Interannual and Seasonal Changes in the Benthic Algae Flora of Coral Reef in Xiaodong Hai (Hainan Island, China)

• Published in: Journal of Marine Science and Engineering
• Main Authors: Eduard A. Titlyanov, Tamara V. Titlyanova, Anna V. Scriptsova, Yuxiao Ren, Xiubao Li, Hui Huang
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute 2019
• Subjects: Hainan Island; Xiaodong Hai locality; climatic conditions; intertidal; macroalgae; Cyanobacteria; seasonality; Arctic; Antarctic; Browns; Antarc*
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse7080243

Intensive algal sampling conducted in 2016–2019 in the Xiaodong Hai locality (Hainan Island, South China Sea), yielded a total of 198 benthic macroalgal species and their taxonomic forms (54% reds, 20% browns and 26% greens) and 20 species of Cyanobacteria. The largest number of species belonged to the families Rhodomelaceae, Ceramiaceae and Corallinaceae (Rhodophyta); Sargassaceae and Dictyotaceae (Phaeophyceae); Cladophoraceae and Caulerpaceae (Chlorophyta). The majority (79%) of species inhabiting only the tropics or subtropics were previously recorded and 21% of the species were also inhabiting temperate latitudes. Cosmopolitan algae inhabiting from the tropics to Arctic or Antarctic waters amounted to 14%. The level of maximum similarity of macroalgal species diversity in different years was on average more than 70%, interannual species specificity was observed only in the group of dominating species in algal turf communities. The seasonal variability of floras was manifested in a significant decrease in species diversity from the dry season to the rainy and in the change of dominant species in algal turf communities.