Detrimental effects of sediment on attachment, survival and growth of the brown alga Sargassum thunbergii in early life stages

SUMMARY Sediment loading by human activities has increased in recent years and sedimentation in coastal areas is problematic because it removes seaweed forests. In this study, we examined the effects of different sediment quantities (0, 2, 4, and 6 mg cm −2 ) and particles sizes (<100, 100–250, and 250–600 μm) on zygote attachment, and germling survival and growth of Sargassum thunbergii , an economically and ecologically important species....