J. Env. Bio-Sci., 2015: Vol.

29 (2):305-309
(305) ISSN 0973-6913 (Print), ISSN 0976-3384 (On Line)

ASSESSMENT OF SEAWEED DIVERSITY AT HARE ISLAND ALONG THE SOUTH EAST

COAST OF INDIA
J. Canciyal*, H. S. Mogalekar and P. Jawahar
Department of Fisheries Biology and Resource Management, Fisheries College & Research Institute, Thoothukudi-628 008,
Tamil Nadu, India.
[Corresponding author E-mail*: canciyal.johnson@gmail.com]

Received: 14-06-2015 Accepted: 22-06-2015

Seaweed diversity assessment at Hare Island in the Gulf of Mannar revealed presence of 99 seaweed species belonging to 15
order, 24 family and 42 genera during May 2014 to April 2015. Recorded species during present study belonged to 3 phylum.
Rhodophyceae was dominant seaweed phylum with 35 species belonging to 7 order, 12 family and 20 genera followed by
Chlorophyceae (33 species belonging to 4 order, 8 family and 11 genera) and Phaeophyceae (31 species belonging to 4 order, 4
family and 11 genera). Seasonal variability in various diversity indices were calculated by using PRIMER v6 software. The calculated
value of biodiversity indices showed healthy nature of seaweed ecosystem at Hare Island.

Seaweeds are macroscopic marine algae, usually found
attached to solid substrates such as rocks, dead corals,
pebbles and shells in relatively shallow coastal water area
upto 180 meters depth. Seaweeds form ecologically important
component of marine ecosystems as they make a substantial
contribution to marine primary production and provide habitat
for near shore benthic communities. Rich seaweed beds known
to occur around Visakhapatnam in the northeast coast,
Mahabalipuram, Gulf of Mannar, Tiruchendur, Tuticorin and
Kerala in the southern coast; Veraval and Gulf of Kutch in the
northwest coast; Andaman and Nicobar Islands and
Lakshadweep1. The seaweed flora of India is highly diversified
and comprises 271 genera and 1153 species of tropical marine
algae2. However, a survey carried out in 2000 revealed less
number of species (844) with similar genera number of 271 1.
Of the total number of seaweed species recorded from the
Indian coast, the maximum number of species belongs to the
Rhodophyta (422), followed by the Chlorophyta (217) and finally
the Phaeophyta (191). Increasing concern on destruction of
seaweed resources due to anthropogenic and climatic
disturbances makes it necessary to study their diversity and
species richness. Therefore, in present study an attempt has
been made to assess distribution and abundance of seaweed
diversity along Hare Island.
MATERIAL AND METHODS
The study was conducted for 12 months (May 2014 to April
2015) at Hare Island (Pandiyan Thivu or Light House Island) in
the Gulf of Mannar along southeast coast of India. Hare Island
NAAS Rating (2016)-4.20
is situated 4.5 km away from Tuticorin Port Beach with a variety
of substrata-rocky, silty, muddy and sandy. Seaweed samples
were collected monthly basis by handpicking and steel
grappling hook during low-tide. After sorting and counting,
seaweed samples were identified up to species level and
representative samples were preserved in 5% formalin3-5.
Seasonal availability of seaweeds were studied in three seasons
namely pre-monsoon (May to August), monsoon (September
to December) and post-monsoon (January to April) during
2014 to 2015. Total numbers of seaweed were calculated on
monthly basis for seasonal abundance data and used as input
for the calculation of biodiversity indices such as Shannon-
Wiener diversity (H'), Margalef's species richness ('d'), Pielou's
evenness (J') and Bray-Curtis similarity (PRIMER 6v).
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
The coralline or rocky substratum in the subtidal areas of Hare
Island found to support a good growth of marine algae.
Significant variations in distribution and abundance of seaweed
diversity were observed during study. As many as 5443 number
of seaweed were collected from the study area, comprising
99 seaweed species belonging to 15 order, 24 family and 42
genera (Table-1). Abundance of seaweed was high in post-
monsoon (2792 numbers). Caulerpa, Ulvawere, Gracilaria,
Sargassum and Padina were dominant genera at Hare Island.
Recorded species during present investigation belonged to 3
phylum. Rhodophyceae represented as dominant seaweed
phylum with 35 species belonging to 7 order, 12 family and 20
genera, followed by Chlorophyceae (33 species belonging to
 ASSESSMENT OF SEAWEED DIVERSITY AT HARE ISLAND (306)

Table-1.Checklist of seaweed diversity at Hare Island.

cont.
(307) CANCIYAL, MOGALEKAR AND JAWAHAR

cont.
 ASSESSMENT OF SEAWEED DIVERSITY AT HARE ISLAND (308)

Table-2.Diversity indices for Seaweed species at Hare Island.

