Preliminary Checklist Study on Marine Algae Along the Coast between Tukra and Tolmetha, Libya, III: Rhodophyta
Nadeen, O. Zarqah
Botany of Department, Faculty of Science, University of Benghazi, Libya.
Munay, A. Alteerah
*
Botany of Department, Faculty of Science, University of Benghazi, Libya.
Massoud, M. Godeh
Botany of Department, Faculty of Science, University of Benghazi, Libya.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
A systematic survey of marine red algae was conducted along a 30 km coastal stretch between Tukra and Tolmetha, Libya. Specimens were collected and identified based on detailed morphological and anatomical characteristics. The study documented eleven species, representing ten genera from 4 families distributed across three orders—Gigartinales, Cryptonemiales, and Ceramiales—within the class Florideophyceae. Species richness varied among the sampling sites, with observed counts of 9, 9, 6, and 4 species from site 1 to site 5, respectively. Notably, three species—Corallina officinalis, Laurencia obtusa, and Rytiphlaea tinctoria—were consistently present across all five sampling stations. These findings contribute to the baseline knowledge of Rhodophyta diversity in northeastern Libya and provide a foundation for future ecological and biogeographical studies in the region.
Keywords: Marine algae, rhodophyta, Corallina officinalis, Laurencia obtuse, Rytiphlaea tinctoria