Abstract
The purpose of this note is to communicate the diversity of endophytic fungi isolated from living leaves of Halodule wrightii and Thalassia testudinum, two ubiquitous seagrasses in the north-central Gulf of Mexico. Fungi were isolated from surface-sterilized leaf fragments of the two plants that had been inoculated onto seawater malt extract agar. Leaves of T. testudinum harbored slightly more endophyte taxa than those of H. wrightii. Trichocladium alopallonellum and 10 other fungal taxa are new records for H. wrightii. No distinct seasonal pattern in fungal filamentous growth was observed; however, our evidence suggests peak activity may take place in spring.
All research for this publication was supported by the Alabama Center for Estuarine Studies (grant no. EM-83350301-0-05). We are grateful to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection for granting collecting permits at Big Lagoon State Park.
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