UK Fungi

Marine Fungi

Forums › Forums › Fungi on miscellaneous substrates (not soil or wood) › Marine Fungi

  • This topic is empty.
Viewing 14 posts - 1 through 14 (of 14 total)
  • Author
    Posts
  • March 17, 2016 at 9:19 pm #30150
    Chris Yeates

      As most of us know fungi have exploited virtually all the possible biotopes – Hormoconis resinae the fungus which can live in aeroplane fuel tanks threatened the Concorde project 😯

      So there are plenty of fungi associated with the marine environment, from shoreline sand-dunes to the open sea. My old Yorkshire mycological mate Jerry Cooper (now doing excellent work in New Zealand) sums up the situation extremely well here: http://www.funnz.org.nz/sites/default/files/MycNotes6-MarineFungi.pdf” class=”bbcode_url”>http://www.funnz.org.nz/sites/default/files/MycNotes6-MarineFungi.pdf.

      A Northern Hemisphere equivalent to his Stigmidium apophlaeae is Stigmidium (formerly Mycosphaerella) ascophylli. Every time I have picked up a piece of knotted wrack Ascophyllum nodosum bearing receptacles the fungus is there; it is also found on channelled wrack Pelvetia canaliculata, though I have yet to look for it on that, similarly common, seaweed. More info is available here: http://www.lichens.lastdragon.org/faq/whatisalichen.html” class=”bbcode_url”>http://www.lichens.lastdragon.org/faq/whatisalichen.html (towards the bottom of the webpage).

      Here is a recent collection (a bit too early for mature ascospores to have formed, though they do tend to be expelled as soon as they ripen and so are easily missed. Next time you’re at the seaside have a (close) look for it – those tiny black dots are the perithecia. This has been recorded for Dorset Jenny – in fact I think that Cotton’s type collection may well have been from there . . .

      Chris

      Stigmidium ascophylli 1.jpg

      [attachment=0]Stigmidium ascophylli 1.jpg[/attachment]

      March 18, 2016 at 9:24 am #38202
      Chris Johnson

        Hi Chris

        Thanks for posting this interesting subject area. Living so close to the sea, I have spent some time looking at seaweeds and coastal flora but have not been too successful in finding fungi on seaweed; in fact, just two species of plurivorous Cladosporium. It helps to know what to look for and on what.

        Not found much literature on seaweed fungi but there is a useful section in Fungi by Spooner and Roberts.

        Regards, Chris

        March 19, 2016 at 8:33 pm #38203
        Chris Yeates

          Chris Johnson wrote:

          Hi Chris . . .

          Not found much literature on seaweed fungi but there is a useful section in Fungi by Spooner and Roberts.

          Regards, Chris


          Hi

          regarding marine fungi in general – check your email ;-)

          March 20, 2016 at 7:46 am #38204
          Chris Johnson

            Many thanks, Chris … have replied to your email.

            April 28, 2016 at 11:30 am #38205
            gary
            Participant

              Thanks for the info on Marine fungi. Luckily I read it before going on a Seaweed walk with the Aberystwyth Botanical society and Helen Marshall last Sunday.(in Aberystwyth on the rocks next to the pier)

              Found Stigmidium on every bit of Ascophyllum that I looked at but not on Pelvetia

              I’ve attached 2 pics taken with my cheapo digital microscope.

              I hope this all works as it’s my first post here.

              April 29, 2016 at 6:40 pm #38206
              Chris Yeates

                gary wrote:

                Thanks for the info on Marine fungi. Luckily I read it before going on a Seaweed walk with the Aberystwyth Botanical society and Helen Marshall last Sunday.(in Aberystwyth on the rocks next to the pier)

                Found Stigmidium on every bit of Ascophyllum that I looked at but not on Pelvetia

                I’ve attached 2 pics taken with my cheapo digital microscope.

                I hope this all works as it’s my first post here.


                Nice one

                pics are fine; it is truly amazing how this is ever-present on Ascophyllum – even tar-spot cannot be guaranteed on every sycamore . . . Was Helen M. aware of it? First Cardiganshire records for half a century (those previous again from Aberystwyth.

                cheers

                Chris

                May 3, 2016 at 10:55 am #38207
                gary
                Participant

                  Helen M wasn’t aware of it but she is now!

