Konar and Iken collected several rhodolith specimens and sent them to Rafael Riosmena-Rodriguez, an internationally recognized marine taxonomist who specializes in identifying rhodoliths. During the past several months, Riosmena-Rodriguez conducted a number of tests aimed at identifying the rhodoliths at his laboratory at the Marine Botany Program at Autonomous University of Baja California Sur in La Paz, Mexico. Some of the tests involved slicing the specimens into thin sections and comparing their structure and reproductive parts to a global database of known rhodolith species.
"I believe we have at least two rhodolith species in the samples I received," said Riosmena-Rodriguez. "One species is Phymatolithon calcareum. This species is widely distributed in the North Atlantic Ocean."
While scientists agree that ocean currents are key to distributing rhodoliths around the world, debate centers on where P. calcareum originated. Riosmena-Rodriguez says the species may have actually originated in Alaska waters. More research on the species' evolutionary history is needed to be sure.
The other rhodolith specimen collected by Konar and Iken is potentially a species new to science.
"It does not seem to match anything we have seen," said Riosmena-Rodriguez.
Riosmena-Rodriguez said the as-yet unidentified species is similar to a type of rhodolith found in eastern Canada, called Lithothamnion glaciale. But in important ways the Alaska rhodolith is different.
"It has very large conceptacles, the reproductive structures," explained Riosmena-Rodriguez. "And the thallus is very thin. This is something unique that you don't find in very many species."
Riosmena-Rodriguez said additional samples and further testing are needed to confirm whether the second species is
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21-Sep-2004