DISTRIBUTION OF SEAWEEDS IN-TnE QATARI ARABIAN GULF.

DISTRIBUTION OF SEAWEEDS IN-TnE QATARI ARABIAN GULF.
M.M. DORGIIAM
oceanography Department, Faculty of science,
Alexandria University, Egypt.
ABS’l’RACT
The seaweeds in the Qatari Arabian Gulf ·.are more
productive during the time of low water temperature. Within
their vegetation period, November 1986 – April 1987, the
Qatari seaweeds were surveyed at 12 sites along the coasts
of the Qatari Peninsula. In spite that the Qatari water
represents only 15 X of the Arabian Gulf, the 68 taxa
identified in the area formed 50 X of the total algal flora
found in the whole Arabian Gulf.
The Qatari algal flora was composed of 19 chlorophyceae,
21 phaeophyceae, 28 rhodophyceae, besides 3 spermatophytes.
Twenty four species were restricted in their occurrence to
the Qatari coasts, while 21 species were found to be widely
distributed in the Arabian Gulf. The distribution of the
algae showed significant differences among the different
parts of the Arabian Gulf. A similarity between the algal
species in the Arabian Gulf and the Red Sea was observed and
it was greater than that noticed between the Arabian Gulf
and the Arabian Sea.