Early Stage of Algal Succession on Artificial Reefs at Muronohana, Ikata, Japan

Different substrata fixed as the roof (for shadow) on artificial iron reef had been developed as a tool for valuable fishery resources. The experiment was set up on a sandy bottom substratum at 8m depth in Muronohana, Ikata, Japan. Within one month of placement of the plates, diatoms dominated the experimental plates with a coverage of $100\%$ approximately. Enteromorpha intestinalis and Colpomenia sinuosa dominated within three months after the placement. E. intestinalis coverage on substrata was estimated $7\%$ on the plate shaped iron bar, $12-14\%$ on concrete plates, $18\%$ on the plate fixed pebble, $61\%$ on the plate to accumulated wood, and 80-100% on the steel materials plate. Whereas after four months of placement, C. sinuosa coverage on plates became $1-36\%$ on different plates, and $100\%$ on the plate to accumulated wood. The differences in E. intestinalis and C. sinuosa colonization on the different substrata were probably due to variations in their surface roughness influencing the settlement of zoospores, and thus gametophyte. development. After five months of placement, the above two species slowly disappeared.