Page 11 - Caribbean Reef Life Demo

Sargassum is a uni ue group of plants, kept upright by air- lled oats that allow them to grow closer to the sunlight. Some are attached to the reef year-round but most of it lives free- oating on the surface. Large dense mats of sargassum can be blown across reeftops and bring a whole complex biosphere with them, contributing to the biodiversity of a local reef. Many juvenile sh species and even baby turtles use sargassum as a safe haven until they are large enough to fend for themselves.
Other species of sh and invertebrates have evolved to make this oating raft a permanent home. The Sargassum sh on the right is a perfect example. It is in the frog sh family, relying on stealth and camou age to hunt for both the juvenile visitors and the local residents of sargassum mats. There are also shrimps, crabs and even a species of pipe sh p. 291 and a nudibranch p. 179 that are found nowhere else in the Caribbean.
The bulk of free- oating sargassum originates in the ulf of Mexico, which produces over a million tons a year. It reproduces asexually, by fragmentation, as it moves around the Caribbean, though each individual plant has a life span of less than a year. It has recently become much more prevalent and problematic, possibly due to increased nutrients from agricultural runoff and higher sea temperatures. The hydrogen sulphide released from decaying sargassum is becoming a nuisance to tourist areas.
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