TITLE:
The Marine Benthic Algae Diversity of Gabon: Case of the Rocky Foreshore of Cap Estérias
AUTHORS:
Sylvie Brizard Zongo, Franck Estimé Ngohang, Brice Didier Celce Koumba Mabert, Estelle Ndombi Nzaba, Frederic Arnold Djounga, Joseph Privat Ondo, Thomas Stieglitz
KEYWORDS:
Marine Algae, Taxa, Atlantic Ocean, Cap Estérias
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Marine Science,
Vol.12 No.4,
September
8,
2022
ABSTRACT: This study has allowed to classify the marine macroalgae from the intertidal zone on the Atlantic side of Cap Estérias (Gabon). This area has a rich biodiversity but very few studies in the knowledge of benthic macroalgae have been done. The first study on the knowledge of the algae of the Gabonese coast was made in February 1974 by John and Lawson. This article has been revised to transcribe books and our study would aim to update the existing collection.The algae census is spread over a year from August 2020 to August 2021 and is the first detailed study carried out over a year, with regard to this part of the Gabonese coast. This study has allowed to know the specific diversity, to determine the structure of the flora and its spread out over time. The results show a significant algal diversity of thirty five(35) identified species. Three classes of macroalgae were determined and the percentage of species in the class (%EC): Floridaophyceae at 50% EC, Phaeophyceae at 30% EC and Ulvophyceae at 20% EC. Thered algae are the most common in the area with sixteen (16) species determined against twelve (12) species of brown algae and seven (7) species of green algae. The Phaeophyceae class presents the Dictyotaceae family which is the most diverse with 7 species found. Some species seen appear in the collection of Johnetal., but others are new species encountered in Gabon such asCaulerpa sertularioides,Bryopsis plumosa(two Ulvophytes),Padina arborescenswhich is a Pheophyte andGalaxaura filamentosa,Digenea simplex,Hildenbrandia rubra,Asparagopsis armata andCaulacanthus ustulatuswhich are Rhodophytes. Some species are permanentlypresent, they are found in all seasons but with significant abundance from July to September.