Photosynthetic activity of the introduced seaweed Hypnea cornuta (Gigartinales, Rhodophyta) in the Mar Piccolo of Taranto: preliminary results

The photosynthetic activity of both the thallus and the typical propagules of Hypnea cornuta (Rhodophyta, Gigartinales), a non-indigenous seaweed from the Mar Piccolo of Taranto, was measured in order to assess both the adaptation and the possible ecological effect of this new introduction in the basin. The preliminary results indicate that this species is well adapted to the local conditions and it is likely to become a dominant seaweed in the basin