Ecology of marine macro algal flora of Visakhapatnam coastal areas, Bay of Bengal, India

An ecological study was conducted on species composition, vertical distribution and monthly variations of marine macro algae along the Visakhapatnam coast, Bay of Bengal, India between May 2013 and April 2014. A total of 48 species was recorded, 18 species belonging to phylum Chlorophyta, nine species to Phaeophyta and 21 species to Rhodophyta. The phylum Rhodophyta was the most dominant group with the highest number of species composition (44.0%) followed by Chlorophyta (37.0%) and Phaeophyta (19.0%). Monthly seaweed distribution data showed the dominance of Rhodophyta members (43.75%) during November to February, when compared to that of Chlorophyta and Phaeophyta members. In addition, the data also revealed that the months from June to August contributed favourable conditions for the growth of Chlorophyta members (29.16%) when compared to that of other months. The present study has recorded two new species (Ulva lactuca and Enteromorpha intestinalis). Thirty-five species once recorded are absent from the Visakhapatnam coast. These changes are attributed to the impact of marine water pollution and climate change.