The Structure and Biodiversity of Marine Macrobenthic Algae in Mantigue Island, Camiguin Province, Philippines

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This research study described the structure and biodiversity of Mantigue Island, Camiguin Province which could be used as a basis for island planning and zoning and other Local Government related projects. The study utilized the transect-line method using 0.25 m2 quadrat laid from the shoreline to the continental shelf of the intertidal flat. There were four (4) stations established in the island namely: North Side, East Side, South Side and West Side. Identification and classification of algae were based from Trono (1988). Results indicated that there were a total 19 species recorded. Of the 19 species identified, nine (9) belong to the Division Chlorophyta , seven (7) belong to the Division Rhodophyta and three (3) belong to the Division Phaeophyta . The species of seaweed which dominate in the island are Chlorophytan ( Boergensenia sp., Chaetomorpha sp. and Bornetella sp.) and Rhodophytan ( Laurencia sp., Gelidiopsis sp. and Gelidiella sp.) species. Kappaphyccus alvarezii of two varieties (Guso and Tambalang) are the cultured species for farming. These data indicate that the island is dominated by Rhodophytan species. Moreover, the four established stations have close similarity in terms of species composition and diversity with FICC of 82-99%. Simpson’s and Shannon’s indices indicate that the north and the west sides have more biodiversity as compared to the south and the east. However, the south side station is the most highly dominated with Rhodophytan species. In terms of biomass production, the dominant species which account most for the biomass production are Gelidiopsis intricata , Laurencia papillosa , Boergesenia forbesii and Gracilaria sp. The highest algal cover is found in the south side of the island consequently, it also yielded the highest biomass production. The north and west sides have almost the same algal biomass production. The east side is the lowest among the others. The total biomass production of natural stock in the island is approximately 23,920,400 grams. Lastly, the island has salinity of 30 parts per thousandth; the temperature ranges from 29-320C and the turbidity of the island ranges between1.25 to 0.75 meters during the October sampling. Keywords: Structure and biodiversity, Marine Macrobenthic Algae