Investigação em comunidades dominadas por macroalgas: situação actual, aplicações e desenvolvimentos futuros

Abstract

Shallow water rocky coasts in the Azores are conspicuously macroalgae. These are amongst the most important and productive Azorean littoral communities. Both the algae and their associated invertebrates and fish have traditionally been exploited for a diverse range of anthropogenic uses. In the present study, a synthetic overview of the phycological research done in the archipelago is provided, highlighting some of the most important findings. This study spans a wide number of issues including: (i) the historical knowledge of the Azorean macroalgal flora, (ii) its biogeographic affinities, (iii) main macroalgal communities, (iv) macroalgal/herbivore dynamics, (v) macroalgae as bio-indicators of water quality and (vi) biotechnological uses of algae. Avenues for future research in the Azores are suggested.