A SURVEY ON MARINE MACROALGAE ALONG THE COAST OF SUDUKATTANPATTI, RAMESWARAM ISLAND.

- Marine macroalgae are commonly known as Seaweeds and distributed horizontally in different zonations viz. supra tidal (supra littoral), intertidal (littoral) and subtidal (sub littoral) regions of the seas, estuaries and also in the brackish water environments, wherever dead corals, rocks, stones, pebbles and any other suitable substrata are available for their attachment. This research work was carried out for enumeration of the macroalgal species (distribution and availability) through field survey along the coast of SuduKattanPatti, Rameswaram Island, Ramanathapuram district, Tamilnadu, Southeast coast of India. The survey was conducted twice in a month during 2018. Herbarium specimens were prepared and submitted to the Research Department of Botany, Pasumpon Thiru Muthuramalinga Thevar Memorial College, Kamuthi, Ramanathapuram Dist623604, Tamilnadu, India. A total of 81 macroalgal species were identified which belong to Chlorophyta (13 genus; 29 species), Rhodophyta (15 genus; 28 species) and Phaeophyta (13genus; 24 species). The key canopy-forming Genus are Caulerpa, Padina, Sargassum, Turbinaria, Gracilaria and Gelidiella, which are also present throughout the year. Ulva lactuca and Caulerpa species grow well during Northeast monsoon and washed ashore (December to January). Gelidiella, Sargassum and Turbinaria species also attain more biomass during Northeast monsoon and are harvested for commercial purpose after the end of the monsoon (February to May). Valonia utricularis, Avrainvillea erecta, Udotea flabellum, Neomeris annulata, Asparagopsis taxiformis, Dictyopteris delicatula, Chnoospora implexa, Colpomenia sinuosa and Zonaria variegata species were meagerly found during post Northeast monsoon (February to June). This is the first documentation of macroalgal biodiversity in this site. The present study will be useful and can be taken as new baseline record for biodiversity and mariculture studies. KEYWORDS: Macroalgae, Seaweed, Marinealgal diversity, Rameswaram Island. ___________________________________________________________________________