Application of toxic agents in the study of the ecological resistance of intertidal red algae

Abstract

Biebl (1939a, b) has found that algae from various ecological groups show marked differences in their resistance to changes in the temperature of the surrounding sea water. He regards this temperature effect as an important factor influencing the distribution of different intertidal algae and points out that a change of only 2° C may prove critical with certain species. One of us (A.D.B.) has studied the resistance of sporelings of various common inter-tidal red algae to changes in environmental temperature and has obtained results similar to those of Biebl.