Assessment of marine macroalgae on selected areas in Lemery, Batangas

Abstract

Seaweeds play important ecological roles in aquatic environments that act as bioindicators of water quality and can be used for bioremediation. The present study assessed the seaweed species in selected sites in Lemery, Batangas that are vulnerable to anthropogenic input and human activities. The line transect-quadrat method was utilized to determine the seaweed spatial distribution and the physicochemical parameters were also measured. A total of four seaweed species were found at Sinisian East, Balanga, and Nonong Casto in Lemery Batangas to which Ulva intestinalis, U. clathrata, Acetabularia calyculus, and Padina minor were identified. U. intestinalis had the highest contribution in Balanga and Sinisian East (78.34% and 59.64%, respectively) and U. clathrata was the most abundant in Nonong Casto (98.62%). A. calyculus had the least contribution in Balanga (2.89%). P. minor contributed 40.36% only in the Sinisian East. The similarity of profile analysis showed significant clustering of Sinisian East and Balanga due to the similarity of species composition and high abundance of U. intestinalis in the two sites. While P. minor and A. calyculus contributed more than 90% of the dissimilarity between Nonong Casto and the other two sites. Lastly, the physicochemical characteristics, especially the substrate, may possibly contribute to the differences in the species composition and abundance of the three sites.