Macroalgas submareales de los canales interiores del Parque Nacional Bernardo O’Higgins (~49°- 51° S), región de Magallanes, Chile

Abstract

The Bernardo O’Higgins National Park (BONP) covers a total area of 3,525,901 hectares, where a great diversity of terrestrial and marine habitats converges. Its coastal area is characterized by a complex system of Patagonian Channels and Fjords. This marine ecosystem does not have an ecological simile with other along the Souther Pacific coast, with a high biodiversity in its marine biota, specifically in its marine benthic algae. There are few or almost no scientific contributions regarding which species of macroalgae inhabit this conservation area between ~ 49° - 55° of South latitude. Therefore, the aim of this work was to be a first qualitative approximation of macroalgae flora in these coastal systems of BONP. In order to corried out the objetive of this work, qualitative subtidal samplings in mover delante de qualitative stations on the coast of the BONP, through SCUBA diving during the summer of 2010. A total of 64 taxa were of subtidal benthic macroalgae belong to 31 families. The most diverse taxa was the Delesseriaceae (8 species), followed by Ceramiaceae (7 species) and Ulvaceae (7 species). In addition, we observed that Macrocystis pyrifera is the dominant subtidal macroalgae species in the whole study area. This work contributed to the phycological knowledge of the Subantarctic ecoregion. However, it is necessary to continue developing research effort in the area, which without a doubt would provide more records to those already achieved.