Indian Journal of Geo-Marine Sciences Vol. 44(8), August 2015, pp. 1235-1238 Status, distribution and diversity of some marine macro Algae along the coast of Andhra Pradesh in

Vishnupriya Sowjanya, I* & P.S. Raja Sekhar Department of Environmental Sciences, , Visakhapatnam 530 003, India. *[E.Mail: [email protected]]

Received 17 February 2014; revised 19 May 2014

Present study consists the stydu of status of some marine algal flora in relation to their occurrence, distribution status and diversity. Sampling was done along six stations between May, 2013 and December, 2013. A total of 34 marine macro-algae species were recorded, of which 12 species belong to Chlorophyta, 6 species to Phaeophyta and 16 species to Rhodophyta. The Species Ulva fasciata Delile, Chaetomorpha antennina (Bory) Kutzing, Amphiroa fragilissima Camouroux and Gracilaria corticata J.Agardh were found to be dominant in all the stations and are found to be widely distributed along rocky areas of the coast of Visakhapatnam.

[Keywords: Seaweeds, marine algae, diversity, Visakhapatnam]

Introduction Figure. 1: Map showing of sampling stations in the study area Rich seaweed beds have been recorded along the east coast of Visakhapatnam, Mahabalipuram, Gulf of Mannar, Southern coast of Thiruchendur and Tuticorin in Kerala1. In recent years, sea weeds are under threat in many countries, due to over-exploitation and anthropogenic activities resulted in destruction of seaweed resources and alterations in the diversity of other marine life forms who are directly or indirectly dependent on the macro algae2. Although, systematic studies on marine algae and their distribution were known from different coastal parts of India, seaweed resources of Visakhapatnam coast in terms of spatio-temporal distribution are not adequately known and For surveying the intertidal marine algae, intensively with reference to marine pollution are six sampling stations were selected along the not studied in details. Hence, the present study coastline of Visakhapatnam. The geographical was conducted to assess the distribution status, locations and habitats of these six sampling seasonal occurrence and site wise composition of stations of Visakhapatnam are as follows. species in order to assess the marine pollution of Visakhapatnam coast with marine macro-algae as Location Coordinates Sampling S.No Habitat key ecological indicator species. Station Latitude Longitude Type 17°42'12"N and Materials and Methods 1 Outer Harbour Rocky 83°18'30"E The Visakhapatnam coast is situated on Ramakrishna 17°42'40"N and 2 Rocky the east coast of India (Lat. 17°42'12" - Beach 83°19'09"E 17°44'53"N and 17°53'26"N; Long. 83°18'30" & 83°27'24"E). 3 Tenneti Park Rocky 83°21'01"E Rushikonda 17°47'25"N and The coastal stretch of Visakhapatnam is 4 Rocky Beach 83°23'22"E ~32 km from outer harbour of Visakhapatnam in 17°49'43"N and 5 Rocky the south to Bhimunipatnam in the north consist 83°24'59"E Rocky outcrops of rocky boulders of various sizes 17°53'26"N and 6 Bhimunipatnam & protruding through the sands (Figure 1). 83°27'24"E Sandy

A total of 40 quadrants (0.5 X 0.5 m2)

were laid between May and December 2013 at

each field station to enumerate the marine macro

algae. Macroflora specimens viz. seaweeds were

1236 INDIAN J. MAR. SCI., VOL. 44, NO. 8, AUGUST 2015 collected at fortnightly intervals during leap tides coast belonging to three phyla. The Rhodophyta of maximum exposure of intertidal seashore members were dominant with 16 species followed areas. Samples were placed in zip lock plastic by Chlorophyta, 12 species and Phaeophyta with bags noted with all details of sampling date, time least six species. In species wise distribution, the of collection and area etc. The collected samples harbour areas were recorded with 13 species were preserved in 5.0% formaldehyde solution followed by R.K. Beach, 14 species; Tenneti after removing the sand particles and other fauna park, 19 species; Rushikonda, 22 species; attached to algae. The seaweeds were identified Thotlakonda, 32 species; Bhimunipatnam, 32 by using the standard taxonomic keys3,4,5. species respectively (Table 1). Results and Discussion

A total of 34 species of macro algae were recorded from the study area of Visakhapatnam

Table 1: Distribution of seaweeds of different sampling stations in the study area

S.No PHYLUM SEAWEEDS SAMPLING STATIONS S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6 1 C Ulva fasciata Delile + + + + + + 2 H Ulva lactuca + + + + + + 3 L Enteromorpha compressa (L) Greville + + + + + + 4 O Enteromorpha intestinalis - + - + + + 5 R Chaetomorpha antennina (Bory) Kutzing + + + + + + 6 O Cladophora socialis Kutzing + + + + + + 7 P Spongomorpha indica Thiviy at Visalakshmi + + + + + + 8 H Bryopsis pennata Lamouroux - - + + + + 9 Y Caulerpa fastigata J.Ag. - - - - + + 10 T Caulerpa racemosa J.Agardh - - + + + + 11 A Caulerpa taxifolia (Vahl.) C.Agardh + + + + + + 12 Caulerpa sertularioides Howe + + + + + +

