The effects of sedimentation on spore settlement and recruitment of the endemic Arctic kelp, Laminaria solidungula - Count Data

Spore and gametophyte count data used to evaluate the effects of sedimentation on spore settlement and viability in Laminaria solidungula, an Arctic endemic kelp species. Three sedimentation scenarios: sediment burial of spores, sediment coverage on hard substrate, and spores and sediments suspended together, were simulated to examine how kelp spore attachment and viability were affected by sediments. All experiments were conducted using petri dishes with a microscope slide at the bottom for spore/ gametophyte viewing. Each experiment consisted of four treatments: a control group (no sediments), a low, medium, and high sediment load treatment. Each treatment group consisted of three petri dishes per experimental trial. The three experiments were replicated three times using different spore solutions. For spore burial, spores were settled first and sediments were added on top. For spore settlement onto sediment layers, spores were added to dishes with settled sediment layers. For sediment-spore suspension, spores and sediments were added simultaneously and allowed to settle after suspension. Each experiment replicate also consisted of a set of 12 dishes that underwent the same sedimentation conditions, but were left to grow gametophytes instead of being immediately counted for spores after the experiment was complete. Spores and gametophytes were counted using microscopy, and a gametophyte to settled spore ratio was calculated per treatment for each experimental trial to examine short-term spore viability.