                  I passed the information on to friends around Wales to see if anybody else had come across it .

                  Now a few more people are looking so it will be interesting to see what turns up. I suspect that the fungus has always been there but nobody’s looked for it.

                  Arthur sent me some more pictures which I’ve attached, showing asci and ascospores dissected out of the perithecium.

                  You mention a 50 year old record in Aberystwyth but is there a distribution map on-line anywhere?

                  May 3, 2016 at 11:38 pm #38208
                  Chris Yeates

                    gary wrote:


                    You mention a 50 year old record in Aberystwyth but is there a distribution map on-line anywhere?


                    https://data.nbn.org.uk/Taxa/NBNSYS0000016382/Grid_Map” class=”bbcode_url”>https://data.nbn.org.uk/Taxa/NBNSYS0000016382/Grid_Map but for some reason the NBN Gateway doesn’t always pick up grid ref’s from the FRDBI records – http://www.fieldmycology.net/FRDBI/FRDBIrecord.asp?intGBNum=42505” class=”bbcode_url”>http://www.fieldmycology.net/FRDBI/FRDBIrecord.asp?intGBNum=42505 so it’s always worth cross-referencing . . . that said I suspect that the actual distribution will be rather like: https://data.nbn.org.uk/Taxa/NHMSYS0021058637/Grid_Map” class=”bbcode_url”>https://data.nbn.org.uk/Taxa/NHMSYS0021058637/Grid_Map :)

                    best

                    Chris

                    May 28, 2016 at 9:52 pm #38209
                    Chris Yeates

                      Yes I finally found mature asci and ascospores next time I looked – I suspect there is a narrow window, possibly tying in with the reproductive cycle

                      of the host seaweed.

                      Stigmidium ascophylli_.jpg

                      [attachment=0]Stigmidium ascophylli_.jpg[/attachment]
                      Chris

                      June 2, 2016 at 7:35 am #38210
                      gary
                      Participant

                        I’m sure you’re right about the distribution and that it’s common but under-recorded.

                        I mentioned it to Brian Douglas at Kew ,LAFF and he kindly mentions it (and your thread) in his monthly report.

                        http://fungi.myspecies.info/content/project-report-march-april-2016

                        I will try and remember to have a look for it out of season.

                        June 2, 2016 at 11:50 am #38211
                        pyrenopeziza

                          Hi Chris and Gary,

                          In case you’re interested, I did get some feedback from a couple of people after mentioning Stigmidium ascophylli in the Lost and Found Fungi Project update.

                          Malcolm Storey has found it on every bit of piece of Ascophyllum that he’s looked at, but hasn’t recorded it. His BioImages record is from Dorset.

                          Paul Gainey went and found it immediately in a couple of places around Cornwall.

                          I also spotted something which almost certainly was that (macroscopic ID only I’m afraid) near Pembroke while on holiday last month.

                          I guess the challenge may be to find some Ascophyllum which isn’t infected…

                          Cheers,

                          Brian

                          August 17, 2016 at 4:10 pm #38212
                          Chris Johnson

                            pyrenopeziza wrote:


                            I guess the challenge may be to find some Ascophyllum which isn’t infected…

                            I win the challenge. Since this thread was aired I have looked at dozens of mature specimens of Ascophyllum nodosum and not until I found myself in a remote bay on Harris, looking for a Lost and Found fungus, did I find a miserable collection.

                            A different story this week. I noticed some maturing Pelvetia canaliculata and took a closer look. The receptacles were covered in the pseudothecia :D

                            Chris

                            August 17, 2016 at 7:34 pm #38213
                            Chris Yeates

                              Excellent stuff – nice photo’s

                              cheers

                              Chris

                              October 2, 2021 at 8:51 am #38214
                              gary
                              Participant

                                Came across this after thinking about marine fungi again (probably because it’s UK fungus day and raining)

                                https://www.e-algae.org/journal/view.php?number=2438

                                As always it’s a bit more complicated than it first appears.a 3 way split.

                                Also I’m wondering how Hormoconis resinae is getting on with this petrol shortage.

                                Gary

                              • Author
                                Posts
                              Viewing 14 posts - 1 through 14 (of 14 total)
                              • You must be logged in to reply to this topic.