Abstract
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.
Highlights
The first samplings of marine seaweeds in Hainan Island were performed by Chinese algologists from 1933 to the 1980s and documented 310 species of red, brown and green marine algae [1,2]
Algae growing on hard substrata anAd 7ep9%iphoyfttihcaellsypeacmieosuindteendtitfoie1d5,%ar. e typically distributed among tropical or subtropical regions [11]
A similar geographical distribution we found for macroalgae from other localities in Hainan [3], as well as from some southern islands of Japan [14,15] and in the southern Vietnam [16]
Summary
The first samplings of marine seaweeds in Hainan Island were performed by Chinese algologists from 1933 to the 1980s and documented 310 species of red, brown and green marine algae [1,2]. The major algal samplings were conducted in 1990 and 1992 during the German-Chinese expeditions to Hainan Island and recorded 203 species [2]. The third sampling was performed during 2008–2012 by authors of this study. Algae were collected from sites located in the southern, southeastern, and northern parts of the island. Eight of the studied sites were common to all three samplings including Xiaodong Hai (Figure 1A). Collections of 1990, 1992 and 2008–2012 showed that Xiaodong Hai is the richest locality of the southern part of Hainan in seaweeds. About 200 species of marine macrophytes were found during these years
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