich in economically
important brown seaweeds (Laminaria japonica, L. dentigera, Alaria
crassifolia), whereas certain of the water masses are poor in their algal
populations (Kara Sea, Laptev Sea, Chutotsk Sea, Sea of AZOV, Caspian
Sea, Aral Sea). In the Baltic Sea there is a progressive impoverishment
of the flora with lowering of salinity. Estimates of the rockweed
populations have also been given. On the west Murman coast of the
Barents Sea the average standing crops of Ascophyllum nodosum and
Fucus vesiculosus were 16 and 9.4 kg/m2 respectively, whereas for the
White Sea the quantities varied between 8-9 and 15-16 kg/m2 for
Ascophyllum and 2-4 and 8-9 kg/m2 for Fucus vesiculosus.
The most important of the red algae is the species of Phylbphora
forming the " Zernov (Zernova) Phyllophora Sea " in the Black Sea.
This plant mass is thought to have originated from detached fragments
of littoral plants, and to have been maintained by vegetative growth.
Zenkevitch (1963) places the standing crop at 5-6 000 000 tons fresh
weight, with densities varying between 1-7-1 3 kg/m3. The predominant
species, according to Zenkevitch, is Phyllophora rubens var. nervosa.
Vinogradov (1962) gives a similar estimate for the standing crop, and
states that the area of seabed covered is 10 000-11 000 km2, and
that three species (Phyllophora nervosa, P. brodiaei and P. membranifolia) are present. The " field " is situated in the north-west part of the
Black Sea, and according to Vinogradov there are changes in its boundaries due to strong currents near the sea bed. The water temperature
in the algal mass was 4-5°C higher than that of the rest of the sea.
According to Zenkevitch, the Phyllophora beds lie at depths between
30-60 m. Yakubova (quoted by Caspers, 1957) placed the depths at
40-65 m, and considered that they were displaced southward compared
with the original plotting by Zernov. Smaller quantities of Phyllophora
(29 kg/m2) are reported at depths of 6-22 m off the Murman comt of the
White Sea. Harvestable areas of Gloiopeltis capillaris occur in the
littoral of the Sea of Japan.
4. Australia and New Zealand
The standing crop of Macrocystis pyrifera on the east coast of
Tasmania has been estimated as 355 000 tons fresh weight, covering an