P 13 H Chnoospora minima (papenfuss) - - - - + + 14 A Dictyota dichotoma - - - + + + 15 E Padina tetrastromatica Hauck + + + + + + 16 O Sargassum vulgare C.Agardh - - + + + + 17 P Sargassum ilicifolium - - - - + + 18 H Ectocarpus mitchellae Hamel - - + + + + Y T A 19 Porphyra vietnamensis, Tanaka et HO - - + - - - 20 Bangiopsis subsimplex Schmitz + + + - - - 21 Amphiroa fragilissima Camouroux + + + + + + 22 Jania rubens Lamouroux - - - - + + 23 R Grateloupia lithophila Borgesen - - - + + + 24 H Grateloupia filicina C.Agardh - - - + + + 25 O Gracilaria corticata J.Agardh + + + + + + 26 D Gracilaria textori + + + + + + 27 O Gracilaria edulis - - - - + + 28 P Hypnea valentiae Montagne - - - + + + 29 H Gigartina acicularis Lamouroux - - - - + + 30 Y Liagora Visakhapatnamensis - - + + + + 31 T Centroceros clavulatum - - - - + + 32 A Bryocladia thwaitesii - - - - + + 33 Gelidiopsis variabilis Schmitz - - - - + + 34 Gelidium pusillum Le Jolis - - - - + + Total number of species 13 14 19 22 32 32

+ Present - Absent S1 - Outer harbour; S2 - Ramakrishna Beach; S3 - Tenneti Park; S4 - Rushikonda Beach; S5 – Thotlakonda; S6 – Bhimunipatnam VISHNUPRIYA et al.: STATUS, DISTRIBUTION & DIVERSITY OF SEAWEEDS ALONG VISAKHAPATNAM COAST 1237

The species viz. Ulva fasciata, Ulva Conclusion lactuca, Enteromorpha compressa, Chaetomorpha antennina, Cladophora socialis, The findings of the present study on Spongomorpha indica, Amphiroa fragilissima, marine macro algae revealed that Gracilaria corticata, Gracilaria textori, Padina Visakhapatnam coast had diversified tetrastromatica, Caulerpa taxifolia and distribution in terms of species richness, Caulerpa sertularioides were found to be abundance and diversity. Comparatively the dominant in rocky shores and other submerged rocky shores of urban beach areas consists hard surfaces of Visakhapatnam coast. The lowest species richness (in outer harbour-13 sp.) Rhodophyta consist of highest number of & R.K beach-14 sp.) than that of undisturbed species composition (16 species, 47.0%) shores (Tenneti park-19 sp., Rushikonda-22 sp., compare to Chlorophyta (12 species, 35.0%) Thotlakonda and Bhimunipatnam-32 sp.). and Phaeophyta (06 species, 18.0%) (Figure 2). Present study has reported two species, Ulva lactuca and Enteromorpha intestinalis which Figure 2: Percentage distribution of marine were not recorded earlier from Visakhapatnam macro algae taxa at study area. coast. At the same time, it fail to document five species reported by earlier researchers from the coastline and therefore, indicate an alarming situation for the species diversity of the macro algae of Visakhapatnam in the light of anthropogenic threats and climate change7,8.

Chlorophyta

Figure 3: Ulva lactuca

The present study has recorded two species of marine algae (Ulva lactuca and Enteromorpha intestinalis) which was not reported by earlier studies along this coastline. Besides, a total of five species (Boodlea struveoides, Pterocladia heteroplatos, Wrangelia argus, Chara baltica, Chaetomorpha brachygona) were not reported during the present study which were earlier reportedfor this 1,5,6 coastline of Visakhapatnam (Table 2). Figure 3: Enteromorpha intestinalis Table 2: Shown the newly recorded and absent species of marine macro algae in the study area of Visakhapatnam coast.

New Records Species Absent* Ulva lactuca Boodlea struveoides Howe Enteromorpha Pterocladia heteroplatos Umamaheswara intestinalis Wrangelia argus Chara baltica Chaetomorpha brachygonia

* As the species were reported by earlier studies and have been not observed during the present study.

1238 INDIAN J. MAR. SCI., VOL. 44, NO. 8, AUGUST 2015

Acknowledgements Phaeophyta The first author was supported by Figure5: Sargassum vulgare Department of Science & Technology, Govt. of India under the INSPIRE fellowship. The support of the Head of the Department of Environmental Sciences, Andhra University, Visakhapatnam is acknowledged. We also extend our thanks to the Research Scholars for their voluntary help in conducting the field survey at Visakhapatnam coastal areas. We duly acknowledge Prof. G. Mohan Narasimha Rao, Department of Botany, Andhra University for helping us to identify the marine macro algae.

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