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. 2024 Jul 11:12:e119875.
doi: 10.3897/BDJ.12.e119875. eCollection 2024.

Marine algal (seaweed) flora of Faial Island, Azores

David Milla-Figueras  1   2 , Ana Isabel Neto  3 , Fernando Tempera  2 , Ignacio Moreu  4 , Afonso C L Prestes  5 , Roberto Resendes  6 , Raul M A Neto  7 , Ian Tittley  8 , Pedro Afonso  1   2
Affiliations

Marine algal (seaweed) flora of Faial Island, Azores

David Milla-Figueras et al. Biodivers Data J. .

Abstract

Background: A comprehensive checklist of the marine flora from Faial Island, mid-north Atlantic, is still unavailable, despite the numerous works that gathered data around its coasts for over 150 years. This study brings together and harmonises all macroalgae collections and taxonomical records from multiple projects and teams over the last thirty years.The result is a list of taxonomic records and georeferenced species occurrence data that substantially increases our knowledge of the coastal Azorean marine biodiversity while providing key information for future ecological studies and to support local, marine management and conservation.

New information: A total of 2283 specimens belonging to 118 taxa of macroalgae are registered here, comprising 61 Rhodophyta, 26 Chlorophyta, 30 Ochrophyta (Phaeophyceae) and one Cyanophyta (Cyanobacteria). From these, 26 taxa are identified only at the genus level and 92 to species level (47 Rhodophyta, 21 Chlorophyta and 24 Ochrophyta). The list comprises 75 native species, 12 records of uncertain origin and five introductions (Caulerpaprolifera (Forsskål) J.V.Lamouroux, Caulerpawebbiana Montagne, Hydroclathrustilesii (Endlicher) Santiañez & M.J.Wynne, Asparagopsisarmata Harvey and Symphyocladiamarchantioides (Harvey) Falkenberg). Codiumelisabethiae O.C.Schmidt represents the only Macaronesian endemism known on the Island. Twenty-three species are newly recorded to the algal flora of the Island.

Keywords: georeferenced occurrence data; macroalgae; new records; taxonomical records.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
The Azores Archipelago, its location in the North Atlantic and Faial Island highlighted in black.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Patches of fringes of the algae Fucusspiralis in the upper zone of the mid-littoral.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Corallinaofficinalis Linnaeus represents one of the common articulated calcareous algae in the mid-littoral zone.
Figure 4.
Figure 4.
The brown algae Zonariatournefortii at the subtidal level.
Figure 5.
Figure 5.
Introduced species Caulerpawebbiana on Faial Island's south-eastern coast.
Figure 6.
Figure 6.
Faial Island showing sampling locations.
Figure 7.
Figure 7.
Diver surveying the presence and coverage of macroalgal species on subtidal rocky habitat.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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