Seaweed Community Structure on Rocky Intertidal Shores of Visakhapatnam coastline, Bay of Bengal, India

The intertidal algal community structures of the species composition, percentage cover and functional form groups of seaweeds were examined on ten rocky shores along Visakhapatnam coastline from April 2013 to March 2015. The present study aimed at seasonal dynamics of macroalgal cover and compositional changes of seaweed communities based upon ecologically related functional form groups in relation to Water Quality Index. A total of 48 seaweed species recorded along Visakhapatnam coast, seaweed cover was maximum in Season 3 and minimal for Season 2. As per functional form species richness, Filamentous algae were dominant with 27.1% and crustose algae (4.2%) were least dominant. In the BIO-ENV analysis of the log (n+1) transformed matrix of seaweed functional forms with the observed Water Quality Index at Visakhapatnam coast was best associated with foliose (Rho=0.334). On the basis of seaweed cover and functional form analysis among the field stations of Visakhapatnam coast, Pudimadaka and Thotlakonda shores provide better habitat for seaweed growth.