Assessment of Seaweed Diversity and Coastal Water Quality Along the Southern Kerala Coast
Ganga Johny *
Maharajas College, Ernakulam, India.
Sincy Joseph
St. Stephen’s College, Uzhavoor, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Seaweeds, or marine macroalgae, are primitive, non-flowering photosynthetic organisms that inhabit intertidal and subtidal zones and constitute an important renewable marine resource. This study explored the diversity of seaweeds and the physicochemical characteristics of coastal waters in Kovalam (Hawaii) and Ernakulam (Nayarambalam and Kuzhupilli), Kerala. Understanding coastal water quality in relation to seaweed assemblages is crucial for biodiversity conservation and sustainable coastal resource management. Eight seaweed samples were collected from rocky intertidal substrata across these locations, with only two species documented from the Ernakulam region. Among the collected specimens, Ulva fasciata Delile, Caulerpa peltata J.V. Lamouroux, and Chaetomorpha antennina Kützing were identified as green algae, while Gracilaria corticata J. Agardh, Hypnea bullata Kundu & Patel, and Asparagopsis taxiformis Delile belonged to the red algae. The remaining two species—Scytosiphon lomentaria J. Agardh and Sargassum wightii (Greville) J. Agardh—were brown algae reported exclusively from Kovalam. Ulva fasciata Delile and Chaetomorpha antennina Kützing were the two green algal species recorded from the Ernakulam coastal waters. Evaluation of seven major physicochemical parameters (pH, total dissolved solids, salinity, temperature, dissolved oxygen, nitrate, and phosphate) revealed slightly alkaline, warm, and saline waters with elevated dissolved solids, conditions favorable for sustaining diverse macroalgal communities.
Keywords: Seaweeds, physicochemical parameters, Kerala, Kovalam, Ernakulam coastal water