Figure-1 . Dominance plot among different seasons at Hare Island.

(309) CANCIYAL, MOGALEKAR AND JAWAHAR
4 order, 8 family and 11 genera) and Phaeophyceae (31 species
belonging to 4 order, 4 family and 11 genera). The dominance
of red algae over green and brown algae during present study
indicated presence of rocky and coralline substrate essential
for the attachment, similar observation were made in 4 districts
of southern Tamil Nadu6.
The seaweed flora observed in the present study showed higher
species richness compared to previous research reports6-10.
Earlier workers recorded 57 seaweed species from the southern
Tamil Nadu6. Some other researchers recorded 32 seaweed
species from the Kudankulam region of Gulf of Mannar7. Some
workers attributed 38 seaweed species from Muttom coastal
waters along Tamil Nadu, however other workers reported
presence of 86 seaweed species along Tuticorin coastal
waters8-9. Similarly, some other workers identified 90 seaweed
species from the Hare Island in Gulf of Mannar9.
The Shannon-Wiener diversity index (H') varied from 4.524 to
4.530. While the minimum value was recorded during Monsoon,
the maximum value was recorded during Pre-monsoon. The
maximum value (17.04) of Margalef richness index ('d') was
also recorded during the Pre-monsoon. However the minimum
value (15.81) was recorded during the Post-monsoon. The
minimum value of Pielou's evenness index (J') was 0.9852
recorded during Post-monsoon and the maximum value of
0.9867 during Monsoon (Table-2). Biodiversity indices values
found higher compared to earlier workers6,9. Higher values for
biodiversity indices indicated healthy nature of seaweed
ecosystems at Hare Island. Species estimation showed that
the sample size of the present study was quit adequate and
the effort taken to the list all the species was also quite sufficient.
In the species dominance plot, curve for seaweed diversity
lies on lower side and rises gradually due to less individual
species dominance. In the dominance plot, Post-monsoon
curve lies on lower side and rises slowly with higher number of
species and less species dominance than the other curves.
As lower diversity was found during the Pre-monsoon, the curve
for this season was found at the top (Fig.-1).
CONCLUSION
The diversity indices values observed during present study
were favorable for healthy seaweed ecosystems at Hare Island.
Present research report may possibly expose feasibility of
commercial seaweed exploitation along Tuticorin coast.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We thank the Dean i/c, Fisheries College & Research Institute,
Thoothukudi-628 008, Tamil Nadu for his constant support.
REFERENCES
1. Oza, R.M. and Zaidi, S.H. (2000). In: A Revised checklist of
Indian marine algae. Central Salt and Marine Chemicals Research
Institute, Bhavnagar.
2. Krishnamurthy, V. (2005). In: Anonymous, Seaweed: Wonder
Plants of the Sea Aquaculture Foundation of India, Chennai.
3. Kaliaperumal, N., Kalimuthu, S. and Ramalingam, J.R. (1995). In:
Economically important seaweeds. Dr. M. Devaraj (Ed.), Special
publication 62. Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, Indian
Council of Agricultural Research, Post Box. No. 1603, Cochin -
682014, India.
4. Mary, K.M., Geetha, A. and Syda Rao, G. (2012). In: Common
Seaweeds and Seagrasses of India. Herbarium Vol.1, Central
Marine Fisheries Research Institute, Kochi- 682 018, Kerala.
5. http://www.algaebase.org.
6. Sahayaraj, K., Rajesh, S., Asha, A., Rathi, J.M. and Patric Rajan.
(2014). Indi. Jour. of Geo-Marine Scie., 43(4): 607.
7. Sathianeson, S. and Samuel, G.W. (2012). Biodiv. Jour., 3 (1),79.
8. Domettila, C., Shynin Brintha, T.S., Sukumaran, S. and Jeeva, S.
(2013). Biodiv. Jou., 4 (1), 105.
9. Canciyal, J., Mogalekar, H.S. and Jawahar, P. (2014). Internat.
Jour. of Curr. Res., 6(12), 10874.
10. Mary, J.M., Usha, R. and Maria, V.R.S. (2013). Scie. Res. Report.,
3(2), 146.