| Abstract: | I,)'.-)#)"$'#&-3)K'<;#'&"()-$;T)"'$/'.-/3%()'$,)'A-#$'+)"#&#'/B'$,)'4;-%")'
U/-;'F4;+-/;0V;)';"('#);V-;##)#H'/B'6;;'8$/005'/")'/B'$,)'WO'S;0(%3%;"';$/00#5';"('$/'
serve along with the macro-fauna biodiversity inventories for conservation purposes.
Species collection and inventories have been conducted at 27 sites covering the widest
selection of habitats recognized based on satellite images including islands shorelines,
-))B'U;$#5'B;-/#5'.;$+,'-))B#5'.;##)#';#'<)00';#'#,;00/<';"('()).'/&$)-'-))B'#0/.)#>'8'
total of 405 specimens were collected and 176 species representing 10 Phaeophyceae,
9P'=,0/-/.,K$;5'NXP'*,/(/.,K$;';"('$</'#);V-;##)#'<)-)'%()"$%A)(>'I,)'0;V//"'.;$+,'
reefs and the oceanic reef slopes were the most diverse geomorphological habitat types
and displayed the highest species richness with 38 spp. All lagoon sites shown a similar
richness compared to each other with an average species number of 26 spp, while the
()).'0;V//"'U//-';"('$,)'#);V-;##'E)(#'%"'/+);"%+G)M./#)('-))B'U;$#'<)-)'$,)'0)##'
species-rich habitats. The most common species, occurring at all visited sites, were
Tydemania expeditionis and Halimeda minima and the most species rich genera appeared
to be Halimeda and Caulerpa. No community structure nor strongly supported species
assemblages associated to geomorphological habitat types was found.
Previous lists available for other Maldivian atolls listed 208 algal species. Sixty
of these records were found in Baa Atoll while 113 of the species recorded in the present
study represent new records for the Maldives bringing the total number of algal species
$/'YWN>'I,)'-)#&0$%"V'#.)+%)#'0%#$'#,/<#'$,;$'$,)'S;0(%3%;"';0V;0'U/-;'%#'$K.%+;00K'$-/.%+;0'
;"('4/#$'/B'$,)'#.)+%)#'E)0/"V'$/'$,)'!"(/G7;+%A+'E%/V)/V-;.,%+'.-/3%"+)>'!"'$,%#'.;.)-5'
we give a general description of the representative macrophyte communities of Baa Atoll
in relation to the geomorphology of reefs. |
